#you know you’re in trouble when cloud and tifa stand back to back

[randomfandomimagine]

Reunion (Cloud Strife x Reader)

Characters: Cloud Strife, Zack Fair, Tifa Lockhart (feat. Jessie, Biggs, Wedge and others)

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Tags: Reunions, crossdressing, angst with a happy ending

Warnings: Mentions of death, spoilers for Crisis Core

Word Count: 4k words

Requested by anon: could you do a ficlet with a fem! reader for a Platonic!Cloud? my idea is where the reader was in SOLDIER (disguised as a guy) and when Hojo found out they kicked you out (quite violently). You were really close with Cloud and Zack, but once you were gone they thought they killed you. In other words I just want an angsty sweet reunion when he finds you working for avalanche back at the Seventh Heaven. (Points if you’re close with Tifa too). Thank you! I love your work so much! Ur a blessing ♡ 

A/N: I have never beat the original FFVII and I’m not sure what happens in canon with Cloud’s memories, so I took some artistic liberties to write this. Hope you enjoy!! Please please please give this some love, I worked so hard on it!!

Cloud Strife x Female Reader

_

[ B/N: Boy Name ]

.

Many terrors haunted Cloud. There were too many things he had lost, too many people he missed and too many burdens he carried. However, no matter how much he tried to forget them all or how tangled his mind was, one seemed to stand out: you. He had befriended you during his SOLDIER days, an unlikely friend in a strange place.

He vividly remembered you: the way your eyes twinkled when you spotted him, your shy smile and your gentle expression, the playfulness in your voice when you teased him. He thought of you fondly, one of the few things in his past that weren’t tainted by evil. Even then, you had still turned into a bad memory. Your mere existence made him sad because of your early demise. You had only ever been kind and still your fate was cruel and undeserved. Your only crime had been lying, and even that he wouldn’t blame you for. Others, however, found that sin to be unforgivable and punished you for it. With a sentence of death.

“Cloud?” Tifa called his name, bringing him back to reality. “Still with me?”

“Uh… yeah” He straightened up, surprised upon realizing how crestfallen he had made himself with his own thoughts. “Lead the way”

“I’m excited” His friend smiled, leading him to the Seventh Heaven. “We finally get to meet our new member. Everyone has been so secretive about them”

“Why?” Cloud focused on trying to follow the conversation, even if his thoughts pulled him back to the past.

“They’re Avalanche’s secret weapon”

“Hm…”

Tifa, not really catching his disinterest, continued talking.

“Apparently they have some serious military training”

“Uh-huh…”

Her voice became a dull background noise as his thoughts drifted without remedy. Even if she kept speaking, he had stopped listening.

He had dreamt about you again last night, and his mind betrayed him by dwelling on your memory. Inevitably, he drifted off to past thoughts, to his SOLDIER days when everything seemed exciting. He felt insecure and unworthy, but he was willing to improve. He was prepared to work hard and make his way to 1st Class. Zack was constantly by his side, taking Cloud under his wing. You completed the trio, and he couldn’t help but to think back to when he met you.

A tall boy with dark hair and sky blue eyes stood in the training room, crossing his arms and watching how the new recruits finished their exercise. He noticed how one of them struggled more than the rest and was more than happy to give him a little hand.

“Hey, newbie” He walked over to a specific soldier who just then finished with the squats. “Need some help there?”

You shook your head, completely breathless after the exercise, and leaned back on your butt until you were sitting down. Joining SOLDIER had been your dream for a long time, wanting to become strong enough to be able to help people. You knew it wouldn’t be easy, just didn’t imagine it would be this hard and exhausting.

“Come on” He held his hand out for you to take. “We all need help sometimes”

With a sigh, you took his hand in yours and let him pull you up. Once you were standing on your feet, you leaned your hands on your knees. It was hard to catch your breath. Despite how athletic you were, this was on a whole new level.

When you dared to look up at the boy, you found him showing you a wide friendly grin. Beside him now was a blond guy, with kind blue eyes that went along with his meek expression.

“It’s okay” The blond muttered. “It takes a bit to get used to”

You nodded your head, managing a tired smile in appreciation. The other one observed you in a mixture between amusement and sympathy and patted your back.

“You did well for the first day” He told you. “What’s your name?”

“Uh…. B/N” You carefully watched his reaction, and your heart began racing in anticipation.

“B/N? Nice to meet you” Unaware of your nervousness upon introducing yourself, he offered you his hand. “I’m Zack, this is Cloud”

You shook his hand, and waved with the other one at his blond friend. He timidly reciprocated with a small wave.

“Tell you what, kid” Zack put his arm over your shoulders, and you tensed up. “I’ll keep an eye on you and help you out”

An irrational fear took over you, as it was the first time someone got so close to you. Even if you had managed to push your way into SOLDIER without arising any suspicions over yourself, you were afraid they would know. Your secret was far too important to air it out, and it could get you in trouble. Big trouble.

While you appreciated Zack’s offer, you feared his friendship too much. What if he found out who you really were? How would he react? Would he still be friendly if he knew? Would he give you in to the authorities to have you punished for daring to deceive everyone?

“Don’t overwhelm him….” Cloud bashfully defended you, definitely noticing your awkwardness.

“No worries, Cloudy” Zack brushed it off. “B/N here just needs to get out of his shell”

“We…” The other one added. “We can help you train if you want”

“That would be nice” You replied, purposefully making your voice deeper.

“That’s the spirit!” The dark-haired boy chuckled. “And relax, man, you’re so tense!”

You lowered your shoulders, which were almost up to your ears. Still, even if you were trying to act natural you couldn’t relax, you couldn’t stop being tense. Because what would happen if anyone at SOLDIER realized you were a girl?

-

You nervously tapped your foot against the ground. Although you had joined Avalanche a bit ago and were starting to get used to it, you still got jittery. Even after the mission was over, the nerves still conquered your stomach.

“I swear, Y/N!” Jessie tugged at your hand, making you look at her instead of that far off point that you were staring at without seeing it. “You’re gonna love him!”

“Am I?” You smiled at her, pretending not to be restless still.

That recent mission reminded you too much of SOLDIER. It was ironic that Shinra, the very thing you once were a part of and now were trying to escape, had become what you were fighting against, confronting it head-on. It seemed to haunt you even as you adamantly tried to bring it down. 

To make matters worse, Barret had announced to the group that they were calling their mercenary contact for the next mission. You hadn’t been with them long enough to have met him, because in those couple of days you had barely even grown accustomed to their company. 

Barret didn’t talk to you more than necessary, even if you could tell he was a big softie, especially when you saw him with his daughter Marlene. Biggs and Wedge had been kind and welcoming while still trying to give you some space. Jessie was the most outspoken, and clearly the one more determined to make you feel at home. It painfully reminded you of someone else whose personality was bubbly and extroverted that you had met in the past.

“For sure!” Her very voice snapped you out of your nervous thoughts again. “Cloud is the best, even if he likes to pretend like he’s a tough guy”

You tried not to wince at the mention of his name. How cruel was it that you ran into someone else called Cloud? A part of you had hoped it was the same Cloud you befriended in SOLDIER, but it just wasn’t possible. He must have become a SOLDIER, 1st Class like he wanted to. Who knew? You might even have fought him with Avalanche without realizing, unaware that his spiky blond hair and kind blue eyes were hidden under one of those helmets.

You shook your head. No. It just so happened that there was another Cloud in Midgard. It was too painful to get your hopes up for a sweet reunion… even if you had daydreamed about it countless times. Cloud and Zack had been so important to you… Fondly looking back at them, you hoped they were doing okay.

Zack’s laughter was contagious, and you couldn’t suppress a smile as you triumphantly stood up and towered over Cloud. Pouting a bit, he averted his gaze and didn’t move from the spot, sitting on the ground and leaning an elbow on his propped up knee.

“And the winner is… B/N!” Zack took your arm and lifted it up. “I knew you had it in you, kid”

Cloud still didn’t speak. His cheeks were a deep shade of pink, and you couldn’t tell if it was because of the squats you had beat him at or because of the embarrassment. Maybe both.

“Okay, Zack” You playfully pushed him off you, moving towards Cloud. “Stop torturing him”

“I’m not torturing anyone, he did great” Zack leaned down to pat his friend’s shoulder. “You just did better”

Even if you wouldn’t admit it out loud, a sense of pride bubbled in your chest. Boys were generally stronger than girls, but you had bested one of them after training hard for weeks on end. Still, you felt bad for Cloud and offered him a hand.

“No hard feelings?”

“Sure”

He smiled at you as you pulled him up, wobbling because of all his weight. Zack chuckled as he put his hands on your back to stabilize you.

“Who would have known a skinny guy like you would become such a good SOLDIER?”

The comment might have offended you when you first met him, but you knew Zack meant it as a compliment. After all, you would never forget the day you first met. You had felt helpless and not capable of making it in SOLDIER. You were shorter and smaller, but you didn’t let that stop you. Now you were stronger and resilient, even more so than some of the boys there.

The three of you gasped, startled, when the door to the training room suddenly swung open. In came Sephiroth, Hojo and Lazard, seemingly very angry and determined.

“No…” You uttered, with a nasty feeling in the pit of your stomach. What if…?

No, you had been very careful. It was impossible. You had disguised yourself to the point that not even Cloud and Zack discovered you despite being so close, despite spending so much time together. You had even found a way to avoid Hojo’s tests, knowing he would discover your identity if you got too close. They had no way of finding out… right?

“That’s her” Sephiroth pointed a finger at you, bearing no expression.

“Her?” Zack repeated, taking a step forward. “What’s going on?”

“B/N is an imposter!” Hojo accused, scowling at you. “She is a woman”

“What?” Your friend shook his head at them. “There must be a misunderstanding”

Terrified of what they might do, you took a few steps back. Cloud stood behind you, and you stepped right into him. His hands protectively fell on the small of your back, and when you looked up you found with his gentle blue eyes. They were so expressive. There was confusion in them, but also alarm and concern and fear all at once.

“Get her” Lazard said, and just then two soldiers appeared from behind him.

“No!” You screamed as they approached you. “Please!”

In your panic, you retreated more into Cloud and pressed yourself against his chest. You felt his fingers hold on to the fabric of your shirt.

“No, don’t touch him!” Zack insisted, helplessly watching as the soldiers reached you. “You’re making a mistake!”

You exclaimed as the soldiers reached you and took ahold of you. Cloud didn’t hesitate to hold on to you, tightly grabbing you by the arms.  The four of you struggled, but the soldiers were stronger.

“Stop that!” Zack begged them still, wincing at the sight of you.

Tears streamed down your face, knowing what awaited you if they took you. Now screaming, you were calling anyone for help. Cloud was your last hope as you tightly clung on to him, but they separated you from him.

“No!” He joined Zack in his attempts. “Stop it!”

“Lazard, please! I’m sure B/N isn’t-“ The brunette’s words were suddenly interrupted.

“Then what’s this?” Hojo showed them a picture, and everyone grew silent.

It was you in the photo, without a doubt. Before you cut your hair, before you hid your breasts and took all necessary precautions to pass as a boy. 

The chaos that had erupted in the room suddenly came to a halt, replaced by a heavy awed atmosphere to replace the previously frantic one.

“What…?” Cloud uttered, watching you in astonishment.

“You’re a girl…” Zack said as well, even though is voice was a mixture of sadness and understanding. 

“Don’t just stand there!” Hojo urged the soldiers, who came back to their senses.

“Take her” Lazard insisted when his subordinates turned to him for confirmation.

Shaking from head to toe, you let yourself be grabbed by them. Your mind was racing, frozen with the reminder of your friends faces. They weren’t angry, they didn’t feel betrayed. They were only surprised. You had been too scared to tell them, but now you realized you could have. How could you have doubted them?

“Wait…” Cloud stuttered as tears reached his eyes. “Wait, don’t… don’t hurt her!”

“Sephiroth…” Zack desperately called. “Sephiroth, do something! Don’t let them take her!”

The 1st Class Soldier didn’t say anything. He only turned around as you were dragged away from your friends. Sephiroth glanced down and faced his back to them.

You tensed up when you heard a cry full of rage, followed by Zack throwing himself to them. Cloud made to move, wanting to support his friend, but he was still too taken aback by the situation to act.

Obeying a gesture from Lazard, two more soldiers entered the room and intercepted Zack. He struggled against them, fighting to return by your side and save you.

“Don’t!” You pleaded, letting yourself use your natural voice for the first time in months. “Don’t do this, Zack”

“I don’t care if you’re a boy or a girl, I won’t let them-”

“Let me go” You shook your head, trying to put an end to his endeavor. “Don’t get hurt because of me”

You quickly glanced at Cloud behind him, noticing how his eyes were drowned in tears. He was still frozen in place, prey of an overwhelming shock and uncertainty. The sight made your own tears overflow, staining the track that the old ones left again.

“Take care…” You whispered to him, trying to memorize his face. A last comfort before you met your end.

Cloud parted his lips, but they only shook as no words left them. A tear rolled down his cheek, and it was too painful to keep looking at him. Glancing at Zack, you realized he was now just as heartbroken. He had given up, understood that it was impossible to fight for you.

Accepting your fate, you began moving. You exited the room and heard the door loudly closing behind you. A ruckus broke out inside it as Zack still fought against them. A second person had joined him in his outrage, and you sobbed knowing it was Cloud.

You walked directly behind Sephiroth, who walked beside Hojo and Lazard. As you were taken with them, Sephiroth’s long silver hair and his broad back was etched in your memory. It would be one of the last things you’d see. Just like the voices of your dear friends would be one of the last things you’d hear as they called out for you, by the fake name they knew you by but still begging for your life.

Even if you trusted them, you had been too afraid to completely expose yourself to them. What would have happened if you did? What would have happened if you told them you were a girl? A part of you had always known the answer: they would have protected you. Zack and Cloud cared about you, not because you were a boy or a girl or anything else… they cared about you because they were your friends... because you were their friend.

You hadn’t trusted them with your secret. You had been too afraid to tell them. And know they would have to live with your death.

-

Everything seemed oddly silent, as if the usual sounds had dimmed slightly. There was the murmur of voices inside the bar, but no loudness. Cloud’s boots seemed to echo as his feet moved over the wooden steps that led to the entrance. Even Tifa, who seemed so talkative, had grown quiet. Cloud brushed that feeling off, assuming it had more to do with his thoughtful mood. Everything was normal.

When he came in, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Barret played with Marlene, Biggs and Wedge talked and laughed, and Jessie was high-fiving someone she was talking to.

“Hello!” Tifa cheerfully greeted everyone, gathering their attention.

You looked up to find out who that mysterious merc was. The sun behind him shadowed his slim figure as well as the curvier one that accompanied him. Mildly curious, you kept your gaze glued to them as they walked in. Once the door closed behind them, your eyes grew used to the light and you could see them properly.

The woman was slightly familiar, but you didn’t pay mind to her as she walked behind the bar. It was the man who you were more interested in. When you took a good look at him, your heart skipped a beat.

That merc, that man allegedly called Cloud, walked in without noticing you. His eyes had fallen on you, but there was no recognition in them. Barret was telling the newcomer something, but you didn’t hear.

Surely, your mind was playing tricks on you, and that man looked more like Cloud to you than he actually did. Of course, it wasn’t him. It was an amazing coincidence that on top of the name he also had spiky blond hair, but that was the only similitude with your memory of Cloud. This man before you was cold and rough, nothing like the sweet, meek and shy boy you knew. His eyes were also greener than you remembered. Still, the more you stared at him, the more you realized… it was Cloud. Despite the change in his demeanor, in his eyes, in the way he carried himself, in his entire persona... it was Cloud, the one you knew years ago. The one whose face you had tried to memorize as you resigned yourself to your death.

Destiny was capricious. You had survived and you had escaped. He had too. And now you were together again. You both had followed similar paths.

“Y/N?” Biggs called you, gently shaking your shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah, you just got very pale” Wedge’s words seemed to alarm the rest as well.

Everyone turned to you, but you only had eyes for one of them. Your feet moved on their own as you approached Cloud with determination.

“What the hell?” He whispered, frowning as you directly went over to him.

“Cloud” You threw your arms around his neck, feeling too happy and relieved to see him to realize his reaction. “It’s so good to see you!”

“What’s going on?” He spoke up, his voice sounded annoyed as his arms lifted a little trying to avoid touching you. “Do I know you?”

“You…” Slowly pulling away, you stared into his eyes. “You don’t recognize me?”

Cloud hesitated, and so did you. His voice was so… deep, so irritated and so harsh. He really felt nothing like the boy you had known. What had happened? He changed so much…

Your vulnerable expression seemed to snap something in him, because his eyes suddenly grew wide. His mouth fell agape, staring at you as though you were a ghost.

“B/N?” He uttered, recognizing your features despite never having seen you as a girl. Except that one time in that picture, when he thought it would be the last. “You’re alive?”

“B/N, is that really you?” The woman who had walked in with him uttered from behind the bar. It finally clicked why she was so familiar. If that was indeed Cloud, that had to be…

“Tifa!” You ran to each other, colliding in a warm hug accompanied by breathless tearful chuckles.

Despite not being close, you had known Tifa through Cloud and Zack. She had always been kind and friendly and you were so glad to see her, comforted by her familiar face and warm demeanor.

“You look good as a girl” She joked, breaking away to take a good look at you.

“Thanks, I-“ You began to say, but were interrupted by a deep voice.

“B/N” Cloud said, staring at you as though you were the only person in the room. Despite the emotion in his eyes, his expression remained neutral. “That’s not your real name, is it?”

“No…” You whispered, suddenly feeling a lump in your throat. “It’s Y/N”

“Y/N…” He repeated, nodding his head in deep thought.

The temperature of the room seemed to fall drastically. Something in his tone was ice cold. The silence was absolute, only interrupted by the noise coming from the windows, a reminder that life went on outside of the bar.

“Um… you’ll explain everything later” Biggs muttered, standing next to the pinball machine. “Seems like you need a moment alone”

“Yup, leave you guys to it!” Jessie awkwardly said, sinking into the secret room. One by one, all of her friends followed until you were alone with Tifa and Cloud.

“We have a lot of catching up to do” Tifa sweetly smiled, returning behind the bar. “I’ll prepare some drinks”

You and Cloud stood before one another. His eyes never once left you, looking you up and down as though trying to make sure that you were actually there, that you were real and not one of his many dreams.

“Well…” You awkwardly said, needing to break that suffocating silence. “Where’s Zack?”

Cloud suddenly grimaced, groaning and clutching his head. Concerned, you were about to lean in and put a hand on his arm, but ultimately decided not to do it. You still weren’t sure he wasn’t mad at you. After all, you kept an important secret from him. You lied to him and pretended to be someone you were not. All of this was something you didn’t know he could forgive and you were too scared that he would push you away.

