Chapter Text
Midgar was the largest city on the eastern continent. With a population of nearly 10 million within its city limits, people practically tripped on top of each other just to cross the street. Little did the citizens know, that the skies above them were nearly as crowded as the streets they walked on. Aside from being the largest city, it was also the location of the world’s busiest airport. Midgar International had served nearly 110 million passengers, and were on track to beat that by summer. With passengers funneling in and out during the day, and cargo being ran at night the airport was a 24/7 operation. During peak times, there was a takeoff or landing approximately every 15 seconds.
To organize this chaos, flights were covered by two different facilities. Similar to a restaurant, the control tower acted as the waiters of the operation. They would organize flight plans, assign runways, and clear planes to takeoff or land. Their airspace only covered approximately 5 miles around the airport, however the radar was capable of seeing much further than that. Once an airplane took off, they were then handed off from the control tower to Radar Control, which acted like the kitchen of the operation. They would give turn by turn directions, along with altitude changes to arrivals and departures simultaneously, ensuring everyone reached their destination safely. Any planes landing was then sent over to tower for landing clearance. Their airspace extended another 25 miles beyond the control tower.
It was thanksgiving weekend, and Cloud Strife was already exhausted. After 10 years on the job, 2 of them running the control tower, it still amazed him the new things he would see and experience. Bomb threats, engine fires, even turtles trying to cross the runway. He’d thought he’d seen it all, and yet that day, he was about to see something entirely different. A thunderstorm had moved in over the airport, messing with the flow of departures and arrivals. To maximize lift, airplanes always took off and landed into the wind. The shift in wind meant they would need to switch from running north to south, to do that Cloud needed permission from Radar first.
A frustrated sigh escaped his lips. What is taking her so long? I bet her and Aerith are gossiping again. God give me strength.
“Still there?” Her sweet angelic voice said over the phone.
“Yeah, you get the last flight or not?”
“Jeesh, wake up on the wrong side of the bed? You know we’re supposed to be thankful for what we have, not groan about what we don’t.”
“Yeah yeah…”
A frustrated sigh escaped her. “You know Cloud I’m not happy to be here either, my moms…..”
“What?”
“Nothing. UPS 489 will be the last northbound arrival. Then you can start sending your departures south.”
“Got it. Hey if you need to-“
The line went dead. Cloud slammed the phone down on the hook. She always fucking does that, no wonder we aren’t close like we used to be. Cloud took a breath. Just do your job Cloud, leave the personal stuff at home.
Meanwhile in radar, it was chaotic to put it mildly. There had been planes that had been circling for nearly an hour, and countless others had diverted to Junon or even as far away as the Wutai. In charge of trying to organize this mess, was the supervisor Tifa Lockhart. She also had 10 years on the job, with only 2 being as a supervisor. Most days she loved her job, this was not one of them. Cloud had been on her all day about running the arrivals closer together. As if he knows how to work radar? If he couldn’t see out the window, he wouldn’t know if it was day or night.
“Tifa?” Aerith inquired.
Tifa looked down to her best friend’s emerald eyes. “Am I ok to send this one?”
Tifa leaned in close, eyeing the flight carefully while racking her brain for information. “Yeah that’s fine, I told Cloud one more.”
“Ok, just checking. Is Cloud in a mood again?”
Tifa giggled. “When isn’t he?”
(Yuffie) “Zack wants to know if I can release Southwest 412!”
Tifa nodded. “Aerith how long?”
Aerith shrugged. “Five minutes maybe?”
“Make it four.”
“Done.”
Tifa moved over to Yuffie’s station, eyes growing wide at the endless stacks of flight plans. Each flight plan required what was called a release. This effectively set the flight plan from the filed status, meaning it was in the system. To the active status, meaning they could take off.
“Tell Zack as soon as UPS arrives, we can take it.”
“Done.”
Tifa sighed. “It’s going to be a long evening.”
“Ahem!! If you two are done having a moment! Center is on the phone!”
Tifa rubbed her temple, stepping over to Scarlet’s station. “I’ve told you before, you call me supe. It’s in the SOP.”
