Chapter Text
The hearth crackled, bathing the sitting room in a warm orange glow. The chilliness of the night pushed back into the recesses of the room. Cloud’s eyes followed the dancing flames as he placed more wood into the fire. His forearms felt the hot lick of the flames. He prodded the fire, the stoker turning bright red at the tip. He wiped his hand on his pants as he placed the iron tool back on its stand. He’d have to check the firewood supply tomorrow morning. Winter was finally ending, the lake was finally thawing and the roads were finally clear of the black ice. There would be more food supplies coming in and that meant there would be more need for wood. The nights were still frigid in Nibelheim, they wouldn’t start to warm up until mid-May when the scorching heat of Summer began. He’d have to at least make sure his mother had enough-
“You’ve decided then?” His mother’s voice dissipated his thoughts. Although his back was still turned to her, he imagined she could still read his thoughts.
“Yeah-” he swallowed. ”At the end of spring.”
“I see. You’re not thinking of leaving before homecoming are you?”
Cloud turned to face her, his eyes drifting above her sitting figure, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.
“I heard Tifa was really looking forward to it. She even bought her dress already.” He felt his ears grow hot from the sudden blush rising across his face. His eyes caught the small smile forming on her lips. “I’ll think about it..” he said softly.
She nodded, “Good. A last memory before you go.”
Cloud watched his mother return to her hemming. Their conversation still hung between them. He knew that neither she nor he would revisit the topic. He imagined she understood that his decision was as natural as the seasons. That he would eventually leave Nibelheim just like the other boys before him, just like his father had once left. She had probably known since the summer he had stretched out of his clothes. The softness he once held, changing for the thin stringy muscle that now flexed across the planes of his chest as he carried the firewood. He lingered by the fire watching his mother. Her nimble fingers pushed and pulled the needle into the frayed fabric of his work shirt. He imagined that she would still be there in the blue faded sitting chair long after he had left. He felt a sudden pang erupt in his gut. An unfamiliar sensation that felt like shame and fear.
“Cloud?”
He looked at his mother. Her sewing pushed to the side. “You alright?”
“Yeah. Just caught up thinking about things.”
“About?”
“Just thinking…” he ran a hand through his hair. “About when I leave.”
“It’s not like you to worry about me,” she laughed, her matching blue eyes softened.
“I worry about you,” he defended. “You’ll be alone now and you know how this town is.” “I got the mayor and Brian looking after me. He may be rough around the edges but his heart’s in the right place. Don’t worry.”
He nodded looking away from his mother, his eyes roaming around their belongings. Cloud stared at the family portrait hanging beside the fireplace. The tall blond man’s face was obscured by the glare of the flames. His father. He grew up with that single image being the only memory of his father.
While other boys in town learned firsthand how to become a man from their own fathers. Claudia had done her best to pass along the rites of manhood as she called them. Sometimes she had recruited others from town, like Brian Lockhart and Chocobo Bill to teach him what she could not. Brian had been more willing before, he had once shown him a reserved tenderness that Cloud could only imagine was the closest thing he had to paternal affection.
–
Brian Lockhart was a tall wiry man with a curved mustache and soft brown eyes. Cloud had been playing in the backyard when he felt the man approach him. Brian wore his signature red button-down and black jeans. His brown boots had caked mud around their sole. The silver rivets along the length of his boots reflected the hot afternoon sun.
“How old are you now boy?” He asked crouching down beside him. Cloud sat back on his heels watching the man wipe his brow.
“Where’s Tifa?” Cloud asked quietly.
“She’s in there with the women folk. But I’m asking you a question.”
“I’m seven.” He replied, sliding his dirt-specked motorcycle glasses up his forehead.
“Old enough,” Brian replied standing up. “Come on- we’re going surveying.”
Cloud followed after him, wiping his hands on his cargo pants. He followed Brian into his house where Claudia, Thea and Tifa were gathered around the kitchen.
“Claudia, I’m gonna take Cloud with me to the Canyon if you don’t mind.”
His mother lifted her head from the dough she was kneading on the steel counter. “No, not at all. Cloud, you be good, you hear?”
“I will,” Cloud replied.