“B/N… I mean, Y/N?” Tifa called, and so you glanced at her. She only shook her head.

The air suddenly left your lungs as you understood what that somber gesture meant. A sob got caught in your throat at the realization. You had been lucky enough to reunite with Cloud, but you would never be able to see Zack again.

Turning back to the blond, you wondered the impact this had on him. After all, he and Zack had been very close and when you left, believing you were dead…

“Oh!” You gasped when a force suddenly made you stumble.

Confused, you paused to notice Cloud’s arms wrapped around you. They urgently pressed you against his chest. An invisible weight seemed to be lifted off your chest as you accepted and treasured his embrace with a sigh of relief.

“I’m glad you’re okay…” He whispered, and in his voice you recognized that softer tone you had been used to. The old Cloud seemed to be shining through the cracks as the new fake Cloud fell apart.

He was breathing heavily, squeezing you against him so tightly that he was hurting you. In spite of it all, you didn’t have the heart to complain. You almost couldn’t breathe, but it could have been because you were starting to sob.

“You too” You cried against his shoulder, now bawling your eyes out as you clung on to his shirt and he held you still.

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[rune-writes]

To Act the Hero

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Word Count: 1199

Rating: G

Summary: After two years, Cloud is finally back in Nibelheim, but failing the SOLDIER exam has him hide his identity from the townspeople. As he leaves his mother's home, the water tower stands imposing in front of him, reminding him or a promise he once made—a promise he now wonders how he could keep.

Note: A piece I wrote for @theclotizine! I also wrote a prequel of sort for this fic titled As Long As You're Safe that explores how Zack accompanies Cloud to visit his mother. You can find it here.

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

The stars hung low that night, a myriad of white spreading as far as the eye could see, blinking against the blue-black vastness. Cloud stepped out of his house and drew a lungful of the cool evening air: pine, mixed with a distant hint of rain, rolled down the mountain. He was home.

“Thanks for having me, Mrs. Strife.”

Zack’s voice drifted out from inside. Cloud had invited his friend over to try his mother’s cooking. It was an excuse; Zack probably knew. His mother had sent him off with such zeal that when Cloud failed his SOLDIER exam, he hadn’t had the courage to put pen on paper and inform his mother of the results. Letting her think he’d made it big in Midgar had sounded like the better option. A misconception on his part—one he’d realized after seeing the panic in his mother’s sky-blue eyes when Zack knocked on her door and mentioned Cloud’s name.

Their voices grew louder as Zack stepped over the threshold and joined his side. Cloud’s mother followed closely behind, chuckling and asking Zack to come visit again. Zack promised that he would. He gave her a quick bow, then nudged Cloud on his shoulder. Take your time, his eyes seemed to speak. Cloud didn’t get the chance to respond before his friend crossed the village toward the inn.

“Great friend you found there,” his mother commented once Zack was out of earshot.

Cloud fastened his helmet over his head and turned around to face her. Claudia Strife had been all smiles and laughter throughout dinner, talking about everything and anything with an overabundance of joy that had felt almost palpable. Even Zack had been swept up in her enthusiasm. Yet now, a quiet melancholy overshadowed that elation, reminding Cloud of how she’d embraced him tight and whispered, it’s been two years.

“Have you met everyone else?” she asked. “What about Tifa? I think she was asking about you.”

His fingers twitched at the question. No one would want to see him—a nobody kid like him with no friends. Just one of the boys who’d gone looking for a job and never came back. Not like Tifa. Everyone adored Tifa. While he was floundering in Midgar, she'd learned martial arts and become the village’s best guide. Lovely, friendly, hardworking—even his company had appreciated her efforts for keeping them safe throughout their journey to the reactor. Tifa wouldn’t want to see him.

A gentle squeeze to his shoulder brought his eyes to his mother. His heart clenched at her tender smile. She’ll understand, she seemed to say. A lump formed at the back of Cloud’s throat.

He waved goodbye and headed back to the inn. But when the door clicked shut and with his mother out of sight, his purposeful stride gradually ground to a halt. The water tower stood imposing in front of him, with its proud wooden beams and the ladder leading to the top. He’d sat there before on a cool night like tonight, legs swinging down from the ledge, as he’d waited for the girl with ebony hair and ruby eyes to appear.

When we’re older, and you’re a famous SOLDIER… if I’m ever trapped or in trouble… promise you’ll come and save me.

Back when the dream of becoming a SOLDIER was still within reach. Back when he had easily agreed to a lofty promise he now wondered how he could keep.

Cloud pursed his lips to a thin line. He dropped his gaze, then made to move, but as he did, a shuffling of feet drew his attention to the other side of the water tower. Cloud spotted a shadow leaning against the beams—a shadow he recognized so well. Tifa stood with her back to him, her round-brimmed hat hung from her neck down her back, kicking her boot against the dirt as she gazed at the star-strewn sky.

Cloud froze. The last time he saw her had been at the reactor, barring her way as she’d tried to enter. She’d huffed and pouted with hands on her hips, and Cloud had wanted to laugh at the familiar sight. But he’d stood his ground, then stood in front of her as hordes of monsters came their way. He’d meant to protect her, to act the hero, but in a twist that had only deepened his sense of failure, she had ended up protecting him.

Tifa pushed herself off the beams, jerking Cloud to attention. He should have moved—looked away before Tifa noticed him—but just as she rounded the tower and stepped out of its shadow, her eyes found his. Time slowed to a passing crawl. One moment, two… Under the moonlight, her ruby eyes widened, a small, relieved smile blossoming on her face.

“Figured it was you.” Tifa was suddenly in front of him.

Cloud blinked, startled. He took an involuntary step back.

“I was coming back from the inn and you weren’t there. Have you rested? Are you well now?”

Cloud should say something, anything, but if he spoke—

“Thanks.” Her smile grew, concern mingling with gratitude and a hint of shyness. “For protecting me.”

I’m sensing some issues here. Zack had told him that morning, after Cloud had woken up from his rest and his friend had asked about Tifa. Shouldn’t you do something?

He should, but what could he do? Cloud wasn’t the hero he had promised her he would be.

Tifa fidgeted on her feet, hands behind her back. A question seemed to brim behind her lips as she lifted a half-expectant gaze at Cloud. But when she opened her mouth, no voice came out.

“Nothing,” she said after a while, her lips parting into a weak crooked smile. She gave a little shake of her head, biting her lower lip as she cast her eyes down. Her shoulders shuddered under a faint scoff. “Zack doesn’t know him,” she added, her voice barely above a whisper. “You probably don’t either.”

Cloud drew his brows in confusion, but before he could ask what she meant, a door opened behind them. The unmistakable voice of Brian Lockhart rang out, calling for Tifa. She had to go.

“Well, glad to know you’re alright.” She turned to leave.

Wait—

“Nice talking with you.” Even though she was the one who had done all the talking.

Stop!

Her hat swayed like a pendulum behind her back. Farther and farther away she moved, his chance slipping out of his grasp. But before she disappeared—

“Hey!” He hoped his helmet masked his voice. Tifa looked back. Cloud gulped past the growing lump in his throat. “Thanks for helping me get down the mountain.”

The silence stretched for one second longer, then there it was—the smile that always made his heart skip a beat. Bright and warm, like the ones he would see when they were kids and their eyes made contact. Tifa gave a quick wave, then disappeared behind her door.

Cloud stood there, staring at the two-story building beside his house. It looked as enormous as he remembered it.

Shouldn’t you do something?

Cloud blinked back at the stars, exhaling a quiet sigh into the night. Easier said than done.

~ END ~

[multi-fandom-imagine]

A/n: Give me that good Cloud shit. Also ,Zack speaking to cloud will be in Italicized 

Cloud Strife never asked to be a father, for starters he didn’t think he could even have one, nor did he think that he would even be a good dad. Not with all the crap he went through. So when you first told him that you were pregnant, with that pretty little smile on your face he did the first thing in his head that he thought was rational...walk out.

He knew it was wrong but he needed time to think, how could he be a dad? He wasn’t dad material, he was a solider. He should have been smarter about this, been more careful when it came to sleeping with you.Cloud loved you, it was easy being around you.

Gripping his hair tightly he mentally cursed as he paced around, he knew he shouldn’t have left you but he was scared. Though hearing his name screeched out he knew he was in trouble.

“CLOUD STRIFE! YOU ASSHOLE!” Flinching, from the sound of it you must have told Tifa and soon the very woman was standing in front of him giving his chest a hard enough shove for him to stumble back.

“What the hell.”

“You don’t get to say that Cloud! you’re such a dick! how could you just leave Y/n....she’s pregnant!.”

Cloud scoffed, like she had to point that out, he already felt like shit for leaving you alone. “ I know...”

“You know! Is that all you have to say....ohh you...you’re infuriating!” Clutching her hands into a fist Tifa stormed off, likely to go and comfort you. Stepping forward he then sighed then ran his fingers down his face. He would have to deal with that later, right now he had to clear his mind.

It was late into the night when he returned home, he ignored the look that Tifa gave him. She mouthed something to him before she left though he was more concerned with you. By the time he finally made it to the room you were already sleeping. Frowning he sat on the edge of the bed, hand hovering over you he quickly pulled back then laid down next to you. He’ll have to figure out how to make it up to you in the morning.

By your third trimester of your pregnancy it seemed that the only thing you and Cloud did was fight. Nothing was ever right, you were tried, swore and you didn’t even feel beautiful. It didn’t help that the man was spending more time at Tifa’s bar rather than being with you and for the brief moments he was with you it would spark an argument which caused him to go off for some job, you were starting to question why he was even with you.

“Oh leaving again! I get that you don’t want to look at me Cloud but you could at least get started on the nursery!” You shouted at the man, not caring who heard you. 

“Right! because that’s why I married you y/n! I said I have a job I need to take care of.” He spat back as he walked over to the door, his hand reaching for his Buster Sword.

“That’s all you’re fucking good for! bringing in good damn money. Not like you’ll be an actual father to this child!” You tried not to cry but you were sick of fighting, tired of this, did he even love you anymore?

“Someone has to work! “ Clutching the door knob in his hand tightly, Cloud didn’t want to do this anymore. He hated fighting with you, he hated seeing you cry and he knew this fighting was not good for the baby. “I’m going out...I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Stepping out, he knew he was a coward. He didn’t deserve you and he was positive that you’d be happier with Zack if he was still alive.Digging his nails into his palm he forced himself not to look back.

“Fine! Leave! But Don’t Bother Coming back!” You shouted, voice horse then with a slam of the door you nearly collapsed on the ground, your arms wrapping around your belly. “We don’t need him...we’ll be fine on our own.” you whispered.

Going to the spot he knew to well, Cloud stabbed his sword into the ground. Leaning against it the man ran his fingers through his hair and for a moment he could have sworn that Zack Fair was sitting by his side.

“You’re an idiot you know that.”

That hit to close to home, closing his eyes he dug his nails into his palm. “GO away.”

“Ahah is that how you treat your best friend, what are you so afraid of....huh that she’ll leave you?”

“No...no I’m not worried that she’ll leave me”

“Then what....that she’ll get killed....it wasn’t your fault Cloud...what happened to me...Aerith.....your mother...you need to stop blaming yourself.”

He didn’t come here for this, for his own thoughts to betray him. “I’m scared.”

“Y/n is a strong woman, she can handle herself...beside’s I doubt all your friends would let anything happen to her...you should be with her right now. Happy that you’re going to be a dad, do let these stupid thoughts muddy up your thoughts Cloud....because you’re not gonna lose her to some enemy but by some shitty actions that you’re making right now.”

Sitting up the mans eyes went wide, would you really leave him? Panicking the man stood up then snatched his sword from the ground. 

“You better name this kid after me Cloud! haha I just saved your marriage!.”

Chuckling under his breath he then shook his head pushing himself to run faster. “I will...I promise.”

Getting back to the house was easy enough though it didn’t stop him from being out of breath. Dropping his sword to the ground he quickly rushed to the room to find out packing your clothing.

“Y/n...wait.”

“I thought I told you to not come home.” You weren’t looking at him, so you were still mad about the fight though he couldn’t blame you. He was a shitty husband and even worse father and his child wasn’t even born yet.

“I’m sorry y/n...please.” Closing his eyes for a moment Cloud made his way over to you then wrapped his arms around you. “I’m sorry for the fights, for not being their for you.....for our child...I....I’m just scared. I don’t want to lose you. I already lost so many people.”

Feeling his tears against your neck, you then let out a sigh then turned to face him. Wrapping your arms around his waist hiding your face into his neck. “I’m sorry too Cloud.” 

Shaking his head he ran his finger across your cheek gently. “ You have nothing to apologize for...I love you Y/n...and...I’ll love our little one too.” his hand moved to your belly giving it a small rub. “I promise.”

[kornaxon]

Yazoo x Cloud 16 and 33 🤣🤣

By reblogging that post i only wanted to inspire fanfic authors, and was really surprised i got some ask! ^\\\\^

Thank you! Here's the first little story, custom-made for you, Enide's Dear!

Prison

(Yazoo x Cloud)

If he’d wanted to be completely honest, Yazoo wasn’t too surprised to wake in a prison again. He just had no memories whatsoever about how he ended up there.

Not that he was fit enough to care. At that very moment he wasn’t able to decide whether he was having a hangover or was still drunk. Probably both.

It was the foul stench that woke him up. Holy Mother, something smelled so bad, made him sick. Actually, someone must have had vomitted here nearby. Maybe it was him.

Pitch dark, cold and stink. Feeling dizzy he forced himself up onto his legs to check his whirling environment. Dragging his palms on the wall he stumbled around, until he touched the bars. That’s how he figured out he was in a cell. And not alone, he had to realize, when he fell through a massive body also lying on the floor. The growling sounded a bit familiar, but he was too intoxicated to wonder, and anyway, he fell on his side and it hurt. Not bothering anymore to get up he kicked back, and ignored the cursing that came in response. He continued his journey climbing on the filthy floor: after the bars again the cold, sticky walls; he did a full circle.

And there he remained, sinking back into some troubled, drunken sleep, that didn’t grant him much rest. The creek of the bars found its way into his fuzzy dream, and made him realize that the other prisoner was taken away. His limbs felt too heavy though and his mind too astray to move his body and break out. The opportunity came and passed.

So what. Why bother at all. Either Cloud will come for him, like last time, or Kadaj. Planning and executing a bold rescue mission will be great fun for that adorable mini-terror, so he was actually doing a grand favor by being drunk, staying here, doing nothing, trying to zzz. But most likely it will be ’Big Brother’ who finds him first.

Finally the thought of his boyfriend stirred some memories. Cloud was supposed to return tonight and they agreed on meeting in the Seventh Heaven. Yazoo arrived too early and felt bored, therefore he looked around for someone to tease. Of course he knew the target’s real name, but calling the rugged man Captain Lowwind and play harp on his nerves promised more wicked fun. Each time he mispronounced the name it sounded closer and closer to Captain Blowvin, until the laughing around them made the pilot snap. Tifa’s warning to kick them out in case of a fight made them settle their brabble by a drinking contest.

But what happened later on, he still had no idea. His blurry thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of being pissed upon.

F*cking jailors! One of them was urinating over him through the bars. Yazoo twitched and growled in annoyance, loud and threatening. He couldn’t see a thing in the darkness but heard voices again and the shower just stopped. F*ck! By Mother’s tits, what kind of filthy prison is that?! He will shoot them all. Shoot them all! Shoot them… but a bit later. First he needs to snooze a bit.

Next time he woke up he felt terribly thirsty. Yet, neither the thirst woke him up, or the dim light that he sensed through his eyelids. But the familiar steps. He didn’t need to look up to know who is standing on the other side of the bars looking down at him disapprovingly. Recognizing the annoyed, displeased sight was easy – he heard it enough before.

„You’re late!” His reproach sounded too slurred to be taken seriously, and they both knew it was just a bluff to prevent the scolding that was already being cooked for him behind those cold blue eyes.

„Guess you paid the bail…?” His voice was lacking its usual smoothness, sounded harsh and hoarse. Still squeezing his eyes he blindly grabbed the iron to help himself up. It was still slippery of the urine that didn’t dry enough in the cold. „Hnnh.”

He needed a few seconds to gather his strength, so gritting his teeth he muttered a few musing words.

„What were you told, how i ended up in prison.”

„Well deserved.” Finally, Cloud cared to speak. Only half-way and slowly, Yazoo opened his eyes. There they were, a pair of dusty boots, right in front of his nose, and the black bars between them, swirling in a sickening way. Getting up was difficult. Damn, just like beating Cid in the drinking contest. He wasn’t sure he had succeeded at all.

„Are you staying long?” One of the dusty boots moved, toes turning away from him.

Yazoo highly disliked the mocking tone. He decided to punish his lover for it later on, after he shoots the guards and drinks a few gallons of water. And takes a shower, has a proper rest, some nice food… oh Mother, so much work to do!

„Open the bloody bars at last!”

Those well-known boots were already taking his boyfriend away. Cloud threw a few parting words back at him above his shoulder.

„At least Cid figured out he wasn’t locked up. You are in the old dumpster’s enclosure behind the Seventh Heaven, dumbass. Where Tifa dropped both of you when she had enough.”

The sound of slow steps had already faded away when Yazoo lifted his gaze. His gloved fingers were still clutching at the rusty iron fence. Somewhere in the near the Fenrir’s engine started to hum, waiting for him.

[holdin-out-for-a-hero]

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.

————————

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.

————————

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.

[silver-wield]

FF7R: Fluff & Angst

Being that dork again, this time with some Cosmo Canyon Cloti goodness.

Cloud sighed and adjusted his sword. Exhaustion caught his heels as he descended the last set of steps, making him trip. He sent a sharp look around Cosmo Canyon's plateau, but couldn't spot any of his friends nearby. He shut his eyes with relief and breathed deeply. Turning towards the inn, he hesitated as he caught sight of a familiar figure on the far side of the central camp fire. Tifa? Without deciding to move, he headed over. “You okay?”

Ruby eyes reflecting the dancing flames, it seemed she didn't hear him at first.

Cloud put his hand on her shoulder. “Tifa?”

Blinking with surprise, Tifa tilted her head back and smiled, though it couldn't distract from the lingering tension in her straightening spine. “Cloud? Is something wrong?”

He shook his head. “Not with me,” he said, taking a seat beside her. Resting his weight on one hand he leant closer, excusing the move in his head as not wanting them to be overheard. “How about you?”

“Don't think so,” she replied, a faint smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. “Sure about that?”

The facade dropped and Tifa sighed. “Just thinking about family,” she said, looking downcast. “Today, with Red—Nanaki—it reminded me of things.”