Scarlett rolled her eyes. “Supe. Tseng wants us to run 50 flights an hour.”
Center was the facility that handled flights after or before Radar. Unlike them, their area covered the entire Eastern Continent and was mostly at higher altitudes. Since they covered a larger area, and handled more traffic overall, their decisions always overruled anything made by tower or radar. Their manager, Tseng, was notorious for changing his mind every 5 minutes.
(Tifa) “Give me the phone.”
Scarlet smiled knowingly, passing the phone to Tifa.
(Tifa) “Hey.”
(Tseng) “So sorry Tifa, we won’t be able to run the-“
(Tifa) “Some flights have been delayed for 3 hours. You’ve had over a dozen diversions and there are planes that have been circling in your airspace for so long, I’m pretty sure they are pushing minimum fuel. We agreed on 90 an hour, you call Cloud and tell him that you want his planes to sit on the ground.”
(Tseng) “Might I remind you-“
(Tifa) “You outrank us. I know, point stands….hold on.”
Tifa pressed a series of buttons, and then a ringing sound.
(Tseng) “You cannot be serious….”
Then at last there was a click. “What now?” Cloud inquired.
(Tifa) “Tseng wants to change it to 50 flights an hour.”
(Cloud) “Absolutely not.”
(Tseng) “I’ve got planes 100 miles away that are-“
(Cloud) “That’s your job! We dealt with this during the fourth of July! We couldn’t get the departures out quick enough so then the arrivals had nowhere to park!”
(Tseng) “That is your problem, not-“
(Cloud) “We run 50 flights an hour we’ll be here till 2 in the morning! I’ve got cargo flights carrying medical supplies to the Wutai where there’s an outbreak of malaria. You fess up to headquarters that they didn’t get their medicine in time because you couldn’t do your job and I’ll run the 50 flights!”
Tifa hit the mute button, giggling for several seconds.
Scarlet smiled. “Saw that one coming, good thinking boss.”
Tifa winked. “Work smarter not harder.”
(Cloud) “Tifa you want to weigh in on this?”
Tifa unmuted the phone. “I agree with Cloud. We agreed on 90, if you want to pull rank on us that’s your ass. You can call Midgar Express ops yourself; I can give you the number if you like?”
Cloud chuckled. “Couldn’t have said it better.”
Tifa smiled. “I try.”
(Tseng) “Both of you need to keep your flirting out of the workplace. We shall run the 90 flights as agreed.”
Tifa scoffed. “As if you know what flirting looks like.”
Cloud laughed. “Guess you’ve been served.”
(Tseng) “I could write you both up for this.”
(Cloud) “Good. If headquarters is as cold as you they could use the firewood.”
Tifa burst into a fit of giggles as Tseng hung up. “Cloud!!”
(Cloud) “Nice job Tifa, keep those gloves up.”
Tifa stopped giggling, heart skipping several beats. That was a saying he would say to her when they were kids training together at the dojo. She hadn’t heard him say it in years, but it still had the same effect. “Cl-Cloud….thank you.”
“Anytime. I’ve gotta go.”
“R-right, talk to you later then.”
The airport featured four runways, all running in a north south configuration with the terminal in the middle. Facing north they numbered 36 left, 36 right were on one side, with 34 left and 34 right on the other. Facing south, they numbered 18 left, 18 right, 16 left and 16 right. To make matters even more complicated, both of the 36 runways were closed for lighting upgrades, leaving them with just two runways.
As UPS 489 landed on 34 Left, next door on the adjacent runway facing south Southwest 412 was in position ready to takeoff on 16 left. With the UPS safely on the ground, Zack cleared Southwest for takeoff. As they began their takeoff roll, Zack cleared the plane behind them to enter the runway but not to take off yet. What happened next is something every Air Traffic Controller fears.
*Tower Delta 757 inbound 34 left*
Zacks heart stopped. “Calling tower say again?”
*Delta 757 34 left*
Zack looked out the window, eyes widening as he realized the error. “Southwest 412 cancel takeoff!”