“Brian, do you need anything packed?” Thea asked from beside Claudia. Tifa smiled sweetly at Cloud. Her face was covered in tiny white dots of splattered flour. She pressed onto his palm an orange slice. “Just some cheese and dry meat, please. I don’t think we’ll need more than that.”
“It’s sweet!” Tifa replied, biting into the ripe juicy fruit. Cloud fit the piece into his mouth. The sweet juice burst on his tongue, a refreshing respite on the summer day. He smiled back nodding as he swallowed.
Brian ruffled Tifa’s hair as he took the wrapped package from her mother. “We’ll be back ladies, see y'all for dinner.”
Cloud had never been to Mt Nibel. In fact, most of the fairy tales he had heard had scared him enough to be curious about it. Mt. Nibel with its long gray spikes and rickety bridges was the background of his nightmares. It was a place where the dead would roam awaiting their turn to cross into the netherworld. He had heard from the older kids that there were monsters lurking around the jagged mountain edge preying on unsuspecting victims. Cloud shuddered thinking about the deformed monsters.
“You alright there?” Brian asked, noticing Cloud had stopped behind him.
Cloud looked up at Brian unsure of what to say. He wrung the hem of his shirt between his fingers stretching the fabric. Cloud kicked a rock with the toe of his shoe, “Will there be monsters where we’re going?”
Brian sighed. Cloud was unusually shy and painfully quiet. The stoic face the boy carried around him made Brian uneasy. He had first chalked it up to being shy but now he realized that Cloud had not been around anyone else outside of his mother. Even worse, without a male figure. Where boys his age would be elated to go on an adventure. Brian, himself, had begged his father to let him explore Mt. Nibel. Cloud had remained impassive, quiet, and obedient until they had reached the mouth of the canyon. Now he stood rooted to the dirt ground, his fingers twisting the shirt, his small hands balled so tightly, Brian could see the white of his knuckles. The boy’s clear blue eyes were wide as saucers looking behind him.
“No-” Brian said after a moment. “The only monster here is Shinra.”
“Shinra?” Cloud asked, looking up at him. He had dropped his hands, leaving dirt marks on his shirt.
“The electric company that built the Reactor up there. They're monsters.”
“Do they kill people?” Cloud asked quietly. Brian wiped his brow with his handkerchief. “Do you think they killed my dad?”
Brian tensed. It has been no secret that his father had abandoned them. Claudia herself had just turned 17 when her husband suddenly vanished. Cloud had only been a week old. Brian had personally led the rescue team, Thea staying behind to help Claudia. After four weeks of searching day and night up Mt.Nibel, all that Brian had found was the man’s brown satchel. The contents were left undisturbed, as if the ground had swallowed him whole. It had been almost 8 years since then. Brian let go of a long breath he was holding.
“I don’t know son,” he replied, his eyes looking up at the spine like ridges of Mt Nibel. “But for now we got a job to do.” He patted the boy on the shoulder and gave him a push to walk again. He’d have his work cut out for him.
They walked along the steep incline up the canyon. Cloud’s boots firmly stepped over the rough surface of broken rock that littered the trail. Brian’s tools clinked together as they climbed to their first destination. The mountain rock gave way to a small plateau. The rough terrain had a small spring that allowed the thin black trees to flourish. He pulled out his tools and set on checking the spring for any mako contamination. Cloud watched him curiously as he laid out his testing kit beside the water.
“Here is the testing strip and the liquid compound we’re going to mix in this glass beaker. Go on ahead and hold that for me.” Brian handed him the slender glass container. Cloud eagerly reached out to hold the item. He stood perfectly still causing Brian to chuckle. “I’m going to dip this testing strip into the water until this black line, see?” He held the thin slip of paper up to Cloud’s eyes and pointed with his fingernail to the black thin line
“I see,” Cloud replied, nodding.
“Good,” Brian dipped the paper into the still water and counted to ten. He then carefully placed the strip inside the beaker and removed the cork on the compound tincture. He poured the clear liquid into the beaker Cloud was holding. “Watch carefully now. If it’s blue, we’re in the clear. If it’s green, it's Mako poisoned.”