He couldn't find the words to reply. He understood; felt it, too, but something stopped him from relating out loud. Going through the Gi cave, he'd focused on keeping them, Red and the weird Bugenhagen alive while fighting off ghosts. He didn't like ghosts. “Yeah,” he said, sighing again as a bone deep weariness lodged in his chest. “It was a shit show of a day.” Tifa's soft chuckle put a smile on his face, even as he shut his eyes and dropped his head to one side. His forehead hit something and he heard a gasp of surprise. Shit. He wasn't supposed to let her see him weak.

“Cloud?” Tifa's whisper sounded beside his ear. “Are you okay?”

What the hell. Just go with it. “Mmm.” He felt Tifa shifting beside him and he tried to muster the urge to move, but then she settled and he found his position more solid than before. Thanks. He didn't think he could cope with keeping the proper distance between them right now. He'd apologise for invading her personal space later. Even take a beating if that's what she wanted.

“Today was tough,” she said in a low and sympathetic voice. “Made me wonder if people really do return to the planet after they die or if there's more ghosts out there wandering.” If possible, her tone sounded more worried when she added, “Do you think my dad—”

“He was a good person,” Cloud replied without pause. “Did everything to keep you safe—ah!” A sharp pain shot through his skull.

“If you can't look after her then you should keep your distance!”

Cloud bolted upright. Keep my distance? A scowl creased his brow. I'm a SOLDIER now. I can take care of her.

“Cloud?” Tifa tilted her head as she placed her hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”

He huffed a laugh. “You're always asking about everyone else,” he said, dismissing the pain. “What's that lesson you taught me?”

Tifa looked surprised for a moment, then ducked her head and laughed. “I never was very good at following that one.”

“No shit,” he said, with the ghost of a teasing smile.

Tifa laughed, the worry and tension melting from her face. “If I didn't worry you'd get in trouble, I just know it.”

Cloud snorted. “You're not my mother. I can take care of myself.”

Tifa's gaze turned challenging. “Oh yeah?” she questioned, leaning closer. “You done playing the hero?”

Cloud could barely breathe. She was so close. Her eyes so bright and captivating. His fingers twitched and brushed against hers. If he leaned forward he could kiss her. Not if it gets me this close to you. “Maybe,” he replied, forcing the words past unwilling lips.

The effect was immediate. Tifa's playful smile fell away and she leaned back. “Oh.”

Oh? Oh, what? Shit. Panic made his eyes flit about as he tried to figure out where he'd gone wrong.

“It's getting late,” she said, standing. “We should hit the sack.”

No, wait. “Tifa.” Cloud reached for her hand and missed as she turned away. Screw that. He stood and tried again. “We're not kids anymore,” he said, repeating her words from way back in Midgar. Before the date they didn't get. Was it a date or her playing tour guide? He hadn't dared hope at the time. Either way, he didn't get it to enjoy it thanks to Don Corneo.

“I know,” she replied in a regretful voice. “I guess I just miss it.”

If possible, things sounded worse than before. Goddamnit. “No.” He moved around to face her. “What I meant is—” he swallowed, words stuck in his throat. It was like part of him wanted to speak and another didn't. “We're not kids anymore,” he repeated in a helpless voice, hoping she understood his meaning. “I'm not playing hero.” He wanted to be her hero for real. Like he promised.

Tifa stared at him in silence.

Cloud held her gaze until his whole world became the ruby depths of her eyes. He barely noticed the blush staining her cheeks, but cleared his throat when she ducked her head and looked away.

“It's late,” she repeated, “and we've got an early start in the morning.”

“Right,” he agreed, hearing her voice return to familiarity. Whatever he'd said, he'd gotten them back to the place he'd been before he sat down beside her, but he wasn’t a victory. This is what her dad meant. You're no good to her, in any situation.

Trailing her towards the inn, Cloud almost followed her into her room until she turned and he bumped into her. “Sorry.”

“Cloud...”

He couldn't look at her. Then he did. Because she took his hand. “Huh?”

“Sleep tight.”

Was it his imagination that she entwined her fingers with his? That they lingered before sliding free? His lips twitched into a smile and he nodded. “Goodnight, Tifa.”

[iaintyourbro]

We know that the lifestream and highwind scene are the most important part of the game for Cloti. Just wanted to ask, what are your expectations? Like, do you think they’re gonna change it or add something new (if you think so, what are those things)? Those parts are highly anticipated, especially the lifestream scene (i think that’s like every fan’s favorite, well except for those antis haha) ☺️

OKAY! This is the type of question I like! Hello there, anon!

Let’s start with the Lifestream

So, this is probably one of the most popular - if not the most popular - scenes in the game. It is the major twist on the main character, and I don’t think anybody thought it was going to be what it ended up being. 

The devs have also said that it is their favorite part of the game. It’s a powerful scene. My favorite part honestly is when the Shinra grunt stabs Sephiroth.. and then Tifa comes to this realization that Cloud WAS there, and he takes his helmet off and the main theme plays. I still get chills after seeing it 50 times, I’m getting chills typing this up - it’s a VERY powerful scene. 

Then we get the next scene where Cloud moves Tifa to safety, Sephiroth comes out all pissy because he got stabbed by a kid, and Cloud gets a little brave (with some encouragement from Zack) and goes after him. He’s stabbed. Through sheer rage and will power, he overtakes Sephiroth and kills him. 

So what do I think they’re gonna do here... This is my headcanon and my opinion. Maybe in 15 years when this finally comes out I’ll come back and check off where I was right and where I was wrong. All in good fun.

Prior to the whole earthquake, I think the part where they find Cloud and Tifa says she’s going to stay with him will be even more emotional. I think they’re going to build on this scene a bit and I think you’re going to see more cuts to what’s happening in Mideel while the rest of your party is out and about collecting Huge Materia (if they do that, but that’s another post). 

I think finding Cloud may be a bit more difficult. 

I kinda hope they keep the really goofy doctor for the humor add - it’ll probably be needed for this scene. He’s like Doc Odine from FF8. Extremely quirky. The nurse will have more moments, I think. She had some good lines in the OG.

Okay, so during the earthquake, I think you’ll see something similar, but they’ll almost make it out. You’re going to think they aren’t going to fall in, but they do anyway. 

I’m not sure if they’ll do a wheelchair this time - he’ll probably be in a bed, making the escape even more stressful since she’ll need to get him moved to a wheelchair or something. 

When they fall in, she’s going to hold on to him for dear life in the physical plane, and you’ll her slowly move on to the mental/spiritual plane. 

You’ll hear whatever she was hearing in OG. Since there’s voice acting now, you’ll probably be able to make out some of the voices. You may hear Jessie and Wedge, Tifa’s father, random people she knows. You’ll hear voices telling her bad things and scaring her.

Then, it’ll stop, and I think she’s going to see/feel/hear Aerith here. They’re building the friendship up. I’m thinking that Aerith’s death is going to impact Tifa much worse than any other character in Remake. So this will be comforting for Tifa to see/feel/hear Aerith. They’ll have a moment. 

Then they’re going to go to Cloud’s subconscious. This will be very Kingdom Heart-esq because Nomura. This is his time to shine. It was very whimsical in OG, imagine how cool it’ll look in Remake.

I think each “area” will be expanded on. You’ll still have the same main point expanded on.

The Promise scene will have more dialogue and clarification. Tifa will still call Cloud cute, you may see where Cloud may haven’t remembered everything exactly. Some folks think this is where the shooting star will be reintroduced.

Tifa’s house: I think they’ll do the most with this. The English version was so badly translated that it made Tifa look like a jerk to some people and they won’t let it go. They’ll make sure it’s clear here that she didn’t bully Cloud. They’ll probably talk about Tifa’s friends a bit more since you’ll see and hear them. You may see some flashbacks of Cloud getting in to fights with the kids, getting in trouble by other village adults, etc.You may see other moments of their childhood peppered in.

I think they will have his mom pop in at some points as flashes. It seems based on a previous post and discussion, Cloud may remember his father, so we may get to see Papa Strife. 

I think you’ll be able to explore Nibelheim during this. It’ll be “dream” Nibelheim, based on Cloud’s subconscious. It’ll change as Cloud regains more of his memories and become more accurate.

I think you’ll have fights during this - some kind of shadows. For all I know, they’ll pull a Legend of Zelda and have you fight “Dark Cloud” at some point before merging. 

The second timeline with Zack surviving the Last Stand will probably impact this. If they don’t merge the timelines at this point, then I think that will have some sort of play in this - either the timelines will need to merge, and Cloud will have to “become one” or the “fix” will be reversed prior to Aerith’s death and the timelines will realign naturally. 

The Nibelheim reactor scene will follow closer to what happened in Crisis Core, but keep the “Mom... Tifa.... my home....” line from OG. I think they may build on this and make it more emotional. 

AFTER Cloud remembers Zack and after he’s “whole” again, Zack will probably pop in too, and so will Aerith. I think if they’re going to change anything and create an “alternate ending” it would be what happened in AC. So, here’s where Zack and Aerith will give him a bit of a pep-talk. 

The reunion with Cloud and Tifa will be more emotional and definitely awkward on Cloud’s end. Anybody who was hanging around at this point will disappear. Most likely you’ll get a hug from Tifa. I’m not sure if she’ll call him a “stupid jerk” since it wouldn’t fit her Remake character very well.

They’ll hold hands going back up. They’ll wash up on shore. Now, here’s where I don’t know what way they’ll go. There was apparently supposed to be a scene where Tifa had to give Cloud CPR (think Junon) because he’s not breathing when they come back up. This would definitely add drama...

I think they’ll wash up and wake up before the rest of the party finds them. Then they’ll have the rest of the party show up. 

The scene where he talks to everybody will be expanded on. I don’t think Tifa is going to say “You sure are messed up Cloud.” I think it’ll be a more caring line to fit better with how they’ve characterized Tifa in the Remake so far.

Overall, I think the party will be more supportive and you’ll have more dialogue here. Shit, you may even get a Barret hug. 

I think Barret will be very flighty like he was in OG, but have more faith in Cloud during the whole thing. 

Cid will still be a dick. 

Time for the Highwind Scene

Well, due to the nature of this scene, I think that’s why it’s so anticipated. However, this is a T rated game... (unfortunately)... so expectations will probably be on FFX Lake Macalania level. This is really going to be dependent on how extreme or not extreme the ratings board in Japan and the US are at the time. I don’t think, unlike in the past, they cut chunks of game out if one doesn’t approve it. They probably consult with the major countries where they expect a large amount of sales. It was easier to change dialogue and character reactions back in the day. Not so much anymore.

So let’s get to it...

Cloud’s speech telling the party they should go tie up any lose ends will be expanded on. I’m going to be honest, I think anytime you solely had Aerith mentioned at this point in the game, you’ll also have Zack mentioned... I think Zack will have a much bigger part in Remake than he did in OG, and Cloud and crew will see him and Aerith as a team at this point. I could be totally off on this, but I would like to see more Zack and show that both Aerith and Zack were important to Cloud in a big way. I say this because she’s mentioned here in an odd way (”To release her memory”, which I believe the Japanese text is different... as always with OG). I do not think this diminishes Aerith’s importance at all. I think it shows that she DOES have support within the Lifestream, and they’re just touching on that.

The crew will file out and say bye. You’ll be left with Cloud and Tifa... I think you’re going to have more while in the Highwind. They’ll build it up and make the tension unbearable between the two. Remember, at this point, Tifa has already found out all that’s in Cloud’s subconscious... so... they’re going to be awkward up to this point anyway... 

Then they’ll go outside. The conversation will have more to it, but will still follow a similar flow. You’ll still have Tifa’s line.

There won’t be a high and low affection scene. You’re going to get one scene here, and it’s whatever the devs feel is the correct scene. My guess is the high affection (like 99% sure here), since it’s the one that’s referenced the most and makes the most sense after The Lifestream. People will also riot if we don’t get “Words aren’t the only way to tell someone how you’re feeling...”

So it’s not gonna fade to black after that. I think part of the goal of Remake is to make things crystal clear with parts of the story that were being heavily argued about... this being one of them.

Cloud is going to bravely approach her - him closing the distance like she did in Part 1. 

You’ll get some cuteness. You’ll get a song. You’ll most likely get a kiss. Then it’s going to pan up, fade to black, and may show quick scenes of the rest of the party seeing their loved ones...

I think they’ll hang out there for a while - seeing the stars and all. 

At this point, Barret, Cid, and Red come back... but Cloud and Tifa don’t know. I think they’ll see the kissing/cuddling action... and then they’re gonna see them head inside....

I’m not sure if they’ll show immediate reactions here - but they have to react at some point, it’s hilarious in the OG, and I think they can make it even more extreme after some of the lines that were used during Wall Market...

So here’s where I’m really unsure of how they’re going to go. I know some folks think they did and some folks think they didn’t. I don’t think it takes away from the scene either way - so this is one of the rare times I’ll say it’s up to player interpretation.. My opinion is... it might be the end of the world, so my guess is, they were gonna find away to get down. 

In the OG, it’s implied that something happened UNDER the Highwind. My favorite video about this is Maximillian Dood talking about getting bruises on the rocks. 

I don’t think they’re going to stay Under the Highwind. I think they’ll go inside. 

So the question is... will there be a Chocobo Stable scene, like what was proposed in the OG? Will there be cabins on the Highwind? I think when we get the Highwind, whether or not it has cabins will be a hint. 

I would find it really funny if they have them go ham in the Chocobo stables. If they do the Chocobo Stables, the Chocobo in the stables will always say “....” when you go in there with Cloud or Tifa.

I’m not sure if they’ll do that or something a bit more... romantic? If they do, you may get a bare shoulders under a sheet scene. THIS IS HEAVILY DEPENDENT on the ratings boards. They were able to do it in Xenogears in 1998, and some of the stuff they approve vs what they get their panties in a bunch over seems to change with the generations. 

Whether or not you see anything, they’re going to confirm it through jokes. Your party IS going to comment. They ARE going to know something happened, and each one will have a hilarious comment. Tifa is going to be really embarrassed... like in OG, but Cloud will actually try to comfort her this time.

Overall, this scene will be much harder to twist if you actually play it and listen to the dialogue... 

So those are my crazy thoughts. Maybe I should write a Fanfiction or two. 

[yamithediaperdork]

A pretty Price (final fantasy 7)

Tifa, second in command of avalanche, stared in disbelief at the man sitting around the table from her. His flashy clothes were well made and stuck out among the rabble in this sector, and the fact he had two bodyguards behind him marked him as someone important. though till he had opened his mouth, Tifa had had no clue who he was. 'Dear god..Don has a son..who..clearly got his looks from his mother.' she thought, admiring the well muscled mass of Vincent the man had said his name way, and the long blond locks. Add in the offer he'd just made and Tifa wasn't half wondering if she'd been hitting the whiskey a little too hard.

"Miss Lockheart? are you alright?" Vincent asked, looking worried. He'd just made his demand in return for information on his bastard of a father though truth be told he wasn't THAT much better himself. Tired of his dad wasting all the possibles for power they had to just run his sleazy little club and be a disgrace, Vincent had big plans for himself, for the gang and for the fund that they gang had, but his biggest problem would be taking out his father without it being clear HE was the one who took him out, least he lose the loyalty of his men. Of course if known rebels and trouble makers avalanche took out dear old daddy well.. Still he had to make the reason he was selling his father out look goodish lest the silly little rebels snuff him out too to prevent him from being like his father. "I just..Let me get this right. you're willing to betray your father, because you say what he does is wrong, and you wanna get out of crime..but you'll only do it if my boyfriend takes you on a date?" Tifa asked. "well, I'll be taking him on a date. while he's dolled up. I know, sooo gray area but nothing will happen between us unless I can wow the socks off of miss cloud. and you'll have the info you need before our date. " Vincent said and smiled. "Deal?" Tifa looked thoughtful for a second and then smirked. "Deal..buttt the date only happens if the info is good." "heh, of course."

It was only after Vincent left and Tifa was congratulating herself for her good deal, and thinking about how awesome it was gonna be to bring down the don one small detail popped into her brain. 'Uh..you know you never asked CLOUD how he feels about this right? and now you're gonna have to tell him you just rented him out as a sissy date.' the nagging little voice in her head said. '...Oh poop.' Tifa gulped and looked up. 'who knows, maybe Cloud will be a flaming sissy who's just looking for a chance to break out of the closet and he'll thank me!' 'Yeah, and then you'll go to naruina and slay the jabberwoky.' the nagging voice shot back. "if your not gonna help shut up!' Tifa shot back and then steeled herself to go and talk with Cloud.

Cloud was off being a tragic moody edge lord in the corner, thinking about how bad ass and awesome he was when Tifa came up behind him. "what is it? anther mission?" Cloud asked, not turning around and looking out the window. "Kinddddd offfff. Uh.. Cloud. I need you to do me a solid.." Tifa said, rubbing the back of her head as he turned around. "..you only say that when shits about to hit the fan. what did you do?" Cloud asked. "I only made a verrrry good deal that's going to let us take out the don." Tifa huffed and put her hands on her hips. "what did YOU do today aside from brood?" "..Bold stance when you 'need me to do a solid.' just so you know." Cloud pointed out. ".." Tifa held up a finger to argue with that, but nothing came to mind and she shook her head. "Look Cloud, we pay you A LOT of gil to work for us, and it's time to get some of that investment back. So you're going to do this and that's final!" She huffed and turned to stomp off. "Tifa?" "WHAT!?!" "...You STILL havn't told me what it is you want me to do." Cloud said smirking. "Oh right. that.. youhavetobeasissydateforthedon'ssonbye!" Tifa said in a rush and then took off. "..." Cloud raised a eyebrow, trying to figure out the FUCK she had just said, mulling it over in his head and then it clicked and his cheeks went bright red. "WAIT WHAT!?"

A hour or so of heated arguments between Tifa and cloud, then Cloud and Barret vs. tifa, the tifa and Barret vs cloud and they finally had come to a understanding. 1) Cloud would be going on the date as long as the info was all new. 2) they were going to use the info after cloud got back from his date, to give him a excuse to keep it short and sweet. 3)Tifa and Barret would be getting him drunk, VERY drunk after. those set up, they contracted Vincent and set up for the date, which would be that night and had a outfit sent over with a make up kit. "..The fuck does he expect me to do with this?" Cloud said, looking in at the loaded makeup box totally clueless. "you know 27 different ways to kill someone but not how to do your make up?" Tifa teased. "Somehow that never came up in SOLIDER training."  Cloud said dryly. "Go get a shower and I'll get your outfit ready for you then do your makeup for you little lady." Tifa giggled, grinning ear to ear. "..None of the cheap stuff I mean it. when you get me drunk I was the grade A shit." Cloud grumbled and headed for his bathroom with a stand up shower in it.

with the water running Tifa got busy getting the dress out of the black plastic bag it had been in to protect it and gasped a little. the dress inside was dark purple, down to the thigh and it would hug Cloud's body for sure, and with no sleeve Vincent would be able to show off his 'girlfriend' as much as show off a 'bodyguard' of sorts. The dress came with a low pair of black heels which worked because having cloud topple and fall on his face likely wouldn't of given the best impression. the also came with a pair of pantyhose and a light purple pair of panties, and a base colored padded bra that would give the appearance of b cups. "..hoooo boy. and this was gonna be a fun to begin with." Tifa said, glad cloud had agreed without looking at all the clothes out. hearing the shower coming to a stop, Tifa got ready to dress her boyfriend up and make him a girl.