It was too late. They had already begun lifting off.
Before Zack can key up the mic again, the collision alert rings through the tower. Cloud rushes over.
“What the hell is going on?!”
“I don’t know!” Zack keyed up the mic and begins frantically giving instructions.
“Delta 757 heavy turn right immediately heading 100.”
*Heading 100 Delta 757 heavy*
“The hell Cloud? You said that was the last one.”
Zack keyed up the mic once more before Cloud could respond. *Southwest 412 turn right heading 250 without delay*”
“Tifa said it was.”
*Heading 250, that was mighty close. The hecks going on down there?*
“*Working on that.*
*Tower Delta 757 heavy*
*Go ahead*
*Yeah we would like a phone number to talk to a supervisor. That was way too close, we got a nasty alarm in the cockpit.*
*Yeah Southwest 412 would like one as well*
“They’re asking for your head.”
Cloud fumed. “This is bullshit, she messes up and I have to take the-“
“Hey!! If you two are done flirtin! Cloud, your girlfriend is on the line!” Barret called from the other side of the room.
“Switch them back over to Aerith. I’ll have her give them the number.”
Zack nodded as Cloud quickly stepped away. Ten years. Ten years without any mistakes or misses and then this. Judged by a few precious seconds where someone didn’t do their job. Strolling over to Barret, he angrily took the phone out of his hand. “Shes not my girlfriend.”
“Heh, sure.”
“Just go back to changing the flight plans. Do your job Barret.”
“Heh, right”
Tifa stood with her arms crossed over her chest, struggling to slow her pounding heartrate. How could this have happened? On thanksgiving week of all days. There shouldn’t have-.
“Tifa!! They want the number to the tower!” Aerith called from her radar station.
“Give it to them!!”
“And us too!!”
“Fuck…fine!”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me Tifa.”
Tifa put the phone back to her mouth. “Look I don’t know what-“
“Tifa that’s your job!! You’re supposed to…….I’m sorry.”
(Tifa) “Its fine.”
No I…..we’ll talk about this later. We’re both gonna have to fill out a report, the pilots-
(Tifa) “Want your head I know; they want mine too.”
“Their gonna pull every conversation we’ve had today on this thing.”
“I know.”
“And we’re both going to get suspended…..I’ll be in touch. Please be more careful, I’ll send the next departure out in a few minutes so you can sort some things out.”
“No its-“
The line went dead.
Tifa opened her mouth to respond only for the line to go dead. Slamming the phone down, she moved back over to Aerith. “You doing alright?”
(Aerith) “Y-yeah, I think so. I don’t understand, you said it was ok?”
Tifa frowned. “What? The UPS-“
(Aerith) “No that’s not the one I was pointing at, this one.”
Tifas heart stopped as Aerith pointing to the Delta strip.
(Aerith) “It was right above the UPS one, they were low on fuel so I figured we’d sneak them in.”
Tifa stood in horror, as the dots slowly began to connect. She’d made a mistake. A decade on the job with no errors and now this.
Aerith’s face softened. “Tifa-“
(Tifa) “I’m fine. We’ll talk about this later.”
Just as Tifa turned to move away, Aerith grabbed her by the arm.
Tifa jerked it away. “Aerith-“
(Aerith) “I think they just declared an emergency. Hold on.” Hitting a special button, the radio echoed through the speaker.
“Delta 757 say again.”
*Yeah we are declaring a fuel emergency. We need immediate vectors the field please*
(Tifa) “Ask what runway they want?”
(Aerith) *What runway would you like?*
*We don’t care, just get us on the ground without any more mistakes*
(Tifa) “Give them 16 left, its the longest and closest to the terminal. Get the information, I’ll call Cloud.”
Aerith nodded, keying up the mic and turning back to her screen.
Tifa stepped aside, picking up a nearby phone and pressing the button for the tower.
(Zack) “She say anything?”
(Cloud) “Just that she’d look into it.”
Zack nodded. “Sure it was a simple mistake.”
