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holdin-out-for-a-hero · 3 years

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Creep- FFVII Biggs X Reader Ch.13/?

A/n: Sorry it’s late again. I feel like a broken record saying there will be weekly updates and not delivering. Not gonna lie, I’ve been going through it™️ this year, but this series has been my escape. Thanks for the patience

You figured you would find her here, but the sight still made your breath catch in your throat. She rarely let her guard down like this. She often put on an act, always there to help others with their problems but never sharing her own. Seeing her this vulnerable meant something was really wrong- and of course it was. Cloud was an old friend. The only piece left of a burned-down hometown. And now he was gone.

Her shoulders shook slightly, you noticed. She must've been crying, which made your job much harder. You had came in to tell her the carriage was waiting, but it seemed like the carriage would have to wait a little longer. It felt wrong to delay or pause Tifa's grieving process just to help you get your ass out of trouble, but she did volunteer and no matter how hard you tried to talk her out of it, she always stood her ground.

You took a quiet step closer, and then another, and another, until you were just a foot away from her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, you smoothed a piece of her hair behind her back. She jumped the slightest bit, but didn't turn. She knew she had been caught; there was no use in hiding it.

"The carriage is here," you said. You hoped it didn't come off as insensitive, but there really was no time. Her eyes traced the sheets a moment more.

"I think I messed up my makeup," Tifa whispered, ashamed. She turned to you but didn't make eye contact, instead focusing on your necklace. Her eyes were red and watery, and just like she said, there was a small trail of black under each eye.

"I can fix it," you reassured, "But are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to."

She finally looked into your eyes, wiping her tears away and plastering on a smile.

"You can't talk me out of this."

You led her to the bathroom, taking some tissue and cleaning up the black smudges from under her eyes. Thank God she wasn't wearing foundation or else the whole thing would've been ruined.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think I was gonna cry..." she said, "I shouldn't have come in here in the first place. It was a bad call..."

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Tifa. It hasn't even been a day since it happ-" you stopped yourself. It was best not to remind her.

She didn't reply. Instead, she seemed to get stuck in her own head, torturing herself with memories new and old.

"Tifa," you said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She stayed in her trance a moment more.

"Huh?" She finally turned to look at you.

"Don't do that to yourself."

"...You're right."

She looked herself over in the mirror, examining her eyes to see if you had fixed the smudged mascara. To her relief, the makeup left no remnants; it looked as though it had never been messed up. The redness had started to fade away, but whether or not anyone would notice was another issue. There was no time for it anyway.

"Are you two ready?" A muffled voice asked from behind the door. It was Biggs.

"Almost done!" You replied. Then you looked back at Tifa, silently waiting for her confirmation.

She let out a held breath, "let's go."

You opened the door of the apartment, meeting eyes with the three people standing just outside it. Jessie stood to the far left, leaning on to the railing with her side to help support her weight: her leg was still hurting her a little, so it was best to stay off of it. Biggs was in the middle, his back against the railing and his arms crossed over his chest. And Wedge stood to the right of him, awkwardly looking between the four of you. After what he had just seen a few minutes ago, you couldn't blame him.

Wedge must've kept his mouth shut, because Jessie wasn't pestering you or Biggs. You'd have to thank him later. Speaking of Biggs, he was playing it off as well. Nothing in his demeanor was different than usual. From Jessie's perspective, nothing had happened between you.

"Oooh~ you two sure clean up nice!" Jessie said, "I really am the ugly one in our friend group."

You rolled your eyes. The nerve of her to call herself ugly...

"Chocobo's waiting just around the corner," Biggs said, "Can't keep 'em waiting."

Tifa led the way, speed-walking down the steps with relative ease in order to avoid any questioning about her red eyes. You were about to catch up with her when Jessie spoke up from behind you.

"Damn, Y/N, I really think you should keep that dress! It really accentuates your best features."

And then she slapped your ass.

"Jessie!" You yelped, turning around to glare at her.

"Just saying..." she smirked, passing you and walking down the stairs. You stood frozen as you watched her walk away. The nerve of that girl...

Another body took her place beside you, Biggs, and he seemed to wait for you to continue. You glanced over at him and noticed his hand was outstretched as if to help you down. A small smile formed on your lips when you took it.

"Thanks," you said, grabbing some of your dress with your other hand so you wouldn't trip on it. You took careful steps down the stairs; one bad move in your heels and you could faceplant, "I really can't stand her sometimes..."

"I know what you mean. She's a real character, that's for sure."

You both reached the bottom of the steps and you unclasped your hand from his, giving him a nod before catching up to Jessie and Tifa.

Just up ahead was the chocobo carriage and a stable hand checking his watch in annoyance. A look of relief washed across his face when he saw your group walking towards him.

"Hurry up! We ain't got all night." He said, ushering you, Tifa, and Jessie over. He must've remembered there were only supposed to be two girls going to to Corneo's, because his brows furrowed as he looked between the three of you.

"I'm assuming you're not coming with us," he said, looking Jessie up and down. While Jessie was naturally gorgeous, she really wasn't dressed the part, especially when put next to you and Tifa.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" She questioned. He only ignored her, instead looking behind at Biggs and Wedge. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Didn't know you two were having a farewell party. Make the final goodbyes quick, will ya? I've got a schedule to keep."

"Final?" Biggs questioned. The man didn't care to answer him either.

The stable hand turned around, muttering to himself in annoyance as he went to tend to the chocobo at the front of the carriage. It gave your group a small amount of privacy.

You said goodbye to Wedge first, pulling him into a tight hug. He was like a brother to you, and though you knew you would make it back to see him again, the thought of a 'final goodbye' shook you to your core. And though he never explicitly agreed, you could tell he felt it too.

Next was Jessie. She had just gotten done with wishing Tifa farewell and was waiting not-so-patiently for Wedge to get done. As soon as he walked away, Jessie tackled you with a surprise hug.

"Jessie!" You shouted.

"Sorry," she smiled, pulling away to stand in front of you. She took your hands in your own, her playful expression fading into something more serious, "Kick his ass. End his life. I don't care. Just makes sure this ends tonight, ok?"

You swallowed the lump in your throat before nodding your head. Hopefully you wouldn't have to end any lives tonight.

"And you better come back here in one piece so I can pick on you some more."

"Wouldn't want to take that away from you. Your purpose in life," you said, trying to lighten the mood.

"It sure as hell is."

She pulled you into another hug, a real one this time. Holding on tight, you prayed that this wouldn't be a final goodbye. Her hair still smelled of green apple. You were sure yours did too, since you used her conditioner last night. After all this was over, you'd have to buy a bottle yourself. After this was all over, you thought. That was the phrase getting you through it all.

Biggs stood just a few feet away, watching you and Jessie's goodbye. He had already said goodbye to Tifa and was waiting for his turn to get to you.

Jessie noticed his presence, and though she knew he wasn't trying to rush her, she got the hint. She took a step away and looked over at Biggs.

"I'll give you two your privacy," she said, walking back to Tifa and Wedge for a second goodbye.

Biggs took Jessie's spot in front of you. Something was different about this encounter with him than all the others, it was tense, awkward even. Well, that's what happens when you almost kiss a guy but get interrupted. Things get awkward.

But you could tell that wasn't what made him so uncomfortable. It was about the mission itself, something that you two had fought over many times. The tension was only grew as you stared into his eyes. It was becoming too much; you had to clear the air.

"Look, I know you're not happy that I'm doing this, but do you at least trust me?" You asked.

He hesitated, and as the moments passed your heart started to sink. Why couldn't he just trust you like everyone else? Did he not believe in your capabilities?

"...I do. I trust you." He finally said.

Relief hit you like a wave. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding as a smile settled on your lips. You pulled him into a tight hug and he reciprocated with the same urgency. His hand ran over your hair, then cupping your head as he leaned in to whisper something.

"Like Jessie said, if you have to kill him, do it. You'll probably be helping out a lot of other women."

Your smile faded at the thought. You didn't want to kill him or anybody. Sure, you wanted to deck him right in that stupid smile of his, kick him in the balls so hard he wished he were dead, but you didn't want to kill him. Why did one asshole's life matter so much though? Your hands were already covered in blood: the blood of Shinra troops and the unfortunate casualties of the bombing mishap. Those were innocents, this man wasn't.

You shook the thoughts away; you didn't want to face that reality yet.

"So you were listening," you replied, and you felt his body stiffen under your fingers. He pulled away and you released your grip on his shirt.

"You caught me," he said, trying to play off his obvious embarrassment. There was another uncomfortable silence as you both separated; you shifted your weight from foot to foot as he rubbed the back of his neck. Wow, almost kissing someone really makes things tense.

"So I guess this is goodbye," he said.

"Yeah, I guess it is," you trailed off, another beat of silence, "but not a final goodbye."

"Yeah... no, not a final goodbye." The air was still thick, filled with the weight of all your feelings and confessions left unsaid.

You couldn't leave like this, not without him really knowing how you felt. But you couldn't just confess, not in front of everybody. You didn't think you had the balls for it either.

But a gut feeling told you that you had to do something. So, with all your built up courage, you placed a quick kiss on his cheek. And though it only lasted a moment, you had memorized the feeling of his stubble against your lips.

You turned away immediately so you wouldn't have to see his reaction, and luckily for you, the stable hand was walking towards the back do the carriage. He opened up the wooden gate, ushering you and Tifa in.

Picking up the invitation that was in your seat, you held it in your lap as you sat down. Tifa seemed to do the same, giving a last smile and wave to the group. Just a moment later, the stable hand took off.

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The gate of sector seven creaked open, revealing the mess that was sector 6. At least that's what you assumed, since you couldn't really see anything that wasn't directly behind the carriage. There was an old playground just outside the gate, you remembered. It was mostly untouched from the destruction of the sector 6 plate. Lots of children still sneak into the abandoned playground since it's so close.

Looking back at Tifa, she seemed distant, an empty look on her face. She was probably thinking about her friend, the mercenary. It was a shame what happened to him.

You placed a hand over her own and she looked came out of her daze, looking up at you. As soon as she did, your mouth went dry. There was nothing you felt like you could say to make her feel better, so you stayed silent instead.

"Tifa!" A voice called from outside the carriage. It sounded familiar. You and Tifa turned to the voice. A man was keeping up with the carriage. His spiky hair, his flourescent eyes, and that ridiculously large sword strapped to his back... it couldn't be...

"Cloud, Your alive! I thought we'd lost you!" Tifa said, crouching down on the floor of the carriage to speak to him better. Cloud jumped onto the back railing of the Carriage, holding onto the wooden bars as it continued through sector 6.

"What's going on?" He asked. Tifa shushed him.

"I'll explain everything later. But now, we're on our way to see Don Corneo. You should head back to Seventh Heaven, meet up with the gang."

"But-" Cloud started, but Tifa cut him off.

"We'll be fine!" She reassured, "you've seen how much ass we can kick."

Cloud looked between the two of you, creating a small dip in the conversation.

"I have..." he sighed, before jumping down from the carriage.

Watching his figure grow smaller in the distance, you let out a laugh of disbelief.

Tifa did the same, a massive weight taken off of her shoulders. She couldn't hide the smile blossoming on her face. Cloud, her childhood friend, was still alive.

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The two of you were dropped off at the door of a large, wutainese-style mansion. It was both gorgeous and disgustingly lavish; a real slap in the face to anyone in the slums. You knew this Corneo guy was a jerk, but you didn't realize the extent.

There was a shady aura to the mansion; something to be expected from a crimelord, but it still put you on edge. You could tell Tifa noticed too, as she grabbed onto your forearm. You looked down at the invitation in your hand, the ticket in. Then you looked back up at Tifa.

"You ready?" You asked her. She nodded, a soft hum escaping her lips as she did.

You both hesitantly opened the door, revealing a small hall and another ornate door with three men guarding it. Your heartbeat rose as you saw them, and you sighed in relief when you didn't recognize any of them. No creep yet.

You walked towards the man in the middle; a young, skinny guy with silver hair. Despite his age and stature, he carried a presence like he'd seen some real shit and was jaded by it all.

"Invitation?" He asked apathetically, and you gave yours to him. Tifa did the same, and he read the invitations, "Two from Sam, huh? That's unusual."

"Looks like he's tryna get on the Don's good side. I mean, look at 'em!" The guard on the right side said, gesturing to the both of you.

"He's gonna have a hard time picking, that's for sure," The other guard, a large, gruff man, said, "Hell, he might just pick both!"

"He'd better leave us some leftovers!"

What the hell did he mean leftovers? As much as you wanted to tell them off for objectifying you and Tifa, you held your tongue. A lack of discretion was what got you in trouble in the first place; you didn't want to screw up again.

The silver-haired man looked up from the invitations, taking a few steps forward and signaling to the two guards to open the fancy double doors.

"Your room is the third room up the stairs. Don't touch anything."

Taking a few apprehensive steps forward and into the main room, you noticed two more Corneo lackeys who stood in the very center of it. You didn't recognize either of them as the creep or any of his men, which was a relief. But you would have to face him sometime. That was the whole point of you coming here: to put an end to your torment, whatever means necessary.

The piles and piles of junk caught your eye. Valuables were scattered all around the room, from expensive furniture to bricks of gold. You remembered what you'd heard about this Corneo guy- a lot of people were in debt to him. So maybe all of this was his payment. The sight sickened you; no man should have this much.

"Hey! Keep your eyes to yourself. You know where to go." One of the men said. Tifa took your arm again, leading you up the stairs.

"It's disgusting," you whispered to her.

"I know," she agreed, "Corneo's a sick man."

"Damn!" One of the men shouted, "Take a look at that ass!"

"Yeah," the other man laughed, "Did you see the other girls' boobs?"

You stopped in your tracks on the staircase, considering whether or not to march back down and slap the shit out of them.

"Come on," Tifa whispered, tugging softly on your arm, "let's just go."

Thank God for Tifa, cause if she hadn't snapped you out of your trance, you might have just followed that urge and gotten yourself into more trouble.

You turned away from those gross men, attempting to tune them out. Following Tifa up the rest of the stairs, you remembered why you were here: to figure out what Corneo wanted with Barrett and to end your creep problem. It wasn't your job to teach these guys to respect women.

Tifa pushed open the third room's door and held it open for you. Stepping inside, you rolled your eyes. It was another room filled to the brim with junk. Corneo was disgusting.

"Seriously, who needs this much stuff?" you sighed.

"Apparently the Don of the slums," She replied, glancing around the room, "How much of this stuff do you think is rightfully his?"

Before you could reply, a click caught your attention. The sound came from the double doors behind you.

"Shit!" You hissed. Turning quick on your heels, you ran to the knob, trying to force the door open. Tifa joined you, having no luck either. She groaned as she struggled against the door.

A soft hissing sound began.

"Y/N!" She said, her eyes wide as she looked across the room. You followed her gaze and noticed a pink, opaque gas pouring out of the vents.

This was a mistake, this was a huge fucking mistake. You walked right into this trap. And you got Tifa into this mess. Tears were starting to prick at your eyes as you banged on the door. You couldn't tell if it was fear, guilt, or the gas. It was probably all three.

"Let us out!" Tifa shouted, to no avail. Nobody was gonna get you out; they planned this. The gas had filled the room now, and you were starting to get dizzy. You tried to cover your nose and but it was a futile effort. There was no way to avoid it. Backing away from the door, you couldn't believe what you had gotten yourself into, what you got Tifa into. You screwed up. You screwed up so bad.

Tifa lost her balance, dropping onto her hands and knees. You tried to help her, but you were so dizzy you had to kneel down onto the floor to keep from falling.

"Tifa!" You called, nearly choking on the gas. She didn't respond.

The doors bust open. And then there were figures and voices, fuzzy and distant. You could barely hear them because of the loud ringing in your ears. That awful ringing, and the splotches in your eyes. They were growing worse and worse, until they took over your eyesight; your consciousness slipped away with it.

#biggs x reader #biggs #ff7 biggs #ff7 remake #ffviir #ffvii #barrett wallace #tifa ff7 #Tifa lockhart #jessie rasberry #ff7 wedge

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flowersoldier · 4 years

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A Second Chance

Chapter 1: A weird dream

Even a year after saving the planet and defeating Sephiroth, Cloud is still thinking of Aerith. His guilt is nagging at him and the new desease called 'Geostigma' didn't help things either. He just wished he could make things different. Make things right...

For Clerith Week 2020; Day 4: Rewrite the Stars

AO3 ff.net

Cloud stared at the ceiling of Aerith's church. He's actually living there for a while already. Aerith's death, Geostigma, even his friends were big problems that were nagging at him. Geostigma was relatively new. No one really knew what to think of that, except that it was a deadly decease. And Cloud had it, too. Not that he minded. Dying was the best way to meet Aerith again. And there was no cure, he searched the whole planet for it.

His friends wanted him to 'do something'. To stop 'moping around'. To 'get over it'. How was anyone supposed to get over the death of someone you loved? It was impossible. He was researching about a lot of things till then. Many of these things had to do with Aerith. But the thing is, not even the Cosmo Canyon's have enough info's about the Cetra. Cloud was pretty sure she still existed in the lifestream. She had to be as a Cetra. Right? But then again, he had no idea how the lifestream worked with souls...Was there a way to bring Aerith back?

At some point in his research he had the absurd idea that maybe the time Materia could do something. Actually this was a weird Materia. It can slow down someone's time, speed up or stop it. But at some desperate point he wondered if it could turn back time. Of course this was not possible. He tried it multiple times, even maxed out the Materia. Everyone would surely think he's crazy...Not that he cared what people thought of him...Maybe he was crazy, but then everyone was who lost someone they loved.

Again, he took the Materia and held it up, looking how the moonlight shined through the orb. Why wasn't it doing what he wanted? Didn't the Cetra want to turn back time at some point in their lives? They helped creating Materia but there was none that could do this. The blonde glared at the orb and sat up. It's not like he'd get any sleep now anyway. Stupid time Materia...All the time he spent to awake the full potential of it...he'll never get this wasted time back. Cloud stood up, playing with the Materia in his hands absentmindedly. He walked around the patch of flowers in the middle of the church. There was nothing else he did recently. Just staring at her flowers —of course making sure they stayed alive— and thinking about how he should've saved her. And if there's something he could do now.

But there was nothing. Dying was the best option to see her again. There's no Promised Land without her there. Cloud tightened his grip on the Materia, before smashing it to the ground. To his surprise, it broke. And not even that, parts of the lifestream gushed out and then a bright light was blinding him.

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He must've been unconscious, because when he woke up again he was lying on the ground. But it wasn't made out of wood...He was lying on stone. And mud. When he sat up he saw himself wearing his old gloves. The metal bracelets he used to wear. As he finally got into a sitting position he noticed the old SOLDIER uniform on him. His old Buster Sword lying right next to him. It wasn't as rusty as before, it was clean and polished like the first day.

He leaned against a stone wall and looked around. It looked like he's on a train station, but how did he get here? Then he looked up and saw a metal plate covering the sky, which...should be impossible. Midgar was completely destroyed...But it looked just like two years ago. Everything was there, people walk around as if nothing bad happened.

This must be a dream. A memory of how things used to be when Shinra still existed. But then a random cat jumped on him and its claws on his lap felt too real to be a dream. The blonde pushed the cat off of him and the cat scratched his arm. Yep, that's very real and hurt like hell. “Stupid cat...“ He grumbled as the fur ball ran away. And the scratch marks stayed. If that was a dream, shouldn't he wake up by now?

“Cloud?“ The blonde looked up, when he heard a certain voice calling his name. It was Tifa, wearing her old clothes. The old white shirt, the old short skirt. Things she didn't wear for years anymore.

“Tifa?“ He mumbled, frowning up at her. This felt familiar. Only now was his head clearer...

“Cloud, what are you doing here?“ She asked him worried and knelled down next to him. The blonde thought of something he could answer. Asking her what she did here and why Midgar was still intact could sound weird in case this was real. Still, his answer was different than the last time they first met in Midgar.

“I uh...was attacked. Barely got away.“ Yep, that's what happened when he arrived in Midgar. Zack died because of him, gave him his sword and with his hazy mind he walked the rest of the way back to Midgar, only to collapse in the Sector 7 Slums.

Tifa's eyes widened at that looked him up and down. “Oh my god! Are you okay?“ She asked panicked, but he shrugged it off.

“I'm fine. Don't worry.“ And he really was. He felt better than back then. Of course if he didn't count Aerith's death...Which made him actually realize that if it was real...he still had all the memories of what happened. This whole thing just had to be a dream.

“Come with me. I'll bring you to a save place, okay?“ Yeah, she brought him to the 7th Heaven and then he went to that mission with Barret, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge. And then he met her...Cloud nodded. He could just follow the dreams course. He definitely wouldn't mind seeing Aerith again one last time before he woke up.