The next hour and a half was one of the most humiliating of clouds life as he was poked, prodded and helped into his outfit, then had to sit in front of a make up mirror and keep his eyes closed till Tifa was finished with him. 'I swear to go, this is the last solid I do for her. at least this one doesn't involve me in diapers and in a basket pretending to be delivered by the stork..' Cloud thought and shook a little, getting a slap on the shoulder. "Stay still Missy unless you want me to have to start all over again!" Tifa scolded. if his eyes wouldn't of been shut he'd of rolled them but cloud stayed still till Tifa finally gave the ok and he opened up and looked in the mirror. Looking back at him wasn't the whorish image he'd mentally had for how he'd look. it was over the top girly either but well done and took away a edge of masculinity away from him and make his cheeks burn as he squirmed. "uh..Ok..wow." he said in a small voice. "I know right? even I'm shocked at how good you look." Tifa said and then had Cloud stand up, admiring him in his outfit and then his makeup and gave a wolf whistle. "Mothers, lock up your sons!" she said and then slapped cloud on the ass lightly. "Your SO not funny." Cloud growled.

even if they hadn't originally been going with Cloud for the exchange, Tifa and Barret would of walked with the blond sissy though the streets to the meet up point. Cloud was just getting a lot of attention and his confidence was all but gone as he basically hid behind Barret for protection. making it to the cafe Vincent was dressed in a yellow and red suit and wearing shades, that he tilted down as he drank in the site of cloud. "oh my~ Very, very nice." he said and whistled. "T-Thank you." Cloud said, voiice squeaking and horse as he tried to sound more girly. "Your welcome, and you can use your normal tone with me cloud. it doesn't hurt the illsion at all." Vincent said and tugged out a chair next to him and patted it with one hand, slide a folder over to Tifa. "I trust this pays my end of this in full?" Tifa took the folder and opened it, scanning though. floor plans, blueprints, shift rotations..with this her and Barret could of done the assault with just the two of them! "Yeah, this will more then do. thanks." Tifa said and then turned to Cloud. "Cloud, you be a good girl and stay out as late as Vincent wants, we'll be pouring over this all night." with his last shot of a quick night gone, Cloud plastered a fake smile on his face and turned to his date. "S-So.. W-what did you have planned?"

what Vincent had planned first was for them to get some bubble tea and sit and talk about each over for a bit. Following that Vincent took Cloud out for a wonderful seafood dinner. though there was a small issue Cloud betraying his delicate appearance by ripping apart the lobsters with ease with his bare hands and wolfing down the food with unladylike grace. 'Well, I suppose this is a work in progress and I can get him lessons if he wants to keep dating.' Vincent thought watching Cloud wolf down the sea food, his plastic lobster bib working hard to protect the dress he was wearing. "You know, it's not just anyone who can wear a dress worth over 5 thousand gil and not seem to care if they wreak it." Vincent said with amusement. "..It's worth that much?" Cloud asked, pausing then started to hack as food had gotten lodged when he stopped. one quick heimlich maneuver later and they were walking out of the restaurant with Cloud blushing and sheepish, and leaning to Vincent as the night air got colder. "S-Sorry about that." Cloud mewed and snuggled in more. Of course this bothered Vincent sooo much, that he put a arm around the cold sissy and then stopped under a street light. sliding his jacket off he put it over Clouds shoulders and then kissed his cheek before leading the sissy on and making Cloud swoon.

They're next stop even though both were clearly warming up to each other was a Opera in town, though Cloud again was less then restrained and didn't know how to behave. this was made clear when he called horse shit from their box to the stage when the hero on stage sliced a prop monster flann in two with one hit. As they were escorted out Cloud kept making his case and Vincent noted that dating cloud, there was NEVER going to be a dull moment clearly. "Hey watch the arms bucko unless you want anther black eye! I'm telling you, you need magic to defeat those, I know what I'm talking about! even a 2nd grader knows this shit an-" "Cloud sweetie, I think they got the point." Vincent said. "..They better! Next time I come here I expect the play to be up to snuff!" Cloud said and jabbed a finger at the opera's manager then turn away and stomped off. "..She does know I just banned you both right?" The manger asked. "I'd think twice about that..my card." Vincent said and smirked, then raced over cloud.

"...sorry I ruined your show." Cloud said with them again walking in the streets, and Cloud again leaning into the bigger man. "It';s ok, if they can't stand a little excitement from time to time then they shouldn't be in business., I got us unbanned anyways." Vincent said and kissed Cloud's forehead, sending a shiver that had nothing to do with the chill in the air though Cloud. "mmm..How'd you do that?" Cloud asked, closing his eyes and letting this wonderful warm man lead him. "Well I'm the one who helped them open up, Dear old dad didn't see the value but I'm a little more refined then him." Vincent said. "and by help them open up?" Cloud asked, opening his eyes and looking up. "I owe 54 percent of the damn thing. so the manger will call my partner, confirm I'm who I said I am, and expect all sorts of 'I'm sorry' presents in the next box we get..if you wanna go on anther date that is." Vincent said, stopping. they were in front of Tifa's bar with the hours starting to run late and always the gentleman when it came to love, Vince didn't wanna keep his date out too late. "Heh, what if I'm not ready for THIS date to be over?" Cloud asked and winked. "well what does my little lady wanna do then?" Vince asked, taken back but totally not arguing with the boldness. "well..Normally if I was with a girl I'd bring her back here to my room here.. buttt something tells me if I walk in with her regulars here dressed like this you'll have to be my knight in shining armor and kick all their butts when they molest me with their eyes." Cloud giggled playfully and then smooched Vince's cheek. "well of course my fair maiden." He said. "So..got a room somewhere close? because same reason Tifa's is out is why your place is out if you live with your dad." Cloud said. "..I know a motel by here." Vince said cluing in for the first time what the increasingly bold sissy was getting at.

One 15 minute walk later, and five minutes of dealing with the front desk, and Cloud and Vince were in the pent house suite at the hotel, and kissing and groping at each other as soon as the door to the room was shut. "S-Should we *kiss* take a *Kiss kiss* Shower first?" Cloud moaned as Vince switching to lightly biting down and sucking on the sissies neck, giving him a nice big hickey. "Only if you feel dirty." Vince chuckled and started to help cloud out of his dress, the top down and fondling the blonds flat chest.  "mmmm.. what was I thinking giving you fake tits. your nipples are just so cute like this!" Cloud was trying to reply he wanted to get the make up off because he stained the bedding, but the feeling of having his nipples pinched and twirled by this man was melting his brain and making his panties damp. "If./.if you keep doing that I'm gonna squirt." Cloud mewed out, grinding his ass against Vince and feeling just how ok with tat Vince would be as his manhood poked and and prodded between the cheeks of Cloud's bubble butt. "Think you'll still be willing to keep going after you cream princess?" Vincent asked chuckling, preparing a final assault, at least on the nipples, and at least for now. "O-Only one way to find ooooouuuTTTTT! DADDY!" Vince had twisted Clouds nipples just so fucking good and bit down on his neck again, giving him a matching hickey for the other side and clouds hands went for the front of his crotch but far far too late. hands free his cute little member lost the battle and twitched and throbbed as dollops of cum formed first, then full on shot out and though not only his panties but his dress. '..I hope they comes out with dry cleaning.' Cloud thought feeble as he tried to catch his breath. Vince let him go and watched with amusement as Cloud stumbled a little, almost as f drunk and then plopped onto the bed, face down and ass up as he tried to catch his breath and hiking up his dress. a hand going between his legs came back sticky with cum and Cloud mewed softly, looking at Vince who was watching him with interest..then Cloud started to lick his fingers clear. "I-I never knew you could cum just from your nipples.." Cloud purred, between licks and sucks. Vince was enthralled and couldn't look away. "I heard you can finger a guys butt and make him do that too." Cloud said, and Vincent slowly nodded and Cloud waited. and waited. "..Oh for heaven 's sake, get over his and finger my fat sissy ass!" Cloud snapped. Jolted out of his stupor, Vince smirked and nodded. "anything for my little lady." as he came over and started to work a finger in and out of Cloud's tight little ring and slowly moved up, All Vince could think of was how lucky he was to of found out what a good girl Cloud could be. "Oh..Ohhh.. feels sooo good daddy~ finger me harder!" Cloud squealed then pleaded. Oh yeah. so SO glad he gotten first dibs. he was totally gonna be taking this little sissy out at least 3 nights a week if possible. "Whatever you say princess."

the end

[lowritesthings]

Resonance

Part One of ?? Next >>

Notes: Takes place in the days immediately before the opening of the Remake.

The bar is still mostly empty. When the evening train arrives it will fill up quick enough, but for now it’s just you and a very serious man around your age that Tifa has just informed you is Cloud Strife. You’d told him your name and he’d accepted a handshake, but that had pretty much been the end of the conversation. He seems quite content to sit at his end of the bar and brood over his drink. You don’t mind if he doesn’t want to talk, but when you catch Tifa’s eyes she mouths, “sorry!” at you before she fixes you something deliciously cold to drink.

“Have you seen Jessie?” she asks you as she passes your drink over. You shake your head and she purses her lips. “I hope there’s no trouble.”

You hear the extra note of concern in her voice and lower your own. “So it’ll be soon then?”

“Yes.” Her expression is unhappy but she doesn’t say anything more. It’s too dangerous. There are still plenty of people even in the slums that are believers in Shinra, and a lot of the locals suspect that Tifa is at least sheltering Avalanche if she isn’t one of them. They’re right, of course, but as long as they keep their suspicions to themselves it isn’t a problem.

“I’ll make sure my kit is ready,” you say. You’re not a card-carrying member of the cell, but you help patch the team up if the injuries aren’t too serious, and assist the doctor if they are. Your day job is at the Leaf House, which is how you got involved in the first place: Biggs had been forced to retreat to his former work place once after a run-in with a bunch of Shinra’s goons, and when you’d seen the bullet hole he couldn’t pretend he’d just fallen off a ladder or something equally pedestrian.

“I’m sorry I can’t tell you more,” she tells you, and you can tell she means it. “But…”

You laugh softly. “Barret would have your ass? It’s okay, I understand. Hopefully no one will need me and I’ll find out what happened when the rest of Midgar does.”

“Thanks. I know we all really appreciate you.” Tifa reaches out and gives your hand a squeeze, and you feel the warmth of acceptance. Even if you’re not part of the team, it’s nice to feel useful and appreciated.

You’ve moved on to talking about Marlene and her newfound passion for dancing when the door bursts open and Biggs rushes in. Your heart clenches the same way it always does at the sight of him, and that familiar colony of butterflies takes wing in your stomach--which drops as soon as you recognize the tightness around his eyes.

“Tifa,” he says in an urgent but controlled voice. She nods and disappears into the back room, perhaps disabling the lift to the hideout beneath your feet. Cloud looks up for the first time but he doesn’t move or ask questions. Still, you can see that he’s paying close attention even as his fingers curl around the glass in front of him.

Tifa pops back into the room and Biggs asks, “Barret?” When she shakes her head, he lets out a short sigh and says, “Well, that’s probably for the best. This the guy?” He indicates Cloud with a jerk of his thumb.

“Yeah. What’s going on, Biggs?”

“Shinra raid,” he replies. His eyes fall on you. “What are you--? Nevermind. There’s no time.” He takes your elbow and when you’re on your feet, tugs you gently into a corner. His arms come up to frame your head and he leans in close, but it isn’t sweet nothings he whispers in your ear. Instead, as the door slams open again, he leans down and murmurs, “Try to keep your face hidden. Put your hand on my waist. I’m enough of a risk to the Leaf House, but if they can trace you back there…”

You nod as the Shinra soldiers fan out through the bar, hands on weapons. You follow Bigg’s orders, only instead of putting your arm around his waist, you let them both dangle over his shoulders and you idly play with the hair at the back of his neck. You can see the little shiver it gives him and feel one of your own dance down your spine.

Then he smirks at you. “Oh, and don’t forget to pretend I’m very distracting and funny.”

“Mmm…not sure if I can pull that off.” But you let out a flirtatious little giggle anyway, because you do have an audience and you’re hoping they won’t be interested in an amorous couple.

Behind Biggs, you can see Cloud’s eyes cut toward you both before he looks over to Tifa, and then back down to his drink. His shoulders relax and his expression turns glacial as the leader of the Shinra squad marches up to the bar.

“You in charge?” he snaps to Tifa.

“Y-yes…” she replies slowly. “Is there some sort of problem?”

“There are rumors that Avalanche is hiding here, so you just sit your pretty ass down and stay out of our way.”

He makes a gesture and the men he’s brought with him begin methodically--and forcefully--searching the bar. They flip chairs and shove tables around, pull decor off of the walls and shove at the jukebox.

“Now, wait--you can search all you want, but don’t break the--” Tifa starts, but the squad leader shoves her back. You feel Biggs’ shoulders tense under your arms, torn between helping her and protecting you, but there’s no need for him to make a tough decision: Cloud’s head comes up once more.

“Touch her again and I’ll stick my sword up your ass, lieutenant,” he says in the same bored voice he’d used when you’d been introduced. It’s so clearly a threat that he intends to take out, but he says it like he’s observing the weather. The squad leader spins to face him, spots his sword and uniform, and swallows whatever smarmy comment he’d been about to make. Biggs chuckles in your ear and you shoot him a curious look.

“I can’t believe it,” he says under his breath, sounding impressed in spite of himself. “That cocky son of a bitch is pulling rank!”

“You’re a...a SOLDIER? What are you doing here?” the squad leader asks, sounding much less confident than he had thirty seconds ago. Cloud waves a lazy hand.

“Whatever I want.” Then he glances around at the men the Shinra lieutenant brought with him. “What’s going on?”

“We have reason to believe she’s sheltering terrorists,” he replies, with a sneering look at Tifa.

Suddenly, one of the soldiers grabs Biggs’ arm and tries to jerk him away from you. Remembering your orders, you keep your face turned away from him. Biggs’ other arm drops from the wall to your waist and he pulls you tight against his body.

“You mind?” he snaps at the soldier. “The lady and I are a little busy.”

“I need to see your ID,” the soldier tells him. His eyes fall on you, but your hair is down and thankfully obscuring your face further. “Both of you.”

If Cloud notices your dilemma, he gives no indication of it. He just keeps staring at the squad leader like he’s a semi-fascinating bug. “You think I’d drink at a bar full of terrorists?”

The squad leader falters. “W-well…”

A flicker of disdainful amusement crosses the ex-SOLDIER’s face. “If I find any planet-huggers, I’ll send them right to you.” His tone is so patronizing that you almost feel bad for the poor lieutenant...well, not really. But almost. “Unless you prefer me to deal with them myself? Probably not worth my time. Who’s your battalion commander?”

The squad leader makes a choking noise. Then he signals to his men again. “Search completed, let’s go.”

You can see the soldiers glance at each other, but they’ve been too well trained to question an order, so they begin filing out--including the one harrassing you and Biggs.

“Wait.” Cloud’s eyes have fallen back on his drink, but at the sound of his voice the room freezes again. “Not very good manners, trashing a place and leaving it that way.”

Immediately, the men begin setting the room to rights. It’s almost funny how fast they move to clean things up. Chairs and tables get shoved back into place, decor is put back on the walls, and one man even begins sweeping up the shards of a glass he’d broken while smashing his way through the search. While they’re distracted, Biggs turns back toward you and you tuck your face into his shoulder as his other arm joins the first around your waist.

“Almost,” he murmurs against your ear. “You’re doing good.”

“Tough assignment,” you whisper back, threading your fingers into his hair just in case anyone is still paying attention to you. “Standing here and trying not to let them see me.”

“Well, and pretending I’m the most interesting man you’ve ever met, even with SOLDIER-boy sitting at the bar over there,” he replies, sounding amused at your nonchalance.

“Broody hero types are popular,” you admit with a dramatic sigh, “but we met five minutes ago and I bet he has no idea what my name is.”

“Broke your heart already, did he? What a bastard,” Biggs chuckles, and you grin against his shoulder.

“Dispicable,” you agree, and he gives you a squeeze. When the last of the Shinra soldiers disappear out of the door, he lets you go and steps away. The urge to drag him back into your arms is almost painful, it’s so strong, but you force yourself to settle for heading back toward your waiting drink.

“What was that about?” Tifa asks, sounding a little shaken. Biggs takes the stool next to yours and steals your drink, taking a sip before his expression settles into something a little grim.

“They know something’s coming. They must be trying to stop us before we can pull the job off,” he says. Cloud makes a noise and all three of you look over to him. He looks up, realizes that three pairs of eyes are watching while you all wait for him to speak, and falters for a second. Then he says,

“They’re not really trying, they just have to make it look like they are. But the PR is much better if they swoop in and clean up after a terrorist attack than if they prevent it. People will forget if they stop it before it happens. They won’t forget who helped them in the aftermath. Makes them look like heroes, which is exactly what they want.”

“So what do we do?” Biggs asks him.

He shrugs. “This is your op. I’m just the hired help. Ask your fearless leader...if you can find him.”

Biggs snorts and takes another gulp of your drink before you snatch it back.

“We can’t stop now,” Tifa says, though she sounds unhappy about it. “We’ve worked too hard and...people have been…”

“I know,” Biggs replies in a tight voice. “Guess I’m just wondering if our timing sucks.”

“It’s never going to be the perfect time, no matter what you’re planning. But the planet can’t wait forever, right?” you ask. He glances toward you and nods and you give him a supportive smile. He smiles back--and then steals your drink for a second time. He finishes it off while you lunge forward to take it back, then slaps some gil on the counter to pay for a new one for you before you can complain too much.

“I better find Barret and give him an update,” he says. “See you guys later.”

“Later,” you and Tifa chorus. Cloud lifts a hand in goodbye without even looking over. You want to say something else, make some joke about being tucked into a corner together, but you can’t think of anything. Instead, you watch him stride back out of the bar and let your shoulders slump in disappointment. Tifa gives your hand a comforting pat.

“Don’t give up,” she tells you, and you give her a wry smile.