(Cloud) “We can’t make mistakes here Zack.”
(Zack) “Cloud, we’re all human. Remember what Zangan used to say?”
Cloud sighed. “The pursuit of perfection is a fruitless one.”
(Zack) “Exactly. Am I good to send out the next one?”
(Cloud) “Sure, Tifa should have had enough time to-“
The sound of the phone ringing cut his sentence short. “Hold that thought.” Cloud picked up. “Hey.”
Hi the umm….Delta that went around they declared an emergency. I gave them 16 right, I mean 16 left. The one closest to the terminal.
Cloud grabbed a pen and paper. “Take a breath. 16 left correct?”
Yes.
“What’s the issue?”
Sorry?
“The nature of the emergency Tifa.”
Oh! Right, um its low fuel. They said they have about a half hour left
“Got it. How many total people on board?”
190, sorry 196!!
Cloud sighed. “You need to relax. I know you’ve got a lot going on, but we have to do this together ok.”
Although Cloud couldn’t see, Tifa failed to fight a rising blush on her face. Th-thank you.
“Sure, call me when they are turning inbound. The fire trucks will be in position.”
Ok, I’ll call when they turn outbound, I mean inbound. Right, I’ll call you.
Cloud opened his mouth to speak, only to realize the line was dead. Placing the phone back on the holster, he moved back over to Zack. “How many flights are waiting at 16 left?”
“Forty give or take, one on the runway too. ” Zack replied.
“Get them off, put them somewhere where they don’t have to wait in line again. Tell them there is an emergency inbound. Once they clear the runway, we’ll start sending them.”
Zack nodded. “Got it.”
Cloud picked up the red phone which connected to the fire station. “Attention all emergency equipment respond to 16 left. Attention all emergency equipment respond to 16 left.”
Hanging up the phone, he quickly rushed over to Biggs who was in charge of any and all movements off the runways. “We’ve got an emergency on the way, make sure the fire department gets to 18 left.”
(Biggs) “Emergency? Shit, everything alright?”
(Cloud) “Yeah just low fuel, Tifa said she’d call.”
(Biggs) “Got it, I’ll clear a path.”
Cloud took a strong deep breath, pondering the way he’d responded to Tifa. They’d gone through a lot together, from the time they were kids until now, but nothing mattered to him more than keeping the promise he’d made. Little did he know discovering the road to the truth would have many turns, and not just for Tifa.
FF
Cloud sat in silence, heart beating inside his chest. He had met Tifa when they were five, the day his family moved to Midgar. The two of them bonded like nothing he had ever experienced before. They did everything together, including training in martial arts with Master Zangan. He was like a second father figure to them, always watching and willing to be the support each of them needed. The two of them trained hard, and became best friends. Cloud would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought of her as more than a friend. He’d dreamed of being with her every day, seeing her sweet smile, or hearing her infectious laugh. He was just about to make a move when the unthinkable happened. Master Zangan died.
The funeral was a quiet one, neither of them really knew what to say. Tifa said she needed some time and Cloud took her at her word. One season passed, then a year. Next thing he knew they were graduating high school. He texted a few times, but generally received little to no response. They began to grow apart, and after a while, Cloud stopped trying. However, he never stopped thinking about her, even when Zack told him it was time to move on. Since Zack and him still hung out with Aerith, Tifa’s best friend, Cloud occasionally would get updates. Aerith even tried inviting Tifa and Cloud to dinner, but Tifa would always say she just preferred it be the two of them. This hurt not just Cloud, but Zack and Aerith as well. The four of them had grown up in the same neighborhood, and even trained alongside each other under Zangans watchful eye. Aerith, like Cloud, stopped bringing it up after a while.