“Is Mako bad?” Cloud asked, lifting the beaker above his head. He watched the sun filter through the liquid waiting for it to change.
“Mako itself isn’t. It’s like lava and fire you know? It’s a part of our planet and what is found in plants and mountains. But when Shinra created that there reactor, it messed up everything. It tainted the mako itself, and that's what makes us sick. It's the mako leeching into the living things around it trying to fix itself.”
The water turned green in the clear beaker.
“It’s poisoned,” Cloud replied, giving Brian the beaker. “What will happen to us?”
Brian sighed. “Nothing we can do but report this to Shinra. Come on, we’ll have to test the mouth of the river over by the reactor cliff and finally, the stream that goes into town.”
Cloud nodded and stood up. He watched Brian throw the mixture into the dry earth. The liquid evaporating in the hot soil. Brian pulled out his notepad and scribbled the results. He'd have to present his findings at the next city hall. He hoped at least one water source was not contaminated. He knew from Chocobo Bill that things were getting worse with Reactor Towns. Shinra had stopped servicing model 1 reactors since the introduction of the model 2 and 3. Nibelhiem being the first reactor built was slowly breaking down, the piping leaking more Mako into the area around them year after year. Brian had been trying without any luck to get Shinra to service the deathtrap of a reactor before it was too late. He looked at Cloud and ruffled his hair.
They had made it to the highest point in Mt. Nibel. The reactor loomed in the center of the mountain peak, the river rushing beside them. Although Cloud had been scared at the beginning of their survey, Brian noted that the boy had relaxed somewhat. His curiosity getting the better of him as he looked around and suddenly was full of questions. Brian couldn’t help but smile as the boy slowly crept out of his shell. Suddenly there was a loud snarl behind them. Brian felt himself being pulled down swiftly. A large claw slashed against his shirt collar.
“Mr. Lockhart!” Cloud screamed. Behind Brian was a large monster with the head of a lion and an eagle. Its talons, bright red with blood. Brian’s vision was tunneling. He could see Cloud waving something from where he was lying down. The ground became very cold around him, as if he had fallen in water. He could see through the wide black spots in his vision that the river was in front of him. Then a distant ringing bell started to get louder and louder. He felt so tired and cold. Cloud’s body dimmed in the distance.
BANG. Brian closed his eyes, he felt like he was falling deeper and deeper into sleep.
“Mr. Lockhart, Wake up!” Cloud’s voice called to him in the distance, “Wake up!”
Why wouldn’t the boy take the hint? He was trying to sleep. He felt a warmth spread across his body, tingling across his temple and chest. Suddenly it was too bright, too hot.
“Mr. Lockhart, please, Mr. Lockhart!” Cloud’s tight fist pounded on his chest.
“Cloud?” Brian croaked. He blinked around him. The sun burned above them. Brian’s vision slowly came into focus. Cloud was beside him. His eyes wet with tears. There was blood on his hands, smeared across his face. Brian sat up, his shirt damp and sticking to his stomach. He looked down at the ripped fabric across his torso. His exposed skin splattered with blood.
“What happened?” Brian asked. Cloud sniffled beside him. Brian saw the pistol he carried in his tool kit and the green healing materia.
“That thing attacked us,” Cloud pointed at the lifeless body beside them. The faint traces of the monster's features evaporating into the green traces of the livestream.
“You killed it?” Brian asked.
“I was scared!” Cloud said, starting to cry.
“Cloud, did you kill it?” Brian asked again, holding the boy in his lap. Cloud nodded, wiping his face.
“You saved me!” Brian lifted the boy up, “Good gracious Cloud! You saved me!”
Cloud smiled under his teary eyes. Brian couldn’t help but laugh.
“I can’t believe you did that. How did you know to use the materia on me?” Brian asked.
“I saw you use it on Tifa once when she scraped herself,” Cloud answered between hiccups. “I was so scared,”
“You used a high-grade spell there, Cloud,” Brian said softly. He brushed the boy's hair softly. “You did good, boy. You did real good.”