“It’s okay. He’s got bigger things to worry about. Besides, it’s just a crush, right? It’ll disappear on its own with time.”

“Maybe…” she agrees, but she sounds doubtful and you follow her gaze to Cloud. Then you both let out unhappy sighs. Love, you decide, thoroughly sucks.

[strifegirl17]

"Next To You"

Written by Strifegirl http://fav.me/ddyxcte

Pairing: Cloud/Tifa

Type: One-Shot

Timeline: The first night Cloud spent in his room at Stargazer.

Cloud was having trouble to fall back asleep after the incident with his neighbour next door. The shock of seeing Sephiroth in there took him by surprise and couldn’t shake the feel of despair he felt when he tried to grab his sword to kill him. Luckily, Tifa was still awake and was able to stop him before he ended up slicing his neighbour Marco.

Unable to sleep, Cloud was still laying on his back looking at the ceiling.

“Reunion…” He said to himself. That was what Marco said in the vision he saw when he touched him.

Cloud rose up to sit on the edge of his bed.

“Was that another illusion, or just my mind playing tricks?”

He stood up and head to the hand wash to throw some water on his face. He stared at the mirror for a moment looking at his eyes.

“It must be the Mako.” He closed his eyes and then grabbed a towel to dry his face. When he did so, he heard some noises next door.

Cloud stood still to try to make out what kind of noise was that. That’s when he heard a slight whimper.

Could it be Tifa? He thought.

He decided to go outside and investigate. Once there, he tried to call her from the other side.

He knocked. “Tifa?” He said gently. The last thing he wanted was to wake her up for nothing.

There was no answer. Maybe it was nothing. Cloud was about to head back to his room when he heard it again. A faint whimper, almost like a plea.  

“Tifa? Is everything okay in there?”

No reply from her.

“I’m coming in…” He announced before opening the door. When he entered the room, his eyes widened when he saw one of the ghosts that chased him, was tormenting her.

“Get away from her!” He said furious as he swings his sword against the spectre.

The ghost flee from him and disappeared after that. Tifa on the other hand was still struggling in her sleep. She was mumbling something while she twirled in her bed, whimpering. Cloud quickly put down his sword and went to her side to try and wake her up.

“Tifa?” He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, slightly. “Wake up! Tifa! Wake up!”

She opened her eyes abruptly and saw her surroundings, gasping. She turned her head to gaze a pair of blue orbs staring back at her.

“Cloud?” She sat up. “What happened?” She rubbed her temple, confused.

“You were having a bad dream.” He said with concern in his eyes. “You sounded distressed, so I came here to see if you were okay.”

“I did?” Confused, Tifa lowers her gaze and tries to remember what she dreamt. Then, it hit her. At that moment, tears began to fill her eyes and she grabbed her face in her hands, sobbing.

“Tifa?” He said worried. Cloud stares at her for a moment, waiting for a response. “You okay?”

As soon as he said that, Tifa embraced him tightly, taking Cloud by surprise. He felt her whole body trembling with the embrace, so he wrapped his arms around her as well to try to comfort her.

“Hey… it’s alright.” He whispered softly. “It was just a nightmare.” Then he closed his eyes as he embraced her.

Although he was somewhat rough with people, somehow with her he becomes a whole different person. He always had a soft spot for her and whenever he sees her like this, it disarmed him.

“I’m sorry.” She pulls away from the embrace to dry her tears. “I guess I’m still nervous about the next mission. I overheard a conversation between Barret and Biggs saying that this might be a tough one and that we have to make a stand if we want to succeed.” She sighed.

“You don’t need to worry about that.” He said firmly.

Tifa stares back at him with curiosity.

“As long as I’m there with you, you don’t need to fear.”

Tifa narrowed her eyes tenderly and smiled.

“You always know what to say, huh?” She teased.

"Just trying to keep a promise to a friend." He smirked.

Tifa chuckled after that. Both of them stared at each other for a moment and then they broke eye contact when they realized how tense the atmosphere became after the awkward silence.

Cloud was the first one to break the silence.

"Well, I better go back to my room so you can get some rest."

Tifa nodded. "Thanks for coming to my rescue." She smiled.

Cloud also nodded. "Anytime." He stood up from the edge of her bed to grab his sword and head for the door.

Tifa didn’t want him to leave and when she saw him approach the door, she panicked and said the first thing that came into her head.

“Wait...”

He stopped in front of the door and turned.

“What is it?”

Tifa was speechless. She wanted to say something but couldn’t manage the words to ask him to stay. She was too shy to even think about the idea of sharing her bed with him, so she quickly dismissed the thought.

She shook her head. “Never mind.” She pressed her lips, nervously.

Cloud looks at her reaction with a puzzled look on his face. She was clenching the sheets with her hands and he could see a slight blush on her cheeks. Cloud then remembered Tifa’s fear of the dark and his expression softens when he realized what she was trying to ask him.

“I could stay for a while…” He said suddenly.

Surprised, Tifa lifts her head and looks back at him.

“…I mean, if that’s what you want.” He said unsure.

Tifa blushed even more after hearing that and nodded in return.

“I’d like that.” She finally admitted.

Cloud closes the door behind and puts his sword against the wall. Tifa scooches over to give Cloud some space and before she could say something, Cloud went ahead and sat down on the floor next to her bed.

Tifa was confused. She thought he was going to share the bed with her.

“Are you planning to sleep on the floor?” She asked sarcastically.

“Well, where else I can sleep?”

“There’s plenty of room here.” She patted the bed.

Cloud turned his head away to hide his blush.

“A-Are you sure about that?”

“Of course, silly.” She chuckled. “I couldn't sleep knowing that you're uncomfortable.”

Cloud wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do, but still he complied.

He stood up and then sat on the edge of the bed, still unsure of how to approach her without looking like a perv. Tifa laid down on her spot and Cloud followed after.  He laid on his back staring at the ceiling, with one hand on his side and the other placed on his stomach. He stayed still for like a rock trying not to get too close for fear of invading her personal space. Meanwhile, Tifa opened her eyes and saw a nervous Cloud looking at all directions. She then

grabbed his hand in hers and gently drew circles with the tip of her fingers on the back of his hand. Cloud’s breathing stopped upon feeling her touch and then Tifa entwined her fingers with his.

“Good-night.” She said softly.

Cloud let out the air he was holding and then relaxed. It was the first time he was this close to her and to know that she was okay with it that, made him feel calm. She had a way of saying things that he just couldn’t resist to comply.

He turned his head slightly to look at her sleeping face.

“Good-night, Tifa.” He whispered softly with a smile on his face.

He then closed his eyes and drifted into sleep beside her.

[nimbostrxtus]

Arranged Marriage au for @starlightbrawler​

The skies were clear for flying as an airship adorned with silver sliced through the clouds, carrying the banner of a grey wolf, the symbol of the House of Strife. On the deck stood a young man leaning over the railing and glaring down at the vast green valley below them. His stomach lurched and the blonde bent over the railing, shutting his eyes tightly as he waited for the nausea to pass.

"If you're going to be sick go lie down," a feminine voice advised. Opening one of his eyes the blonde weakly glared at the older woman beside him adorned in a beautiful dress.

"I'm fine, mother." the young prince growled as he clutched at his stomach. "I wish you'd let me take Fenrir instead."

“You are not showing up to meet the Lockheart family in your riding uniform.” Queen Claudia tut disapprovingly. "Come, perhaps taking your mind off the view will help distract you."

The prince barely put up any resistance as the Queen led him by the hand to the lounge room where he turned down the butler's offer for a drink and flopped on the nearby sofa, his mother taking a seat in the armchair beside him.

"Something is troubling you and it's not just the motion sickness," she said as she watched her only heir bury his face into an embroidered cushion. "Are you nervous about meeting Princess Tifa?"

“Barely,” he huffed but he Queen was not easily fooled. “King Lockheart doesn't even like me and I haven’t seen his daughter since we were kids."

“And whose fault is that?” his mother frowned. “You can’t complain about marrying a stranger when you had until her 21st birthday to get to know her Cloud. Your engagement was announced when you were both fourteen, that was seven years ago. You're lucky I even managed to secure this union in the first place. King Shinra has been eyeing Lockheart's land for years now and was waiting for the opportune moment to announce his intentions for Princess Tifa to marry his son, Prince Rufus instead. The Shinras have more wealth and resources than our kingdom Cloud, a union between our families will both protect our territories and prevent a potential invasion from the Shinra Empire.”

"I know, I know," the prince groaned and turned to glare out of the balcony window. Truthfully, the young prince had no excuse for staying away from Lockhearts for so long. He had met the royal princess a handful of times during their youth, she seemed pleasant enough and was Cloud's only friend at the time, but as dark magic spread across the land and the kingdoms grew divided, Prince Cloud was kept within the Strife boarders for his own protection, and after learning about his eventual marriage to Princess Tifa of Lockheart, he flat out refused to go see her at public meetings, choosing instead to pretend the girl never existed.

A knock on the door distracted him and an older man in the royal airforce uniform stepped into the room with his pilot hat covering his greying blonde hair. "Your Highness, we'll be preparing to dock in thirty minutes," announced Pilot Highwind.

"Very good," his mother nodded and rose from her seat. "Cloud make yourself presentable and join me in the landing bay when you're ready."

With a huff, Cloud rolled off the sofa and dragged his sorry ass to his room where he splashed some water on his face and made an attempt to tame the spikes that passed off for hair. No matter how hard he tried though he couldn't get them to lay flat, so he settled for making it look as stylish as possible before tying his black ceremonial side cloak over his left shoulder and secured the Strife emblem to his uniform, a grey wolf holding a ring in its mouth.

The Highwind already landed on the docking pad when he finally made it to the landing bay where the royal guards and servant were lines up for their entrance. Cloud easily spotted his bodyguard standing at attention behind the Queen, his spiky black hair and overly large sword visible from over a mile away. Cloud slipped in place beside his mother, standing on her right side, who in turn squeezed his hand reassuringly just as the doors opened and sunlight spilled into the room.

Cloud had not been expecting much fanfare upon their arrival, considering the wedding was still a few weeks away, but this was the Princess's birthday after all and the fact her elusive fiance had finally graced her with his presence was probably something to be excited about. Steeling his composure, Prince Cloud made sure to stay one step behind his mother as they were escorted off the Highwind and walking across a red carpet to meet their guests for the next month.

"Wow, you didn't tell me she was beautiful," Zack whispered into his ear as they approached the Lockheart family. Cloud wouldn't know because he was doing his best to face forward while avoiding eye contact with everyone around him. He hadn't seen the Princess since she was a child, how different could she be?

"King Lockeart, it is good to see you again," his mother greeted courteously with a grace he could only one hope to one day possess. "Princess Tifa you have grown into such a strong and beautiful young woman since we last met. I'm sure you will lead your people into a bright future. You remember my son Prince Cloud."

Holding his breath, Cloud froze and almost didn't step forward if not for Zack lightly pushing him forward with a hand to his back.

"King Lockheart, Princess Tifa," he bowed respectfully and reciting the speech his advisor wrote beforehand. "It is an honour to be here on this momentous day and to celebrate the union of our lands. Happy birthday, Princess..." All words left Cloud as he finally looked up and stared eye to eye with the most beautiful ruby eyes he had ever since. "...Tifa."

[sahbibabe]

The Call

The Call

Soulmate AU

Sephiroth/Fem! Reader

You finally work up the courage to take the job. With Sephiroth away for some time and your friends' lives on the line, there is nothing else you can do.

IT HAD BEEN A LONG time since you had worn your merc uniform, even longer since you could actually fill it out without worrying about the baggy chest and hip area. Woven from hard adamantine threads, stained black, and supported with stretchy latex that allowed you free movement, it made you quite the formidable sight; your calm colored wardrobe of harem pants, skirts, t-shirts and tank tops just didn't seem to fit you when you looked at yourself in the mirror.

      You had finally gotten up the courage to pry up your floorboards and take the darned thing out of its lockbox, after a few restless nights of contemplating the serious repercussions of going along with the Turk's request--or order, you should say. It wasn't as if you had a choice, either; you could accept it and rake in a hefty sum of gil that could make you a very wealthy woman, or you could sit back, reject it, and watch everyone you loved die. Rufus Shinra may be smarter than his father, but he was not above using the same dirty handed tricks to get what he wanted.

       What you couldn't understand was why he had went through the trouble of digging you up out of retirement and sending his personal Turk squad to recruit you in the first place. There were plenty of other people who did the same thing you did, albeit they probably didn't have as high of a kill count, and ran as cheap as dirt. Then again, Rufus Shinra didn't do 'cheap'; he paid for results. Results that you, evidently, could give him.

      Sephiroth had, for some reason, told you that he would not be in the area for quite some time after that encounter. Whether or not that meant he would be leaving Midgar as a whole was pretty vague; you couldn't help but wonder if he was doing the evil things Cloud always said he was up to. It didn't bother you, because in the end, it gave you time to work up the courage to dig out your suit and really think about what you would be doing for the next few months.

       Killing Rufus' enemies. That was all you could come up with, how everything had been spun to you. He had a wealth of them, enough to have him effectively struck dead. No one believed for a second that he had nothing to do with his father's death; you didn't either, for that matter. No one that handsome and that confident stood at his own father's funeral and didn't shed a single tear without having a role to play.

      All of this meant, in no short terms, you would be digging out your old merc contacts and being a mercenary full time once again. Your shop would have to be closed. You would be strictly in Shinra Central only, as close to Rufus Shinra as you could get, and working alongside his Turks to get your job done. You could only pray you didn't run into Cloud on your jobs, or you'd be in serious trouble.

       You eyed the phone that Reno had sent you in the mail with suspicion. It sat on your nightstand, screen black, the Shinra logo plastered on the back for everyone to see. It had been outfitted with an industrial strength screen protector and case to withstand the jobs you would be doing. It only had one number in the contacts, labeled 'Mr. President', and if you wanted to accept this job, you'd be calling the man himself, not going through his goons to do it.

      But before that, you had preparations to make. You hopped out of your suit and stowed it back in its box, sliding it under your bed and formulating an excuse. Your first plan was to tell everyone you were moving, but that wouldn't pan out; you would still have the building in your name, your personal items still all around the shop. Your second idea was that you were going to move to Sector Six as an entertainment teahouse, but you couldn't stomach that idea, and eventually settled on the real tear jerker: you had found a doctor in Sector Two who could treat your blindness permanently so your soulmate wouldn't have to constantly give you theirs. You would say that you had saved up enough money for the treatment and would be living there for a bit as you recovered.

      In the meantime, you would allow Tifa to use it as a wayhouse for the little ones who tended to pop in every now and then to help out, or the abused women who needed a place to stay and have a proper bed. Your room would be off limits of course, your materia coming with you, but the rest was fair game, including the nice bathroom setup.

       It was the best you could do as silent repayment for lying to them. You didn't want them to know about your past, even if they would say it was just that: the past. Unlike Cloud, you were stepping right back into it, far more easily than you liked to admit. The screams of your final victims seemed muted, dulled the more you silently slipped into the mind of a mercenary and no longer a citizen's.

       So you made your excuse, refined it so that even you believed that was what you were doing, because it hurt you less. You couldn't stand the idea of saying it to their faces, so you wrote letters instead. You gave them to one of your kind neighbors, explaining the situation, and paid them heftily to deliver them on the day you left.

      After that, it was as easy as sitting on your bed and making the call. Any other loose ends you would have Reno tie up for you, maybe Rude. But you couldn't let Rufus Shinra have the final word. It hadn't even been two weeks yet, not even six months, but if you wanted to do it before you chickened out, it had to be now.

      You expected an assistant to pick up. Maybe even Reno or Rude. Instead, you were patched in to Rufus Shinra himself, sounding cool and calm.

      His first remark to you was,"Reno said you would call before the deadline."

      "I'm sure he did." You closed your eyes, silently slipping back into your mercenary habits. "Are there any details about my mission I should know beforehand?"

      You had to fight to remain composed. This man could end your friends lives at the snap of a finger.

      "Nothing that can't be given to you during an official briefing." He paused, considering. "Your files tell me that you're blind. Do I need to worry about your incompetence on that end?"

       "No," you replied firmly. "I use my soulmate's to see. There will be no issues."

      You'd just have to work around the thirty minute gaps. That was all.

      "I see." You could hear him flip through pages, no doubt to the soulmate section. "You have no documented soulmate. I can assume you have no idea who they are?"

      "Correct."

       "Very well then." Rufus's tone of finality sent you for a loop. "You will begin a testing trial next week. You will visit Shinra Laboratories and submit yourself to a physical exam and what else they deem necessary in the next few days. Should you be unfit for the task, you will be conditioned until you are. Your ID will be updated to reflect your status immediately. Any other information will be delivered to you by Reno personally. Do you have any questions?"

      You doubted he would answer them even if you did. "No, Mr. President."

      "I'll see you next week."

     Then the line went dead.

      You stared at the phone for a few seconds before chunking it into your nightstand drawer.

      Rufus Shinra had gotten the last word after all.

[greensaplinggrace]

Hi, I just wanted to ask if you would be willing to dabble in a prompt about Cloud having a wing? Like maybe something where it first manifests in a really bad situation of some kind and he's just horrified and scared about it, and runs away from everyone because he's terrified of what they they think. They then him and end up reassuring and comforting him? Just- angst to family feels? There is a distinct lack of Cloud wingfics haha 😅 so I was just hoping you'd be interested.

I debated a long time about this being pre-Sephiroth reveal and post-Sephiroth reveal and finally decided to place it earlier in the game. I hope you don’t mind! This an AU where the Sector 7 plate never drops.

-UPDATE! This prompt has an alternate fill - VERSION 2 - HERE IT IS ON AO3

*TW for self esteem issues, self hatred, blood and injury, a brief contemplation of self harm/mutilation, hallucinations

- If you want to send in a prompt, the guidelines are HERE and HERE!

---

“I don’t believe it for a second!”

“It’s true! In front of dozens of people, too, including Madame M.”

A bellowing laugh fills the room, and Cloud stares furiously at his tumbler as the table nearly cracks beneath the force of Barret’s gun arm. “I knew he was full o’ shit! ‘I don’t dance’, my ass.”

“He was so good at it. By the end of the song, he wasn’t even following Andrea’s lead. It was like he just fell into the music.”

“Aw! I can’t believe I missed seeing Cloud finally let himself go.”

“Oh, it was wonderful, and he was blushing like mad the whole time. But you haven’t even heard the best part, yet!”

Cloud bites back a groan and hunches his shoulders, angling himself as far away from the rambunctious group gathered around the corner table. He catches sight of Tifa working her way down the bar with a rag, an apologetic smile on her lips, and sighs in defeat when she doesn’t even think to say a word in his defense.