Tifa helped him, when he tried to get on his wobbly feet. Two years ago he'd have snapped at everyone trying to help to maintain his manly pride, but he was more experienced now. Once he stood, he grabbed his sword and attached it to the magnet at his back. “So...you became a SOLDIER after all, huh?“ Asked Tifa, as she led him to her bar.

“No...not really.“ He mumbled, thinking of his time in Shinra and what it brought him in the end. “I don't wann be involved with Shinra anymore.“

The black haired girl looked at him with big, curious eyes. “Why? Did something happen?“

“A lot happened there...“ Cloud ignored his friend's gaze resting on him, asking him if he wanted to talk about it. But he didn't. This was just some stupid dream, no need to talk about feelings there.

“If you wanna talk about it...I'm here.“ The blonde only nodded and then they were silent for the rest of the way. “There it is.“ Tifa pointed at the building that said 'Seventh Heaven' in big letters. “I'll introduce you to my friends.“ Again, Cloud only hummed and followed her inside. The whole gang was there.

“Hey!“ Exclaimed an all to familiar voice and then a big guy invaded his vision. “You brought a Shinra dog here, Tifa?!“

“No! Barret, this is my friend. Cloud.“ Explained the girl, who stood between him and the bear of a man.

“Once a Shinra dog, always a Shinra dog.“ Growled Barret, reminding Cloud why he hated him at first. The blonde rolled his eyes at him.

“At least I had a real job.“ He mumbled more to himself, but the big man heard him.

��What did you just say?“ He yelled and grabbed his collar. Cloud looked at Barret unimpressed, which made him more angry. “You Shinra scum!“ And with that he practically threw Cloud halfway through the bar. The blonde hit a table and fell right off it again.

And when he came to, he realized he was still in the bar. People usually woke up when getting hurt or when they fell...And it did really hurt, too...“Barret!“ Yelled Tifa with a scolding tone in her voice, before running to his side. “Cloud, are you okay?“

“Yeah.“ He mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. After letting Tifa help him up again, the girl glared at the Avalanche leader.

“Barret, I told you he's my friend! And he's no SOLDIER, he-“

“Ex-SOLDIER.“ He interrupted her, earning a confused look from her. “I'm working as a mercenary now.“ When he noticed Tifa's look, he shrugged and whispered. “That's an easier story.“ The black haired girl nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile the rest of the group where whispering behind everyone's back and Cloud knew exactly what they talked about. They wanted to recruit him for their mission. Then Barret noticed it, too and walked over to them. “Hey, what are you whispering around there?“ He asked the trio and went to them. Then they told Barret their plan and he didn't look pleased about it.

“We don't have a guestroom...“ Began Tifa and looked at him apologetically. “But you can sleep in our secret layer.“ Cloud just nodded he was okay with anything and he did already sleep down there. He followed her to the gaming machine and after pushing some certain buttons, they were brought down to their secret room.

Barret jumped down as well and scolded Tifa for showing him their secret layer. Having heard everything before, Cloud ignored both of them and just sat down on a chair. While the yelling continued, Cloud thought about his situation. Was he really back in time now? Was he able to save Aerith this time? Or was it really just some weird dream he's not waking up from? Maybe he'll find out when he'll go to bed...

Cloud's silentness made Barret angrier, but there was nothing he had to say right now. If Barret will actually throw him out then he'll just find another place for the night. But he knew he won't. Tifa will convince him. And after another few minutes of yelling Barret went back up, letting Cloud sleep there. “Sorry about Barret...“ Said Tifa then. “He's a really nice guy when you know him better though.“

The blonde hummed, knowing that already. Tifa stood there awkwardly for a moment, before going to the gaming machine. “Okay then...Good night, Cloud.“

“Night.“ And with that Tifa went back upstairs and Cloud's been left alone. There was nothing left for him to do, so he decided to get to the couch and take a nap. And then he'll hopefully find out what's going on here.

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When Cloud woke up, he expected to be in Aerith's church but as he looked around...He was still in the secret layer of the old Seventh Heaven. So it wasn't a dream, huh...Rubbing his hurting temple, he let the gaming machine bring him upstairs. There, the whole gang was already there, eating breakfast. “Good morning, Cloud.“ Greeted Tifa him, which he's only waving off. “Want some breakfast?“

“Nah, not necessary.“ He replied, but Tifa pouted and glared at him.

“Sit!“ Rolling his eyes, he sat down by the counter and let Tifa feed him. “Listen, we want to ask you something.“ Began Tifa, as Cloud ate his breakfast. “You're working as a mercenary now, right?“ He nodded. “We want to hire you. We wanna blow up a Mako reactor.“

“3000 Gil.“ Was all he said, reacting just like back then.

“3000?! Are ya kidding me?!“ Yelled Barret, but Cloud didn't react to it. He knew they needed him. Barret was grumbling around and went up and down the room. “Okay! But you better be worth the money!!“ He yelled into his ears again.

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As far as he knew nothing significant changed during the mission. Everything played out just as he remembered it. Though this time his heart couldn't help but beat faster in anticipation once they left the destroyed reactor. Because he knew all to well who he's gonna meet very soon. He walked through the partially destroyed sector, dodging debris and SOLDIERs until he saw her. The cute little flower girl, trying to sell flowers to the people.

Cloud swallowed a big lump in his throat, his heart beating so fast it could break through his ribcage, as he saw her there, alive and well. He felt the need to run to her, hug her and tell her all the things he never could. But it would be weird. They didn't know each other right now.

His second thought was to just leave again. Letting her live a normal life instead of being pulled into all this mess. Everything that happened to her was because she met him. He dragged her into this. Maybe she'll live if he stayed away from her. No matter how much it'd hurt him.

But just as he wanted to turn around to leave, he found out he couldn't. Like, his legs didn't move as if an invisible force wanted him to stay right where he was. And then he felt something pushing him. It felt like a strong wind pushed him and Cloud was so not prepared for this that he fell to the ground. “Hey.“ Then he heard a voice he hasn't heard for two years...A voice he very early found himself falling in love with.

His heart skipped a beat and then another time when he dared to look up. There she was, looking at him worried. His heart thudded and soared at the sight of her and the urge to hug her and confess her his undying love for her came back. “Are you okay?“ She asked, tilting her head to the side.

Cloud nodded, letting out a hum because his voice failed him right now. He quickly got back on his feet and readjusted the sword on his back. Then he had no idea what to do next. Last time he just tried to get away from here...But then he looked to the flowers. “...You don't see many flowers around here...“ He said, feeling kinda stupid for his choice of words.

“You like them?“ Aerith asked him happily, her smile brought back a familiar warmth inside of him. Then she picked the same yellow lilie and held it out to him. “Do you want one?“

His answer was clear and immediate. “How much?“ He asked, even though he knew he paid 1 Gil back then.

But now her answer was different from last time. “Well, it depends on the customer. In your case...it's for free.“

There's no way he'll let her go empty handed. “Don't be ridiculous. 10 Gil?“ He asked, because 1 Gil was not enough.

She giggled and he felt so much love for her right now that his heart might explode right now. “I said you can have it.“ And with that said, she tucked it in his strap like the last time. The flower girl looked at the flower and then back up into his eyes. And Cloud felt like he could melt right then and there.

Before he could think of anything he could say to her next, she suddenly let her flower basket fall to the ground and flailed with her hands as if she's fighting something. Though he didn't know what...Then she looked back at him and grabbed his arm. “Help me!“

Her touch was tingling on his skin and went right to his core. But it also made the invisible forces visible. They looked like weird ghost creatures in black cloaks. One of them flew right towards them and Cloud acted instinctively. He pushed Aerith behind him and attacked the creature with his sword. But it vanished on impact. What the hell was that? They weren't there the last time. Though, Cloud couldn't quite concentrate on the enemy as Aerith held onto his arm while hiding behind him.

These creatures surrounded them and Cloud was ready to attack to protect Aerith. Until some SOLDIERs appeared. They wanted him to drop his sword -as if he'd ever do that. But what surprised him was that they apparently couldn't see these creatures...“They can't see them?“ He mumbled, just loud enough for Aerith to hear it. It looked bad for them...they were surrounded by enemies. Just as Cloud decided to just fight their way through them -completely forgetting his original mission- Aerith surprised him again by running away. “Hey, wait!“ He called after her, making her stop.

“Thanks for your help!“ She called over her shoulder, as she disappeared in an alley. These ghost things followed her and he was about to follow, if it weren't for these soldiers getting in his way. Rolling his eyes at these guys, he tightened his grip on his sword and began to fight his way through them, till he'll meet the others on the train again.

#clerith #clerith week 2020 #cloud strife #Aerith Gainsborough #fanfics #fanfiction #final fantasy vii #remake #ffvii

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theclosetpoet7 · 5 years

Text

Reunion in the Slums

A CloTi fic by theClosetPoet7

Rating: MA, So, do you guys want a little smut? With some angst? Okay. This one takes place before my fic "The Honeybee Inn". This is kinda more lengthy than my other one-shots. A scene here was inspired by the amazing hugo-the-starving-artist , whose art really just blew my mind. The title of his work is "Privacy", a part of his Midgar series.

Summary: She stops the sob from coming out of her pink lips. She almost missed him. Almost passed him by. Almost left him there to nod his days away. 'Cloud, what happened to you?' [Prequel to the Original Game]

She nearly stumbles when she kicks the door open. Carefully, she drags his body into the pristine floors of Seventh Heaven, muddied boots leaving scuffled marks onto her recently mopped deck, dark splotches painting the wooden panel. She doesn't care though, and with bated breath, she adjusts her hold on him while carrying the enormous sword she swears belonged to a man she hasn't seen in a while.

She wonders if he knows about what happened to their hometown, wonders if he now saw Shinra as the enemy like she does and maybe that is why she found him at that train station, with clotted blood disguising his blond hair, rendering him unrecognizable.

She stops the sob from coming out of her pink lips. She almost missed him. Almost left him there to nod his days away.

What if she didn't come closer to further examine him? What if she just went about her own way; hurrying to Sector 7's Market because she had run out of eggs? Or worse, what if someone else found him? Decided to mess with the crazy boy slumped over by the steps? Midgar has no shortage of thugs; evil men and women alike, looking to take advantage of defenseless people.

Cloud.

How is he here? Seven years after she last saw him.

A flash of the shy yet determined boy who promised her he'd make it into SOLDIER passes through her thoughts, and she swallows her emotions, putting herself on high alert. The instinct to heal him overcoming any form of reminiscing. She leans the large sword on the wall before she turns the knob to her own room. Then, she lowers Cloud onto her bed, not caring about the fact that he's dirtying her sheets.

"Hgghn, Tifa."

He had come to his senses when he had seen her.

"Tifa?"

"Tifa!"

He said strange things; told her that it's been five years when she remembers not seeing him for seven. Then again, it's not like she can trust herself either. Waking up in Midgar all those years ago, being told that Nibelheim was no more, Tifa had felt lost and confused.

It had taken some time for those memories to come flooding in.

Sephiroth at Mt. Nibel.

Zack following in.

Her chest hurting...

Hurting a lot.

He's still out of it, unconscious after falling to his knees on their way back to the bar, catching her off guard as he held his head between his shaking hands, groaning and murmuring indistinguishable words until he nearly toppled over only for her to catch him.

'Cloud, what happened to you?'

The floor is dampened by the droplets of water falling from the tub of tap she's brought over to place on the table next to her bed. Cloud is still asleep, whimpers coming out of his mouth. He smelled of blood and dirt. Tifa scrunches her nose as she dips the cloth on the water mixed with her bath soap and carefully wipes the grime off his face. She cleans up the blood first, to make sure that it isn't his own; and, because the iron scent always made her think of her father's. A memory which served to only remind her that she had once been too late. Not this time though.

She found him.

Just in time.

There is some sense of relief when she concludes that the blood isn't Cloud's. And, as she examines his head for any scratches, she sees that he isn't at the very least, in any danger of losing his life.

She focuses her attention on his sleeveless shirt.

Tifa recognizes the uniform, it was one members of SOLDIER wore, she remembers how Zack Fair had donned it with pride, his charming smile marveling at their town's landscape as she showed them around. She shakes her head at the thought, the renewed hatred she had for Shinra pumping even more resentment into her whole person.

She hates them. Hates them with her entire being.

Tifa shakes her head again, to direct her focus instead on the man in front of her. She needs to see if he's injured underneath that shirt of his. She gulps, trying to ignore her girlish shyness from overpowering the sense to do what is necessary. Sure she's always held favor for Cloud Strife, ever since that promise, she couldn't stop thinking about him. Tifa holds her breath, hands shaking when she's about to tug his zipper down.

His hand suddenly stops her.

"Tifa..."

"Cloud."

"Where am I?"

His voice sounded different, deeper than the one she remembers. He pushes himself up, grimacing when the change in position leaves him dazed and nauseated.

"You're at my bar, Seventh Heaven."

"Seventh Heaven."

"At Midgar."

"Midgar."

He's absentmindedly repeating her words, as if he's chasing after reality while whatever is giving him headaches obscures his other senses. He looks like he's about to slip away again. So, she puts her hand over his, shifting his attention to her.

"You're safe."

There's a look in his eyes, a peculiar color she notes, because she could swear that he had deeper blue. On that night. Even so, she shakes the doubt off her mind. This is Cloud Strife here. She knows as much. He's alive and in front of her.

After all these years.

The barmaid grips the washcloth hard to stop herself from wrapping her arms around him, lest she ends up making things uncomfortable.

When she guides him to the bathroom though, and tells him to leave his shattered clothes on the floor, Tifa leans her back against the bathroom's door, the sound of the shower relaxing her senses at the realization that she's been reunited with a precious person from her past.

Not just any person.

Her first love.

___________________________

It takes some convincing before Barret accepts Cloud into the group. And with his past exploits as an ex-SOLDIER, Tifa couldn't blame their leader. They are after all fighting the very company that her friend used to work for. She puts her foot down and raises the fact that she's the one who owns Seventh Heaven. And accepted or not, Cloud is going to stay with them.

She supposes that her insistence has managed to convince the other man. With the way he curses under his breath though, Tifa can tell that he still isn't completely fine with Cloud being here. So with a huff, she takes off, leaving the other members stunned at her strong words, probably not used to seeing this side of her. Biggs has this look of disappointment in his eyes while Jessie and Wedge merely give her an awkward smile as she storms off to her room to check on her friend. Thankfully, Marlene is already asleep.

She doesn't know why she's letting her temper get the best of her. Maybe it is because she didn't like the way they painted Cloud in such a bad light, when they've never even met him. They don't know the boy whose dreams had stirred the beatings of her heart, don't know the timid smile he gave her when she arrived at that water tower, don't know the way he reminded her of better times, when all she cared about was for him to come home.

Except that...There's no home to come home to.

Not anymore.

He immediately straightens his back when she opens the door to her room, probably eavesdropping on her earlier conversation. Cloud is still shirtless, wearing a black pair of pants which she had asked Biggs to let him borrow. He looks like he's been caught red-handed, although he has that confident aura about him, one that she still can't place with the boy she once knew.

"Maybe it isn't such a good idea for me to stay, Tifa."

She shakes her head at this, casually tossing his clothes into the washtub with powdered detergent.

"I want you to."

He seemed a bit hesitant in her claim. Already, she remembers the way he'd watch her and her friends from afar, like he had been wanting to join in the fun. However, as quickly as that expression appears, Cloud replaces it with a smirk on his face, a bit uncharacteristic of him, yet provides her with some ease nonetheless.

"If you say so."

She answers him with a smile, and takes off her boots while she pulls her thigh highs along with them, already in her sports bra. Tifa notices the way he averts his eyes, veering off from her state of undress. She's used to wearing her current outfit when she's training, so really isn't conscious of the fact. The brunette sits on her bed, the squeak of the old springs filling the room as she prepares to do the laundry. Then, she walks towards the other side of her quarters. Cloud makes a move to stop her when she hunches over the small tub, indicating that he should be the one to wash his own clothes. However, she tells him to sit.

He needed to rest.

And while she's cleaning off the remaining blood on his cotton uniform, she couldn't help but realize how mundane it all seems. He's cross-legged a few feet away from her while she scrubs away, a look on his face that honestly intimidates her a little and awakens the butterflies in her belly at the same time, her slumbering feelings nudged awake at the sight of him.

She tries to fight the feeling of self-consciousness as he fixates his gaze on her, tries to stop herself from asking more about what happened since he left. There's time for that later. Besides, she's just grateful that he's here.

With her.

___________________________

He's improving day by day.

A week into having Cloud live with her, Tifa notices that he's already becoming restless. One day, he comes out to watch her spar with Biggs. There's an astonished look in his eyes, like he's surprised to see that she's as skilled as she is. At first, she finds this pride within herself to let him see that she didn't need to be saved anymore, like she had been when she was thirteen. At the same time, a part of her still wants him to come to her rescue, to take her away from all this death around her.

She knows though, that it's merely a fantasy, one she shouldn't hold on to. Especially because she isn't so sure about what he remembers.

Sometimes, he stares at her like he's trying to find something. And sometimes, he looks at her with suspicion, even though he thinks he isn't being obvious. She can see it alright. He has his doubts. The same way she has hers. Even so, it is a rare occasion, and one she doesn't dwell on.

Biggs almost lands a punch on her face only to abruptly stop himself before he can make contact. She is left stunned because this has never happened before. She's never been caught off guard. Well, it isn't everyday when your childhood crush makes an appearance and watches you train. The way Biggs looks at her held some understanding in them, and she knows that he has deduced correctly. She did tell him about it.

"How is it that someone like you is still single?"

"I dunno, maybe I'm still waiting on my hero to come save me."

She still feels a little guilty about rejecting him. And it wasn't like she didn't try. She had said yes to a date with him. Although the night didn't end well when she had to stop him from stealing her first kiss. She'd nearly given in, however, as she stared at his brown eyes, she couldn't help but want to drown in blue ones instead.

Biggs steps away and bows towards her, a signal that their spar is over. He doesn't say anything when he turns his back and proceeds to go inside while playfully crooning that she owes him a drink, leaving her and her childhood friend alone.

Cloud pushes himself off the wall and walks to her, that look of intrigue in his eyes.

"I don't remember you being a fighter, Teef."

He's taken to calling her that way, a sign that he's beginning to feel comfortable around her, even when they still held each other with cautious regard. A step forward if she must say.

"I couldn't just sit by and wait for my hero."

She isn't able to stop the words from spilling out of her mouth. In an instant, the friendly atmosphere shifts. Cloud stares at her and Tifa tries, tries hard to find any semblance of recognition there, if he remembers their promise.

But it looks like he doesn't.

The very fact dampens her mood and consumes her thoughts the rest of the night.

___________________________

The first time Barret finally allows Cloud to join in a mission, Tifa worries. Already, she's telling their leader that she definitely isn't staying behind. Despite that, Barret glances at her with a serious look in his eyes and strictly informs her that he wants her to stay with Marlene.

Tifa bites into her lower lip to stop herself from saying anything rash. Barret was right anyway, if there was someone who could watch over Marlene closely, it was her. The implication of the order has her nervous, because it meant that the mission this time is more dangerous than the past ones.

Why else would Barret want to make sure that someone can take care of Marlene?

Cloud just watches as they discuss the details, his sword strapped to his back while he crosses his arms in front of him and leans against the wall, the side furthest from the rest of the team. He nods his head as Jessie lays out the blueprints to the Mako Reactor they're attacking the day after, and he offers some information about the military grunts' usual formation and battle strategy. These contributions make Tifa eye Barret, silently challenging him to say that Cloud shouldn't be trusted.

Seriously, he's been staying with them for a month now. Occasionally, he'd take over Barret or Bigg's place, acting as a bouncer once in a while. He'd also make himself useful around the bar too. Would even assist Wedge as he fixed the lights, or run errands for Jessie to secure certain mechanical equipment for whatever she's building in that workshop of hers.

Tifa doesn't miss the way the red-head's whole demeanor would light up once he's in the room. A fact she actually finds cute considering that not too long ago, Jessie had been putting the moves on her.

Cloud had slowly wormed his way into the team. So, it frustrated her when Barret would give him that look of distrust.

Perhaps it is his papa bear instincts coming out? He had been treating her like a daughter, had been protective of her. Maybe he disapproves of the fact that Cloud has been sleeping in her room?

Still though, Cloud doesn't deserve this.

Later on that night, she takes Barret aside.

"You have to stop treating him with such animosity."

The gun wielder releases a grunt.

"You can't expect me to trust a member of Shinra."

"I don't. I expect you to trust Cloud."

"Tifa..."

"I know him. I know his heart. He isn't the kind of person you think he is. Cloud is a good man." The emotion in her eyes must have shown because the warrior she has come to trust with her life remains silent, quietly studying her.

"You can't let your feelings hinder your judgment, Tifa."

"I'm not. Please. Give him a chance."

Barret tries.

___________________________

"You really should stop trying to defend me."