Towards the end of college, there was a terrible accident. All of their fathers had been traveling for a conference when the flight they were on crashed. The cause of the crash was controller error, as they had been given an altitude that was too low to clear a nearby cell tower. The death had been devastating to all of them, nobody really knew how to handle such a sudden change. In response afterward Tifa cut everyone off this time, including Aerith. When considering a career after college, there was only one option for the four of them. This time Tifa had little choice as the three of them were all training at the academy at the same time. It was….awkward to say the least. Tifa kept avoiding them, sitting as far away as possible, and making excuses for why they couldn’t study together. Then Aerith snapped, saying this wasn’t fair to them given the history they had. Tifa ran off, on the verge of quitting from the program. Cloud ran after her, pulling her to the side and stating they should talk. He promised that he would always look out for her, always keep her safe, and never push her to say or do anything she truly didn’t want to. This bought back Tifas all too familiar heartwarming smile as she agreed to do the same.
After apologizing to Aerith and Zack, it was like they were back in high school again. Their friendship rekindled, they began hanging out, sharing a few laughs and making new memories. The four of them studied hard, pushing one another to be the absolute best. The results paid off. With an average 90% failure rate for new trainees, it was rare that Midgar Tower or Radar ever took inexperienced students. They continued to study, even on their off days, until finally two and a half years later, they completed their training. Zack and Aerith were thrilled, so much so that Zack took her out to celebrate. To Aeriths surprise, he then confessed his love to her. Thankfully, she reciprocated it back and they had been dating ever since.
Cloud and Tifa however, were a different story. Sure they hung out occasionally, but it was strictly platonic. Cloud suppressed his feelings for her as much as he could, afraid that losing her a second time was not something he could recover from. As the years went on, the two of them found they were growing sick of having to answer to anyone. So working together, they studied once more to take the supervisor test. Aerith and Zack told them they were crazy, that it was too much stress, or that it would put them at each other’s throats. The two of them laughed this off. They had never had an issue separating their personal relationship from work, if anything knowing each other for so long had created a level of cohesiveness that they were confident could not be shattered.
After passing the exam, air traffic in the area flourished. Delays went from an average of 55 minutes, to less than 30. Cloud and Tifa worked together like a harmonious instrument, including making fun of Tseng whenever things got too stressful. They did everything together as a team, no matter what the challenge. Now however, things were different. Cloud knew immediately Tifa had been the one to make the mistake, what he didn’t understand was how? She was always so meticulous, even when they were kids. On one hand Cloud wanted to honor his promise, and not push her to discuss anything private. On the other he knew there was something going on with her, something so deep it had thrown her off her game, and if not fixed would likely cost her a career, or worse.
The day after the incident, the two of them called their union rep Marle on a three way call. She confirmed they were suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation. They were given three business days to file two reports each. One for the near miss, the second for the emergency after which thankfully had resulted in a safe landing. After Marle hung up, Cloud suggested they meet at their favorite café, which where he sat now contemplating what his options were.
“Hey.”
Cloud looked up in surprise, mouth hanging open at the sight of her. Her crimson eyes, once filled with joy and passion now lay as empty, like a sky filled with no stars. Dark circles lay underneath them, proof that she had not gotten a wink of sleep. Tifa faked a smile, slipping across from him. “Thirsty?”
Cloud sat in shock, unsure of what to say. “Tifa-“
“I hear the vanilla latte is pretty good, oh wait you’re more of a chocolate person huh?”
“Tifa, we need to-“
“Decide what to order? I agree, so-“
“Just stop.”
Tifa froze, looking up from her menu in surprise. “Wh-what?”
Cloud sighed. “We need to talk about yesterday.”
“Of course but-“
“Tifa……you have to stop this.”
“Stop what? What are you-“
“I didn’t….forget it.”
Cloud rose out of his seat. “Just write the report, I’ll write mine and we’ll email each other.”
Tifa’s smile fell. “What? Cloud-“
“Enough. I promised I’d be there for you, I’m trying to help you here and you’re playing along as if nothing is wrong.”
Tifa frowned. “So you’re just gonna walk-“
“I don’t want to walk away!!” He snapped, drawing attention from everyone in the café.
Tifa jumped slightly in her seat. “Cl-Cloud-“
“Tifa….I’m sorry. Its just…..whatever it is I want to help. I…..come with me.”
