Chapter Text
Tifa's high off a mixture of tequila and rum as she stumbles back to Stargazer heights from her "girls night" with Jessie and Nellie. She feels bubbly and light while she rummages through her skirt pockets for her apartment keys, humming a little tune under her breath. Her eyes trail over to Cloud's door and she wonders if he's awake. He has been the last few times she's come looking for him, she really wants to see him. She'd missed talking to him before she went out.
Tifa abandons the search for her keys. Instead she stumbles over to Cloud's slightly dented door. Tries the knob and rejoices when it turns, busts into his apartment on wobbling legs, she doesn't even think just does.
Her vision blurs for a second with her rush of movement. Tifa blinks spots away then blinks for an entirely different reason. Cloud was awake as she'd hoped but it was the state she'd caught him in that had her head reeling.
He was standing in the middle of his apartment, wide eyed at her sudden entrance, wearing nothing but a tight pair of black boxer briefs - sweatpants in hand which he'd clearly been about to put on before she busted in. His hair loose and falling in damp blond waves around his face. They stared at each other for a minute before Tifa's face started to burn.
"I-I.. I'm so sorry!" She blurts. She says that but she's frozen in place, staring, because damn she didn't expect he'd look like that. All lean, firm, muscle and very defined pecs. She should have considering those yummy arms of his and.. now she was being an actual pervert what was wrong with her!?
"Sorry! Sorry!" Tifa sputters, turning and flinging herself out of the apartment -slamming the door shut behind her. Ignores Cloud calling out for her.
She rushes over to her door and fumbles around for her keys, face feeling like its on fire. What was wrong with her? What was actually wrong with her? Ogling him like she was when she'd burst in uninvited. She's a certified freak. He's going to hate her now. He's never going to want to see her again. And she certainly can't blame him.
She finally finds her keys and throws herself into her apartment.
Tifa wobbles herself over to her bed. Not even bothering to kick off her boots as she face plants onto her mattress. Curls up into a ball of shame and embarrassment and passes out.
---
Tifa wakes up the next morning to a heavy head and a dry mouth. She moans miserably into her pillow. Nose wrinkling at the stench of booze, sweat, and cigarette smoke coming from her clothes. Not a pleasant thing to wake up to for sure.
She peels herself from her sheets, a damp spot where her head had been. The cause the sticky disgusting trail of drool she can feel down her front. Her head throbs painfully as she sits up. A momentary bout of vertigo making her clench her eyes shut, stomach churning in a way she really didn't appreciate. She feels like death warmed over. Probably looks it too.
Tifa's greatly debating just laying back down, her own stench be damned because there's no way everything she ingested last night isn't going to come up if she gets up, when there's a light knock at the door. Squinting her dry eyes she calls out a wary "Come in." Figuring it was probably Marle or Barret coming to check up on her.
She gets a suprise when the door creaks open and Cloud steps inside. Cloud who's dressed in a tight navy blue t-shirt -did every shirt this man owned have to be a second skin?- and a startlingly familiar pair of fitted grey sweatpants. Tifa almost frowns at the thought she's seen those pants before. Before now she hadn't ever seen the blond out of his worn uniform… Then the previous nights' memories came back. Heat rushes into her face. Oh gaia he was probably here to yell at her for invading his privacy and gawking at him like some horny teenager. Now she's really is going to throw up.
"Hey." He says softly, hands tucked in his sweats pockets. His eyes gentle and glowing in the dim lighting of her room.
"Hi." Tifa squeaked, just waiting for the explosion she was sure was coming. All too aware of how much of a wreck she was currently. She discreetly wiped at her chin.
"You doing ok?"
"Huh?"
"Is your head hurting? Do you need water?" Cloud rocks on his heels, head tilted curiously.
Meanwhile Tifa's been thrown off her axis. She'd thought he'd be mad at her. Thought he would have been chewing her out at this point, not asking if she had a headache or needed water.
"Tifa?"
"Y-you aren't mad at me for last night?" She asks quietly, her voice small, the words hanging up in the back of her throat.
"Mad at you," Cloud says incredulously, like he'd never even considered it, "Tifa, you were stumbling around drunk off your ass. You obviously weren't in control of your actions. So, no I'm not mad."
It feels like a massive weight lifts from Tifa's shoulders. She lets out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, so relieved she hadn't ruined everything she'd struggled to build with him. With that suffocating fear gone she was now very aware of how bad she smelled along the nasty tacky drool patch on her shirt.
It's embarrassing to say the least.
Especially now that Cloud's come closer and he smells so very good. The ozone tang of mako mixing with the cinnamon spice of whatever soap he used. Tifa wants to bury her face in his stomach and never come up for air.
(Maybe she also wants a chance to nuzzle those abs for just a little bit. Possibly. Who can say.)
"Ya want that water now?" He questions, leaning forward with his hands on his hips, a smug little grin on his face.
"Please." She croaks, throat dry and slightly sore.
Cloud steps back and heads for the sink, snatching up a glass resting at the corner. She hears the tap turn on - licks her lips to try and wet them. Catches the sight of Cloud's ass in her peripherals and her eyes are drawn to it like a moth to a flame.
Those sweats should not be allowed to cling to him like they are. She can't decide if those sweats should be illegal or his baggy fatigues that have been hiding that perky backside from her. Maybe he just shouldn't be allowed to wear pants at all. That would most definitely work... Until she realized then everyone could see his cute butt if he didn't have pants on, and she didn't like that, and what on earth is she thinking about now!
Burying her face in her palms she can feel the heat radiating from her cheeks. She couldn't remember a single time where alcohol had made her this horny before and she's about to put her head through the wall just to calm herself down.
A soft snicker from infront of her drags her attention back to Cloud, whose stood inches away, holding out her glass of water.
"You really do need this, huh." Cloud chokes out, like he's trying not to laugh.
Those otherworldly eyes are sparkling with mirth and he's fighting a smile as it dawns on Tifa what he'd just said... That... That little shit!
Smacking the glass out of his hand Tifa ignores the mess it makes to grab his ass with both hands and yank the blond into her lap. Her senses are bombarded by warm cinnamon as Cloud yelps and braces himself on her shoulders. His cheeks have gone pink and she allows herself a quick squeeze of his butt to celebrate her victory. (It was just as cushy as it looked and she kind of really wanted to bite it - just a tiny bit.)
"Tifa?!" He squeaks, the tips of his ears and his cheeks going cherry red. Which is a very cute look on him in Tifa's humble opinion.
"You think you can just get away with what you implied, Cloud? Hmm?" Tifa asks, voice low, husky, and the blond sputters - his flush spreading down his neck. She wonders how far down it goes. She really wants to find out.
One hand leaves it's place on his ass to grab the back of his head, yanking it down so his ear was level with her mouth. Cloud squirms in her lap as she gently blows on the reddened shell. Feels something brush her thigh. She smirks.
"You've been a bad boy," Tifa whispers, flipping them over to pin Cloud to the bed, hovering over him, "Now you have to be punished."