Brian dusted himself off. Besides the blood smeared on both of them and the large open slash across his favorite shirt. He was no worse for wear than he was this morning. He flexed his hands and arms and felt a slight soreness but nothing that could indicate his near close experience to death. Cloud helped him pack his tool kit back in its leather pouch. Once he had accounted for everything he bent down and swooped the boy up in his arms, pushing him until Cloud was on his shoulders.
“I think the hero deserves a good rest,” Brian replied as he held onto Cloud’s hands. “What do you think the girls are making for dinner?”
“I hope it’s pot roast,” Cloud said softly. Brian could tell from the way Cloud’s body rested against his head that he was tired. Brian couldn't blame him. To cast a spell that strong on the first try could’ve easily knocked a man unconscious.
“Can Tifa come over tomorrow?” Cloud asked, his head resting on Brian’s.
“You know Cloud, if you promise me you’ll take good care of her, I’ll even consider letting you marry her one day.”
“Marry her?” Cloud replied. Brian waited for the rest but was only met with the soft snoring of the boy.
Maybe, just maybe, there would be someone he could entrust his Tifa to.
–
The fragments of memory those around Cloud would share with him on who his father had been and once was, made that single image sometimes appear more real. His father had been a traveler from a town up north, and unlike the men in Nibelheim, he had been an engineer. He was an avid reader and a sociable man. He traveled around Gaia for some time and had originally planned to stay only a couple of days in Nibelheim before resuming his travels. But then he met his mother Claudia, and it was love at first sight. Their courtship had been like many others, short and sweet. It was the norm in these parts, a string of outings and enough courage to ask for their hand. His father had been no different. He was a loving man who was affectionate to his wife and who was elated when he knew she was pregnant. He was by all who knew him an upstanding citizen, a member of his community and a man who was always staring at the night sky. And then suddenly he was gone. His disappearance had created an invisible wound in Cloud, a wound that as he got older was more aware of. In the light of his father’s disappearance, Cloud was seen as a bastard.
As much as Claudia tried to keep the image of his father’s good deeds in his mind, Cloud had only lived without. Without an example of a man, without the guidance of a father, and without the wisdom of his travels. His anger had long replaced the yearning he had experienced as a child, coating the town of Nibelheim in the same shade.
“I just wish he never left you,” Cloud whispered. Truthfully, the only person who he thought had felt his father’s disappearance worse was his mother. She had been left alone with a newborn, the rug of domestic bliss pulled from right under her. Although he would never ask outright. He knew that she had sacrificed more than she ever let on to provide for him. Her deft hands were always busy, always marred in faint scars and cuts from the hours of working. He wondered if his father had never left, what would have become of her? Would her beauty, ever-present, shine brighter than it did now in their faded clothing? Would she have become a fine hostess? Would she have grown out her hair again and curled it like she once had, when she still had dreams and strength in her bones?
His mother sighed and walked over to him. She brushed his hair aside. “If you’re worried I’m going to think of you like that, I'm not. I’ve told you before he didn’t leave us on purpose.” she squeezed his arm reassuringly. “I know he’ll come back someday.”
“How do you know? How do you even know he’s still alive?” Cloud’s eyes stung, “He’s probably not even al-”
“Cloud.” He felt her hand on his cheek. There was a tear caught on his eyelash. “I wish I had all the answers. Believe me, I’ve had the same questions, but in my heart.” she pointed to her chest, “In here, I can feel him.” She wiped away the fresh tears on his face. “It’s okay to go. It’s okay to leave Nibelheim. That’s what children do, they grow and they leave. And it’s your time. Just promise me you’ll write to me sometimes.” She laughed, her own blue eyes filling up
with tears. “Even if it’s only a hello.”
“I will,” he croaked.
“Good, now up to bed.” she kissed his cheek.
She held onto him for a moment. He was barely taller than her. He could see up close the thin lines around her eyes. His own blue eyes mirrored back at him. He had inherited her looks and for that he had been proud. But now, he had felt a soft sadness he couldn’t place at the idea of leaving her behind. Her eyes twinkled back at him, and he knew that she had seen it curled in the corners of her mind.