“But-“
Tifas sentence was cut short, as Cloud grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back outside.
Tifa frowned. “You’ve got some nerve being-“
(Cloud) “Well what do you expect me to do?! Its…….I’m sorry.”
Tifa teared up, turning around to walk away. “Just forget it, I’ll email you my-“
Cloud grabbed her by the arm. “No, don’t-“
Tifa snatched it away, eyes filled with rage. “Make up your mind Cloud!! One minute you want to talk and the next-“
“I’m trying to keep my promise!! Fuck! Tifa it’s not all about you! I have feelings too, I want to help you but I know some things are hard to talk about. All these years we’ve worked hard, we’ve risen to the top of our game. Then yesterday, something changed and I….”
“You what Cloud?! Spit it-“
“I couldn’t help you!! Just like when we were kids and he……”
Tifa’s breath caught inside her throat. “Wh-what? Cloud-“
“You were gone Tifa, I….I didn’t want to bring this up.”
Tifas cheeks burned as rivers of tears began pouring down her face. “Well you shouldn’t have.”
“It’s too late now. I….all this time. I’ve been wearing a mask, been telling myself that its ok. That we’re friends again, and that’s enough. Now……”
Tifa’s heart sank. “Wh-what Cloud? T-talk to me….”
Cloud’s face softened. “I don’t want you to run away again.”
“Run away? Cloud-“
“Tifa…..you don’t know. The pain it caused, not just me but Aerith and Zack too.”
“You really want to bring this-“
“No I don’t! Would you just listen?!.....Tifa….all I’m saying is the last time I remember something catching you off guard was then, and….I don’t want history to repeat itself. I….cherished what we had. Y-you were my best friend. Then after yesterday…..”
“So it’s my fault? Since I’m in charge of-“
“This isn’t about the damn planes Tifa!! I’ve known you over half our lives, I know there is nothing that rattles you unless its super personal.”
“Cloud. You said you wouldn’t-“
“Yes but I also said I’d be there for you, and that takes priority in my eyes. I’m not going to stand by and watch you tear yourself apart again. I…..remember seeing you back then.”
Tifa shut her eyes, failing to hold back to the tears that followed. “Cl-Cloud, you’re scaring-“
“In the hallways at school. I’d try and say hi but…you’d just keep walking. You had this look in your eyes….like now. It was like you were dead inside. I…was your best friend and yet there was nothing I could do.”
Tifa felt her knees collapse. Cloud reached out, catching her in time and pulling her in close to his chest. “Just take it-“
“You can’t just say things like that!!” Tifa snapped.
Cloud let out a frustrated sigh. “I know.”
(Tifa) “He was everything to me….”
(Cloud) “Me too.”
Tifa burst into tears, sobbing into Cloud’s chest. “Then I lost you!”
“Tifa you didn’t lose me. We just…..drifted apart.”
“Then Papa died!! I….I couldn’t take it anymore!”
(Cloud) “Tifa-“
(Tifa) “It tore me apart!! I kept asking why him?! Take me instead! Let my mother have someone to grow old with!! I….I couldn’t put that on you all…..so I shut you out instead.”
(Cloud) “Tifa….we would’ve listened. You didn’t have to do that alone, we would-“
(Tifa) “I know!! I know….I….after we got to the academy and we started hanging out again I figured it out, but by then it was too late. We were friends again and I…..didn’t want us to get off on the wrong foot is all.”
Cloud hugged her tight, as tears began to fall from his eyes as well. “You should’ve told us this.”
(Tifa) “Cl-Cloud….”
(Cloud) “Tifa, please. I….I’m not saying to blame yourself just…..”
Tifa opened her tear stricken eyes, raising them to his. They stared at each other in silence, minds reminiscing about the way things used to be. About the memories they’d shared, the adventures they’d gone on, but most of all, the unbreakable bond between them. Even after being apart for so long, in that moment, together again, it was as if they had never been separated.
(Tifa) “Wh-what Cloud? T-talk to me.”