The rest of AVALANCHE have already retreated to their quarters. And, since she wouldn't be going on the mission, Tifa opens the bar an extra hour to secure their upcoming expenses. Surely, they will be needing more funds for equipment after the next bombing. For some reason, Cloud lingers behind, even though she tells him to go rest. It's sweet actually, and she would be lying if she said that she wasn't happy that he was willing to stay up with her.

"And why is that?"

He's sporting the glass of scotch she's poured while she wipes the counter top and sprays some bleach over it.

"If they don't want me to join, then I can find work elsewhere. I may have overstayed my welcome."

Again with this. It hurts her whenever he talks about going away. As if she didn't matter to him as much as he mattered to her. Like their reunion didn't hold any meaning.

He had called her to that water tower years before right?

They were friends, right?

She chews on her lips while she breathes in deeply to calm her distress. Already, the prospect of him suddenly leaving had her heart torn to shreds.

"You're really leaving? You're really going to leave your childhood friend?"

She gulps, she had said too much this time, sounded like a jilted lover, feeling bitter that he's even thought about abandoning her.

Didn't she matter at all?

Tifa's eyes widen.

He suddenly has her pinned between the bar and his own hard body. She pauses, fingers still wrapped around the washcloth she's been using to dry the glasses, the skin on her nape heated with careful anticipation while she waits for him to say something. His arms are caging her in, gloved clad hands gripping the table.

"Cloud?"

"I..."

He's hesitating, that cocky aura replaced by one that reminded her too much of the boy she was neighbors with.

"I don't think I want to be just your friend."

The confession comes out in a huff, fanning her hair while he waits for her response and leans his head to the back of hers, making her feel numb, or perhaps she was feeling too much, the implication of what he had said awakening her desire not only to reciprocate his advances but to do something more. To give in to her girlish fantasies of that young man coming home to her, to ask her father's permission for her hand in marriage, and for them to seal their promise with a ring. Her own personal happily ever after.

Except that, life is just full of tragedies, so full of unfulfilled dreams.

He didn't come back.

Her father is dead.

And, she has too many scars for someone to want to marry her.

Still though, when she places the items she's been holding and turns her body to his, the barmaid doesn't stop herself from lifting a hand to brush his hair out of his face. So she could see that boy again.

See this man.

His eyes are not the ocean blue she had remembered, with greenish specks and a roguish glow to them, she traces her fingers down to his cheek, carefully examining that look in his orbs.

When he suddenly puts his hand over hers, turning it over so he could kiss the inside of her wrist, Tifa tries not to let her knees buckle.

Cloud is looking at her with intense heat, his tongue coming out to lick the skin where his lips had been, never breaking their eye contact. The brunette moistens her lips, and it is all the permission he needs before he takes hold of her chin and tilts it to him, pressing his mouth to hers in an action full of want and need.

She doesn't even think to stop him.

He brushes her lips with his; gently at first, then with an eagerness she couldn't help but return with equal fervor when she opens her mouth to his tongue's intrusion, gasping when his hands find purchase of her waist and pull her more tightly against him.

It starts to get to be too much and when they separate to take in the much needed oxygen, Cloud leans his forehead on hers, the smell of scotch teasing her senses as she closes her eyes to rest her hands on his shoulders, breathing deeply, to calm her pounding heart.

"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that."

She giggles lightly.

"Me too, since the water tower."

The way his body stiffens is not one she could miss, the hold he has on her slackens and Tifa's heart aches when he pulls away and looks at her with confusion.

"What do you mean?"

The question shatters any form of hope she has for that dream of hers to come true. Does he really not remember? She'd always questioned his memories of that night five years ago, when their village had burned down to the ground. He had remembered things that he shouldn't have and now she sees proof that he's also forgotten things that he should.

The realization hurts her heart, crumples it like a discarded sheet of paper until what was once beating as fast as it could out of excitement, is only dead now.

Pulseless

and unmoving.

Maybe she should remind him of that promise, maybe she should question why he's placing himself in the last days of Nibelheim when she doesn't remember seeing him at all. She nearly opens her mouth to tell him, but suddenly recalls how he'd put his hands over his head and scream, scaring her to the point that she fears that she'll lose him altogether if he undergoes one of those attacks again.

So instead, she keeps her mouth shut, and shakes her head in defeat to say that she didn't mean anything by it.

She doesn't miss the way his eyes glowed as he watched her leave him after that.

___________________________

He comes and goes sometimes; disappearing for a few hours without telling her where he's going, rousing that feeling of worry before she shakes it off, and reminds herself that he will return.

He has to.

When he comes back with an air of triumph on his face, carrying a few more items for their mission and occasionally bringing back a tropical fruit he's haggled out of a wandering merchant, Tifa would let out a sigh of relief, lips tilted up as she watches the rest of AVALANCHE get excited over what he's brought, her heart skipping a beat when he glances at her and smirks.

Barret has even taken a liking to Cloud when one day he comes home with a flower in his hand and gives it to Marlene, quite a charming move which only led to the four-year old associating him with the prince in her bedtime story books. And her, the princess.

Except that she isn't a princess, and he isn't a prince.

On some days, he flirts with other ladies, that confident exterior of his showing through. And by flirting, she means that he rewards them with his smirks as well, perhaps to get more tips. Or, something else. It was obvious how much the number of female patrons have increased since Cloud arrived. Jessie jokes about this incidence while puffing her cheeks, a tint of jealousy over her features.

Tifa would offer her ear as the young mechanic goes on and on about how forward some women were, agreeing with the red-head though still trying to appear apathetic about it. They haven't defined what they were yet, except two adults messing around once in a while.

One night, she sees a dark haired beauty lean in and whisper seductively in Cloud's ear, the curve of her red lips forming into a suggestive smile while she runs a hand over his bicep, eyeing him with her womanly charm. The mercenary had stiffened and looked dazed for the remainder of the night while he held on to the napkin with the woman's number in it.

During times like this, Tifa feels a renewed feeling of discontent, a hint of bitterness in her person when she too flirts with her customers. It comes with the job description. Every time she realizes the fact that she's treading into dangerous emotions, the martial artist stops, berating herself of the fact that what she is doing is immature and so unlike her nature.

She would be lying though, if she denies the fact that she just loves it when Cloud clenches his fist when she lets another man's touch linger a second too long, and she loves it when his eyes would follow her throughout the night, lightly giggling when he would click his tongue as she gives her smiles to someone else.

When Jessie notices the tension, she drunkenly proposes that she would love to have a threesome with her and Cloud. The barmaid laughs it off but could not miss the way her friend had meant every word she said. Jessie had developed feelings for Cloud. It wasn't surprising, considering how handsome he really was, with his intense eyes and his Adonis form, stirring something within her, making her think about how absolutely delightful it would be to have her body pressed against his hard physique. For him to show her what it was like to be a man and a woman.

He would catch her staring, only to look away with that smug expression of his. And she notices when he awkwardly adjusts his gauntlets or runs a hand through his hair, seemingly aware of the fact that she's still keeping her eyes on him.

His lips would find hers during closing hours, a touch of longing in them, hands heating her up with the temptation to cross the lines of their friendship. And with her legs around him while he lifts her onto the bar's counter, and her fingers tangled in his smooth locks, Tifa wishes that he'd take the initiative to move things further.

Especially when she feels his desire for her.

___________________________

She's in love with him.

This much Tifa knows.

Of course, maybe she has always been in love with him. He was the reason why she could never find chemistry with anyone else, the reason why she never went out on a second date. Because, she couldn't help but compare all of them to Cloud Strife.

And she knows that he wants her. Maybe not in the way she wants him. Notwithstanding, the attention still flutters those butterflies again.

Tonight, she pours him his third drink while she works on her second glass; scarlet eyes boring into his blue ones, silently telling him what she has been thinking of ever since he first joined AVALANCHE.

Her face must have mirrored her desire because her childhood friend had suddenly leaned in to claim her pink lips.

Since the first time he's kissed her, Cloud has become more forward, more honest with his intent. And his intent was to fuck her. He tells her. With his hand on her thigh and his tongue in her mouth, Cloud pulls away to tell her that he wants to do more.

"Can I? Tifa?"

Maybe she should've said no. They are playing with fire, blurring the lines of their friendship, advancing past the threshold into something that can potentially destroy the bond they have rebuilt over the course of his stay. But she loves him. And she wants him as well.

Gaia, she wants him.

So, with alcohol flowing through their system, flushing out the nerves and only heating up their bodies, making them crave for human touch, making them crave for each other, Tifa leads him to their shared quarters.

When she closes the door to her room, Cloud's hands pull her back to him, mouth crashing to hers as he closes their distance. She accepts his aggressive approach, basks in his forwardness while wondering if he's had this experience before, if that is where his confidence stems from; taking the lead without hesitation. A stark contrast to how she is currently feeling.

The thought of him with another woman, perhaps that beauty the other night, stirs a feeling of envy in her that Tifa couldn't stop herself from deepening their kiss, her tongue pushing past his lips to tangle with his, feeling a sense of boldness she can't quite comprehend, except that she wants him to know that he's hers.

Tifa gasps when his hand suddenly touches her breast, moaning at the way he rotates it in a clockwise motion while he watches her with his eyes. It is a sight so raunchy, that it manages to make her wet with anticipation. The thought of what they are about to do, already making her moist with want. He pulls away to cross his arms and tug his shirt off, rewarding her with the sight of his sculpted form.

She's seen his body before, they had gotten into the habit of washing clothes together. But to see him again, his chest taut and his abdomen defined by the lines of his muscles, with the intent to have her beneath him, Tifa feels her mouth dry at the sight.

To keep her hands from running over his rugged form, she settles with snapping the ends of her suspenders off, carefully sliding the straps one by one. She doesn't miss the way Cloud's eyes glinted in the moonlight as she does this. And she could see it. The fact that his pants looked more strained against his crotch.

With this sense of rare daring in her, Tifa meets his eyes and maintains the contact while she takes off her boots and then her white shirt. He stands four feet away from her, like he's enjoying the sight of her stripping in front of him. The barmaid tries to swallow her shy instinct, womanly aches encouraging her to continue, especially when he's looking at her like that. She's about to take off her skirt when Cloud puts his hands over hers, effectively stopping her.

"Keep them on."

It takes all of her to not fall on her knees then, his touch, albeit rough yet hesitant at the same time, tease her incessantly, he starts by running his hands over her waist, one hand palming the flat of her stomach while he ascends to cup one breast, thumb brushing over a nipple which allows a spark of electricity to pass through her body and onto her core.

"Cloud."

He takes hold of the small of her back and pulls her close to his hips, taking one thigh and holding it against him.

"Wrap them around me."

He whispers into her ear. Tifa wastes no time in wrapping her legs around his hips, mind already lost to the desire to have a man inside her, to have him inside her for the first time in her life.

Cloud drops her onto her twin-sized bed, lips already finding their way back to her neck, biting lightly and then sucking; effectively marking her as his even though she always has been. His strong body encompasses hers as he places both his hands on either side of her head while he holds himself up and watches her. Tifa averts her eyes when he runs a hand over her breast again, only to huff in disappointment when he merely glances over them, following a path down her stomach...

Her breath hitches, because suddenly he's palming her through her panties, her skirt lifted off her while he spreads her to his attentions.

He plants another kiss on her clavicle while he follows the trail his hands left heated in their wake, pleasing her with his tongue here and there until he's before her core. It is then when he looks up at her, silently asking for permission.

In answer, Tifa spreads her legs wider and lifts her hips up when he hooks his fingers at the hem of her panties and pulls them down, kissing the inside of her thigh while he sheds the last barrier between him and her maidenhood.

She arches her back when his fingers brush over her damp center. The feeling foreign yet sensuously good. His eyes held that sense of wonder in them, and he watches her features while he continues to brush two of his digits over her moist heat.

"Does it feel good?"

She never would've pegged him for a talkative lover. That being said, it's not like she has anyone else to compare him with.

"Teef?"

He touches her deeper, thumb parting one fold while his fingers continue that back and forth motion, teasing her every now and then. When he touches that part of her she's always tended to on her own, spreading her wetness over that bundle of nerves, Tifa gasps. And he asks her again.

"Good?"

She could only nod in reply.

He leans over her, pressing open mouthed kisses against her neck while he continues to caress her with indecent intent. Maybe it is because she's beginning to feel herself crest into something she couldn't define, or maybe it is because she's just as overwhelmed by the fact that it's Cloud she's doing this with, Tifa couldn't help but moan wantonly at the ex-Soldier's ministrations, and she couldn't help but claw at his back while he flicks her clit gently at first, and then with purpose, letting her reach the point of no return. When she feels like she's about to come undone, he pulls away, that teasing spark still in his eyes.

"Cloud, wha-?"

He swallows her words with a kiss, indulging her in another round of their tongues sliding against each other, mixing their saliva, the taste of scotch still hot in his mouth while he unzips his pants and lowers it down. She cups him through his boxers, her cheeks warming at the feel of his hardened shaft, stiff with want, ready to drive deep within her virgin sheath, already wet with pre-cum at the tip.

Cloud hisses when she strokes him through his shorts, burying his head in the space between her neck and shoulder while he instinctively moves his hips to her hand, seducing her with his thrusts, giving her a preview of what is to come. He grabs her hand that had been touching him lewdly and pins it to the side of her head, eyeing her with such intensity that there was nothing else to do but lean up to meet his lips again, pulling his body to hers while she lets him settle himself between her legs.

"I can't wait anymore." He's humping into her moist heat, his underwear the only thing keeping them from coming together.

"Then don't. Cloud, I want you."

It feels like a confession, even though it isn't. They're just two adults, having consensual sex. Letting their bodies take control of anything else. Caution thrown out to the wind for one night of passion.

She helps him with his pants, along with his navy blue boxers, while he helps her take her sports bra off and discards her skirt along with it, so he could finally take a taut nipple into his mouth. The feel of his cock nestled between her thighs gives her a sense of unease at first. When he touches her with his fingers again though, Tifa wishes for him to just fuck her already.

So she can finally give herself to him.

And he could give himself to her.

"Have you done this before?"

The question had always lingered at the back of her mind since she's closed the door to her room.

"I don't know. Maybe?"

The admission nearly causes her to retreat in disappointment, then again, how could she fault him for that? Surely a virile man such as Cloud would have catered to his sexual appetites during his many travels? Of course, who wouldn't want him? Still, a part of her wants to know who it was. Who was lucky enough to have charmed Cloud Strife into her bed?

Her jealous thoughts are cut off when he shifts her attention to him, telling her with his eyes that it isn't what she thinks, and this isn't some meaningless fuck. That their past means something to him too.

"I don't remember with whom. I don't know why, somehow, I know my way around a woman's body."

The sentence sounded cocky at best but the way his eyes yet again held that wonder in them, Tifa questions if it bothered him as much as it bothered her. If he's trying to chase after that thing in his head that she can't quite see.

"Cloud, where are you?"

She helps him shake away the fog of his intrusive thoughts, hand coming up to catch his cheek as a form of comfort. The action makes his eyes clear, and there's a tint of tenderness there, a gentle look full of meaning when he says;

"In Seventh Heaven. In Midgar."

He leans down to kiss her once more, while he showers her with other pleasurable sensations as he grabs hold of his hardened member and guides it into her warmth. Taking a sharp intake of breath when the head of his cock makes contact with her moist sheath. He inserts an inch or two, but she gasps at the sharp pain that slashes through her when he stretches her in a way that she hasn't been stretched before.

She notices that he looks a bit perplexed at the fact that she had just given her virginity to him, yet doubt is quickly replaced with determination when he puts a finger in his mouth and lubricates it with his saliva, carefully flicking her clit as he eases into her.

Inch.

by.

delicious.

Inch.

"Cloud."

His name is the only thing she can gasp out, and when she has him buried deep within her, the feel of him blowing her mind, Tifa envelopes him in her arms and clenches her legs around him as she hesitantly tells him to start moving.

It is an uncomfortable feeling at first, granted that he seemed bigger than what she expected. He's as gentle as she's always dreamed of, slowly sliding out, only to push back in while he holds himself back. The way he clenches his jaw and the way he calms his breathing, shows her just how much he's preventing himself from being too rough with her. It makes her heart swell; the fact that he's treating her with such care.

When the pain has eased and what was sharp before only becomes aching, Tifa begins to adjust to his girth, and she begins to feel the pleasure he had already invoked within her just moments ago.

It is then when she tells him that he needn't hold back. She was a strong girl; and she wanted him to show her. Show her what it was like to fuck. Show her what he was like once he'd lose control.

The fact that she had used such a foul word stirs something in him, and the next thing Tifa knows, Cloud's thrusts become quicker and harder. He rolls his hips to hers roughly, pressing her onto the bed, the springs singing to their bodies' tune while the headboard bangs against the wall as he moves within her. Pumping wildly, while she remains soft and pliant, letting him rut against her, his hurried pants puffing against her ear, telling her that he is enjoying this as much as she is.

She moves with him, nails leaving crescent shaped dents on the expanse of his hard back, emitting a deep guttural growl from him as Cloud digs his knees into her floral sheets and rams into her, unhinged and unyielding, moving to his own release. A hand grabs her ass cheek, using it as leverage while he continues his harsh jackhammers until he suddenly comes inside, the feel of his warm cum heating her walls while he grunts her name and slumps against her.

She doesn't know if this is the way it's supposed to end, aching and feeling like she just missed something.

"I'm sorry." He murmurs against her breast.

"It's okay. I enjoyed it."

He shakes his head and lifts it up to stare at her.

"You didn't cum."

It's funny how intimate this conversation already is. A few minutes ago, she might have laughed at the prospect of them ending up in bed together tonight. But here they were, Cloud's ejaculate dripping from her core while he talks about how he wasn't able to give her an orgasm. Not that she knows how it feels like anyway.

It's enough though, feeling him inside her is enough, and she tells him so. He shakes his head again and slides down her body to pleasure her with his tongue.

And my oh my was it divine.

He knew just how to get her going, and Tifa, could only hold onto him while she feels herself taper on to that foreign edge, fingers threading through his chocobo hair while he sucks and licks intermittently, fingers curling deep within her until she feels herself burst, eyes rolling to the back of her head, sparks going off while he rubs her cunt as she arches her hips to his mouth, legs shaking and bucking up.

"Fuck."

She hasn't even come down from her high before he's parting her legs and settling himself between them to slide into her again, the head of his cock parting her folds as he drives in. He gives her a second to adjust to his intrusion before he resumes his passion-filled thrusts; hips pumping hard and with such precision unlike before, hitting something deep within her that only makes her pant with need at how good it felt.

It felt so good.

He forces her legs wider apart, fucking her without restraint. She comes again with his cock still buried deep, her walls sucking him in while she embraces him tight, nearly pausing his movement because it feels like it's too much. However, he's still pounding into her, still thrusting harshly.

"Cloud, I can't... It's too..."

"You can."

She feels like she might shatter if he doesn't stop. Everything inside her has become too sensitive, and with Cloud hitting a spot that's more sensitized than any other place on her body, Tifa raises her hips to his, meeting his thrusts in wanton abandon, as he leans in and flattens his body against hers, connecting them intimately while he continues his strong pumps.

"Cloud... I can't..." She tries to tell him again.

"Open your eyes."

She hasn't even realized that she had slid them shut, mind too lost in all these sensations. She opens her carmine eyes, and the sight before her becomes her undoing. Because there was Cloud Strife, keeping his eyes locked with hers, an expression of intense desire on his face as he continues his rough thrusts, lacing their fingers together. He meets her lips again, hips increasing his pace. Tifa whimpers at the feeling, returning his passionate kisses until he pulls away to murmur in her ear.

"You can, Tifa."

Her eyes are brimmed with tears when he takes her to the edge of oblivion, fucking her to such heightened pleasure that all she can do is hold on until he pulses and swells inside her and cums with a deep and hard drive, spilling his essence again, hips assuming a broken rhythm as he prolongs the pleasure;

A sheen of sweat covering his whole body,

Making it glisten in the moonlight as she gazes up at him.

Beautiful.

Simply beautiful.

___________________________

She thinks that she doesn't really mind if the Cloud before her no longer holds any resemblance to the boy she had once waited on. Even when she wishes that he gave her some hint that he was still there. But then again, even if he's different now, it wouldn't change things. Because here they were, seven years after she'd last seen him, and she still managed to fall in love with him all over again.

She's in love with him.

The current him.

All cocky and rude sometimes, yet gentle all the same, considerate, and protective.

Her hero.

And as she traces his cheek, and slides his blond tresses off his face to look at him closely, Tifa knows that he's still the same boy either way.

He's still Cloud.

The boy she grew up with, the shy teen who called her to the water tower, the young man waving goodbye, boyhood dreams lighting up his cerulean eyes.

She swears that she'll never leave his side. Not as long as he wants her beside him. She'll protect him. Watch over him. Make sure he's alright.