Cloud couldn’t sleep. The hours ticked beside him. Nibelheim fell into the eerie silence of sleep outside his window. Only the wind and its occasion howl could be heard. He watched the way the branches swayed in the night gust, drawing long shadows across his floorboards. His room felt constricting, his bed too small. The plaid comforters and the faded brown pillowcases; heavy and too hot against him. All around him were the remains of his childhood. The wooden train set his father had made him long ago rested on the wooden shelf. The train, a worn dark brown color from the years of use. Beside it, a small broken terracotta tea cup and dish. A small gift Tifa had given him for her tea parties. Tea parties, that he would complain were boring, but he secretly looked forward to every time. His wooden sword leaned against his desk, the wood splintered along the blade side. His hours of practice reflected in the calluses along his palms. His brown cowboy hat and boots, the underside caked with dried mud. A birthday present from his mother after he had learned how to wrangle and ride his first chocobo. He glanced at his books slanted along the wall, stories of heroes and fairy tales speaking of a world outside of Nibelheim. His faded map of Nibelhiem curled at the edges. The newspaper clipping of Sephiroth faded from the sunlight.
He sat up and stretched his legs. He looked out of his window, the night sky was clear and the full moon looked especially close. Nibelhiem looked so small from his window. A diorama of a backwater town with a reactor. There was nothing left for him here, only the dirt road and the livestock that the town depended on. Cloud looked at his alarm clock. The chocobo clock was past midnight. He was running out of time.
He pushed the window next to his desk open, his curtain billowing in at the sudden gust of air. Cloud braced himself on the window ledge. Her closed window a mere ten feet away from him. The cold air sent goosebumps up his arms. He noticed the rusting metal cans still attached to the wooden ledge of their windows. The frayed rope tied between them glowed white in the moonlight.
How many years had it been since they last played telephone? Laughing across the way as they told each other secrets and stories. Tifa was always the princess in the tower high above. Cloud, always her brave knight or prince charming. Other times she would leave her window open when she would practice her piano. He would sit at his desk listening intently to the sound of her fingers gliding across the keys, the music filling his space, just like she occupied his mind, to the brim. Always Tifa, always with her long brown black hair, always her and her scent of wild jasmine and orange blossoms. Always with her carmine eyes. He pulled on his side of the rope, the metal can clanging against her window.
He waited. Hoping the sound wouldn’t wake his mother or worse Tifa’s dad. He counted the seconds before he pulled the rope a second time. His eyes searched for her through the covered window. “Please-” he whispered, pulling a final third time, “please wake up.”
This time, the curtain rustled behind the window. He saw Tifa’s face appear behind, her hair frizzy around her temples. She rubbed her eyes as she moved the curtain fully away from the window. She yawned, her eyes softly focusing on him before they blinked. Her red eyes grew wide as she realized he was standing there waiting for her. She threw the wind open. “Cloud?” She was in a thin spaghetti strap tank top, her small chest barely covered by the thin shirt. He suddenly felt too hot. She was even more beautiful than he had remembered. Sleep still clinging to her heavy lids. Her hair tangled around her.
“Teef-Tifa, hi” He stammered. His hand rubbed his neck trying to calm his nerves.
“Hi,” she replied. Her hands rubbed up and down her arms at the sudden chill. His eyes followed the movement, tearing away as he noticed the soft pebbling flesh. “What’s going on?” “How fast can you meet me at the water tower?” he asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he had a chance to back out.
“Right now?” she asked, leaning forward.”Now, now?”
“Yes, right now. Do you think-”
She held out her hand stopping him mid-sentence. “Only if you promise me one thing.”
“Anything,” he said without thinking.
She spent a moment looking at him, taking him in. He was in a worn tank top and black sweatpants. His long hair loose on his shoulders. She smiled softly.
“Okay, I’ll see you in 5 minutes.” She closed her window behind her, the closed curtain obscuring her from Cloud.
Cloud stood there, his throat dry. His body tingled from his feet to his neck, flashing hot and cold. His hands felt clammy. His mind reeling. Tifa opened her window. She said yes. He pinched his arm hard, leaving a small red bruise. This wasn’t a dream, this was real. He glanced at his clock. He had 5 minutes.
