Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter 1

“You sure you didn't forget anything?”

“No, Dad. I triple checked,” Tifa answered, closing the trunk on her small red sedan. The car was packed to the brim with most of the possessions Tifa had in her bedroom, which was now empty except for all the furniture she’d had since she was a young girl. Everything else for her new apartment was on the moving truck that had already left for Midgar.                                                                                 

“Still, you know if you did forget anything, you can always come straight home,” Tifa’s father continued. “Or if you just change your mind about the whole thing—your room will still be here for you.”

“Dad…” Tifa gave him a disapproving frown as she tilted her head.

Brian Lockhart sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. “Right… I know you want to follow your dreams—and you should. Just wish you didn’t have to be so far away to do it…”

“I know…” Tifa sighed and glanced down, clutching her car keys tighter in her hand.

Brian heaved another sigh and gave her a sad smile. “Well, you know I’m terrible with goodbyes, so… I’ll see you soon.”

“I’ll miss you, Dad.” Tifa moved forward to give him a soft hug. “I’ll text you when I stop for gas and I’ll call you when I get to Aerith’s.”

“Okay. And you know, you’re only a three-hour drive away. Come home once in a while,” Brian said, smiling.

“I will.” Tifa wiped a forming tear from her eye. “Well, I should go if I want to get to Midgar before it gets dark.”

“Yeah, of course.” 

Tifa wasted no time starting up her car and she headed off on the dusty highway, leaving Nibelheim to fade in the distance of her rear view mirror.

“Goodbye, Nibelheim.” Tifa smiled to herself as she cranked up the volume of the song playing on the stereo. “Midgar, here I come!”

It had been a longtime goal and dream of Tifa’s to go to Midgar—to attend university and get a law degree. Even though she was a few years behind the time people typically started college, Tifa knew she couldn’t just stay in Nibelheim being a bartender for the rest of her life. She wanted to make a positive difference in the world, and Midgar was the place to start. Plus, Aerith lived in Midgar! And Tifa knew that no matter how scary the city was, she couldn’t feel scared when she and Aerith would finally be able to live near each other and see each other all the time. 

It was always confusing for people to learn that Tifa’s best friend was a girl who lived in a completely different city and who Tifa never went to school with, but they had been best friends ever since the summer after Tifa turned twelve years old. It was the same summer that Tifa’s mother, Thea, had died.

With a grieving child and school closed for the summer, Tifa supposed that her father didn’t know what else to do with her since Tifa had become a recluse, no longer interested in going out to play with her friends or leaving the house, period. So she was sent to a girls’ camp in the woods, far away from Nibelheim. Most of the other girls at the camp were there to make friends, participate in adventurous obstacle courses, work on arts and crafts, and all the other typical fun camp activities, but Tifa had no energy for any of that. The camp counselors were told that she had just lost her mother, so they allowed Tifa to opt out of group activities. So she decided to spend most of her time alone, exploring the woods by herself. 

It was during one such excursion into the woods when Tifa met Aerith, a girl who was only a couple years older than her. Tifa was surprised that someone else was out in the woods alone, but she was curious when she saw Aerith crouched down and apparently talking to flowers. Out of curiosity or a subconscious sense of kinship with this strange girl in the woods, Tifa felt compelled to approach her.

“Why are you talking to the flowers?” Tifa had asked, without introducing herself.

Aerith looked a bit startled and embarrassed when she stood up and saw Tifa, but it only lasted half a second before she placed her hands on her hips and answered, “Well, wouldn’t you be lonely if you were stuck out here and no one ever talked to you?”

Tifa was about to answer “no” when she realized that she was stuck here at this camp in the woods, feeling lonely with no one she could talk to. A tear escaped her eye and before she knew it, she was full-on blubbering.

Aerith covered her mouth in dismay as she got closer to Tifa. “Oh, no! Did I say something wrong?”

“No…” Tifa wiped her tearstained face with her fists. “It’s just… I feel so lonely here! My mom just died and she’s gone… and I don’t want to be around anyone but being away from home makes it feel like I’m even farther away from her!”

Aerith moved forward to give Tifa a tight hug, making Tifa gasp in surprise.

“Your mom is never that far away from you,” Aerith said, in a quiet voice. She smiled at Tifa as she pulled away from her. “Don’t you know that all people go back to the planet after they die?”

“What about ghosts?” Tifa asked, sniffling.