Every night.

Every day.

Maybe every lifetime.

She smiles when he opens his eyes, greenish hue filling her with doubt yet that flicker of familiarity in his deep orbs fluttering her heart.

He's still Cloud.

___________________________

Author's Note: Special shout out to Senigata and Denebola Leo, whose fics have had a heavy influence on mine lately.

The idea of Jessie being bisexual is originally from Senigata's "Journey of a Barmaid", it's an awesome fic over all. So, I wanted to explore their first time, granted that I left out the details in the Honeybee Inn, though I've been shying away from putting in too much, but then again, I'm looking for some CloTi smut. By the way, for any background of the Biggs/Tifa thing, my fic "The Fighter" covers it. :D

Er, Read and Review?

#cloti #cloti fanfiction #cloti fanfic #cloud and tifa

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winterune · 4 years

Text

A Place to Call Home

Entry for Cloti Fall Festival 2019 Day 1 by @clotiweek.

Prompts: coming home

A/N: my first cloti/FF7 fic. Sorry if it’s weird or too long. So sorry for the late entry too!

Also available on AO3 and FFN.

~*~*~*~*~

Home.

It was such a lovely word. Not so much as a place you live in but more of a sense of belonging. A place you belong to. A person you belong with.

Ever since Tifa left Nibelheim when she was fifteen, she never really had a place to call home. Her father was dead. Her town was burned to the ground. Sometimes, she wished Zangan hadn’t rescued her back then. Sometimes, she wished she had died with her father. Death felt like a better option than this crushing hatred, anger, and hopelessness she bore against the Shinra Company.

The Seventh Heaven bar she ran in the slums wasn’t much. It was only a deserted place of which someone needed to have their hands washed off. But Zangan had been about to leave and Tifa needed a place to stay—a place to work—because she had to move. She couldn’t stand still. Otherwise, she knew that one day, she would be consumed by these raging emotions she had locked deep within her heart.

So, Tifa opened the bar, and gained what little popularity the slums offered. Then one day, a man with a gun for his arm came and introduced her to Avalanche, an ecoterrorists set on bringing Shinra down.

“Aah~” Wedge sighed contentedly at the counter, a half-empty mug in his hand. “Home sweet home.”

Biggs, who was sitting beside him, smacked him across the head playfully. “Where do you think is your home, huh?” he said with a laugh, his own glass still full.

Tifa was filling Jessie’s glass when she chuckled at the interaction. “It’s all right. It’s everyone’s home,” she said. “So, do you want something to go with that?”

“Snacks, please!” Wedge’s hand immediately shot up. “Any kind is okay.”

Biggs shook his head at his friend with a click of his tongue, bringing his own glass of beer to his lips. Tifa just smiled and said, “Coming right up!”

Jessie, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and laughed under her breath. “You’re too kind, Tifa,” she said, drinking from her own glass. Tifa knew it was only a harmless comment, but for a split second, her hands stilled as she was about to take out plates from the cupboard, her fingers curling slightly.

She wasn’t kind. Not really.

The team had just returned from a covert mission above the plate. That was what they did: infiltrate bases, hack into computers, map out the reactors. Sometimes, Tifa would tag along. Most times, she would stay at the bar and gather what information she could glean from her patrons who had had a couple drinks too much, while also taking care of Barret’s six-year-old daughter on the side.

Tifa hadn’t come with them that day. From what she had heard at their meetings in her basement, they were planning to infiltrate and destroy the Sector 1 Reactor. She had actually come across Jessie building the bomb one night, and the sight of it had made her freeze.

Tifa despised Shinra. She wanted to see them burn for what they had done to her and her family. She still had dreams sometimes—of blazing fire under a scarlet sky, of heart-wrenching screams and dying wails, of her father lying in a pool of blood. She would wake up in cold sweats in the middle of the night, her pounding heart in her chest felt like it would burst. Her body would tremble, and she would curl on her side, shedding silent tears.

She could still see the silhouette of the silver-haired SOLDIER. The tip of his long, thin sword. The maniacal look he had as he cut her down. The scar still smarted sometimes, even though it had recovered a long time ago.

Sometimes, she would go and get water in the kitchen. Other times, she’d go outside for some air. Tifa would look up, expecting the stars would soothe her restless heart, only to frown at the vast metal plate spreading as far as the eye could see. How could people even live here? Without seeing the sky; without feeling the sun; cooped up under some pretense of a utopia that was sucking out the life and blood of the planet.

If you get really famous and I’m ever in a bind, you’ll come save me, all right?

From the far reaches of her mind, the promise she had made with a certain boy came back to her, and the thought made her smile ruefully.

He never did come and save her. He never returned. Tifa had tried looking for him when she arrived at Midgar, but no one seemed to know him at all. It was as though he had fallen off the face of the earth.

Tifa pursed her lips and clenched her fingers over her coat, wondering where Cloud was and if he were all right.

***

At one point, Tifa had forgotten about it. Running a bar and being a member of Avalanche had made her busy that she didn’t have time for idle thoughts. Gathering information, equipment, and arms; looking for promising new recruits; helping the team form plans—and finally, in a meeting a day before the big day, Jessie came up and said, “Everything’s in place. We have the map, the guard rotations, and of course, the bomb. If we’re careful, we may be able to finish this unscathed.”

Nods and grins. They were confident in this. Tifa knew she should feel the same, but bombing a reactor…did they really have to go to such lengths? What if innocents were caught in the crossfire?

With no objections, Barret closed the meeting and wished everyone good luck and a good rest. Wedge immediately proposed some drinks, followed by Biggs’s “Here, here!” and Jessie’s “A glass for me!”

But Barret frowned and hit the table with his fist. “You dimwits! Drinking the day before your big mission?”

“Come on, Boss,” Biggs said. “One glass won’t do us harm.”

“Yeah,” Wedge added. “It might even pump our energy for tomorrow.”

Barret’s scowl deepened, then shifted his glare at Jessie, who just shrugged and gave a resigned grin. “We’ll have it really light.”

“Real light. Sure,” Barret scoffed. He looked at Tifa, who cocked her head and smiled inquiringly. Of course, she knew that drinking tonight would be a bad idea, but Tifa also felt like she should give them what they wanted. Their first big job—against a giant, billionaire corporation at that—of course they needed to wind down their nerves if they were to have their best performance tomorrow. Barret probably knew that she understood the stakes, and that was probably the only reason why he finally, begrudgingly consented their demands.

They returned upstairs, where Marlene was keeping the few guests in the bar company. Tifa knew she shouldn’t put the girl to work, but she’s actually quite the genius. Keeping the stove off and every knives and other sharp utensils out of reach, Tifa only needed Marlene to take orders for food that she had already prepared in the kitchen. Marlene understood that perfectly and she never once made a problem.

At the sound of their footsteps climbing the stairs from the basement, Marlene looked up from her seat at the counter. Her face split into a bright smile at the sight of her father. “Daddy!” she squealed, spreading her arms wide.

“There’s my little girl!” Barret exclaimed, scooping Marlene up to his arms and giving her a big bear hug.

“That’s probably the only time you’d see a great big goofy smile on his face,” Biggs muttered under his breath, eliciting chuckles and snickers from the rest of them. They went to take their seats on one of the tables, while Tifa walked behind the counter to prepare their drinks and meals.

“Thanks, Marlene!” she said as she passed the father and daughter. “I’ll take it from here.”

Marlene’s reply was a grin and a wave and Barret walked over to his team with her riding on his shoulder.

Behind the counter was one of her favorite places. Not too near the crowd that their chattering and laughter were deafening, yet not too far either that she felt lonely. The perfect in-between place and at times, she could lose herself wiping the glasses while listening to the hum of conversation in the background. Not now, though, as now she had to prepare a pitcher of not-too-strong-but-not-too-weak drink, something that could ease their worries but still had them sober through the night.

Tifa was busy concocting one such drink that she didn’t realize someone had taken a seat at the counter.

“You holding up good, Tifa?”

Tifa almost jumped in surprise when she heard Barret’s voice so close. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. For someone so big, sometimes he could be so stealthy—or was it because her mind hadn’t been truly present?

“What do you mean?” she asked, getting back to her work.

She could feel Barret’s eyes on her for a while. Maybe she did know what he was talking about. She had told him what a girl from a backwater town like Nibelheim was doing in a metropolis city like Midgar—the abridged version at the least. But she pretended not to know, and Barret finally grunted.

“Well, if you’re good then that’s fine.”

Truth be told, she was as good as could be. Avalanche’s presence in her life helped a lot. The bar was as good as their home with how much time they had spent together in it. They were practically like her family now if she thought about it. So yes, she was holding up quite good.

“And about our plan,” Barret went on. “Do you have anything to say about it?”

“Do you want me to say anything about it?” she asked.

Barret clicked his tongue in irritation. Tifa glanced at him from the corner of her eyes before getting back to preparing their drinks. She didn’t answer until she finished pouring everyone’s drinks in their respective mugs. “I’ve said it before,” she finally said. “I’m not too fond with the bombings, but I can’t think of any other way right now, so I’ll follow your lead.”

Barret huffed and offered no reply. Tifa took that as cue that the topic was closed, so she brought the drinks on a tray to their table, where they accepted their drinks graciously. Barret joined soon after while Tifa brought them their snacks. They had saved her a seat and Wedge was telling her to join but Tifa just smiled and said she needed to take out the trash.

It wasn’t much of an excuse, but she felt she needed to take a breather around the town for a few moments. Why she wasn’t too keen with their mission was that bombings meant fire, and fire reminded her of that day. Sure she told herself that she didn’t want innocents to get hurt, but was that really the reason? In her heart, Tifa knew that the real reason was she didn’t want another Nibelheim incident to happen.

The barking of a dog interrupted her reverie. When Tifa came to, she realized she had strayed from her neighborhood and reached the train station. A dog was barking at a man slumped over the sidewalk, with one of the station guards standing over him.

“Hey,” the guard called. The man’s reply was a groan. “Hey!” the guard called louder, shaking the man’s shoulders.

The slumped man seemed to wince in pain, followed by more grunting and groaning. The only response he could utter seemed to be just that.

The guard bent down to look at the man’s face. “Hey, you all right?” he tried again to no avail.

A drunkard? Tifa wondered. Maybe she shouldn’t get too close. But the man’s face was contorting in pain as he groaned and panted, pounding his head or clutching his chest. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t really leave him be, not now that the guard seemed to have given up and left him by himself. The dog started to whine, sitting on his haunches and nuzzling the man’s listless hand on the ground.

Tifa approached the man tentatively. On closer inspection, the blonde hair and the blue sleeveless garb seemed familiar. She crouched down before him. “Are you all right?” she asked, softly.

The man didn’t answer. He only grunted as he had his head down, his eyes shut, hands pressed over his head, fisting over his hair, as if there was a pounding headache he wanted to be rid of. Tifa pursed her lips.

Tifa gently touched the man’s shoulder again and slowly, quietly, said, “Hey.” She bent down her head to look at his face, and as the man slowly opened his eyes and met her gaze, Tifa froze, feeling a tug of familiarity at the face.

…you’ll come save me, all right?

“…Ti…fa?”

That voice. It jogged her memory.

He shut his eyes again, his head falling back, his whole body tensing at some invisible pain. A silent scream followed by a groan, Tifa panicked when she saw him about to hit his head with all the force he had. She grabbed his arms and held him back. He was so strong that it took all the energy she had in her to stop him from hurting himself. She should call a doctor, but she couldn’t leave him here by himself. The guard was nowhere to be found.

Then before she knew it, his body went slack again, his chest heaving with exertion.

Tifa bit her lip. “Come on. You can’t stay here,” she said. “Let’s get you to a doctor.” She moved around to his side, was already moving to put his arm around her shoulder to lift him up, when an indiscernible mumble that sounded so much like her name stopped her.

She looked at him, at the hair plastered to his head with sweat, at the face slowly rising up to meet her, at the glazed yet glowing blue eyes. He was looking at her—really looking at her—as if he knew her. Clarity entered his eyes by the second, and slowly, his lips formed a wearied smile.

“Tifa,” he called again, somewhat weakly.

And in her mind flashed a memory of a water tower. Tifa! He’d called her. Seven years was a long time and boys had their voices change around that age.

“Cloud?” she asked tentatively.

The grin on his face grew and the pain and exhaustion she had seen in his eyes melted away until there was no more trace of them. She let go of his arm.

“Yeah, it’s me!” he said, and his eyes were bright, and his grin was lopsided, and it brought back all the memories she had tried so hard to lock away. But it wasn’t the fire nor the deaths—it was the warm and happy times, the smiles of the townspeople, eating dinner with her father, playing the piano in her room. Her friends, and…Cloud—the boy her age who lived next door, whom she would sometimes spot from her window. Before she knew it, tears sprang to her eyes and she had pulled him into her arms and hugged him tight.

All the pent-up feelings she had held for years came bursting out. She hadn’t realized it until she met him, but Tifa had come to miss him over the years, wishing constantly to find him somewhere, to meet him, to make sure that he’s all right. But now he was here, and she hugged him tight, fearing he might leave her again.

Cloud winced and groaned at the sudden embrace and Tifa leaped back, her hands up and eyes wide, forgetting how much pain Cloud had been in a moment ago. “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

“No, that’s OK,” he said, though she could see the grimace on his face as he tried to shift to a more comfortable position. “I mean, it’s been so long, right?”

That grin again. That boyish, lopsided grin. It pulled at her heartstring and made her eyes wet with tears.

Cloud cocked his head to the side, concern lining his face as he said, “Tifa?” She noticed the hand reaching up to her face just as a tear slid down her cheek.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, wiping away the tears and forcing herself to smile and nod. “I’m just—” so happy to find you here. The words were lodged at the back of her throat and for some reason, she suddenly felt embarrassed for thinking such things. “I’m fine,” she corrected herself. “Anyway, what happened to you?”

I looked everywhere for you, but I couldn’t find you anywhere.

Because she had noticed the hollowness in his cheekbones and a gauntness in his face. She had seen the pain in his eyes and the way his body seemed listless just a few minutes ago.

But all Cloud said was, “I’m fine,” and, “Help me get up.” And she did, and she watched as he leaned on that big sword that seemed familiar somehow, and maybe he was fine. Or maybe she just didn’t want to think otherwise. Because Cloud was back. Cloud was with her. And there was no word she could find that could describe how happy she was.

Cloud swayed on his feet, and Tifa immediately had her hand on his arm, only to feel how feeble he seemed. His muscles seemed to be wasted. He looked so thin!

Tifa bit her lip. Who was she kidding? No matter how she wished it to be otherwise, Tifa knew that Cloud was far from “fine”.

Cloud thanked her with a smile, but Tifa only tightened her grip. He looked at her and noticed her concern. “I’m fine, Tifa, really,” Cloud tried to convince her. “I just got dizzy. Nothing a meal couldn’t fix. Besides, we haven’t seen each other for years.” He paused, and for a split second, Tifa noticed his face contorting in pain again, before he said, “Five, was it?”

Tifa froze.

Five? If memory served her right, it had been seven years since they last met. Five years meant the fire incident. Did she remember wrong?

She looked at him and could find no deceit. Had he really been at Nibelheim at that time? She would remember if she had met him somewhere else, wouldn’t she?

Tifa had thought that having Cloud back in her life would mean feeling more like home. She did, for a short while. She was so happy to have her childhood friend back—she didn’t think she would meet anyone from Nibelheim ever again. Having him with her made her feel like she could finally breathe. The oppressing atmosphere was finally subsiding. Everything would finally go back to normal.

However, there was something different about Cloud. Tifa couldn’t tell what. An uneasiness about his behavior and inconsistent memories that she wondered if it were all her imagination and that she was the one with the inconsistent memory. And when he suddenly announced that he would be leaving the city the next day, Tifa felt that solid and warm ground she had finally found after all these years started to crumble once more and she did everything she could to make him stay.

***

Tifa told herself that she only did that because she needed to keep an eye on him, because he wasn’t well, but maybe that wasn’t all either. The uneasiness that had gnawed at her was only an excuse to be with him.

If she were truly being honest, Tifa didn’t want to be separated from him again. He was the last connection to her lost childhood. But, more than anything, she wanted to stay beside him, because not once in the five years she had lived in Midgar had she felt more at home than that moment she found Cloud delirious in the train station.

~ END ~

#thank you cloti #cloti fall festival 2019 #cloti #final fantasy #final fantasy vii #clotiweek #clotiweek 2019 #ff fanfic #fanfiction #my fanfiction #my story #ff7 fanfic

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chyornaya-vdova · 4 years

Text

All about VII

So here’s what I think of Final Fantasy VII (remake):

It’s amazing. SE made it 100% worth the wait. It’s better than the original. I always thought the pacing in Midgar was a bit fast. Ya, some things are too long here, but at least here we can see the changes in the teams dynamic better. Especially with Barret and Cloud.

Graphics are perfect. Just take a moment to look around the Slums when Cloud and Aerith climb around the roofs. Look up at the plate! Look at the destroyed Sector 7 when you climb up to the plate! Wow! Really beautiful!

German dubs could be better with certain characters (*cough*CloudandSephiroth*cough*) because they were recast, but I can’t say it’s bad. (And I think Rufus’ vioce is a biiiit too high, compared with his Advent Children voice at least)

it’s very very annyoing when you need to be fast in battles, but your charas aren’t as fast as you need them to be. I got stuck in a corner a lot, too...couldn’t heal...couldn’t block...couldn’t dodge...ugh

the robot fight at the end of the Shinra company section is even longer and even more annyoing than in the original...

no blood...why?

I really hoped to see the sick bastard Hojo trying to crossbreed Aerith and NanakixD Sadly this was cut. Oops spoiler

Nanaki. Is. The. Cutest. Little. Thing. EVER!!

I love Aerith even more now. Damn you SE! This will make the end of original’s Disk 1 even worse!

Tifa is cool and badass. I like her here more than in the original.

(Gyahaha has the voice of Benjamin BlümchenxD)

The crossdressing part is so cringy, so funny and the best thing ever. I’m so happy they kept it in.

SE made Don Corneo even worse than in the original. Congrats SE. That’s an actual compliment, not sarcastic.

Aerith’s place is even more beautiful

SO many spoilers...It’s okay when Cloud has flashbacks about his traumatic past, but seeing the future? Uh...no...And then at the end are even more spoilers. NO!

Was it 40hrs of game play? Can’t remember, but damn that was the best time of my life. Played 3 whole days (with, of course, breaks to eat and sleep). The game should actually come out today, but I just finished it ;D

Fighting Rufus is a fucking pain!

I love Reeve. Just saying. He’s great.

Now let’s be honest: Elmyra, Cloud’s mother (who ironically is called ClaudiaxDD), Ifalna are beautiful! And kid!Aerith; Cloud and Tifa are so cute!

Reno’s super fast, that makes his battle a pain too, but it’s not as bad as Rufus’

if you used the stairs in the original when you infiltrate the Shinra building then do it in the remake! I love Barret’s complaints and they actually become slower the longer you run up. Except Tifa. Tifa’s running fast and is first on floor 59. Damn.

Aerith dance/fighting is the cutest thing ever

Aerith being the only one not used to fighting can’t super-hero-land and groans in pain and reacting like a real person next to these super heroes around her are the most precious details ever.

Spoiler ahead

The changes they made:

The Moire’s (if I remember the name correctly) are a change that wasn’t necessary. They’re actually very annoying at times. Protectors of the planets destiny? C’mon SE...

We got to see Aerith’s ‘home’ in the Shinra building. Sweet touch.

Wedge survived only to die in the Shinra building (I guess). Weird change.

Biggs SURVIVED?!!! O.O How?! He fucking died I saw it!!

Jessie’s private side-mission. Sweet that we get more bonding time with the trio. This makes their death actually sad. I didn’t care at all about them in the original because I only knew them for a short mission.

The side-missions are fun^^ (except when you need to find a few things but can’t and the game is so new there’s no guide in the internet yet)

This...kindergarten/school thingy is soo sweet!^^

Nice that we can go to the destroyed Sector 7. Very well done.

fighting Sephiroth at the end of the Midgar part....and then spoiler the real end in the lifestream...meh...

Very very big changes in the Midgar building. No prison scene, all of the puzzles were cut out, but actually meeting the major and learning that he’s helping Avalanche was nice.

Cloud already being possessed by Sephiroth/Jenova is a cool touch

not being able to summon whenever I want is not cool...

Midgar is so much bigger now and I love everything about it!

Weapon costumization reminds me so much of XIII xD it’s good. But there aren’t many strong weapons sadly...For me only 1 was better than the first weapon.

Cait Sith appeared when the plate of Sector 7 fell. Nice touch.

Cloud’s Geostigma reference? Because he’s holding his arm in one scene?

Side-quest as Aerith saving Marlene is amazing and I love it

the battles can be very overwhelming by the end...