Cloud threw on his pair of jeans and his clean shirt. He pulled his hair into a low ponytail in the small mirror beside his bedroom door. He opened the door slowly, taking his boots underneath his arm. He made his way as quietly as he could, passing by his mother’s room. He could hear her soft snoring fast asleep. He continued down the stairs creeping closer to the kitchen door. He unlocked it slowly, pulling it from its hinges. He stepped into the cold night and put his shoes down on the porch. He left the door unlocked and held onto the knob as he shut the door behind him. He released the long breath he had been holding. He jammed his feet into his boots and tied them quickly. He looked across his yard to see Tifa waiting for him by her side of the fence.
She had combed her hair and it laid behind her ears pin straight. She was in a teal dress and matching teal sandals that tied around her ankles. Cloud blinked trying to commit to memory the image of her standing there.
“Hi” she said shyly.
“Hi,” he swallowed, ”You look, that dress, that dress looks really nice on you.” “Thank you,” she smiled, “Wanna walk together?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Cloud opened the small gate between their fences for her. He extended his arm to her. Her hand rested in the crook of his arm. Her scent wrapped around him so intensely. They walked in silence, towards the water tower.
His house was one of the houses on the first ring of civilization upon entering the town. Tifa’s house next to his, their backyard joining both houses together. Only a worn white fence divided the yard. The town inn, the only inn that was only used by Shinra personnel or any unfortunate traveler, was diagonally across from his front door
The inn was the first building past the iron gate that carried the town’s name. Beside the inn was the general store, the wooden carts that held the produce, tied down for the evening. Next to it were two similar first-story homes, next to them was the worn dirt road that led to Shinra Mansion. The expansive mansion loomed in darkness behind the forest of pine trees. It had once been kept pristine and manicured much like the whole town used to be. Now, Cloud felt its ominous presence, the long wooden shutters banging back and forth in the wind. A derelict reminder of the town’s past.
The town hall with its large white steeple followed. In the darkness the steeple looked like an arrow pointing at the moon, followed by more residential homes until it connected back to his house. Lastly, the water tower remained, the windmill turned around and around in the night wind. It stood in the middle of town like the epicenter of his life. He thought of all the times he imagined himself climbing its iron ladder with Tifa. The way he’d start fights with Tifa’s stupid friends when he’d hear them ask her to climb with them. He wanted to be the only one to do that with her. He wanted to be like the older kids they’d see holding hands and sharing their first kiss. A kiss, Cloud thought, like a promise.
“What is it?” she asked when she caught him staring.
“Nothing,” he smiled shyly, rubbing his neck.
“Liar,” she teased, sticking out her tongue at him. “Tell me.”
He smiled at her playfulness, “Maybe when we get up there yeah?”
They walked up to the metal ladder underneath the water tower ledge. They were momentarily hidden from view. Tifa still kept her hand on his arm, waiting for him to pull away. “Have you ever been up there?” she asked.
“Pff- who would ask me? I’m the village weirdo, remember?”
“That’s not true Cloud,” She pulled her hand away from him.
“That's what your friends call me Teef.”
“But I don't think that. I don't think you’re weird.”
“What about you? How many times have you been up here?” He asked.
Tifa put her hands on her hips, “I’ve never been up there!”
“Really?” He asked looking directly at her, “With all the times I’ve heard Emilio ask you?” Are you jealous?” she asked, crossing her arms. “Or are you calling me a liar?”
He stayed quiet, his ears burning, “I-”
“You’re the one that stopped talking to me, and now you’re asking me to come here and you act like I do this all the time.”
“That’s not what I meant, Tifa -” he tried as he noticed her face grow patchy and red with tears.
“Then what? What is it? Why did you stop hanging out with me? Why?-What…I don’t get it Cloud…I thought, gosh I don't know. I don’t know.” she cried, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
Cloud reached out to hold her. Unsure of how he lost control of the situation. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, bringing her closer. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.” He sighed into her hair holding her close. “I really-” he looked down at her. Her ruby eyes were fresh with tears. He wanted to cry beside her. She was so beautiful and all he had done was make her cry.
“I’m sorry too,” she whispered.
“It’s okay,” He replied.
She placed her hand on his chest. “Do you want a do-over?” she asked, “I want to try this again,” she smiled softly through her tears.