Cloud let out a heavy sigh. “You get a second chance Tifa. W-we can’t change what has already happened but….we can still decide what we do next. I don’t want you to spiral like that again, you just said it yourself. I would’ve listened to you back then, and I’ll listen now.”
Tifa burst into tears once more, burying her face into his chest once more. “Oh Cloud!! That means so much to me! Y-you have no idea!!”
Cloud’s squeezed his eyes tight as yet more tears continued to fall. “Tifa……of course. Jesus I….if I’d have known-“
Tifa shook her head frantically. “No. Please, I….I’m sorry.”
(Cloud) “Its alright. I….did you talk to Aerith?”
(Tifa) ”I tried but…..the words never come.”
(Cloud) “How long has your mom been sick?”
Tifa’s eyes widened. “Wh-what?”
(Cloud) “You mentioned her on the phone yesterday. Didn’t take much to connect the dots.”
Tifa looked down in shame. “I’m sorry, I….I should’ve told you all. About six months.”
Cloud’s heart sank. “Tifa-“
“Th-they say she only has about two more weeks to live best case.”
“What?! Tifa you should take time off to-“
“No! I….I can’t let my team down.”
“Tifa. The only person you’re letting down is yourself, I…..I’m gonna take you.”
“What?! Cloud-“
“Tifa. I’m not going through this with you again, we’re suspended anyway so now is a good a time as any.”
“I….I can’t.”
“Tifa-“
“She doesn’t remember me Cloud! She has Alzheimer’s so….” Tifa stopped, looking down with sadness as she realized there was no taking it back.
Cloud’s breath caught inside his throat. “Tifa……I am so sorry.”
“Th-thank you.”
(Cloud) “You found out six months ago?”
(Tifa) “Y-yeah, it happened very fast. Someone found her wandering in the road, then the hospital called me. T-the anniversary of the flight is next month and I-“
(Cloud) “Just take a breath. I…I want you to know its ok to cry. Its ok to feel sad, its ok to….be human Tifa. You can always cry, as long as it’s in my arms.”
Tifa rose her gaze to his, using every bit of her emotional strength to hold back the tears. “Oh Cloud……w-what if you’re not here?”
(Cloud) “I’ll come after you. You can always call me Tifa, I told you that before.”
(Tifa) “Oh my god Cloud…..”
(Cloud) “I know.”
(Tifa) “Th-they were my best friends, before I met you I mean. I did everything with them, Papa taught me to write, Mama how to play the piano.”
Cloud took a chance, kissing her lightly on the forehead. “Now you’re afraid?”
(Tifa) “Y-yes.”
(Cloud) “That what distracted you yesterday?”
(Tifa) “Y-yeah, I think so.”
(Cloud) “Then we have to face it head on Tifa.”
(Tifa) “Cloud-“
(Cloud) “Together this time. I……….I’m going to help you. You’re not alone anymore.”
(Tifa) “Cl-Cloud…..really?”
(Cloud) “Tifa……”
(Tifa) “I know! I know, just…..this is not what I was expecting. I thought….this time would be different. That I would-“
(Cloud) “Be able to bury it and continue on. I get it.”
Tifa let out a heavy sigh. “I just….threw myself into my work. We’d talk on the phone but, I’d rarely visit. The house……it reminded me too much of him.”
(Cloud) “I get that. You…….said she taught you how to play the piano?”
(Tifa) “Y-yes.”
(Cloud) “Think I’ve got an idea then.”
Tifa sniffed. “Wh-what?”
“You could-“
Sadly however, this touching moment was then interrupted by the chirp of their phones.
Digging into their pockets, they pulled out their phones.
(Tifa) “The administrator wants to see us…..”
(Cloud) “Yeah….it was all over the news this morning.”
(Tifa) “Do you….think we’ll lose our jobs?”
(Cloud) “Unlikely since no one was hurt. He won’t be happy though.”
Tifa let out a heavy sigh. “I was really looking forward to that coffee.”
Cloud chuckled. “We’ll get it to go then.”
Tifa smiled. “Ok, lead the way Cloud.”