Why show the scene’s with Zack now? It’s actually a thing that should be revealed MUCH later! But nice re-animation of the last scenes of Crisis Core.

#final fantasy vii #ooc #review

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spyder-m · 4 years

Text

Cloti Fall Festival, Day Three: Liquid Confidence

Summary: College AU. Zack wants Cloud to loosen up and forget studying for just one night. He coerces him into a night of drinking, hoping it'll give him the courage to talk to his long-time crush, Tifa. Things go about as well as you might expect.

A/N: I struggled to finish this, even with the extra time I took. It isn't beta'd, so I'm sorry if there are any glaring errors. Still, I hope you enjoy it! I have a couple more stories in the works for the Cloti Fall Festival. Hopefully, I'll be able to get those done without as many issues.

Ao3 / FF.net

The Avalanche bar at Midgar University wasn’t typically the place students went when they were planning to study.

Most tended to favour the library, or one of the many cafes on Campus; somewhere quiet, where they wouldn’t have trouble concentrating.

Cloud, however, liked the atmosphere of the bar on weeknights. It was a small, hole-in-the-wall place often overlooked for the fancier clubs in the city. The few patrons there were looking for nothing more than to unwind after a full day of classes.

Their murmured conversation, the steady, trickle of liquid into pint glasses, the low static of the television all built a comforting white noise, easy enough for him to drown out, but not all-consuming and uncomfortable like the deathly silence of the library.

Cloud wasn't fond of the silence. It made him feel alone, reminded him of the harsh isolation he had endured in his childhood.

The fact that the bar wasn't used by many others for studying, was also a plus. As it was free from the palpable stress radiating off of over students, frantically cramming over their notes as they prepped for exams, trying to savour the last-minute knowledge.

Cloud found a relaxed atmosphere much more conducive to learning.

At least, that was the reason Cloud would give anyone who asked.

In truth, there was something else that swayed heavily in the bar's favour.

Nursing a beer, Cloud scrolled through the Gallery on his laptop. Having recently travelled to Midgar’s coastline over the weekend, he was hoping to build up his portfolio some more with some of the photographs he'd taken of the sea, the Western Continent lingering over the horizon.

His gaze flickered from the screen momentarily at the sound of a light, familiar voice, waking pleasant tingles up his spine.

His childhood crush, Tifa Lockhart.

She was laughing behind the bar with her co-workers and friends, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge, the lull in customers affording her a moment's break. The bright smile crossing her features shone, carrying over the room's dim lighting like a beacon.

Cloud couldn't help but want to be a part of that conversation, to be the one drawing laughter from her, to have that intimate place in her life. Yet, much like the child who had admired from afar; he was frozen, rooted in place by hesitation.

It was strange how little things between them had changed, even after the years that had passed.

Cloud had joined Soldier at a young age, leaving school in order to pursue a dream, a better life as part of their elite First Class. Overlooking the town blanketed by starlight, his parting words to Tifa; at her insistence; had been a vow to rescue her should she ever find herself in a bind.

Much to his dismay, Cloud had fallen far from the mark of 1st Class, instead having to settle for grinding among their lower ranks, hoping that something would come of his hard work, not wanting to return home a failure. Yet, he found himself discharged shortly after the Wutai War had ended, worried about the direction his life would take now.

His entire plan had been hinged upon him making First Class, his young, optimistic mind had never devised a plan B, never considering the possibility that he might fail.

Cloud couldn’t return to Nibelheim, he knew that much. As much as he cherished his mother and Tifa, he had always been isolated in that village. It had never been a home.

Besides, he didn’t want to be a burden to his mother, who had struggled to raise him alone. He wanted to provide for her now. To work and eventually earn enough money to find a home for her outside of Nibelheim, somewhere she would be appreciated.

Yet, being thrust abruptly back into society, after having only after known life as a Soldier infantryman, made that difficult.

Cloud suddenly couldn’t help but feel underqualified compared to others his age. Those that had left for Midgar in pursuit of jobs or apprenticeships.

The prospect of finding stable work seemed dim to Cloud. The skills he had gained working for Shinra didn’t exactly translate to many other industries. What business would want to hire someone inexperienced like him, when they could likely pay less to someone younger and equally as qualified?

Cloud supposed he could always collect bounties fighting monsters, but it lacked the security of a regular job. Much of his earnings would likely end up going towards potions and weapon maintenance, anyway.

Fortunately, it was around this time, that Cloud discovered that, in recognition of their services, ex-Solider members could apply for a scholarship through Midgar U.

Cloud had leapt at the opportunity, an idea already in mind for what his major could be.

Throughout his time working under Shinra, Cloud had developed an interest in photography. As a young man travelling the world for the first time, Cloud had excitedly taken pictures of the different places he saw.

Knowing that they might not be stationed for long and weren't there as tourists; he wanted to at least commemorate the moment, taking photographs to send home to his mother.

Over time, Cloud came to develop a fondness for the hobby. He found tinkering with the camera kept him sane through the hours spent travelling or patrolling. After years of blind trial and error, the idea of taking classes and receiving the proper guidance from experts in the field excited him.

He had never considered the hobby something a career could branch from.

When he signed up for Midgar U, the last he expected was to find Tifa working at the University's bar, Avalanche.

Yet when he had stopped by one day, in the hope of getting directions around the Campus, he had been met by familiar, amber eyes of the bartender.

Tifa, the one who had been a significant motivation behind his joining Soldier.

The revelation had struck him in a mess of emotion. His heart warmed to see her again, yet dread churned in his stomach as he remembered his promise to her, and how, because of his shortcomings, it would remain unfulfilled.

He couldn't tell if their chance reunion had been the best, or worst, thing to happen.

The thought of avoiding the bar, and her, altogether flashed briefly through his mind, lingering long enough to elicit a stabbing sensation through his chest.

He knew he didn't have the strength to actively push away someone he cared about. His heart was drawn back to the building, a pleasant flutter coming over him each time he entered and she called his name.

There was no way he would be able to stomach lying to her. His resolve would shatter beneath those warm, ruby eyes.

Instead, he endeavoured to steer clear of the subject, keeping their conversations as brief as possible.

She would wave to him with a warm smile as he took out his laptop and camera. He sat in the corner booth, just out of her line of sight as she would busy herself with preparing drinks. That way, he could look up from his work every so often, and quickly steal a glance without her noticing.

For Cloud, it was a perfect arrangement.

He could be in her company, without having to stomach any of the awkward conversations he knew would inevitably come up. Where had he been all those years? Why hadn’t he ever come back to Nibelheim? Had he made Soldier?

She couldn’t know that he had failed to make 1st Class. That, in spite of his training and the lengths he went to, his only success had been as a lowly infantryman. She couldn’t know that everything her father had said about him had been right.

Even when he had been stationed in Nibelheim alongside Zack and Sephiroth, Cloud had kept his helmet on and spent most of his time hidden inside the Inn. It wouldn't have helped his ego to stand alongside two, for all their famed accomplishments.

In the rare instances that he and Tifa shared any kind of lasting conversation, Cloud was always careful to keep the discussion around her; reasoning that as a bartender, she spent enough time listening to others.

To his surprise, Tifa had seemed touched by the gesture.

He learned that outside of bartending, she was making extra cash babysitting her boss’ daughter and teaching self-defence classes at the nearby gym. Cloud had recalled her mentioning in passing wanting to study under Zangan, a martial arts master who had lived in their village.

From the way he’d seen her arms flex carrying trays laden with drinks, it shouldn’t have surprised him.

She was studying a combined degree of business and health science and expressed ambitions of one day opening a place of her own. Perhaps a bar, or maybe a dojo where she could pass Zangan’s teachings onto a new generation. She hadn’t decided yet.

The details Cloud revealed about himself were curt. He was a photography major. He picked up freelance mechanical and courier work to cover his expenses and was hoping to one day save enough money to buy himself a motorcycle.

No mention of Soldier.

No reference to the promise they had once made.

To his surprise, Tifa seemed to respect the distance he placed between them, only delving as deep as he would comfortably allow.

Things were probably for the best that way.

From what he could gather, Tifa didn't need a hero anymore. She was more than capable of handling herself.

Cloud stretched his arms over his head, sighing amidst the satisfying crack of his joints. Leaning back over his keyboard, Cloud suddenly felt his body slump forward under an unexpected pressure against his neck and shoulders. Reflexively, his hands rose to brace against the table, almost knocking over his drink.

“Figured I’d find you here.”

"Argh!" Cloud grunted. "Damnit, Zack! Get off me."

Having a good six inches of height over Cloud, he often served a makeshift armrest for his friend; much to his frustration. His considerably bulk didn't make fighting him off any easier. Eventually, Cloud managed to find purchase against the man's solid chest, pushing him aside. He levelled Zack with a cold glare as they separated.

"Aw, I'm happy to see you too, Cloud."

Cloud had been assigned to Zack’s battalion in Soldier, and Zack had taken him under his wing, seeing much of himself in the young, fresh-faced recruit.

On the surface, the comparison might have seemed puzzling. Zack was proud and confident, easy-going, and got along with most people he met, while Cloud kept to himself, tending to focus his efforts more on training and studying.

Still, having grown up as only children in backwater towns, they had long sought the companionship they found in one another; becoming something more akin to brothers than a mentor and protege.

"What are you doing here?"

“What?" Zack feigned innocence. "I was just in the neighbourhood, so I figured I’d see what my best bud was up to.”

“Aerith’s busy, huh?”

“Study night.” Zack groaned, collapsing in the booth besides Cloud. “Her mid-terms are coming up soon and she said I was too much of a distraction.”

“Really?” Cloud scoffed, hands gesturing over the pages of notes strewn about his table. “I can’t possibly imagine.”

“I know, right?”

Expression blank, Cloud held Zack's gaze in silence.

“You’re too serious, Cloud,” Zack whined. “Come on man, when’s the last time you hung out with someone?”

“I hang out with Vincent all the time.”

“Vincent doesn’t count! You guys barely say two words to each other.”

“Hmm, you’re right. No wonder I prefer his company.”

“Ouch, Cloud. That’s cold.” Zack held a hand over in chest in mock hurt. Yet, his lips quickly twisted into a smirk, one that sparked dread in Cloud.

Zack's voice lowered as he nudged his elbow against his friend's ribs.

“Though, speaking of company you prefer.”

Brow pinching together, Cloud glanced to his right at the sound of approaching footsteps. Heat flared in his cheeks as he noticed Tifa approaching their table.

“Here you are Cloud!” Tifa announced, setting a brightly coloured cocktail before him.

“Oh, I uh- I didn’t-”

“It’s on the house." She beamed. "Barrett’s letting me come up with new drinks for the menu. I wanted to get a second opinion I could trust.”

Her head dipped towards his beer, lukewarm and untouched.

“You’ve been sitting on that one for a while, so I get the feeling you aren’t a fan of bitter stuff.”

Cloud flushed. In all honesty, he hadn't intended on drinking anything, yet felt it would have been rude if used their space and didn’t order anything. So, he always opted to ask for the first thing he saw on the menu.

Tifa; in a gesture so selfless and innately her; mistook this for him lacking a taste for, or knowledge of alcohol, and had freely made him a drink she thought he would prefer.

It was no wonder he’d been in love with her since he was fourteen.

She pushed the glass toward him.

“Here. This has pomegranate juice in it. I hear that’s good for brain power.”

“O- oh, right." Cloud said, opening his hand to take the drink. "Thanks, Tifa.”

Their fingers touched briefly as she passed the drink over, the fleeting contact sparking through his body.

Zack smiled knowingly as the two held each other in silence.

“You know, Tifa,” Zack’s voice broke Cloud from his reverie. From the gleam in his eyes and distinct lilt in his voice, Cloud knew that he was turning up the charm. “I’m quite thirsty myself. Are there any other drinks that you would like to test out?”

Tifa folded the tray under her arms, hand stroking against her chin. Zack's suave wiles having seemingly little effect on her.

"Y'know, I probably shouldn't. I can't imagine Aerith would be happy to hear you were charming other women into getting free drinks, Zack."

Zack swallowed, the smile that crossed his features a little forced, nervous.

"Well, I should be heading back. Don't work too hard, okay Cloud?" Tifa said, voice and air morphing with genuine concern, as she lightly touched his shoulder.

Cloud nodded, fingers tracing the pattern of the coaster before him with sudden, avid interest.

Once Tifa had begun tending to another table, a safe distance away, Zack chuckled, watching his friend practically shrink back into the booth. The fleeting, affection gesture having left him tongue-tied and visibly flustered.

“You know, if it’s so hard for you to talk to her, a little liquid courage goes a long way,” Zack said, tapping the glass still resting between Cloud's fingers.

“I’m trying to keep a clear head,” Cloud answered, turning his attention back to the screen in front of him.

“Then why order anything? It’s a bar!”

“I can’t just… Not order anything.” Cloud flushed, his voice gradually trailing off. “That’d be weird.”

“But coming here under the flimsy pretence of studying just so you can look at the girl you like; yeah, totally normal.”

Cloud winced. “Don’t… phrase it like that.”

"Hey, Jessie!" Zack's voice abruptly rose, calling one of the other bartenders with a snap of his fingers. "Bring us something hard, yeah?"

"Z- Zack! What are you doing?!"

“Trust me Cloud, I’m just looking out for you.”

"I somehow doubt that."

"C'mon man, live a little!" Zack's exclaimed. "You were with Soldier for six years! You've already lost your teenage years to drills and missions. Now you gonna spend your twenties studying? You’re wasting your youth!”

“I'm on a scholarship, I need to keep my grades up. You know this Zack.”

“Aren’t you in the top percent for most of your classes? Come on, Cloud! Your grades aren’t going to suffer because you took one night off. Don't be such a Chocobo."

Cloud glared, his hand subconsciously running through messy, blond spikes; hoping they would for once rest in a way that didn't invite such comparisons.

“I’m not scared of anything, Zack. I just don’t want to, I-”

"Kweh."

Cloud trailed off, his mouth hanging open, indignant. Zack watched him, stare mischievous and challenging as he continued to wark. Like a Chocobo.

“Real mature, Zack.” Cloud sighed, reaching to clasp one of the shot glasses. “How old are you again?”

“23,” Zack winked, clinking his glass against Cloud’s own. “Now drink up.”

Closing time was soon approaching.

The night had been slow and Tifa had retreated momentarily to the break room, wanting a chance to catch up on some of the readings for her next class.

Though Jessie, Biggs and Wedge were still learning the ropes of the job, she was confident they could run the bar smoothly in her absence. Beyond their usual regulars, the only one there was Zack, and he had been ordering shots; easy enough to handle.

On nights like this, when it wasn't particularly busy, Barrett would sometimes let them do coursework; reasoning it was better than just standing around to nothing.

It was one of the perks of working here.

Though, admittedly, Tifa had been having difficulty concentrating; her focus drifting away from the pages before her book to thoughts of Cloud.

It made sense, she supposed. Seeing him working so hard each night had motivated her not to slack off on her own studies, in the first place. His determination was something she admired and had always driven her to improve herself.

It had helped give her the confidence to start training under Zangan, to travel to Midgar and go to University, to aspire to start her own business.

She’d found it odd, initially, that he chose a bar, of all places, to study, but... it did suit him in a way.

Even as a child, Cloud had always done things his own way. Much of his time had been spent alone, not playing with the other boys. Even when they all left for Midgar to take on jobs and apprenticeships, Cloud had aimed to join Soldier.

Tifa paused, the memory stirring something within her; the root of what was troubling her.

Soldier.

Whenever they spoke, Cloud seemed to avoid speaking about what he'd between now and his leaving for Midgar. Namely, of whether or not he'd managed to join Soldier.

It was strange that he would gloss over such an important detail. Cloud had never really bee one for gloating, but Soldier had been a goal he was determined to achieve, a dream he'd invested so much in. If he'd been accepted by Shinra, he surely would have been proud to share the news.

Yet, he'd never even written. Leading her to wonder if perhaps he hadn't made it, after all.

Still, Tifa wasn't quite so sure.

For one, Cloud was friends with Zack Fair, the 1st Class who had patrolled their hometown years ago. Good friends, it seemed. That was reason enough for her to think he must have some connection to Soldier.

Unless she was overthinking things? He'd mention working courier jobs before. Was it possible he just had a regular delivery route above the plate?

At times, Tifa couldn't help but succumb to that small, insidious part of herself, taunting that Cloud never cared to share the news with her, because he had moved on. No longer concerned with her or the promise they had made.

Tifa sighed, lounging back in her seat, silently conceding that her attempts to study weren't going anywhere.

She'd just have to be patient.

She didn’t want to pry, after all.

Stretching her arms above her head and closing up her textbook, Tifa fished through her pockets for the bar's keys, ready to start closing up.

She was interrupted by the door swinging wildly open as Biggs slipped through, not quite managing to mask the frantic look in his eyes.

His expression alone told Tifa all she needed, even before Biggs could settle on the right words with which to explain himself. There was a problem, and he had been the one to draw the short straw, to have to break the news to her.

Tifa folded her arms, weighing Biggs down with a sharp glance. Swallowing, Biggs' hand flicked through his hair.

“Yo, Tifa," he stumbled. "You, uh... you might want to check on your friends.”

“Huh?"

Dipping his head towards the bar, Tifa followed him out, curious. Immediately her eyes were drawn to the slumped heaps of Cloud and Zack, surrounded by empty shot glasses.

Cloud must have passed out; his eyes closed and steady breaths rising from his chest; while Zack struggled to his feet, grasping onto the table for support.

"I thought I told you guys to cut them off.”

“Yeah, that’s what we did. But... Well, apparently Jessie is quite fond of Blondie. His friend’s a real charmer too. He's been talking her into giving them extra drinks all night."

Tifa frowned. She had only been teasing, but apparently, Zack had taken exception to her words. She sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose.

"We're going to have to get them out of here. Barrett won't be happy if he finds out about this."

"Yeah, you're right." Tifa nodded, approaching the booth.

"Alright, buddy," Biggs said, grabbing Zack's arm and throwing it over his shoulder. "Time for you to get going."

"S'alright. I-" Zack hiccupped, holding up his PHS. "I knew you were closin' soon."

Aerith slipped through the entrance to the bar not long after, her head bowed apologetically as she met Tifa's gaze. Smirking, Tifa's head dipped towards Zack's crumpled form, and Aerith rolled her eyes, fondly.

Noticing her approach, Zack's face lit up, ecstatic finally managed to pry his girlfriend away from her study session.

"Aer!" He exclaimed. "You came!"

Aerith stumbled as Zack collapsed against her waist, dragging Biggs with him as his arms surrounded her. Straining beneath her boyfriend’s body weight, Aerith offered a sheepish smile.

"I hope these two weren't giving you too much trouble."

"I’ll help you get them home." Biggs said, standing back upright and helping to support Zack, leaving Tifa to deal with Cloud.

Compared to some of the other patrons Tifa had to help escort out, in his drunken state, Cloud actually looked rather endearing. The soft flush colouring his pale cheeks, his hair looking even more tousled than normal, falling into his eyes.

Shaking her head, Tifa slipped partway into the booth, her arms wrapping around Cloud’s waist as she slowly extracted him.

Years of training under Zangan and regularly lugging around crates filled with alcohol had helped Tifa build her strength, and she was able to support his weight with less difficulty than Aerith and Biggs were having with Zack.

Though, Cloud's slighter build and height made it easier, his chin resting comfortably against the top of her head.

“Alright, Cloud. Let’s get you home.”

“Teef. ‘M sorry,” Cloud slurred, her voice apparently stirring him.

“It’s alright, Cloud. I have a feeling this wasn’t your fault.”

"No, not that." Cloud's head lulled to the side. Intrigued, Tifa's eyes scanned to the side, wordlessly, pressing him to continue.

"I always end up on relying on you... Couldn't keep my promise."

Though his words were vague, Tifa couldn't suppress the flash of hope they sparked in her; the want to know that he still remembered, that he still cared about that pledge they had made together.

"W- what do you mean?" Tifa asked, trying to contain the urgency in her voice.

She flinched through the tense, passing seconds that followed, her question hanging unanswered.

The alcohol had loosened Cloud up, to the extent that he was revealing more than he would normally be comfortable with. Something she could only hope to uncover through gentle coaxing.

Tifa realised, with a pang of guilt, that she may have been pushing too far. It wasn't fair for her to take advantage of Cloud's inebriated state like that.

In a flash of clarity, Cloud must have realised his mistake, as he had fallen into embarrassed silence.

Glancing through her periphery, she tried to catch of glimpse of Cloud's face; trying to discern something, anything from his expression.

His head slumped against her shoulder, dead weight.

“Cloud? Cloud?!”

Cloud was relieved to find himself in his bedroom when he woke the following morning. Woozy, and head weighing down the rest of his body like an anchor, but otherwise fine.