He nodded.
“This is my first time,” she confessed.
“Mine too,” He traced her fingers with his,” My first date too…”
She gave him a bigger smile, her cheeks turning pink under his gaze.
“Come on, let's climb up there,” he smiled, pulling her towards the ladder. He held her hand steady as she climbed the first step. He followed after her, trying his best to be a gentleman and not look up her dress. They walked to the other side of the water tower that faced Mt. Nibel. The faint green Mako glow faded into the night sky. He sat down on the ledge, holding her hand as she lowered herself beside him.
“The stars look so bright!” she gushed, “They almost look like fireworks!” she turned to him smiling.
“Yeah, they do,” he leaned back against his palms looking at the sky as she pointed out the constellations. “I wonder if the sky is this clear everywhere.”
Tifa leaned her head against his shoulder. The warmth of her body felt nice against the night air.
“Cloud?”
“Yeah?”
“You were the only person I wanted to experience this with.”
“Really Teef?” He wrapped an arm around her, trying to steal the nervous tremor that ran through him. She was so soft and warm and familiar as she pressed closer to him.
“Why did we grow apart Cloud? Weren’t we friends?”
“Tifa…”
“Please Cloud…”
He played with the strands of her hair. She was looking at him intently, waiting for him. Her crimson eyes looking into the swirling blue of his. He felt like she could read all of his thoughts and if she could, he would gladly let her in. It would be so easy to let himself be laid bare by her eyes. He imagined she could see their whole life in his head. He would let her see the small dreams he had been harboring since he first saw her. The dreams of courting her and marrying her. He would do anything to build a life for them, a better one…But for now, she was waiting for his answer.
“After what happened at Mt. Nibel…I felt. I felt so guilty and…” He tried to collect his thoughts. The memories of the night came flooding in, he could see her body falling in front of him, her hands outstretched searching for his. He shook his head.
“But Cloud, I still looked for you and you-”
“How could I still be your friend after I did that to you?” He sighed, pulling his hand away from her.
“I still wanted to see you, I wanted you to tell me the truth and instead everyone else told me…All I wanted was you.”
“Why Tifa?” He asked softly, “I was the reason you were in that coma.”
“Why do you think Cloud?” She whispered softly,
“Tifa..I-” He looked at her. Her own hands were curled into fists on her lap. Her face was blushing red. Did she- Did she have the same feelings..
“Do I have to spell it out for you?” she snapped. Her eyes met his.
“No.” He smiled. “...I’ve always liked you.” It was his turn now to turn red. She giggled beside him tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ears. The silver earring she wore caught the moonlight beside her.
“Good, because I need a date for homecoming.” she smiled. His eyes softened.
“Tifa, I can’t… I’m leaving to join S.O.L.D.I.E.R.”
“When?” She asked, “Are you leaving me too?”
Cloud brushed away her bangs,”Do you remember when you’d ask me to be the strong knight?”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t be that if I’m too weak. But there are other things I need to do… I need to prove to myself that I can protect the ones I love, that I can be dependable. That I can be someone. That I can forge a life worth living. ”
She nodded. He reached out to hold her hand. “Then will you promise me something?” she asked. She laced their fingers together, “Will you promise to come save me whenever I need you or I’m in trouble?”
“I promise,” he whispered.
“You swear?” she asked looking up at him, “No take-backs.”
She had leaned close to him. He could smell her cherry lip gloss. Her lips were bright pink and open. Even without the lip gloss, her lips had tantalized him. His mind reeling with the possibilities of what they felt like and tasted.
“Cloud,” she whispered her eyes looking down at his lips and back at him. He watched her lick her lips. He felt his heart bobbing in his throat and held his breath for a moment, following the contours of her face, the small slope of her nose, the wide brim of her lower lip. He leaned closer, keeping his blue eyes on her dark red. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers.
“I promise.” He kissed her, pressed his lips against the soft slope of her cupid's bow. Her lips soft against his. Her hands wrapped around his neck, ticking the hair around his nape, pressing him closer to her. A promise sealed with a kiss. He would think of this night and the taste of her lips even as he lay dying. Even as the world burned around him.
There was Tifa and only Tifa.