“What, that it only took him glancin’ at the walls of Wall Market before he broke out dancin’? Cause we already knew he was repressed.”

“Barret!” It’s Tifa who finally protests, but it’s too little too late. Cloud sinks into his seat and wishes the entire world would disappear. His drink sure does, though not nearly fast enough. He grabs a nearby bottle and refills it himself.

“He’s got a point, though.”

Aerith giggles as if she knows a thing about him. “Cloud’s just shy.” 

He is not shy. 

“Shy or not, he was certainly willing to dance for Tifa.”

“And-” Cloud can fucking hear the wink in her voice. “-wear a dress for her.”

The room explodes into chaos. Cloud scowls against a blush as everybody bursts out laughing, voices overlapping in glee and disbelief. Even Tifa’s grinning, eyes sparkling with amusement when Jessie bounces over and slams stomach first into the table. She’s flushed on Gaia knows how much alcohol, eyes bright and cheeks rosy.

“I knneww he liked you!” she exclaims a bit too loudly, and Cloud winces. Half of him wants to speak up against the fact that they’re all gossiping about him when he’s right here. The other half of him just wants to remain quiet, refusing to give them the satisfaction of knowing he’s affected. “Did he really? It mm...must have been- so pretty! I bet it was the- the most amazing thing you’ve...ever seen.”

Cloud would say it was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever seen, but Tifa actually blushes.

Huh.  

Cloud tries not to blush as well with the realization, turning away from the two as Jessie resumes the conversation amidst Tifa’s embarrassed silence. The others are busy, all chattering and mellowed out, scattered around the bar in small groups and talking about whatever it is drunk environmental activists usually find interesting. 

There’s a simple camaraderie in the people around him. More than friends or acquaintances could ever be. A family.

He almost feels like an intruder, sitting here silent and morose in the midst of their comfortable chatter. All easy touches and loving warmth. Even Aerith has settled into the group as if she’s always been a part of it. She’s moved on to her second bottle now, talking animatedly with Barret about flowers, and how Cloud hadn’t ever expected them to get along like moss on a boulder is a mystery to him. 

They look...happy. All of them do.

Fondness prods at the boundaries of his chest as he watches them. A wholly unfamiliar feeling, and one Cloud isn’t keen on courting at the moment. He can’t allow himself to think like that, not when he knows he’s unwelcome here. Barret had been right about this being a team - a family - that Cloud isn’t a part of. He’d been right to kick Cloud out the first time around.

He empties the rest of his drink in one go and doesn't even pause to deliberate further. It tastes like ashes.

He shouldn't have even lingered this long. Sitting here brooding at the bar while everybody has fun, bringing down the mood like one giant dark intrusion in their bright little haven of safety and warmth and... 

Had his presence annoyed them, and that’s why they’d ignored it? Or had they even noticed him to begin with? Tifa certainly had, otherwise she would have left to go join in the celebrations of her family- her new family. One that Cloud isn’t part of anymore.

He stands to leave. The world tilts for a second, and he has to catch himself on the bar as his feet trip up underneath him, breath hitching and vision blurring. Nobody comments or moves to help him, though. Nobody even looks his way. So he staggers until he’s walking and makes a beeline for the front doors, past every joyful conversation and a smattering of giggles, until he’s bursting outside in a rush. 

At once, he’s hit by a blast of the cool night air and the dim glow of the porchlights. For a second, the two worlds meld together - the quiet peace of the night and the warm, brash camaraderie of Seventh Heaven. A soothing lull to the strain of reality. Then the sounds cut off abruptly as the doors click shut, and all he’s left with is silence.

Cloud stumbles over to lean on the nearest metal railing, avoiding the stairs like the plague. Leave. He inhales deeply, the air crisp and refreshing, and breathes out some of the fogginess in his mind. They don’t want you here. He opens his eyes again and stares blankly at the ground below him, uncertain and on edge. Green flickers in the corner of his eye, a breath like ice ghosting through his hair. He swallows thickly and tells himself it’s the breeze, but slitted, sickly eyes grace his vision, and he has to duck his head over the railing to calm the tremors that arise.

“You think these people will accept you, once they know what you are?”

He breathes in shakily and grits his teeth against a response.

“You’re lucky they don’t care for you.”

They do. 

They don’t.

He clutches at his hair and tries to make the world stop spinning, panting so loudly he can hear it past the rush of water in his ears.

“Imagine how disappointed they’d be if they learned what goes on inside your head?”

Cloud shakes his head and takes in another breath. He refuses to answer. Refuses to give anybody the satisfaction of knowing he’s hurt - knowing he’s weak.

He doesn’t want them to accept him. He never did and he never will. He’s stronger than that.

“Cloud?”

He jumps at the voice - real and alive and right there - heart racing for a moment in pure, unbridled fear as he thinks that Sephiroth’s finally become real. That the man can finally hurt him. Then the rest of it catches up to him. It’s a girl’s voice, small and high and above him. Not next to him. Not Sephiroth.

“Marlene?” he asks in disbelief, half convinced he might still be hallucinating. Yet when he races down the stairs and turns to face the source of the noise, it’s a little girl’s head peeking out at him over the edge of the awning. “How the f- how did you get up there?”

“I- I didn’t do it on purpose. I promise!” Her voice warbles with tears, and Cloud shifts uncomfortably. This is decidedly not his problem.

“I’ll go get Barret.”

“No! You can’t!”

He glances through the windows of the bar, where Barret’s laughing uproariously at whatever Tifa’s said. The man would kill for his daughter, and he’d probably beat Cloud’s ass for even considering not telling him. Cloud doesn’t need that right now. Barret already hates him enough, but at least he’s still willing to foist off his money. “You won’t get in trouble.” Probably. “He should know you’re safe.”

“But I will!” Marlene wails, and Cloud winces. “Daddy will be mad. I’m not s’post... supposed to be out here.”

“You're not allowed, you mean.” 

Marlene sniffs again, lower lip quivering as her eyes start to water, and Cloud’s heart drops when he realizes she’s about to cry. “Please don’t tell Daddy! I only left out the window to see the lights. I didn’t mean to get stuck.”

“Can you go back to your room?” Cloud asks, though he already knows the answer. If only things were that easy.

“N-no...It’s dark and- and I can’t see. Please help me down, Cloudy...I’m scared.”

“It’s not- don’t call me that.” Marlene sniffs again, and Cloud sighs, squeezing his eyes shut for a second to fight off the growing headache. “Fine. Just...don’t move. Stay right there.”

He steps further from the building and examines the walls in the hopes of finding somewhere she could climb down, but she really has gotten herself trapped in the most unfortunate place possible. She’s on top of the awning, perched on the highest peak. Her knuckles are white from the death grip she has on the edge, knees occasionally sliding down the curve before she corrects them. Every time she so much as fidgets he feels his heart hit his throat, and by the time he’s finished examining every inch of the building, he feels more sober than he ever has in his life.

She’s much too high up, he concludes. This really is a job for Barret.

“You’d have to jump,” he finally says as he rounds the front of the stairs again, keeping his voice soft to avoid startling her, “we need to get Barret.”

“No! Don’t tell Daddy. He’ll be angry.” 

Barret couldn't be angry with Marlene if his life depended on it. “I don’t think so. He just wants you safe.”

“You’re lying.” Marlene hiccoughs, voice cracking on the last word, and it takes an effort for him to remain still in the face of her distress. Something like guilt and understanding twists up inside him, but he can’t think too long about it.

“I’ll be right back,” he says, though every word feels like pulling teeth, “just don’t move and B...Dad will come save you.”

“But I want you to come save me! Please dont- please don’t leave!” She yells out in a panic, and then she’s moving, letting go of the roof and pushing to stand with too much force, feet sliding and eyes widening as Cloud’s stomach lurches in fear. 

A dozen things happen at once, blurring and loud in the rush of panic. Marlene’s scream pierces the air, wood cracking and light flooding the area with a series of yells, and Marlene falls. Her scream cuts off as she hits empty space, and Cloud moves like he’s never moved before, feet skidding across the concrete and launching himself from the bottom step with a vicious gust of wind.

He doesn’t know how he reaches her in time. Doesn’t know anything except that he manages to snag hold of her before she even drops a foot, pulling her to his chest and curling around her with a snap. The harsh movement interrupts his flight, and in the next moment it’s Cloud that’s falling, wrapped tightly around his precious bundle as his back meets the top step. There’s a sickening crack, pain igniting across his back and forcing the breath from his lungs, but he doesn’t even think to let go. Not as every step afterward makes the pain spike and not as they finally hit the concrete, wrought metal a dark and twisting sky above them.

Marlene’s shaking on his chest, torn by hiccoughing cries and too afraid to let go, but at least she’s alive. Cloud almost wants to cry with her at the relief he feels seeing her there, safe and breathing in the cradle of his arms. Her small fingers are fisted in his shirt, head buried against his chest, and when she looks up at him her face is wet with tears.

“Is- is it over?”

His lungs feel too constricted to answer, chest tight, and before he can gather his thoughts or his breath there’s a thud of footsteps and a rise of voices. Other people, he realizes blankly for a second. Then, Barret - Avalanche, as awareness finally catches up to him.

“Marlene! Marlene!”

“What the hell happened?”

“Oh Gaia, is that-”

A shadow falls over them, and within seconds Marlene is pried from Cloud’s arms. Barret instantly sweeps her into a crushing hug, a spill of soft, comforting words pressed into his daughter’s hair. Cloud struggles to sit up when the other man turns away, hoping to capitalize on his distraction before anybody realizes a simple fall practically took him out. His face burns when he finally manages to push himself upright, but nothing could prepare him for the sight of everybody else standing there as well. Silent and frozen as they stare at him with wide, horrified eyes.

Cloud tenses and goes deathly still. His voice catches at the back of his throat, shame and pain and a dozen other things making his arms shake beneath his weight. He knows he should say something, but no words would be able to justify the fact that he’d almost let a child die. Now they know. Now they-

“What is that?” It’s Marlene who asks it, voice small in the heavy blanket of silence, and Cloud blinks in momentary confusion.

Then a feather falls into view, and Cloud nearly goes faint with shock. Before he can stop to think, he’s bringing his hand up, fingers splayed and stomach twisting as he reaches up to catch it. He expects dust and shadow - for the feather to disappear as every other has. Except that when his fingers wrap around it, all he feels are soft, delicates vanes and a thin shaft. Real.

No!

Cloud throws it as far away from him as he can, panic rising when all it does is catch on the air and keep drifting. Like a real feather should. Panting, he staggers to his feet, casting about desperately for Sephiroth as he grabs for his sword. Yet his hands hit nothing and all he sees is Barret and Tifa and Marlene, shocked and terrified and stunned. All looking at him and not anybody else . Or, more accurately, something behind him.

Cloud doesn’t need to see it to know, of course. The weight off balances him and has him trying to catch his footing, tripping backwards as they all just keep looking. Not saying anything. Not doing anything. Just-

“Are you a monster?”

And Cloud can’t bear to hear their answers. To look for one more second at their disgusted expressions and horrified eyes. The spell has been broken, Tifa opening her mouth to speak as Jessie gasps and moves forward, and Cloud trips backwards again, boots scraping loudly on the ground as he staggers around in a wide circle.

“Cloud!” It’s Tifa.

Tifa. She knows what Sephirtoth did. She knows he’s a monster-

And he can’t look back - can’t look into her eyes and know that she hates him.

So he runs.

He runs until his feet ache and nothing makes sense. Until the stares and gasps he draws from onlookers drive him deeper into the bowels of the scrapyards with the burn of shame and fear and hatred.

“I told you,” Sephiroth hisses, and Cloud spins in the center of a closed metal clearing to face the bastard, but all he’s met with is more walls.

“Shut up,” he snaps, “shut up!”

“They know you’re tainted, now”. Cloud doesn’t even need Sephiroth to tell him that. Doesn’t need Sephiroth to let him know that his mind is cracked and broken. That his body isn’t his own.

Cloud can’t even look at the metal for fear of seeing his reflection; gleaming snake eyes and a cruel smirk. He already has enough of Sephiroth. He already knows he’s a monster. He doesn’t need to see it. As if the voices in his head hadn’t proved it. As if the green flashes and painful hallucinations hadn’t already told him. Now his corruption isn’t only on the inside. Now it’s outside of him, too. A morbid display of his weakness and his failure. Proof that he can’t control what’s inside his head, let alone the appearance of his own body.

He holds back a sob, chest jumping and lips thinning. There’s a corner of the clearing that’s shadowed and dark, sheltered by a jagged metal overhang, and he forces one foot in front of the other. The sound of something dragging behind him makes him want to vomit. Pain sears through the appendage, pulling at his chest and back and making his shoulder ache. Snapped, he thinks, and has to push the thought to the back of his mind because he doesn’t care. 

If he’s lucky, the thing is broken beyond repair.

He drops down and crawls beneath the overhang, pulling his knees to his chest and pressing against the cold metal. Stretched out in a gruesome, bloody display is the wing, nearly unnoticeable in the darkness of the night, and he presses his eyes to his knees so he doesn’t have to see it. The pain is a stark reminder, though.

He really is a monster.

They’d all been so scared of him. Tifa had been the worst, of course, but Marlene’s fear was palpable. Even thinking about it makes his eyes wet, and no amount of rubbing them on his pants can brush away the tears. Aerith had been wide eyed, fingers pressed to her mouth in shock, and Barret had looked thunderous. Probably from allowing Marlene anywhere within a foot of Cloud.

He curls into a tighter ball and tries to fight the heave of his shoulders, but it’s a fruitless endeavor. There’s a feeling of loss that burns, even as he reminds himself that he’d never been a part of their family in the first place. One that has him wishing he could cut the fucking wing away. That he could make everything better. Head back to Seventh Heaven and beg for their forgiveness.

If only he had his sword.

The mere thought has him shuddering in phantom pain, and he resists the urge to pull the wing closer for protection. 

“Cloud?” A voice breaks the silence, and Cloud freezes at the sound. It’s Tifa’s voice, and she’s close enough to be right on top of him.

Then another voice speaks up, echoing down the walls of the alley he’s in, and Cloud ducks down to press even further into his hiding place at the sound of Barret’s approach. “Oi merc! Where the hell are you?”

“Barret, you’re going to scare him off.”

“Kid can take care of himself.”

“But did you see-” 

A light swings into view, flickering along the battered edges of Cloud’s feathers, and both sets of footsteps immediately come to a stop. Cloud swallows and closes his eyes, trembling with fear or embarrassment, he doesn’t know.

Have they come to hunt him down? Or kick him out?

Tifa wouldn’t do that.

Cloud doesn’t say a word. Neither does Barret and Tifa. Their light lingers on his wing for a long time, and he wonders if they’ve finally noticed how ugly it is. The gruesome bend and twist of an unnatural limb.

“Oh Gaia. Cloud, are you hurt?”

It takes a greater effort this time around to resist pulling his wing closer, wrapping it around himself and shielding his body from prying eyes. The light hasn’t moved, but he knows their gazes have, and there’s not even a millimeter more space between himself and the walls that could help him shift away.

“That don’t look natural.” It’s not. “Shit, do you think it’s broken?”

The light moves, then, over bloody patches and the scattered feathers ringing his form. Cloud feels nauseous just looking at them, undeniably grateful that they haven’t turned to dust even as he wishes they would.

“That looks like a lot of blood…” Tifa worries, and Cloud flinches when she takes another step forward. “We need to get him back. Cloud, can you move?”

He doesn’t know what to say. Doesn’t know what they want from him. His mouth feels sealed shut with fear and loathing, and he can’t even swallow past the knot in his throat anymore. As if it isn’t shameful he’d been so weak as to get injured in the first place. Now he has a fucking wing sprouting from his back and all he wants to do is cry. Are they here to mock him? He just wishes they’d leave.

“We’re just here to help. Please, Cloud.”

It shouldn’t be Tifa begging. It shouldn’t be Barret approaching with light steps and a soft voice. Shouldn’t be either of them here to see him like this, offering help.

This is all so, so wrong. They should be afraid of him. They should hate him.

He knows he does.

“It’s okay-”

“It’s not.” He inhales like he’s drowning, throat tight and vision blurred. “I’m a- I’m like- Sephiroth.” The word is acid on his tongue and Tifa’s startled inhale only makes it worse. He’s a fool for reminding her, and now she’s going to abandon him. She’s going to realize this was a mistake and she’s going to leave.

“You’re nothing like him.”

Cloud almost chokes on his sob, tension cut away so abruptly his limbs go numb with the shock of it. He collapses in on himself, biting his lip to stifle the tremors, but the rest of his body shakes with each breath.

“I told you before that I was wrong about you, kid. That wasn’t a joke. You ain’t nothin’ like that sick fucking bastard.”

Cloud shakes his head. “You’re wrong. You’re wrong. I-I see him- I-”

“You see Sephiroth?” Tifa sounds faint, but Barret powers on as stubborn as ever.

“That doesn’t mean a thing, okay?” he says, and the conviction in his tone eases the band around Cloud’s chest. He takes in a shaky breath, latching desperately onto Barret’s next words. “What you see isn’t real, and having a wing don’t mean a thing except that you’ve got a wing.”

“Sephiroth has-”

“Sephiroth doesn’t have shit cause he’s a dead sonofabitch.”

That brings with it a whole host of worries Cloud hasn’t allowed himself to think about since he got here, and another silence descends between the three of them. The pain in his wing is a lot more noticeable now that he’s gathered enough wits to focus on it, and he can’t help the slightest hint of hope from forming - that they actually mean what they say. That they still care.

“You ain’t a monster, and Marlene shouldn’t have said that.” Barret lowers himself to a crouch, the hard edges of his expression melting into something soft as he continues. “You saved her. You saved my baby girl, and I will never forget that.”

Cloud had failed her. He’d almost let her fall. Yet he can’t bring himself to correct Barret, careful of the tentative trust.

“I ruined your gathering,” Cloud ends up saying instead, though he’s not entirely sure why.

Barret snorts. “Gathering was ruined as soon as you left.”

Should have snuck out. “Sorry.”

“That’s not what he meant,” Tifa says, sighing. She lowers herself to kneel beside Barret, and Cloud’s surprised to see nothing but kindness and concern in her eyes. That small bubble of hope grows when she smiles at him. A shy, reassuring twitch of the lips. “He meant that we missed you after you left. Aerith was worried she’d upset you.”

“But it was a…” Private affair. 

Gaia, he’s such an idiot. It was stupid to worry about such a thing in the first place, and it only goes to show just how weak he is that he’d even been bothered at all. Cloud has never been shy about who he hangs out with before. He’s never cared before if people accept him. Yet the sting of Barret’s words had felt fresh, the mockery of a few days ago - of extra money and saying they wouldn’t need him - like a new cut across his skin. It hadn’t felt scarred over in the moment. Hadn’t felt anything but raw and exposed as they’d all laughed around him - at him.