Pushing the shirts aside, he realised he was still wearing his clothes from last night, though his boots were resting at the edge of the bed. He cringed noticing the dark, sticky patches staining his shirt. Hopefully, those were just beer.

Sitting up, Cloud rummaged through his jean pockets, relieved to find his keys, wallet and PHS. His laptop and notes were piled neatly on his desk.

Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, it was shortly before noon, though Cloud's schedule was, fortunately, empty for the day. He wasn't sure how eager he would have been to turn up to class today, looking like he'd fallen out of a tree.

Still, for as much as he had dreaded what may have come of him given in to Zack's pressure, Cloud supposed things could have turned out worse.

Nothing particularly egregious, from the night before, stuck out to him. He just hoped they hadn't made things difficult for Tifa.

Rolling from his bed and, unsteadily, onto his feet. Cloud shuffled out of his bedroom in search of Zack.

Despite begrudging him for putting them in the situation to begin with, he wanted to make sure his friend had returned home safely.

“Zack?” Cloud called as he padded blindly into the kitchen.

“Oh, good morning, Cloud!” An all too cheery, feminine voice answered.

The blinds were closed, only the thinnest stream of light breaking through the gaps in the shutters. Aerith stood over their kitchen table, a vision of immaculately tied hair and bright pastel colours, as she tended to a bleary-eyed, dishevelled Zack.

His hands were clasped firmly around a glass filled with a questionable looking green substance; a herbal concoction of Aerith's, perhaps?

“Aerith, please.” Zack moaned pitifully; voice muffled against the tabletop. “Not so loud.”

“Don’t mind him, Cloud.” Aerith said as she massaged her boyfriend's shoulders. “Someone’s just cranky because they have a headache.”

"Oh, I don't mind. At all." Cloud replied, making sure to scrap his chair legs as loudly as possible against the floor as he sat down. "It's not often Zack's the one asking for quiet. I like it."

Zack's gaze lifted, his face twisting angrily at Cloud.

It was rare for Zack to be in a sour mood, so much so that Cloud sometimes forgot he even was capable of it.

“How come you aren’t in as bad shape as I am?” Zack accused.

“Because I actually took precautions. Drinking water, eating. If I had to suffer through this, the least I could do was make sure you ended up worse than I did.”

“That’s it. None of Aerith’s Miracle Hangover Cure for you." Zack pouted, cradling the glass protectively against his chest. "Not until you show some sympathy."

"Why don't I get us started on some breakfast, hm? Fried food's good for a hangover, right?"

Aerith moved into the kitchen, rummaging through their cabinets for a pan; a racket of clatters that left Zack wincing. Her search was halted by a knock at the door, so light and tentative it was almost drowned out by the ensuing noise.

"Huh. I wonder who that could be?" Aerith asked, eyes meeting Cloud's.

With a shrug, Cloud rose to his feet. Despite not feeling in the slightest bit presentable for visitors, his hand clenched around the doorknob. The lash of cool air from the open door was refreshing, but the relief it brought was short-lived, as Cloud noticed who was standing on the other side.

"Tifa?"

"Cloud."

Cloud's hand brushed over his mess of hair, suddenly conscious of how haggard he, likely, looked.

It was startling how Tifa awoke these insecurities in him.

Still, he supposed anyone would have felt self-conscious, watching her standing radiantly before in the sunlight.

Behind them, Aerith clasped her hands together, watching on with apparent rapt fascination. Even Zack had found the strength to lift his head. Cloud turned with a glare.

"Oh, uh... Don't mind us."

Rolling his eyes, Cloud stepped out through the front door, closing it behind the prying eyes of his friends. With his head swimming and a swirl of nerves tickling in his belly, it was already difficult enough for him to form a coherent sentence; he didn't need an audience.

"Sorry about... them."

"It's fine," Tifa chuckled, the soft peals plucking delicately at Cloud's heart. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess. Zack got off way worse, but Aerith's taking of him."

"Really? That's a relief. You both looked like you were in a bad way last night. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Sheepish, Cloud hand wrung at his neck, his eyes tracing over the doorframe. Tifa dealt with drunk patrons on a regular basis. For her to be concerned, they must have been in especially rough shape.

Still, he couldn't help but relish in the hearing that she had worried about him. Perhaps it was that flash of familiar comfort that kept him speaking.

"I guess in the end you were the one to help me out a bind, huh?" Cloud answered, the words slipping easily from his tongue.

"W- what did you say?"

Tensing, Cloud realised he'd caught himself a moment too late. As Tifa looked to him, those same captivating eyes seemed younger; wide and hopeful.

"I thought you had forgotten."

Honestly, nothing could have been further from the truth. The memory was something that hung over Cloud, a constant reminder of how he had failed, how he would never be good enough for her.

Yet at the same time, it was something he cherished; a connection between them that had not been severed by even time or distance. A thread that had pulled them back together.

Unsure of exactly how to express those thoughts spiralling through his head; of what she meant to him; Cloud simply shook his head.

"You don't need anyone to rescue you, Tifa. You don’t need me anymore."

Frowning, Tifa folded her arms.

"That doesn’t mean I don't want you to be part of my life."

Cloud glanced up, disbelief flashing across his features.

"Really?"

Tifa’s expression softened, offering a silent, reassuring nod.

Cloud exhaled, his hand sliding over his face.

"I'm sorry, I'm an idiot."

"So, I'll see you at the bar then?"

Cloud grimaced, hands wiping unconsciously over the stains in his jeans.

“Tifa, don’t take this wrong way, but I’m not sure I can stomach going back to Avalanche for a while.”

“Oh,” Tifa answered, her voice faint as her gaze lowered. Cloud's eyes widened, conscious suddenly of his word choice.

“No!" His hands rose, waving back and forth desperately. "S- sorry. What I mean is, why don’t we meet somewhere else? Without Zack. Just you and I.”

"Oh." Tifa replied, her own cheeks tinging pink. "I- I think I'd like that."

"Really? I mean, that’s great!"

Tifa's head dipped slightly at the enthusiasm taking over his voice. The thick, dark locks of her hair, obscuring the flush that spread across her face. They watched one another, her smile bashful, apprehensive, as if weighing over something in her mind.

"W- well, I guess I'll see you around." She said, eventually, her arms opening as she stepped towards him.

Any worries Cloud may have still held dissipated at the soft pressure of Tifa’s body leaning into him, warm and solid and strong. The fragrant scent carrying from her was homely, clearing the haze that still clouded his consciousness. His hand cradled her head, tentatively, his fingers tracing through her hair. He exhaled, content.

Though Cloud wasn’t exactly pleased with how he’d gone about it, he couldn’t deny that Zack had really helped him out.

Somehow, he had managed to bridge the gap between him and Tifa. Something that Cloud, with his apprehension, would have likely never achieved on his own.

As much as he hated to admit it, Zack had been right. Perhaps he should go out more often.

#cloti fall festival 2019 #thank you cloti #cloti #zerith #zeris #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #ffvii #final fantasy vii #fanfiction

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roloko-karlstein · 5 years

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S+:

Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years - my favorite games in the FF franchise it had a pretty damn good story and the characters were really memorable to me. Also its home to two of the few best OST that has Uematsu has composed Red Wings and The Four Fiends. On top of that I really loved how the sequel adds another layer of strategy with its lunar system. I know people hate the sequel cause of how it was spit into multiple episodes you had to buy, but as a person playing the PSP version where the all the stories were all bundled into one price it was actually pretty fun to see how and what the characters has been up to all this time and some fresh faces in forms of either children or comrades of the old IV cast.

Final Fantasy VI: I love this game its my second favorite FF title. I think my favorite thing about it was at different times you controlled different party members it wasn’t just Terra the whole time. Also the fact anybody can learn magic so in a pinch you could use your offensive characters to heal. Who can forget the opera scene and the Dancing Mad song? Instant classic songs

Final Fantasy Type 0: My third favorite game in the franchise. I know that is an unpopular opinion, but I just love the setting and how you can control any character cause its their story and not like a specific character (Ace). Every character has their own weapons and way of fighting I really love using Cinque,Jack, and Trey. I know people hate using her cause she is slow, but I feel like its all about timing she is super strong honestly. I never finished it nor a new game plus where I think it ends differently than the first playthrough. I love the battle system overworld battles play more like Tales of while the missions play out like XV’s battle system, but I think better honestly.

Final Fantasy X: My fourth favorite FF title and if I remember my very first. Touching story and I love the characters. The only real flack I have is unskippable cutscenes even in the remaster. It really makes it annoying when facing two certain bosses.

Final Fantasy IX: My fifth favorite FF title. It had quite a few memorable characters and fun games on the side. I really liked its story too. The final boss really came out of no where I still think it should’ve ended at Kuja, but whatevs.

Final Fantasy VII: This one is a classic which is why it made A rank. I’m fairly certain the remake will be S or S+ tier with how they are expanding on characters and the story (I will cry over Biggs,Wedge, and Jessie I can feel it you know its coming, but I bet Square will pull out all the stops to get us to like them)

Final Fantasy Rhythm games: My other favorite genre after JRPGs which is rhythm games. I love the little chibi characters!

Crisis Core: Its a nice prequel and the ending was really good I remember first playing it I cried even though I knew it was coming. I really like the song “Why” that plays during the credits

Final Fantasy V: Only reason it is below A rank is cause I never really got far in it. And both times I played it I only made it to the part where we find out about Faris and Lenna’s relationship. Job system was pretty cool and was an upgrade from III.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper: For a mobile game its pretty good and the gatcha was I think for weapons and not for characters.

Final Fantasy VIII: I actually like the junction and drawing system it was new. The final boss fight would leave me on the edge of my seat cause the final boss I think draws all of a certain type of magic from you every other turn so it was basically a battle against time. This series had more of a modern day/futuristic vibe to it. The only reason its a B cause I didn’t really care too much for the story.

Final Fantasy II: Its an easy game after hitting yourself for two hours straight. No really. After I got past the first part of the game I find that ya know it isn’t THAT bad of a game kinda tedious at the start to get your stats up there, but after that it really is smooth sailing the rest of the game.

Final Fantasy: It is only at B rank cause this is where everything began even if the game play is simple and the characters have no name and there really isn’t much of a story

Final Fantasy X-2: I think its nice that we get to see a more light hearted story for the most part, but I don’t think this was really necessary. Has one of the best battle systems in the franchise though I have fun playing it and it does have some really challenging fights.

Final Fantasy XIII: I don’t think its bad as what people make it out to be its honestly an average game and the story is alright.

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius: I used to play this game and the event stories that would come out were really good, but if you do not have 6 Star characters with super strong equipment you would never able to finish the story. Also from what I’ve heard its not even harder to obtain lapis to draw for characters. Gatcha has been going downhill and the events harder which is why I eventually quit.

Final Fantasy III: I haven’t gotten far, but I don’t really care too much for how you can only have so many spells for each level. I think I like V and X-2 more since you can actually learn all the magics by using that class in battle.

World of Final Fantasy: Meh...thats all I gotta say I want to kill that animal thing “THE this” “THE that” if I want to hear shit like that I would go watch Teen Titans Go

Final Fantasy All The Bravest: Again not as bad as the fandom says it is and I breezed through it in a week. I guess I can see why people are ticked though. $1 for a character and it might not even show up in your party.

Final Fantasy XII: I’m thinking about giving this another chance honestly. I wasn’t a fan of the gameplay or license board.

Final Fantasy XV: Probably one of the biggest disappointments since me playing XII. I payed full price for both AND bought the strategy guides which was not cheap. While XV is better with its gameplay the story felt really rushed and had some of the worst romantic subplot I have ever seen compared to any previous Final Fantasy. Noct had more development with his fellow chocobruhs than he ever did with Luna.

The Dissidia games: I’m not a fan of fighting games I think what I liked most about these were different heroes/villains interacting with each other.

Dirge of Cerberus: Terrible game play, Terrible story, I got motion sickness extremely easy, all around bad game.

Final Fantasy XV mobile game: I never played it, but I have seen ads for it and I’m like really? REALLY?

#final fantasy #final fantasy iv #final fantasy vi #final fantasy type 0 #roloko's posts

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smitten-miqitten · 5 years

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Date

In which Era and Cid go on a date. Of the three chapters I mentioned working on, I ended up doing this one without waiting for people's picks. Sorry >.<

AO3 link here

"Alright, that's it. I'm done. This draft is finished, those orders are filled, and I'm done."

"Yes yes, you've done enough for today." Jessie sighed

"I've attended those damn investor meetings.."

"And even stayed awake!" She encouraged, clearly wishing this would become a more regular occurrence.

"And I finished those orders ahead of schedule. All while working on my own projects", Cid said proudly and somewhat defensively. He was fishing around for something in the drawer of his workstation and, upon finding it, swiftly pocketed the small ornamented box.

"You've done good Chief! So, whatcha got planned for tonight?" Wedge asked excitedly. It wasn't often one saw Cid so energized.

"Made a reservation at the Bismark..."

"Not with company funds I hope...", Jessie muttered

Cid continued as if he hadn't heard, "And afterwards we'll do a little flight through the Sea of Clouds..."

Biggs chuckled, busy tidying up his own workstation, "Nice and romantic, eh? Got something other than that coat picked out?"

"Of course! Was just about to get ready..."

The door to the workshop opened, and Era walked in. She was dressed in a lilac, airy shift with sparse flowers dotting the hem. Hair loose, with a ornamental clip to keep it out of her face. Far more girlish an outfit than she was often known to wear. Seeing the befuddled faces of everyone around, she asked "7:30, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but you're about an hour early..."

She pulled out a little pocket watch from a small handbag she carried, another uncommon wardrobe accessory for her. She seemed puzzled, but upon looking up at the chronometer on the wall, a look of understanding crossed her face. "Cid, that chronometer is slow. This watch just got wound, I'm certain it's accurate."

And so it was. Spurred on by their Chief's sudden increase in productivity, everyone had worked to the point that, of all the engineers that present in Cid's workshop, not a one had noticed the chronometer had needed repair for some two weeks now. Jessie, bless her poor overworked heart, was horrified. "But that means... oh gods, all the orders we got out on time were late! Every single bleedin one of them....." The woman looked near to tears.

Wedge tried to cheer her, "It's alright Jessie! None of our clients seemed bothered, else we'd have noticed wouldn't we? Probably didn't expect.."

"Probably didn't expect us to produce things on time?! That's alright is it? Seven hells..."

Era, feeling rather responsible for Jessie's sudden distress, tried to think of a way to right the issue. "If another day would be better..."

"No, absolutely not! This is the first day in damn near a month we've been able to meet! Jessie..", Cid began, turning to his second in command, "Though I doubt anyone is genuinely upset about items being an hour late I'll apologize to the clients tomorrow. No one noticed the bloody chronometer, it's nobody's fault. We've all been working hard, and you lot need to rest. Now", he said, turning back to Era, "If that clock is slow, we're going to be late if we don't leave for Limsa soon. Let me change and we'll be off."

"Might give your face a quick wash, you've got a bit of grease on your nose!" Biggs called after him as Cid made for the adjoining living quarters.The others slowly began to head off to their quarters, whether the adjoining ones or private apartments.

Cid returned wearing a white collared shirt, sleeves rolled at the elbow, first two or three buttons at the chest inevitably undone, and nice black pants and shoes (would it kill him to wear color?). His usual pendant was present, but to Era's surprise his forehead was devoid of his customary goggles. He claimed it 'killed the look', but Era suspected there was a little more to it than that. He almost never took them off, except when bathing or sleeping (unless he fell asleep at his desk, of course)... or when they were alone together. Perhaps it was a gesture, a 'this is me and you time' sort of thing. Or perhaps it really did just kill the look. He forgot the grease smudge Biggs mentioned, as she knew he would, so she dabbed at it with a damp towel she had at the ready.

..................................................................................

The flight to Limsa was largely uneventful. They both simply enjoyed the trip. Era loved flying, specifically Cid's flying, and had long since passed the point where she was embarrassed to admit as much. She used to dislike the cheeky grin he gave whenever she was too plainly excited about the trip, thinking he was making fun of her. In reality, as she came to learn, he was just pleased that she was so happy and was more than a little proud. Cid took a lot of pride in the things he did, for the most part, something that took Era a very long time to relate to but very little time to admire. For much of her time in Eorzea, her achievements had not felt like something earned, but rather things done by means of an unfair advantage. Cid had earned everything he had (which included her, she supposed), and she admired him immensely for it. Only once she began to feel responsible for her own accomplishments did she truly begin to understand that aspect of him, and one of the only real barriers between them finally break down. He was not unreachable, and she was not unworthy to be with him.

She was grinning. Cid loved it when she did that. He had never been able to make good on his promise to get her memories back, but it seemed that her expressions had returned for the most part. It wasn't just his doing, of course, but he felt he could take some credit for the little things. The time she giggled at some asinine joke of his, and couldn't stop for damn near 20 minutes. The time, following a particularly, *ahem* energetic night, that she had an almost permanent smile on her face and blushed furiously when informed of it. When, after Cid had a unusually bad dream regarding Meteor and the events leading up to it, she lost her head and swore up and down she'd clock Gaius next she saw him and then the entire imperial family following. Perhaps because it's so blatant in her case that it sticks with him so. The fact that she loves him. She loves him to the point that such simple events broke down barriers set by (presumably) Hydelyn herself.

Of all the people who have ever claimed to care for him, markedly few have been genuine. Fewer still, when he tried to pursue any kind of relationship, were interested in much more than fame or looks. The early days in Eorzea were rife with such occurrences; he had been young and just fine with a few of the shorter term liaisons, but after a while it began to wear on him. Many of the ladies who approached him were either reluctant or outright refused to let him remove his goggles even. They liked his appearance and his reputation just enough to tolerate his heritage, but not enough to look at it. This had not been the case with Era. Their first intimate night together, she had removed them herself. It was 'silly' to leave them on, she said, thinking he had forgotten they were there. Her first time, nervous as could be though she'd not admit it, and she still had enough gumption to tear away a barrier that all others insisted on and called it silly. This was the woman he was taking on a meticulously planned date this night, and for whom he had been working on a little project of his own for the past month.

..................................................................................

Their dinner too, was largely uneventful. Their conversations were composed of what details of the past month that could not be discussed over linkshell. Era's adventures, Cid's new inventions, the Scions' shenanigans and the latest in workshop gossip. Hands were held, loving looks exchanged. However, underneath all the sweet words, heartfelt glances, and romantic gestures, Cid seemed to be antsy. Was it because of that stupid chronometer? Despite his stubborn attitude, Era knew Cid took Jessie's concerns and advice to heart. She wouldn't be his number two if he did not. Era fully expected that come tomorrow the entire workshop would gang up on the poor lazy timepiece and modify it to the point it would never err again. She redoubled her efforts at sweet talk, so that she might take his mind off the matter. Still, as dinner drug on he grew increasingly restless.

..................................................................................

When finally they set off toward the Sea of Clouds, Era broached the subject. " Cid... Is there something the matter? You seem... well, I dunno. You seem like there's something on your mind."

Cid just looked at her for a bit, a curious expression on his face. And all of a sudden, it was filled with resolve. He made for the nearest island and set the ship to rest. "Era, I've been working on something I haven't told you about for some time now. As much as I hate our long separations, it did provide me with the opportunity to finally do so." His hand was in his pocket, holding a small item of some kind. "We've been together for some time now, and I like to think neither of us plan to change that, so I thought...thought that perhaps we might make it more official."

"What do you..." Era began, but stopped when Cid started to kneel. And in that moment, her brain was trying really very, very hard to process what was happening.

"Era Hess, would you be my..." Cid was taking the little box out of his pocket and had started to open it, but no sooner had the word "Wife" left his lips than two arms were flung around his neck, hugging him almost too tightly. She hadn't even looked at the dammed thing.

"Yes" was all she said. All she could say, with her head swimming so. Cid hugged her back, at a loss for words himself. He had been in a strange state the whole night, both expecting the answer she gave and fearing the one she did not. After a while, when he had come down somewhat from his elation, he chuckled and made to prise her from him.

"As flattered as I am that you didn't even pause, I really did work hard on this. Here.", He said grinning ear to ear, and handed her the box. Inside was a small silver ring of intricate metalwork. It was split in two halves, one resembling a vine with leaves and little flowers made of small blue gems. The other was a simple, straight bar with a streak of similar blue down the center, ending in both spots where it met the vine. In the very center was a flower, petals of more blue gems and a little glowing blue spot in the middle of it. An engraving similar to that of an Arcanist's book wound around the inside of the ring. "I had a little help with that part", he said as she looked at the engraving, trying to make sense of it. "It's a meant to draw upon your aether to cast a small, perpetual protection spell. In the event you can't use your aether, the tiny amount of Ceruleum in the flower and the surrounding water crystals should be able to pick up the slack."

"It's lovely". Era was in awe of it, it really was beautiful.

"It had to match its wearer", Cid said cheekily. After taking it from her and putting it on her finger, he hugged her once more, the two staying like that for what seemed to be ages, neither wanting or needing to speak. They reveled in the silence, as it seemed that all the world had disappeared from around them.

It was just them, the ship, and the endless sky.

#FFXIV #ff14 #my self indulgent minifics #cid/wol #Cid x WoL #era hess #Cid Garlond

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up-sideand-down · 7 years

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Strings of Fate: Ch. 4

Zack gives up on his honor and dreams when Cloud dies on their way to Midgar. However, not everything in the Lifestream intends to stay there. As Zack tries to put his life back together, two of his old friends are planning their own revenge on ShinRa, and death cannot stop them.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 AO3 Link

It had become routine. Zack had started leaving Elmyra’s house far earlier than the other two women rose. He knew it was just safer. He was still a wanted man and he didn’t know if the Turks still kept an eye on Aerith. He suspected it was so, but he had been a good distraction for them. He didn’t want to put her in more danger than he already had.

Seventh Heaven, while not the most clandestine place, was a small step up. After the first mission, he definitely felt more welcome. Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge all welcomed him. Barret had started using his first name rather than “the new guy”. Tifa, while still awkward and cold, offered him food and drink when she had it. Marlene had stopped hiding behind Barret to ask her if Aerith was coming. He always felt a little guilty when he told her no.

Zack still blinked when Barret pulled him aside to ask a favor.

“I’m...sorry?” Zack asked. Barret sighed.

“Materia,” Barret repeated, “I never learned how to use it.”

“Oh,” Zack didn’t know what to say. Then he had a thought he hadn’t had for a while. What would Angeal do? It hurt less than he thought it would.

“Well...do you have a bracer?” Zack asked. By the look on Barret’s face, the answer appeared to be no.

“Let’s go find one,” Zack said, “we might be able to attach it to your arm. You don’t technically need one, but it’s loads easier with one.” Barret listened gruffly...but he listened.

Zack beamed when Barret cast a weak cure on Wedge, impressed at how quickly he learned. Barret tried to hand the borrowed Materia back, but Zack waved it off.

“I think most people should have their own Cure,” Zack said, “I’m sure I’ll find another one soon.”

“Thanks,” Barret said, equipping the Materia back into his bracer.

His favorite part was still meeting Aerith at the end of the day. He still wasn’t sure...but her smile seemed warmer, more relieved.

Perhaps it was all getting better.

Aerith felt horribly distracted as she tended to her flowers. She knew this morning she could not handle selling flowers today. That, and Zack asked her not to.

It was another bombing day. Zack had been telling her about it for a few weeks, then Tifa, finally Barret Wallace had come up to her.

“Tifa wants to come with us this time,” he said, “and...I don’t wanna leave Marlene alone. She’s taken quite a liking to you, and I’m willing to pay-” Aerith quieted him with a touch on his arm.

“I’d be happy to watch Marlene,” Aerith said.

She smiled as the little girl, carefully pulled up the weeds around the flowers. She kept feeling like something was about to go very wrong. She kept glancing up at the sky.

She heard the explosion and her heart rate spiked. It wasn’t until someone horribly familiar fell into the church that she panicked. Marlene screamed when she recognized her.

Zack stretched his arm out to help Tifa after the Air Buster machine blew up. He was past caring about anyone recognizing him. The catwalk had blown up and she couldn’t reach the top without letting go. He didn’t know if the reactor bomb would reach out here, but he wasn’t going to just sacrifice Tifa just in case.

He owed her that much.

The ShinRa helicopter buffeted the air around them, but Zack still reached.

“Tifa!” he yelled. She looked up at him, then to the reactor, then back.

“I’ll be okay,” she said, “Tell Barret, I’m going to be fine.”

“No,” he called, “You can make it.” She smiled sadly at him...then she let go.

Aerith ran over to Tifa. She was still alive...but she didn’t know how hurt she was. Marlene wept over her body. Aerith felt for a pulse.

“She’s gonna be okay,” Aerith said, “Marlene, she’s going to be fine, just...” Already the wind was coming up through her. Marlene watched her with wide eyes. The world tinged green for a moment and leaves and petals whipped around them.

Aerith took in a breath as the wind pulled itself around Marlene and Tifa, not knowing which person Aerith meant to heal.

The moment it died down, Tifa sat up with a groan and a heavy cough.

“Tifa!” Marlene cried and jumped on her. Aerith heaved a sigh in relief.

Zack hung his head when he told the others about Tifa. Barret was the one who finally touched him. He gave Zack a light shove

“Hey,” he said, “If she said she’s gonna be fine, then she’s gonna be fine.”

Tifa coughed and held her head when Marlene jumped on her.

“Marlene, don’t jump on her.”

“Tifa! Tifa!” Marlene cried, “You’re okay!”

“Wha?” She looked around Aerith’s church, wondering how on Gaia she got here of all places.

“You fell through the ceiling and...and you weren’t moving, than Aerith prayed for something...and you woke up!” Marlene said.

“Marlene, let her take it easy,” Aerith said. Tifa looked up at her, rubbing at her head.

“Are you okay?” Aerith asked.

“Yeah,” Tifa said, “Yeah, I think so.” She stood up, stretching out. Everything seemed to be working and in the right spot.

“Sorry...about the flowers,” Tifa said.

“It’s okay,” Aerith said, “They might bounce back. I’m just glad you’re alright.” Tifa nodded.

“The others should have made it,” she trailed off when she looked towards the entrance. Aerith looked over at Reno...and the troopers he brought with him. Goddammit, this was not her day.

“Sorry yo,” Reno said, he at least had the decency to look upset about it, “hate to break up a party.”

“Take Marlene to the back,” Aerith said, “I know a way out.”

Zack couldn’t stay with the others. They were talking about trying to find out how ShinRa knew which reactor they would hit. Something about a guy in Wall Market. Zack would get a re-cap later.

If Tifa was...then...Zack blamed himself. Could have tried harder to reach her. Could have jumped down to try and boost her up.

He knew the others would hold out hope until the truth stared them in the face. Luckily for him, the truth landed directly on top of him.

Aerith high-fived Marlene after she pushed over a barrel that took out a trooper and let her run up to the second story. Tifa made short work of her own trooper and followed them up to the rafter. Tifa saw the hole they were going towards.

“Really?” she asked. Aerith smiled at her apologetically.

“That’s the hole Zack fell through,” Aerith said, “We can get out on the rooftops.”

“Have you done this before?” Tifa asked.

“Umm...no?” Aerith said, “but do you have a better idea?” Tifa paused then turned to Marlene.

“Climb on my back sweetheart,” she said, “and hold on tight.”

The roofs were surprisingly even and sturdy. There were only a few jumps that made Tifa nervous, but the rest were easy peasy.

Then she slipped...and landed on someone. She started to apologize and then she heard Zack’s voice say.

“Oh thank the gods you’re alive.”

Zack did not take the news that the Turks had come into the church very well. He refused to leave the girls alone, so the all walked together back to Sector 6 and Elmyra’s house. Marlene gasped when she saw Aerith’s garden at home. Aerith laughed.

“I thought you might like it,” she said.

Elmyra stopped in the doorway and shook her head when she saw all of them. Aerith laughed at her expression as she led them inside. Zack had asked Tifa if she was okay 6 times so far.

“I told you,” she said, “I’m fine.”

“But its-” Zack started.

“You know how much of a cushion those flowers give,” Tifa said with a smirk. Zack closed his mouth.

“She told you about that huh?” Zack said sheepishly.

“It’s one way to make an impression,” Aerith said. Tifa snickered at that. Elmyra was busy getting acquainted with Marlene. Aerith had them all sit at the table and they began to get the whole story straight.

“So...we should find out how ShinRa knew which reactor you would attack,” Aerith said.

“We?” Zack said, “Aerith, I don’t think-”

“Zack,” Aerith said, “this isn’t the first time the Turks have come for me. The safest thing for me to do...is not be where they think they can find me...that means I’m coming with you.”

“You’re better off not arguing,” Elmyra told him gravely. Marlene was having the time of her life learning how to make cookies.

“Don Corneo,” Tifa said, “We know he has ties to ShinRa...and we think he’s the main leak for a lot of anti-ShinRa groups. We can use him to get dish on ShinRa...if we’re careful. He’s always in that mansion in Wall Market”

“Alright then,” Zack said. It sounded pretty easy.

“One problem,” Tifa said, “It’s hard to even get inside...except if you’re a pretty girl. He has a...little deal going on that girls who sleep with him can get...a lot of money. He picks just one out of all the girls who show up.”

“You’re not going in there alone,” Zack said.

“I’ll go with her,” Aerith volunteered.

“No,” Zack said.

“What else are we going to do?” Tifa asked, “No offense Zack, but you’re not exactly pretty...or female.”

“Well...” Aerith said, “he only has to look that way.” Zack did not like the look on her face.

“This is a fucking perverted scavenger hunt,” Zack said when he stepped out of the Honey Bee Inn. The men around Aerith dispersed. She was busily counting a lot gil as he approached.

“What were you up to?” he asked.

“Selling flowers,” she said innocently. He held out the underwear he’d procured, but she refused with that same damn smirk on her face.

“Too big for me,” she said, “must be for you.”

“You both are really lucky I like you a lot,” Zack grumbled.

“Come on,” Aerith said, “Tifa got the dressmaker back. He’s pretty excited to make yours.”

Tifa was already dressed, tugging at the hem that looked as short as it probably felt. She looked good though.

“You’re turn,” Aerith said pushing him into the dressing room. Zack glared at the purple monstronsity waiting for him in there.

At least it wasn’t as itchy as it looked.

“Where are we putting our real clothes?” Zack asked.

“There’s a bag in there,” Tifa called.

“Where’s the wig?” Zack asked.

“Here,” Aerith started. Zack stuck his arm out before she could open the sheet.

The girls looked far too excited to see him emerge.

“Damn,” Tifa said, sounding impressed.

“You look so pretty...Zacaria.” Zack shook his head at them.

“You know what, man,” Zack said glaring at the sad excuse of a human being on the bed, “you have terrible taste in women.” He was not expecting to be the one picked. He didn’t look that pretty, right. The words Don Corneo had used was “healthy looking”.

He squirmed around on the bed as Zack, Aerith, and Tifa surrounded him.

“Talk or I’ll cut them off,” Zack said. The Don told them ShinRa knew where Barret’s hideout was

“You’ll talk,” Tifa said, “or I’ll smash them.” She cracked her knuckles as she leaned forward. The Don admitted he told Heidegger.

“You’ll talk,” Aerith said, coldly, “or I’ll rip them off.” And then they all knew ShinRa’s plan. They were going to drop the plate at Sector 7. Tifa looked to Zack, looking worried.

And then Don Corneo pulled the lever and dropped the floor on them. But Zack didn’t care, they had bigger worries.

“Hey,” Zack said, catching up to Aerith, “That was some act you had in there.”

“Who said it was an act?” Aerith said climbing through the broken trains.

“You know...I am now madly in love with you.” She shook his head at him and caught up to Tifa.

“Hey,” he said to Tifa, “If we don’t hear fighting, it’s a good thing.” She nodded back at him, but still moved forward. They had to make it.

He had arrived at Midgar. Within a few minutes he had killed a Shinra worker and taken his ID. His eye was on the tower. He humphed at it. There was more security here than he remembered.

Have more patience, Cloud.You merely require some sort of distraction to gain entry inside.

“I know,” he hissed. Invisible fingers threaded through his hair ever so gently, teasing him with how close to his goal he was. He couldn’t run out of time now. He was so close.

We will succeed Cloud. Mother is here, once you have her, we have won.

“Then I’ll have to have a plan inside,” he said.

You learn fast Cloud.

“I learned from the best,” Cloud replied. The vibrations in his body felt like laughter. The clone’s body knew reunion was close, it was making the messages clearer and clearer.

He stayed near the tower, watching people come in and out with nothing but utter contempt.

That is...until he saw the people who would help him get inside.

#my writing #strings of fate #Zack Fair #Aerith Gainsborough #Tifa Lockhart #Barret Wallace #Marlene #elmyra gainsborough #Reno #Don Corneo #Cloud dies AU

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flowersoldier · 4 years

Text

Hollow

Songfic, using the official Clerith Song 'Hollow' by Yosh. (Rock)Band/partially Modern AU

AO3 ff.net

Cloud stood at the altar. Never has he been this nervous in his life before. His hands were sweaty and his whole body was trembling. And then she came in. The woman he loved more than his own life. She looked so beautiful in that dress. Pure white, reaching to her feet. It hugged her curves perfectly, and became puffy from the waist down. The blonde swallowed a big lump in his throat, his mouth going dry. When their eyes met and she gave him one of her radiant smiles, he felt his knees buckle and go weak. But he couldn't faint right now. No, this was too important for everyone.

He swallowed again, as he watched her walking down the aisle. His hands clenched into fists, as she took the hand of another man. That's when he had to look away. It was too painful...seeing her ready to marry his best friend. The longer he had to stay there, playing Zack's best man, he felt more and more needles stabbing his heart. Then came his last chance to say anything. To say that these two really shouldn't get married, because he loved her, too. But he kept silent. No matter how much it hurt him to see the love of his life with someone else, he couldn't do this to them. They were happy. Zack could do a better job at making her happy than he. No, he shouldn't be so selfish.

And then the ceremony was finally over. Maybe the party won't be as bad. After taking a few photos of the whole gang they parted ways to get to the location the party will take place. Only when Aerith and Zack got into their car and were out of sight, did Cloud let part of his emotions go. At least the tears he fought back for hours quickly gathered in his eyes, blurring his vision. He tried to look for a corner to hide himself away, but couldn't find one. At least not one that wasn't away from people. “Cloud.“

The blonde turned around to see his childhood friend. She was smiling at him sympathetically. Tifa knew all to well how much he loved Aerith and how much it hurt to see her belonging to someone else. “Come.“ She said, leading him to her car. Now he was grateful that she talked him out of driving himself. He might cause an accident. Whether it would be accidental or intentional, he didn't know but both were very much possible. As soon as he got into the car and closed the door, he couldn't stop the tears anymore. They were flowing down uncontrollably. His left hand came up to hide his face. To be honest, he forgot about Tifa until she put a hand on his shoulder. She didn't say anything as Cloud tried —but failed— to hold in the sobs.

They stayed like this for a few minutes, till Clouds sobs died down eventually. “You could've said something.“ Said Tifa then with a soft voice. “Before all this. You could've confessed to her before...“ She stopped when he shook his head, his face still hidden behind his hand.

“No. No, Tifa, I couldn't...I couldn't have done anything. Aerith is happy with him. And...if that's what she wants I'll support her as best as I can. And what kind of person would I be if I pinched my best friend's girlfriend?“ He chuckled drily. “No. It's better for everyone if I stay away...and let them have their happiness.“

Tifa squeezed his shoulder gently. “And what about you? What about your happiness?“

“That doesn't matter.“ Shaking his head again, he finally looked up. His eyes were red and puffy and the tears still haven't stopped. “I'll just...keep supporting them. Aerith ruined me for any other woman, Tifa. She's the only one for me.“ Cloud felt another squeeze on his shoulder.

“I know...“ Then she let go of him and gripped the steering wheel. “Ready to go?“

Cloud needed to take a few deep breaths, before he could talk again. “I guess. Maybe I can get drunk there and forget everything.“ Leaning back in his seat, he saw another sad smile from Tifa, before they began to drive to the party.

“Where are the others? I thought they'll drive with us?“ Asked Cloud then, having completely, forgotten about their friends till now.

“Don't worry. Barret and Cid will bring them. We thought you might break down after this and need a minute for yourself.“

The blonde couldn't help but smile just a tiny bit. “Thanks.“

--------------

Tifa has offered Aerith and Zack to celebrate in the 7th Heaven, but the brunette didn't want her friend to work at her wedding, so they got to another nice bar/restaurant where they had a big room for themselves.

His group of friends were waiting outside for them. Well except Zack and Aerith, of course. They had to take care of the other guests. There were actually quite a lot of people there. “How ya doin', kid?“ Asked Cid, as he and Tifa approached them.

“Fine.“ He mumbled, but they all knew it's a lie. Then everyone came around him and began touching him and trying to encourage him. And for once he let them.

“Let's go inside, before they're wondering where we are.“ Reeve suggested. Everyone agreed and went inside, Cloud followed a few steps behind them.

Unfortunately, they were their crazy family —of course with Zack and Aeriths real family— were seated on one big table. And as the best man he happened to sit next to Zack. Well, not that it'll make any difference after they've eaten. Lots of people would dance and he could get himself another seat. Before they ate, the couple held a speech how happy they were that everyone's here and to celebrate with everyone. In this time Cloud had to look away from them. He just couldn't bear looking at them without feeling like he should be the one standing by Aerith's side.

The next few hours were pretty unspectacular, it was still early and people usually went crazy at dawn. Cloud should be happy for his best friends, but he just couldn't bring himself to be happy. He should be the one to marry Aerith, no one else. He couldn't even look when they had their first dance together. It was actually the perfect time to get drunk.

“Cloud.“ Said blonde didn't look at Tifa, as he downed another shot. “Cloud, you should stop that. Do you have an idea how miserable you look? At least try to be happy for them.“

“I tried the whole day, Tifa. Just leave me alone.“ He mumbled, as he continued to write something on a napkin. After his first drinks he had an idea for a song. Oh, didn't he mention that he, Tifa, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge were a hobby band? There you know.

“What are you doing there?“ She asked curiously and took the napkin to read what he wrote in a messy and drunken handwriting. “Gosh, Cloud...Aerith's married, not dead.“

“All the same.“ He grumbled, before taking his napkin back, because he had more ideas. Just then did a flash of white appear in his peripheral vision.

“Cloud!“ Said a happy voice and even with his bad mood, he couldn't help but look up and give the woman he loved a little smile. “Come, dance with me. You promised, remember?“ The blonde really tried to remember if such a promise really existed, but he was too drunk for that already.

“Guess I did, huh?“ Her bright smile was blinding him and as she took his hand it felt like burning.

“You don't mind me stealing him away for a moment?“ Asked Aerith her best friend, as if they had an important conversation going. Which they didn't.

“No, no. Go on. Have fun.“ Said Tifa and before his light could drag him to the dance floor, he quickly pocketed the napkin he's been writing on the whole time. No one else should see that. Especially not Zack or Aerith.

It was just his luck that a slow song played the moment they entered the dance floor. And to be honest, even if Cloud could dance, he had no idea what to do with his hands. With the kind of thoughts and feelings he had of Aerith he really shouldn't touch her. At all. But Aerith just giggled at his awkwardness and guided his hands around her waist, while hers wrapped around his neck.

Too often did he dream about this. Of him being able to hold her and not think about if it's appropriate, because she had a boyfriend. And then a fiance. “Cloud, did you drink too much there? You know you can't take so much.“ She asked him worried, as they began to dance. Sweet, little Aerith...

“I'm fine. I didn't have that much.“ He half lied. It wasn't much for him, if anything he only felt a little tipsy. He definitely needed more.

“Okay.“ Cloud knew Aerith didn't believe him there. She surely saw right through him, as she always did. But he didn't care. He only wished they could talk more, because now he was focusing way too much on the feel of her waist in his hands. Her arms around him. Their bodies so close together. Their faces so close...And now it wasn't the alcohol in his system that made his face flush. “You and Tifa arrived really late.“ Aerith said then, thankfully taking his focus away from her body and to his words instead.

“Uh, we did? Sorry, uh...Only red lights for us. Tifa made a wrong turn, too.“

“Oh, I see. I almost thought you guys were leaving.“

“Never.“ He said a bit too fast. “It's your big day. Of course we wouldn't leave you.“ Aerith's big smile made him melt. And his knees were going weak. It became only worse, when she pressed their bodies together to hug him tightly. Cloud only hesitantly pulled her closer.

“You're the best.“ She whispered in his ear, but loud enough for him to hear over the music. Her breath tickled his ear and made him shiver. He'd give up everything to just have her here with him forever. To be able to kiss her...to hold her...

The song was over way too soon and Zack was there to take her away from him again. “May I?“ He asked, and Cloud already had a harsh 'no' on his tongue and the urge to pull her away from him. But he lost that right long ago. If he even had it in the first place. Cloud didn't say anything and just let the woman he loved go. Again. He was really pathetic. Maybe he should've been a bit more selfish back then...Maybe then she'd be his. The blonde gave his friends a small, fake smile before going back to his seat to order 2 more shots.

Barret and Cid where there to drink with him this time. But he was sure Tifa wanted them to have an eye on him. Yuffie bothered them sometimes that she wanted to try this, but Cid kicked the sixteen year old away from any alcohol. Even Reeve's weird cat plushy Cait Sith hang out with him. Surely another one who Tifa ordered to watch out for him. He had no idea how Reeve did it, but he could somehow control this robot plushy and do entirely different things at the same time. Maybe some weird Shinra technology.