“We wanted you there. Hell, it woud’a been nice to hear the story from you.”

“I’m sure you would have told it better. Though Aerith does have a...way with words.”

A hint of a smile finds its way to Cloud’s lips at that, but it rapidly gives up the ghost when his gaze lands on the wing again. He eyes it warily, swallowing down bile and blinking away the afterimages of blood and a sword and silver hair over monstrous eyes. He shudders at the memory, pulling his knees closer to his chest. There’s a limp, broken rasp of feathers over concrete as he moves, and he has to peel his gaze away before he does something he’ll regret.

“Cloud…” Tifa begins hesitantly, fingers outstretched toward his wing. They’re frozen, her voice hesitant as she speaks. “We never talked about what happened in Nibelheim. Sephiroth…”

“I know.”

She gives him a tiny nod and says nothing for a while, then: “you aren’t a monster. You’re not like him, and I could never hate you for this. You and Sephiroth...you aren’t the same. Even if-” She squeezes her eyes shut, lips pursing and shoulders hitching as she calms herself. Cloud and Barret both wait patiently. “Even if you see him...Sephiroth. You need help.”

“We can help you,” Barret pitches in, low and so unlike himself that Cloud thinks for a moment he might be fever dreaming or in an alcohol induced coma.

“The others are waiting at the bar for us, too.”

“Trust me when I say they’ll come out here themselves and scream your name for hours if we don’t return with ya. Your little flower girl threatened me. I ain’t never been threatened by someone so tiny in my life.”

“Everybody wants to help you,” Tifa says, “Please. I- we... love you.”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that-” Tifa’s hair practically cracks through the air as her head whips around, and the burn of her vivid red eyes has Barret cowed. Cloud can’t quite hide the smirk that appears this time around, and Tifa shares a smug smile with him when Barret scowls at the both of them. “Uh huh. I don’t know why the hell I thought our friendly neighborhood merc here was the only Nibelheim bastard. You’re both just feral pains in my ass.”

The word choice is uncomfortable, but for the first time that night, the pang of rejection doesn’t follow. Barret looks relaxed around his wing, now. As does Tifa. Neither of them appears horrified, anymore. They don’t look disgusted.

“I’m...I don’t know what to do.” He has to pry the first words from his mouth, but he isn’t even aware of the next words until they fall like fire from his lips. “It hurts.”

His face heats with shame, yet Tifa and Barret don't mock him. They don’t call him weak or useless or a sorry excuse for a SOLDIER. And he forces his muscles to unwind, inhaling deeply and exhaling at length. They wouldn’t hurt him, he reminds himself, these people are safe.

“It’s okay, Cloud,” Tifa soothes. She rises slowly, every movement of her approach projected, and Cloud would protest the treatment if he wasn’t so painfully grateful for it. When she falls to her knees outside his shelter, the careful compassion on her face hasn’t changed. “We can patch you up. Just like when we were kids.”

He hesitates. “Here?”

“Back at the bar,” Barret corrects, “ain't no way we’d be able to heal you up out here, otherwise. Even if it were daytime.

Cloud takes another fortifying breath, comforted by Tifa’s solid support. Yet voicing his concerns is still too much, and he subsides reluctantly into the shadow of his safe haven.

“We’ll take the back alleys,” Tifa says, and Cloud blinks at her in surprise. Her flicker of a knowing smile is like a benediction, a soothing run of words like water over his skin. “We aren’t that far from Seventh Heaven, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Okay?”

He nods, and Barret’s loud clap is almost enough to make him jump. “Aight! Let’s get movin’. You think you can stand, SOLDIER boy?”

“I’m not an invalid,” Cloud barks with a scowl, “I can move just fine.”

“We could carry the-”

“Don’t!” He regrets snapping immediately, wincing and looking away. “I can move it myself.”

“It’s got to be painful. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Don’t...don’t touch it.” He pauses and flicks his eyes to her, then over to Barret as the other man shifts to stand. They both came for him. They want to help him. 

They consider him family. He blinks the tears from his eyes and looks away, crawling slowly from his shelter. Tifa is warm at his side, Barret steady and unwavering before him. Neither of them leaves.

They came for him. “...thank you.”

“Anytime.”

Cloud might just believe them.

[deathpuppies12]

The Bombing of Emotions

Mission Save Tifa

Cloud, how, I can't form a single coherent thought. I lunge forward and wrap him in a tight hug. He doesn't  hug me back which is a little disappointing. He grabs my shoulders and pulls me back. "How are you", he asks me. "What, I should be asking you that, your the one who fell". I think about what Barret said about him working for Shinra in the past. Wait, I push away from him. "Your a liar", he raises his eyebrows at me. "What", its almost a whisper. "You used to work for Shinra or what ever, why didn't you tell me". "Listen, I didn't tell you because there was nothing to tell", I role my eyes at this. "So you previously working for the company that we know is after me for some reason isn't info I would need to know", I push him back. He looks away from me, I sit down and take a deep breath.

"Listen, there's no excuse for not telling you but, I'm sorry". I sigh, I'm not over this but I'm really glad to have Cloud back. I stand up and hug him again. He's a little surprised by this, holds my shoulders this time. Well it's better then nothing I suppose. "Alright come on, we gotta go help Tifa". "What why, what's wrong with Tifa", she was fine only moments ago. "Nothing right now, but we gotta go before something is", I nod my head. I grab my important things and we're on our way.

Climbing out of the whole in the ground there's a girl in a red jacket and pink dress standing there. There's a small gasp from her when she sees me. Does she know me? "Alright let's get going then", Cloud says. "Hi, I'm Aerith, nice to meet you (y/n)". "How do you know my name"? She laughs, "Cloud talks a lot about you". I look over at Cloud who is finishing an eye roll. Ha, Cloud missed me. I run ahead on the path, finally getting my pep back.

                                     Clouds pov

"Cloud, can I talk to you", Aerith grabs my arm. "What". "It's (y/n), I know her". What, I raise my eyebrows. "I can't explain how right now but, you need to keep her as far away from Shinra as possible", I look back at (y/n) who is way ahead of us. What could they possibly want from her. "Why", Aerith only shakes her head. "I can't explain right now just promise me", Aerith pleads. I nod my head.

                                    (Y/n) pov

We stop in front of a place with a cow boy standing out front. "What do you want", he must be the boss cow boy. "We're looking for a friend who rode one of your carts", Aerith says. "I get a lot of people riding through I don't know who your looking for". "She was just here", Aerith pleads. "What does this girl look like", the cow boy asks us. "She's in great shape", Cloud states. Eww Cloud what the hell, right in front of my salad. "Wait you talking about Tifa", what how did he know from that description. It wasn't even a description.

"Yes we are, can you tell us where she is", Aerith says. "Sorry to late now, she's off to Don Corneo's". Strange Don Corneo sounds really familiar. "Well we need to save her from a life with out this guy", she points towards Cloud. Ahh, they are dating, I knew it! "Sorry, don't know what to tell you". With that he walks off. "Well now what are we gonna do", I say. "We're gonna march up to Don Corneos and get her back", Aerith says. "Yeah", I yell punching my fist in the air. Cloud breaths a laugh behind us.

We make our way to Don Corneo's fucking PALACE. Jeeze it's huge, this place is worth more than my life. "Stay out here", Cloud stays. "What, come on", He puts his hand on my shoulder stopping me. "We don't know what happens in there and I would rather you stay here". "Fine", I wait patiently on the bridge for them to come back. While waiting a guy with red hair and no shirt runs up to the bridge. Wait that's the guy from Sector 7. What the hell is he doing here. Just in time Cloud and Aerith come back out.

"Bro is it true that Tifa has been takin by Don Corneo". I have trouble holding back a laugh, what is wrong with him. "Uhh", Cloud has no words. Neither do I Cloud, neither do I. "Don't worry Tifa baby I'm coming", With that he runs off. I let out my laugh, that poor guy. "Not the sharpest tool in the shed huh", Aerith says. "Nope".

We go back to the cow boy dude to try and convince him to help us. To our dismay he declines but he does point us in another direction. Maybe he's not a mean cow boy after all. We decide to head to the 'Honey Bee Inn' first. Upon our arrival I can hear the whispers of what this place is. "Yeah nope, I'm gonna stay outside again", I say. "Why", Cloud asks. "Um, It doesn't matter just don't take long", Cloud goes on. While waiting I see that Johnny guy again. Some one needs to tell this guy Tifa is not interested.

Cloud and Aerith come back out, finally. "I get why you didn't wanna go in there", Aerith says. Cloud laughs, "alright let's try the next place", Aerith says. Madam M's place, hopefully this place isn't as weird. "Welcome, Welcome, just you two, oh wait, three? Sorry we don't except Children", the woman at the counter says. "Don't worry, I didn't want anything", I say. "Well, then what manner of massage would you two like", She asks Cloud and Aerith. "Say what", Aerith asks. "Is this your first time in our establishment, we are a hand massage parlor", she says. "We're not customers". "Then you are"? "Hoping you can get us an invitation to an audition with Don Cor-", she cuts Aerith off before she can finish. "Oh for the love of- say another word I will shove this fan down your throat"!

Damn, she's mean. "This is the last thing I need. You're young and stupid, and I suppose that means you think I'll let you off easy. So you want what? A favor"? She keeps going on, "here's the thing- this is a message parlor- a respectable establishment. But if you don't require our services... then tell me! Is there any reason I shouldn't have you dragged outside and shot for wasting my valuable time"!?

Goodness she is loud. She turns to Cloud now, "name". "Cloud Strife". "Give me your hand". "Hmm, the firm hands of a fighter, all right Cloud let's see what your made of, then we'll talk". Cloud goes with the luxury course, what a thing to spend your money on Cloud. They head to the back room and me and Aerith wait in the main room. We've been sitting here for a couple minutes when we noises from the back. Oh my god, yeah I'm going outside now. I slip out the door, gagging the whole. I hate this town so much.

While waiting outside I get another one of those weird flashback things. I collapses to my knees, the pain unbearable just like before. The scene that plays in head is of a woman standing in front an old man. He looks like that old man in the hologram. I can only make out a couple words, Don Corneo, sold, whore. The scene ends and the pain fades. Sounds around me come back. Cloud and Aerith come back outside. "(Y/n)", Cloud walks over to me. "What's wrong"? "Nothing, I just tripped", I stand back up.

Cloud doesn't seem to believe my answer but let's it go. Good, I don't really feel like talking about it. Everything about this place feels so strange now. I feel like I'm gonna throw up.

[vinnie2757]

another prompt for you; Persimmon- bury me amid nature’s beauty - FFVII, anyone

You knew what you were doing, don’t look at me like that. [Tifa, immediately post-game, 1600 words]

A few days go by. Marlene has nightmares, Cloud doesn’t sleep, Barret snores, but wakes the moment Marlene so much as hitches a breath. They’re all on edge. Tifa gives up sleeping after the second time she wakes, so most nights, she’s up before dawn. She helps the innkeeper, so desperately pleased to have the world’s saviours staying in his inn, to set up for the morning. They talk, in-between washing sheets and kneading bread, about the bar, about the slums, about the journey. He doesn’t ask her what happened out there, in the big wide world, the scary things that they saw, that they had to deal with. He hears the screams, he knows enough to know not to ask. And she’s grateful for that.

One morning, which is not so much morning as it is middle of the night, she comes down, and he’s sat nursing a drink.

‘I heard about your friend,’ he says, and she nods.

‘She was nice,’ Tifa nods. ‘She did – it was what she had to do.’

‘The good ones always go first,’ he nods, and then gestures at the bag on her shoulder. ‘You goin’?’

‘Just for the day,’ she says, ‘I want to – I need to see if the – some parts of Midgar are still standing, so I want to see if the – the church is still there.’

The innkeeper nods. ‘Couldn’t say,’ he says, and then ferrets in his pocket. ‘Save yourself a walk, take my truck.’

He tosses a set of keys over to her, and she catches them more on reflex than anything.

‘Thank you,’ she says, and looks at the tag; it was a ShinRa tag, once upon a time, because everyone got their vehicles from the company, but he’s scratched through the plating, and torn part of it off.

Good man.

‘Don’t worry about being back by any specific time,’ he says, ‘I ain’t gonna need it for a couple days.’

She nods, and thanks him again. ‘Let the boys know I’m alright for me, could you?’

‘Of course. I hope you find what you’re looking for.’

She takes her leave. The truck is old, a rusty hunk of junk, but it starts first time, and she hasn’t been behind a wheel in months, not since they – they escaped ShinRa tower, and Aerith’s whoop of delight when Tifa had just floored it to the window and made what should have been an impossible jump in the piece of shit they’d commandeered, considering the weight she’d had in the truck bed, it goes through her.

‘You were a firestarter,’ she tells the empty air in the passenger seat. ‘You know that? Absolute trouble. And they all thought it was me.’

She doesn’t get an answer, but she doesn’t expect one.

The makeshift streets on the plains are quiet, empty, and the truck rumbles along, as quickly as she dares, to try and avoid waking anybody. It’s been a long few days, what with the beginnings of organising a new city to be built in Midgar’s wake, and keeping everyone safe, and the relief effort and everything else. There’s been a lot going on, she wants to let them sleep. They were innocent in all this, even the people who’d worked in ShinRa’s offices. For the most part, they were doing their job to feed their family, bullied into cruelty by the higher ups. But that’s always the way, Tifa supposes. And she’s not so sure, after an hour's drive, whether they’re that innocent. Could she have walked away, if it meant starving her children? Losing her home? She likes to think she would have, but then, she’d been lucky enough to have the bar, to have Barret, and the others.

She parks up in Sector Five, and stares at the church, intact, for the most part. It’s no worse than it had been, by the looks of it, and she feels a laugh bubble in her throat. Of course it’s safe.

‘Are you there?’ she asks it, but not even a molecule of dust shifts in reply.

Locking the truck and picking her way over rubble, she goes to the doors, and waits. She can’t hear anything inside, andshe shuts her eyes, imagines footsteps on the floorboards, the low hum of asong.

Slowly, she pushes the door open, and in the shard of light beginning to peek through the holes in the roof – Cloud’s doing, mostly, from the stories she’d heard – she thinks she sees Aerith, bent over the flowers. She opens her mouth to call out, but the rush of breath disturbs the image, and she’s gone again.

The first tears catch her off-guard.

Her breath shakes, and her mouth is salty, and then she’s clutching the door to stay upright. Sobbing enough to feel nauseas, she sinks to her knees and buries her face in her hands and weeps. She weeps and she weeps and she weeps, until her lungs can’t get any more air, and her stomach churns with the weight of her sobs, and eventually, she stops.

She stops, and she breathes, and feels a hand on the back of her neck.

‘I’m alright,’ she says, ‘I’m okay.’

The hand squeezes, and fades.

She breathes, and she breathes, and she breathes.

She wipes her eyes on her arm, breathe some more. Sniffs, swallows, exhales.

‘I’m alright,’ she repeats, mostly to herself.

The thing had been, after Cloud had – had – buried her, Tifa hadn’t had time to grieve. They’d had Yuffie, who’d been so young, and Cloud had been, well, Cloud had been Cloud. And then Sephiroth, and the crater, and all the rest had happened. She’d had so much to worry about, and so many things she’d had to do, and oh hadn’t she shouted at Cid and Barret, as grown-ass adult men who needed to stop sleeping and fucking around and she couldn’t do this by herself. She’d tried her fucking hardest, but she’d been tired. She’d been tortured and imprisoned and she’d had so much to fucking contend with! She hadn’t had five seconds to herself to just.

To just cry, and grieve, and say goodbye.

She’d said goodbye, of course, they all had. But she hadn’t said goodbye. She hadn’t made her peace with it. She doesn’t know if she ever will. Yuffie had been angry, and had called Aerith all the names under the sun, had kicked Cid in the shins and been rude to Barret and she’d told Tifa she wished she’d been the one to die instead of Aerith, and you just have totake that kind of thing on the chin. But she’d called Aerith a liar, and Tifa, under the quiet, placating, mother-henning she’d found herself doing to try and stop this little family of theirs falling apart, she’d agreed.

Aerith had been a stinking liar, and it was unfair.

‘You knew,’ she tells the flowers, ‘didn’t you? You knew what was going to happen.’

She imagines Aerith’s smile, cocksure and not at all guilty as charged, and she hates it.

She hates it and for a second, she hates Aerith. She doesn’t, not really.

‘I miss you,’ she says instead, which is more the truth than hatred.

Her body is still in the temple, she knows. She could cajole Cid into taking her up there, but what would it achieve? Pick up a waterlogged, six-month gone rotting body and bring it back, for what? What would that do, besides traumatise everyone?

Aerith had never spoken about death. Had never told people what she wanted them to do with her body if she died. Cid wanted to be burnt, Yuffie and Barret and Red wanted to be left for nature to reclaim them, give themselves back to the planet. Tifa herself wanted to be buried, traditionally, but have no marker on her grave. Cloud had been quiet, but he’d said he wanted to be buried, nothing more, nothing less.

Aerith had – Tifa wants to bury her amid nature’s beauty.

That’s where Aerith should be. In a marked grave, with flowers hiding the upturned dirt, a whole field of them. Trees, and flowers, and a place for animals to rest. She thinks that’s where Aerith should be.

But all they have are these flowers, in the slums, growing despite everything that’s been happening.

Tifa goes and sits amongst them, in a patch flattened by Cloud, no doubt. She sits there, and she picks one of the flowers, and she holds it to her nose, and tries not to cry some more.

She stays there most of the day. Nobody comes by, nobody even comes into the slums; they’re using Sectors 3 and 4 for material, so she’s undisturbed.

The sun shifts to the other side of the church, and she supposes she’d better go home. It’s been a long day to not do anything for anyone.

It’s been a long day to not be involved. There are a few clouds gathering, so she needs to make sure people have a hot meal for the night.

As she leaves the slums, truck rumbling away under her feet, she looks in the rear-view at the church, and makes a promise to herself that she’ll come back. Once or twice a month, as she needs to. She’ll come and she’ll say hello, and she’ll tell Aerith all the goings-on.

‘I’m sure you’re watching us, though, aren’t you?’ she asks.

‘You’re going to be keeping an eye on him for me too, right?’

A distant rumble of thunder, and then it starts to rain.

[horrendous-saints]

Salvation || Chapter 1

The Price of Freedom

The rain poured heavily that day, yet dull light still flickers at the end of that long stretch of road...

The rain offered a bittersweet cleansing. Emerald hues watched as the rain washed away the crimson liquid from her shaky hands. She prayed to Gaia, or Aya or to the Six, or whoever would bother listening, that she could finally be free from the life forced upon her but she knew better than to believe her sins could be washed away so easily. 