Even Jessie, Biggs and Wedge sat at their table to lighten his mood. Not that it worked, though. But it was nice for a change to have people around him. Especially when one particular person was now completely unavailable for him forever. And of course they all saw the song he wrote for Aerith, as he got more and more ideas. They even wanted him to sing it to them once he was sober again.

-----------------

Cloud drank even more that night and was glad his friends were there to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. But the alcohol didn't make his heartbreak go away. If anything, it made it worse.

As he checked his phone the morning after he read the messages Tifa left him, knowing he won't remember anything from that night. She told him that Cid and Barret brought him home, as soon as he began to cry. And that he apparently sobbed loudly all the way to his home.

Cloud cringed at that. Yep, he was glad he couldn't remember that at all. Groaning, he let his head fall back into his pillow. The guys put a pill for hangovers and a glass of water on his nightstand before they left. And it was great, because he felt too groggy to move. He was happy that he could at least take the pill and check his phone, even if the lights from outside and from his phone were too bright and burned his eyes. And this headache must be the worst he's ever experienced. After all, it wasn't the first time he got himself drunk because of Aerith.

After having slept the whole day, he noticed he got a at least 2 messages from all of his friends, asking him if he's alright. Even Zack and Aerith texted him, because he apparently was crying so much that he had to leave very soon. He told everyone he's fine and then got from every single one an offer to come over and bring another kind of fast-food with them. Whatever he said about these guys, he took it all back. Of course he told Aerith and Zack not to worry about him, but told everyone else to better bring something good. And around an hour later his apartment was full with people and food.

And during their hangover party, Cloud read over the things he wrote on the napkin. It was...very embarrassing to say the least. But his drunken words hit the point. They just needed some adjustment. “What's that?“ Asked Yuffie and took away his napkin.

“Hey!“ This little brat ran behind Barret and Vincent and read it. But her reaction wasn't what he expected. “Aww, Cloud! I had no idea you could be so cute!“ It was worse than being laughed at.

“I think you should make a real song out of it.“ Said Tifa, who gave him back his precious napkin. “I can help you, if you want.“

Cloud looked around, everyone seemed to agree with that. “I think I can do that myself. But Zack and Aerith are never supposed to hear it!“ That song would surely be anything but subtle and if anyone of them heard it, they'll realize what he's talking about. It was practically a love letter. Everyone nodded, of course knowing why these two should be excluded. They all knew how much Cloud loved Aerith, they realized it sooner than he himself. The only ones who didn't know were Aerith and Zack. And he back then. If he just realized it sooner, he might've had a chance...

-------------

It took Cloud a while to finish his song. Only a few days actually. He wasn't really the songwriting kind of guy, but he managed to do it. And the whole group still wanted to hear it, so one day they all came together, except two obvious people of course.

He tried getting away with it by saying the song wasn't that great anyway, but they all pushed him till he gave up. The guys were already at their places before he even said yes. For this part Cloud had to use an acoustic guitar and so did Tifa, even if she was usually the drummer. But no one else but Jessie could play it, so now it was Wedge on the drums. Jessie had an electric guitar and Biggs played keyboard/piano for this particular song. Tifa even got him a holder for the harmonica parts, so we was able to play both instruments. They really did want him to give them the full potential of this song...

I would be lost

Drifting along

Floating up high

Time after time

And there you'd be

Shining brightly

Your smiling face

To guide my way

Bloody and bruised

Brought to my knees

When beaten down

When broken up

You would appear,

Reach out to me,

Heal every wound,

And make me whole

Was it all a dream?

Will I never know?

Foolish and blind

To everything

Had I realized,

Had I thought it through,

Would you be here

in my embrace?

Shine bright

Once more

Guide me

To you

Smile bright

Once more

This time

I will never let you go

With your every smile

Hiding something more:

Dark mysteries

Lurking beneath

But I was consumed

With this emptiness,

This selfishness,

This void to fill

Hear me

Once more

Show me

Your smile

This time

For sure

I'll see

The truth hidden inside your tears!

But I

I know

That you're

Long gone

But I

I will

Go on

Howling and hollow

Till now

Once the song ended their friends, even Reeves plush cat that he brought along for some reason, were applauding like there's no tomorrow. It...actually gave him a real good feeling. But it vanished as soon as it appeared. He could already feel the blood draining from his face, becoming as white as a ghost. Because a certain someone stood at his doorway. “A-Aer...“ He stammered like an idiot and then everyone else noticed her standing there. And for a long moment everything was quiet.

“Aerith! What are you doing here?“ Asked Tifa eventually.

“Uh...Yuffie said you're all here. I just...wanted to see what you're up to.“ The flower girl explained and in an instant everyone shot death glares at the little brat.

“What? I said she shouldn't come!“ The whole group face-palmed in unison. Before there's going to be an embarrassing scene, Cloud quickly put the guitar away and went to Aerith, gently pushing her out of his apartment to talk with her in private.

“Why didn't you want me there? Because I'm married now? I still wanna hang out with you guys!“ Asked Aerith, before he could even try to explain himself.

“It's not that...“ He mumbled.

“What is it then? Was I not allowed to hear your song?“ Well, this was hitting the point. But he couldn't just say yes to that...“Is the song about Tifa?“ Now where did she get this idea? Wait, did she actually think he had feelings for Tifa instead for her?

“Uh...no. No, it's not about Tifa.“ Maybe he should've just said yes, and let her think what she wanted because his answer made her think. And before he could change his mind again, she looked at him with a certain realization on her face that he never wanted to see since she was engaged.

“Cloud...is the song about...me?“ He quickly looked away, trying to lie his way out of it.

“No...“ Cloud mumbled, but of course she saw right through him. She had this talent. Aerith's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands in realization. The blonde looked away from her. He couldn't look at her. Writing this stupid song was a mistake. She'd be clueless without it.

“Cloud...why didn't you say anything?“ She asked, making him snap unexpectedly.

“How could I?!“ He yelled at her, making her flinch. An apology was already on his tongue but his anger pushed through. “You're with Zack, do you really think I could say things like 'I love you to hell and back'? That you're the most important person in my life and I'd rather die than losing you? That you're my light, pulling me out of the dark? That I love you more than anything in the world, even my own life? No, it would've ruined everything, like it does now.“

Aerith reached out to touch him, her eyes were filled with sympathy and sadness. But he backed away from her touch. “I don't need your sympathy!“ Cloud turned away from and took a few steps to ensure their distance. He really, really didn't want to say it, but he had no choice anymore. “I'm sorry, but...we can't be friends anymore.“

“Cloud...“

“I love you too much to just be friends. I can't do this anymore.“ With every word he spoke, he felt his heart being squeezed more and more. And it was better that he didn't look at her. If he'd look into her face right now, he'd surely break down. Maybe this is another good day to get drunk. “It's better that we don't see each other anymore. Before I'll do anything I'll regret. And...I could never do this to you and Zack. You deserve better than this.“

To his shock, Aerith wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly. He could feel his body growing hot, his heart pounding so fast it might jump out of his chest any second. Maybe she could even hear or feel his foolish heart. This hug was so bittersweet. He really did enjoy it —maybe too much even— but it just reminded him that he could never have her. She belonged to someone else. He already felt bad for having lewd thoughts and dreams of Aerith, so maybe cutting things off would be better for her. And it might help him stay sane, too.

“Cloud...I'm sorry, I never saw your feelings. I...I always thought you and Tifa...“ To that he only shook his head. Of course he loved Tifa, but more like a sister. He was only romantically interested in Aerith and no one else. “I'm sorry, Cloud. Can I do anything to make it up to you?“

Get a divorce, leave Zack and marry him. That's what the selfish side in him wanted. But he shouldn't be that selfish. It's about what Aerith wanted and not what he wanted. And she wanted to be with Zack. “Go.“ He said with a broken voice and felt her flinch. “Just...leave. Please...“

At first Aerith didn't let him go, she only hugged him tighter. “Please...Aerith...“ He mumbled and at his pleading she let him go. As soon as her warmth left him, he missed it already. He never wanted it to come to this. But now that she knew about his feelings...nothing would be the same anymore. Things would be awkward and who knew how Zack would react to this? No, it's better if they stayed apart, maybe he could move on. Although that's what he tried for years, ever since Aerith and Zack were a couple. It looked more like she permanently ruined him for any other woman.

Cloud thought she'll do as he said and leave, but instead she just went around him to look at his face. Though, he was still unable to look at her, as it would make things only more difficult, but her hands cupped his face and turned it towards her. Looking into these sad, green eyes he grew to love hurt more than anything he's ever been though in his life. “I'm sorry, Cloud.“

The blonde tore his eyes away from hers. “You don't have to apologize for anything...“ He barely finished his sentence, when she felt her hands pulling his head down. And before he realized what's going on, she's kissed his cheek. After giving him a sad look again, Aerith finally left. His face burnt like fire and as her hands let go of his face he had to fight the urge to grab her wrists and hold them in place. He waited until Aerith was gone and everything became silent around him.

And then a few minutes later, he went back into his apartment, where everyone looked at him in complete silence. There was no doubt that he heard them outside, so there was nothing to say, really. “Party's over.“ He mumbled. “Please leave.“ Cloud slumped on his bed, arms resting on his lap, eyes staring at the ground. He heart the others slowly getting up from their sitting positions and quietly left his little apartment. Tifa, squeezed his shoulder, before being the last to leave. Once the door closed, he buried his face in his hands and let the tears go that he fought against till now.

#clerith #songfic #fanfiction #fanfics #cloud strife #aerith gainsborough #tifa lockhart #heartbreak #angst

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up-sideand-down · 7 years

Text

Strings of Fate: Chapter 3

AO3 Link Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Zack stood beside Jessie, looking at the merchandise in Wall Market. They both agreed that she was the brains of this operation, willing to haggle and get what they needed for the mission, and he was the brawn...and her bodyguard. He now knew more than he ever wanted to about how to make a bomb big enough to take out a mako reactor and she had a good idea about what constituted as a decent sword. This would be the fourth shop they stepped into today.

Jessie scoured over some of the smaller stuff, keeping the shop keeper’s attention, while Zack poured over the bigger weapons. He didn’t have the highest expectations for them, but there had to be something halfway decent that wouldn’t break the first time he used it.

He almost didn’t believe when he saw it. The hilt was familiar, almost achingly so, reminding him of a time when the world seemed simple...or at least he was more naive.

A Standard Issue SOLDIER Second Class Broadsword. He hadn’t held one since...since Angeal gave him the Buster. He sniffed once, his cue to Jessie.

“Anything you want dear?” she asked. Zack was relieved she didn’t call him “snookums” this time. He shrugged noncommittally.

“It’s not terrible,” Zack said, obviously trying to be nice. The shopkeeper came out from behind the counter as Jesse came to cling to his arm, all starry-eyed and wanting to please. She gave him a wink as they started their slow walk through the blades until Jessie sweet talked them into selling them the sword, plus a few knives and nails, for nearly a third of the price, well under the allowance Barret gave them.

Zack resisted the urge to clip the sword on his back. He hadn’t made a new magnet for it yet anyway. But his blood froze a little when he saw people parting for someone wearing dark blue. He didn’t recognize them, which was a small relief, but he still locked eyes with the ground, searching for the quickest way out of their line of sight.

He didn’t realize he had been running until Jessie caught up to him, huffing and puffing.

“Sorry,” Zack said, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

“What happened?” she asked, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Zack scrubbed his hand through his head.

“I thought...nothing,” Zack said, “I’m just paranoid is all.”

“You don’t like Turks either,” she said. Zack smiled. He did like Jessie, she always gave you an easy way out.

“No,” he said with a nod, “no I don’t.”

Aerith waited for Zack at the bar. She stood awkwardly on the front porch for a while. She jumped when the door opened. Tifa, the bartender, stepped beside her.

“You can come inside you know,” she said, leaning against the door frame.

“Oh,” Aerith said, “I don’t mind...I just ran out of flowers and thought I’d wait for Zack. I didn’t want to bug you.” Tifa laughed.

“I wouldn’t mind...and Marlene has been dancing at the window hoping you’d come in.” Aerith looked behind Tifa and waved back at a wide-eyed Marlene.

“Where do you find flowers in Midgar?” Tifa asked, “I haven’t seen any since I got here.”

“I found them growing in a church over in Sector 5,” Aerith said, “I made it a hobby to take care of them...and then Zack gave me the idea to sell them.”

“Maybe you could show me sometime,” Tifa said, “me and Marlene.”

“Sure,” Aerith said.

“Can I get you something to drink,” Tifa asked, “We got a good water filter at the bar. Sometimes we can get news on the TV...until Barret starts yelling at it.”

“Water sounds good,” Aerith said, following Tifa inside. She beamed at Marlene as she came in.

Barret was fretting. Tifa knew that look on his face well enough. Their mission was tomorrow. Jessie said they were ready. Biggs and Wedge had the plan memorized, and Zack had all the weapons he needed.

Barret was running through all the ways it could go wrong...and if she was being honest, there were many. Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge all looked confident still. Zack looked a little concerned.

“No one is going to get hurt,” Zack reiterated.

“Just the guards,” Jesse said, “and us if we don’t get out fast enough.” Zack nodded, looking relieved. Tifa turned to Aerith, who was biting her lip. She reached over and touched her free hand. Aerith didn’t pull away.

“Can Marlene and I visit tomorrow?” she asked quietly. Aerith blinked.

“I’ll come show you guys over tomorrow morning,” Aerith replied. They shared a smile.

Zack kept himself in the back, covering their tracks and making sure Biggs and Jessie could handle whatever guards this reactor had. The train had been easy, but he had no doubts it was going to get harder the further into the reactor they got.

Barret waved at him impatiently for him to catch up. He was getting more and more irritable as the mission wore on, but Zack figured it was his way of fretting over them. He cared about his people. Zack could recognize that.

They climbed into the elevator together. Barret ran through the plan one last time.

“Jessie, the new guy, and I go into the reactor,” Barret said, “Biggs and Wedge, you-”

“Guard outside,” Biggs said, “We know.” Barret humphed and crossed his arms.

“The bomb has to go just above the manual controls,” Jessie reminded them, “whoever sets it...you’ll have to run like hell.”

“I’ll do it,” Zack said. It felt like instinct to say it. He had his sword on his back and a good mission plan. It almost felt like the good old days. Barret eyed him.

“Like hell,” Barret said, “My operation, remember.”

“Then I’m going with you,” Zack said. Barret stared at him for a long time, but said nothing. The elevator beeped and they filed out.

Tifa stared all around the run down church, feeling like a child. It reminded her of Nibelhiem...but in a gentle way. An old memory of being in the valley a few miles below with her mother. It was summer...flowers were blooming everywhere.

“It’s not much,” Aerith said, snapping her out of her reverie. Marlene was bent over the hole where the floorboards were pried up, staring at buds ready to bloom below.

“It’s beautiful,” Marlene said.

“I’m behind on weeding,” Aerith said, “and watering. Sometimes some girls from this Sector take care of them for me. I tell them not to worry their parents by running here.”

“Can I help?” Marlene asked. Aerith laughed.

“Sure, but it’s pretty boring work,” she said, “nothing too glamorous here.” Aerith gave Marlene a hand into the flowers. Tifa looked at the windows a moment longer, then walked over to join them.

Zack knew there was something up thei the alarm that rang once the bomb was set. He pulled Barret away before the robot could pin him. He eyed it. Whatever these were...they looked a lot better than what ShinRa was making when he was a SOLDIER.

He pulled his sword out as Barret raised his gun arm. Barret nodded at him in thanks. Zack gave a small grin before making his first move.

“Do you really fight people with this?” Tifa asked, picking up her staff.

“Usually just little monsters,” she said, “Most people leave me alone...I had a reputation of having some tough bodyguards so most people don’t bother me.”

“Where did you learn to use it?” Tifa asked.

“Zack taught me a little,” she said, “I kinda taught myself a little more. What about you?”

“Hmm?”

“Not many people don’t know how to fight here,” Aerith said.

“Oh...Hand to hand,” she said, “I started training when I was a little girl.” Aerith looked up.

“Really?”

“Do you want me to show you,” Tifa said putting her hands on her hips.

“Kind of.”

Zack knew Jessie was stuck just by the way she was standing. He rushed over, hoping they still had a minute or so left.

“Pull it back, and--there you go,” he said.

“Thanks,” she said. She ran ahead of him, rejoining with Biggs and Wedge. They had made it to their escape slide when it went off. There was a horrible creaking sound and then the ground rumbled beneath them. Jessie’s eyes got wide.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Barret said patting her shoulder. The green glow slowly died replaced by a black smoke as the reactor shuddered and died.

“Alright, now split up before you get on the train,” Barret said, “one at a time through the pipe.”

Tifa had gone through one hand drill when they heard the sirens. All of them got quiet.

“They’re okay,” Aerith said, “I just...I have a feeling.” Tifa nodded, but rubbed Marlene’s shoulders reassuringly.

“Show me how to do this,” Tifa asked the child.

Zack had his back turned from the troopers milling through the station. He pretended to be fiddling with the identification kiosk, and tried to look casual. Bored.

He could hear them questioning some of the people on the train. He smacked the machine once, like the guy next to him was doing. He breathed out when they filed out.

“Hey,” Zack turned at the voice. The trooper’s eyes widened a little when he saw Zack’s face.

“Don’t I know you from someplace?”

“No,” Zack said.

“I never forget a face,” the man said, “Can I see your identification?”

“Lost it,” Zack said, too quickly it seemed, “Got mugged a few days ago. Can’t get these machines to work.”

“I swear I’ve seen you,” the man said, “want me to try and help you out.”

“It’s fine,” Zack said.

“You’ll be able to get on the train with it,” the man said. Zack felt panic closing in and with it came either the stupidest or most brilliant snap decision of his life.

Only a day later would he decide it was totally worth it.

Tifa and Marlene left Aerith at the church to make their way back to start opening up the bar. Tifa kept on her bright face for the girl, part of her worried sick. Another part, as strange as it was, believe Aerith’s words. All of them were okay and they would be walking up to the bar in a few moments. She had lived long enough to know that most of the time her intuition was right.

She still breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the group walking up. Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge were surrounding Zack.

“You seriously jumped on a moving train,” Biggs said, pulling at his hair, “that was...amazing.”

“It was stupid,” Barret corrected him.

“It was stupid,” Zack said, “and fun.” Zack returned the high-give Biggs offered him.

“It would have been perfect if my ID hack had worked,” Jessie said with a sad smile.

“You’ll get it right next time,” Zack said, “to be honest, it was probably the glitchy system that threw you off more than anything. I tried using one of those kiosks...it kept giving me the same prompt over and over.”

“It went well?” Tifa asked as they filed in.

Barret gave an annoyed sigh as Zack and the AVALANCHE trio came in...then his face smoothed back out.

“Yeah,” Barret said, “It did. He earned his keep, I’ll give him that. Still kind of a dumbass though.”

Aerith walked a little closer to Zack as they made their way home from the church. He still had that aura around him...the sad crushing guilt. But she felt some remnant of the real Zack in him, like it woke up for a little bit.

“It go okay?” she asked.

“The bombing did,” Zack said, “I...I messed up a little getting back. Someone...almost recognized me and I panicked.” Aerith waited him out.

“I jumped on the train when it started to move,” Zack said.

“You...what?”

“I made sure I was out of sight before I did it. I just had to get out of there, but the train was the only way back...so I jumped...and it was kind of fun.” Aerith knew he was waiting for her to tell him it was stupid...but he was smiling at her.

He hadn’t smiled in...

“Show off,” Aerith said, leaning closer to him.

Just outside of Kalm, the Buster Sword was pulled roughly from a Fang. He frowned at the gore on the blade and wiped it off clumsily. He still wasn’t quite used to this body, this sword. It frustrated him to no end.

Patience, patience and practice. He growled at the voice in his head. He knew what needed to be done.

Good.

He kept moving, towards the dark clouds in the distance that shrouded Midgar. He narrowed his eyes at it, at the part of ShinRa tower he could see. He’d be there soon.

Yes, but rest first. You need that body to last you until we finish the first strike. He knew it was right, even though he didn’t want it to be.

Hold on to your anger. It will serve you well in the days to come. It will make you strong.

“I know,” he snapped at it, “It worked well enough against you didn’t it?” Instead of anger, he felt a dark humor settle over him. Like maniacal laugher on the other end of a phone call.

I will see you in the tower. Now get some rest, Cloud.

#my writing #strings of fate #Cloud dies AU #Zack Fair #Aerith Gainsborough #Tifa Lockhart #Barret Wallace #Jessie #Wedge #Biggs #AVALANCE #Marlene Wallace #cw: character death #cw: animal death #cw: bombing

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