Soaked black tresses did little to shield her eyes from the worst mistake she could’ve ever made. Now she had to live in constant fear that he would make her pay for what she's done...if he still had a pulse. 

“Rayvenna?” Hearing her name had been the cause of her finally tearing her eyes away from her bloodied hands but only briefly. The rain had washed away most of the crimson essence from her skin but some still remained. 

A familiar male had called out to her. His blond spiky hair dampened by the rain. “Ray, why are you out here?” When she didn't so much as turn to eye him, he reached out and grabbed her arm, his grasp firm but nowhere near threatening or painful, even so it was enough to cause the noirette to flinch and instinctively back away from him. 

She turned to eye him, momentarily forgetting about her bloodied and tattered dress. Her dress had been a pure white and went down to her knees just a few hours ago. Now it remained torn, nearly falling apart from the bottom up and barely reached her thighs. It served as evidence that she’d spent far too much time running.

When the male had taken in her appearance he had been stunned to silence, the rain drenching both of them no longer of importance. 

“What happened?” He asked as he snapped out of the storm raging within his mind, all the swirling thoughts and scenarios of what happened to her had come to an abrupt halt when she spoke. 

“I had to free myself.”

                                                    -------

A shrill ringtone pierced the air of the otherwise silent room, startling the sleeping occupant awake. A slender hand shot out from underneath a cream-colored duvet, blindly searching for the source of the noise. After a few frustrating moments, a tired noirette pulled the covers off herself and finally answered the phone, not bothering to check the caller ID. 

“Someone better be dying for you to be calling me this early.” She groggily answered. 

“Oh c’mon Ray, don't give me that.” A familiar and cheerful voice responded on the phone. 

“Tifa, you better have a good reason for waking me up, otherwise you’ll learn pretty quickly that I-” 

“I know, I know but I do have a good reason for waking you up. I have a job for you.” 

“From who?” Immediately Ray sat up, her interest sparked as her friend stated her purpose for this early morning call. 

“Cloud.” Hearing that odd name momentarily stunned Ray. 

“Why would-” 

“Well it didn't come from him directly but apparently someone he made a delivery for previously, needs to refill their stock of curatives. Before you ask why you have to go as well, one of the clients is wounded and needs help. Cloud will be there to pick you up in an hour. Have fun you two.” With that Tifa hung up. Ray stood, intent on being ready before Cloud arrived. 

Like clockwork, an hour had passed and the roaring of his bike's engine could be heard approaching her home. While the bike nears her home, Ray gently packs some of the curatives she'd made just a few days prior alongside materials she'd need to tend to a wound. It always helped to be prepared, is Rayvenna's mindset. 

She can hear his boots trudge closer to her home as he approaches her door. Before he can knock, her front door swings open allowing for both of them to meet face to face. Not much of a greeting is needed between them other than quickly fleeting smiles. 

"You sure are a master at giving a proper heads up." Rayvenna's tone is tightly laced with sarcasm but not a single hint of annoyance, causing Cloud to snort ever so lightly; so quiet that most would never hear it. 

"I try." He retorts before offering his hand to take the bag containing the package she so neatly put together. Rayvenna shakes her head in response, slinging the bag's strap on her shoulder. 

"Let's go, the customer can't wait forever." With that the duo venture out, Rayvenna riding on the back of Cloud's bike. 

It's a pastime Rayvenna will never get enough of, to feel the wind hit her, the world around her passing by in a blur of colors, drowned out by the sound of the engine purring. To her, this is freedom. 

All too soon, that rush from riding with her friend dies down as they come to a slow stop. It had been approximately an hour of driving and yet that still didn't feel long enough to satisfy her. Ray wouldn't ever say that though, it would make her sound vulnerable and needy. 

They had arrived at the outskirts of Edge, a golden place dry and devoid of much life save for a few rebellious greenery here and there. Sitting up straight, Rayvenna stretches her back to relieve the ache brought on by leaning forward onto Cloud for support during the ride. A moment later and she's stepping off the bike, her boots finding hard solid ground beneath her. The desert is something she's used to given the many times she's traveled with Cloud.

"So who exactly placed this order?" Ray asks after five minutes of waiting for them. 

"The caller didn't leave their name but he did say his two friends were coming to meet us." Cloud answers simply, no suspicion evident despite the fact he didn't seem to recognize the customers. 

"All a part of the job." Rayvenna remarks earning a quirked brow from her blond companion. She didn't need to hear his question to know there is one. 

"Showing up to meet random people in the desert to give them what's requested." Her clarification only receives a curt nod from him. 

Only a few more minutes of idle chit chat pass before the clients arrive. To the surprise of both Ray and Cloud, a third person is in tow. A tall man with glasses helps his much more muscular and shirtless friend walk to them, said muscular man having his arm around the shoulders of the bespectacled man and another blond stranger. 

"I am aware our comrade mentioned there would be only two of us that would show up but I'm afraid our friend here requires more assistance than just myself." Rayvenna takes note of the distinct accent but can't quite place it. 

"Cue me!" The blond speaks whilst straining himself to keep the middle man up. 

"Right." Is the only response Rayvenna gives, accompanied by grunting from the injured man as his comrades help him settle down on a rock only approximately two feet away from all of them. 

"I apologize for the trouble." The middle man speaks as if he's winded. Rayvenna wastes no time in digging in her bag to retrieve the makeshift first aid kit, the clinking of glass bottles can be heard as she does so.

As she approaches him and gains a better look at his face, her eyes widen ever so slightly as a wave of recognition washes over her. The man looks to her confused, just barely catching the look before she forced it away and began the process of cleansing and dressing his wound. She puts gloves on before gently moving his hands from his lower right side, allowing her to see the blood staining his hands. 

"It's not too serious." She remarks loud enough for his friends to hear, earning sighs of relief. Her green hues begin scanning the damaged area, her hands carefully placed around it while her small form leans forward to get a better look at it. The wound is about half the size of a thumb in length and twice that in width. 

"It looks bad but it should heal in a day or two when I'm done." Rayvenna retrieves gauze before placing it over a bottle and spilling the bottle on it, allowing for the gauze to soak up the strangely colored liquid within the bottle. 

"This will make the wound close and the skin fuse back together quickly." She informs him before placing the gauze over the wound. The man hisses in pain when she presses it down. 

"Sorry." Rayvenna murmurs. If I really wanted to...I could use magic to make this easier…Rayvenna quickly wipes that idea out of her mind. Doing so could reveal her identity, and opening that door won't end well…

"What is that?" Her impromptu patient questioned. 

"A concoction I made. Heals quicker than any Elixir but not in a drastic way like a Phoenix would. It does prevent the need for either so you don't dip into the supply you're picking up now. It is strong though so he will need to rest after this" 

He nods in understanding though judging by the way he continues staring at her, Rayvenna wonders what else he may have understood. Does he think I look familiar as well? 

"We appreciate your assistance." His very formal friend spoke, giving her the perfect excuse to stand up and step away from him. 

"Hey...I think it's already healing. The pain is gone." This news brings a quickly fleeting but still prideful smirk to tug at her lips. 

"Whatever that stuff is, it's already working miracles. Thank you." He adds before extending a hand her way. "Gladiolus." His introduction quickly follows. Before she can smother it, her eyes widen in response. It doesn't take much for every man except the other blond who is too busy on his phone to take notice. 

"Something wrong?" Gladiolus asked, taking the words right out of Cloud and the other man's mouths. 

"No." Comes her answer but given the way she hesitates it makes each of them wonder what else lingered. 

"I'm Ray." She finally returns Gladiolus' handshake, faking a brief smile all the while. 

Now it's Gladiolus' turn to be stunned momentarily. This makes Rayvenna's stomach drop. 

"Have we-" 

"I-I have your curatives." Rayvenna is quick to rush over to her bag, retrieving the box for them and handing it over. Once Gladiolus takes it, she retreats to Cloud's bike, putting significant distance between herself and the three comrades. This causes the bespectacled man's brow to raise and the blond's attention to finally move from his phone to the situation happening right before him. 

"Thank you." The accent rings out lowly, though there's a silent question in the man's tone. 

Cloud clears his throat, breaking whatever silent tension is slowly brewing. 

"Right. Ignis, let's pay them for their trouble and get out of here." Something now begins to weigh on Gladiolus but neither of his comrades has the courage to ask what it is right now. 

"Of course." The man, Ignis, agrees before a gloved hand of his reaches into his back pocket. The exchange of Gil to the seller is swift and without further incident. Rayvenna keeps her gaze to the ground, not wishing to allow any of them to get a better look at her. 

"You have our thanks." Ignis announces smoothly before he motions for his comrades to follow. Gladiolus chances one more look towards Rayvenna before he follows behind his friends. 

It's not until they're far out into the distance that Cloud dares speak. Leaning against his bike, he eyes Ray; almost nervously. 

"You wanna tell me what that was about?" It may very well be an idiotic question but it's one he feels the need to ask nonetheless. It would eat at him if he didn't ask. 

"I recognized him." Her initial answer is enough to make Cloud's gaze give away to one of complete seriousness and genuine concern. Before he can ask her to elaborate, she does so. "From when my mom brought me to Insomnia. His family has close ties to the royal Insomnian family." That's all she has to say for Cloud to fully understand. 

"Ray...do you think they-" 

"No. They were and still are loyal. There's no way to know for sure if he recognized me too. Even if he did, the only thing we can do is leave and forget this happened." All Cloud can do in response is nod. It's not his place to object.

With that, they leave, unaware of the conversation begging to be had between the three comrades just a short drive away. Inside the car, they've been gifted for the day. 

"So uh…" Prompto is the first to speak, nervousness easily peaking through. "What happened back there?" Ignis remains silent but his gaze still flickers to Gladio through the rearview mirror every time the cat encounters a red light. 

Gladio appears to be lost in thought, gaze glued to the fast-moving blur that is the world outside the car. It takes him thirty seconds to answer Prompto's question both because it took half that for it register and the other half for him to form the words. 

"I think I know who she is." Ignis has a nerve stricken by this news. His own vague recognition settling back in. 

"What do you-" 

"We'll finish this discussion once we arrive back at the hotel." Ignis intervenes, earning a nod from both Prompto and Gladio. Thirty minutes of driving later and they return to the hotel as planned, just outside of Hammerhead. 

They're greeted by a curious and well-rested black-haired male, their fourth and final companion. He stares at each of them, searching for signs that they've in fact done as he was told they were intending to do when they left. Seeing Gladio no longer needing both Prompto and Ignis to walk or stand, he assumes they had. 

"I was about to lead a search party for you three." Comes his greeting. 

"Aw, Noctis, you were worried about us? It's okay bud, we're all fine." Prompto teases, having momentarily forgotten about his concern for Gladio, unlike Ignis. 

"Sure. That and if you three needed me to come save you, I wanted to make sure I would be there." This response earns an exasperated sigh from Prompto. While the younger members of their party engaged in playful banter, Ignis and Gladio made their way up to the hotel room. 

"Ignis...Tell me, did that girl seem familiar to you?" Such a question is to be expected, even so, Ignis needs a moment of deliberation. He's searching for any explanation, any way that he can explain this that follows the story he was told. Then again, such an explanation only proves there is really no other way as he was told a story. 

"Yes, she did." Ignis answers, his tone giving away that there's far more to say on the matter than just those two words. 

"Do you think Ray...stood for Rayvenna?" The very mention of that name is enough to fill both with a sorrowful nostalgia. 

"I think there may be a chance. Amarynthian officials declared her dead after that raid of Kalm." Ignis adds the last part as a reminder to both of them. 

"Yes but…What if how they say it ended had been a lie?" Gladio has the words but barely the courage to say them. 

"It is true that the timeline they gave had been odd and the things they've left out are even more suspicious but there's been no sign of her." Ignis tries to reason. 

"Yeah, no sign, until now." Gladio had a point, Ignis is sure of that but is he sure this girl they met could truly be who they're wanting her to be? 

"There's no way for us to know the truth without a shadow of a doubt if we don't properly investigate. So, I propose that we do just that, investigate." Ignis' idea brings a smile to Gladio's face. 

"Then that's what we'll do. In the meantime, what will we tell Noct?" Gladio posed a good question one Ignis had been dreading. 

"Nothing. There's no sense in getting his hopes up for it to only be a dead end." 

"What won't you tell me and get my hopes up about?" Both Ignis and Gladio quickly turn to see the Prince himself standing there with a worried Prompto standing behind him, both thoroughly confused.  

"It's noth-"

"Oh c'mon, Gladio. Don't tell me it's nothing when you two are clearly up to something you don't want me to know about. Judging by your tones it's fairly serious, so out with it." 

"Noctis…" Ignis start but then needs to take a beat before continuing. What would he do if they told him? 

"We think we may have found a lead on...Rayvenna." Gladio is ultimately the one that breaks it to him. The look that overtakes the young royal is enough to make both of them regret ever considering this. First utter confusion overtakes Noctis' blue hues, then sorrow and finally raw pain. They had ripped open an old wound, and this time it couldn't heal without answers. 

"W-What?" The question isn't one demanding an answer, rather it's the only thing he could think to say initially. 

"It's true. When we went to retrieve the curatives and have Gladio's wound tended to, there was a girl there. She had a striking resemblance to Rayvenna and even the name she called herself, Ray while not uncommon had been the same as Rayvenna. Those are the only clues we have to go off of though so we must not jump to conclusions." 

"Where was she?" Noctis' tone had taken a far more serious edge to it, one portraying the hurt he felt but also the desperation and hope coursing through him. 

"Noctis we don't know-" 

"Where is she?" He barks, not willing to listen to the reasoning his friends had on the subject. 

"We don't know. We met her and her comrade not far from the ruins of Midgar just outside of Hammerhead. She's long gone by now." This news does nothing to quell his desire to see who they were talking about. Prompto only grows more concerned but doesn't have the courage to interject. 

"Noctis…" Ignis is the first to break the tense silence that fell upon them. "I understand what this means for you but you must not lose sight of what's important. Even so, I know you won't let this go so...I suggest we utilize two days to gather as much info as we can and figure out if this is indeed a lead we should pursue." This news births a new flicker of hope within Noctis. 

"Thank you." With that he offers a small, fleeting smile before heading towards the room, leaving his comrades on their own once more. 

"Consider me completely lost." Prompto finally chimes in. "Who is Rayvenna?" 

"An old friend of Noctis, one that was declared dead a few years ago." Ignis explains, searching for a good way to explain this to their clueless friend. 

"Wait...that name does strike a chord. Why?" 

"She was Amarynthia's Princess and only true heir to the throne. She was kidnapped and supposedly killed as a means of forcing the Amarynthian government to surrender to a mysterious enemy." Ignis continues but realizes a little too late that Prompto now had even more questions. 

"The entire situation had been odd but it was the only information given to both the citizens of Amarynthia and other nations. The Amarynthian royal family were allies to Lucis but King Regis had never been allowed to aid them in finding her. A few years after her kidnapping, a raid of the town Kalm, not far from where we went today had been raided in an attempt to find her." Gladio chimed in now, trying to piece the story together as best he can despite his own doubts. 

"The operation hadn't gone as planned and Rayvenna had supposedly been killed in the process. That's the story the king of Amarynthia told but reports state her body had never been recovered. When anyone asked about those reports they were silenced one way or another." Gladio continued. 

"And you guys think that Ray girl we saw in the desert could be her?" 

"Yes. We didn't want to tell Noctis until we were certain. You see, Rayvenna and Noctis were very close as children. He had known her before Lunafreya and her death devastated him. He's never believed the story told about anything that happened to her." Ignis' follow up explanation earns him a nod from Prompto. 

"And if it turns out she's still alive, then she and Noctis can reunite and we can figure out what really happened to her." This excites Prompto, in turn earning smiles and nods from his friends. 

"Then what are we waiting for?!" He cheerfully runs after Noctis wanting to keep that hope alive. 

"Ignis...You realize, if this turns out to be her, there's gonna be much more than a happy reunion, right?" 

"Yes. We'll help her get back home and reclaim the throne her father currently sits on. There may be a coronation for her and a wedding for Noctis in such a short span of one another."

"It'd be nice to know she's safe though I wonder if it will cause issues for Noctis' and Lunafreya's relationship." Even though that may be a serious issue later, Gladio can't wipe the smile off of his face. 

"I suppose only time will tell." 

Just a few miles away from the motel Prince Noctis and friends currently inhabited, Rayvenna could be found pacing in her home. 

"What if they tell that bastard they found me? What if they're in their way here now?!" 

"They wouldn't do that. You said it yourself that they were allies to your family. And you were close with the Prince so there's nothing you need to worry about." Cloud watches patiently from against the closest wall. 

"A lot can change, Cloud." 

"What happened to you reassuring me that everything would be alright?" 

"That went out the window when we turned on the news and saw that Lucis is signing a treaty with Niflheim in four days. If they realize it's me, they might be forced to hand me over right to Nikal." 

"Then we make sure that doesn't happen." Cloud's tone leaves no room for debate. He's serious and has no doubt about his words. This is enough to ease Ray's concerns, her shoulders falling slump and short-form collapsing onto the couch in relief. 

"You're right." It's all she can say and all there is to hope for. 

A day would pass before the four comrades would have any substantial leads. 

"Noctis!" Ignis exclaims, bursting into the tent the four of them shared, effectively waking the Prince from his slumber. 

"What is it Ignis?" The sleepy Prince grumbled, still lost in the space between consciousness and slumber. 

"We may have found something about Rayvenna." This is enough to make Noctis sit upright, at full attention and fully awake. 

"What is it?" He's already shuffling to get up. 

"I just got off the phone with the Marshal. He informed me that Rayvenna's aunt, Lady Anya, used to reside in Midgar before the Meteorfall, after some shuffling around she began living in Lestallum but made frequent trips to Kalm right after moving there and eventually a town known as Edge just outside of Midgar. It isn't much but it's a starting point." Ignis speaks while they exit the tent, joining their other two comrades outside. 

"So that means-"

"We're taking going to the Edge!" Prompto finishes his sentence excitedly, earning groans from his three friends because of the pun. 

"Essentially, yes. Now we best head out, the earlier we get there the better." Ignis' friends agree with him and quickly busy themselves with cleaning up the campgrounds and heading towards their now fixed vehicle. 

"On our way to save a Princess!" Prompto seems to be his usual, excited self. 

"Potentially, we must not forget that nothing is set in stone." Ignis reminds him and in turn Noctis of this fact. 

"Right…but how cool would that be?!" 

"Very." Noctis agrees, still hopeful. He doesn't catch the concerned look Ignis shoots him. It's clear the bespectacled man is worried this might all be for nothing and would crush the Prince's hope. 

As they each get situated into the car and head out towards Edge.