“Ghosts?” Aerith echoed, with her eyebrows raised. “Well, I suppose they exist, too.”

“They do. I’ve seen them before!” Tifa adamantly claimed. “So I thought my mom might become a ghost when she died, but I never saw her. Maybe she didn’t want to stay to be with me...”

Aerith shook her head. “That’s not why your mom’s not a ghost. If you can’t see your mom… that means that she knows you’ll be okay without her. And like I said, we all return to the planet eventually—even ghosts. So maybe you haven’t been looking for your mom in the right place.” Aerith gestured to the flowers around her. “They all have souls, you know. That’s why I talk to them. To keep them company. Of course, they all have each other, but… my mom died a few years ago, too, and I think she lives on in the flowers that grow outside my house. I talk to her all the time! So I think maybe these flowers would like that, too.”

Tifa smiled back at Aerith. “Yeah, I’m sure they do…”

The two girls spent the rest of the afternoon and that evening together talking. Then everyday afterward, Aerith and Tifa were inseparable and spent the rest of that summer doing everything together at camp. Aerith had been the first person that Tifa felt comfortable talking to after her mom died, since she could understand what Tifa was going through—more than anyone else Tifa knew, anyway—and becoming friends that summer helped Tifa get through her grief with a much lighter heart. 

When it was time to go home, the two girls made a vow to stay in touch—one that they had kept for eleven years.

***

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help you unpack?” Aerith asked, after she and Tifa flopped down onto the floor. 

They were recovering after the strenuous task of moving Tifa’s belongings up to the third floor of an apartment complex—with no elevator. Thankfully, the bigger furniture had been handled by the two movers Tifa had hired, but carrying small things up three flights of stairs for an hour was a workout on its own.

“It’s okay, Aerith,” Tifa replied, wiping the sweat off her brow with a smile. “I know you already had a date with Zack planned—and it’s not your fault that the movers arrived late in Nibelheim.”

“Well, maybe you could come out with us, then!” Aerith suggested. “Zack’s really excited to meet you!”

“Really, it’s okay…” 

Aerith sighed. “Okay, well let me know if you’ll still need help tomorrow. I can totally make time to help unpack or cook for you.”

“Thank you so much, Aerith,” Tifa warmly replied. “Really, I wouldn’t even have this apartment if you didn’t find it for me first!”

“Well, I hope it works out well for you. I’m so excited we get to live in the same city now and we’ll actually be able to spend time together—in person!”

With a brief goodbye and a hug, Aerith left Tifa’s new apartment and the sun finally went down after a long, tiring day. Tifa rubbed her arms after feeling a chill in the air, despite it being sweltering outside and the living room facing the west, currently getting beamed at by the sun. 

I guess this place keeps cool really well, Tifa thought to herself. That's a relief.  

The apartment was spacious for a 1-bedroom and the building had recently been renovated with a modern setup. The living room was spacious, the kitchen had a lot of counter space, it already came with a refrigerator, a dishwasher, and even a laundry machine and dryer in their own corner at the end of the hallway. It was a pain to carry everything up to the third floor, but Tifa had no neighbors above her so she wouldn’t have to worry about hearing thundering footsteps in the middle of the night. The apartment was also only a 20-minute drive to the bar Tifa had been able to secure a job at, so she felt very lucky to be able to afford a city apartment like this. Granted, Tifa was merely subleasing the place for six months and the woman who had the original lease had cut down the rent by 15%. That meant Tifa might have to move once the lease rent went up if she could no longer afford it, but for now…it was perfect.

Tifa really didn’t mind being alone to do all the furniture building and unpacking, although it took a long time to figure out how to put together all the separate pieces of her four-poster bed with only pictures as the instructions to go with all the various tools it came with. To make matters more uncomfortable, for whatever reason her bedroom was way warmer than it had been in the living room and kitchen. Tifa didn’t want to rack up a big electric bill just to cool one room, so she put up with it and tied her hair into a ponytail as she finished building the bed. 

After that, Tifa was finally able to actually start unpacking essentials—mostly things she’d need immediately in the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen. Aerith had brought over some food, but Tifa felt too worn out from the day to cook, so she heated up frozen food in the microwave. The internet wasn’t going to be available in her apartment for another week, so she used a music app on her phone as background noise while she ate. As she glanced out the living room’s glass door, she could see the twinkling lights of the city beyond the horizon, and she smiled to herself.

I’m really in Midgar… 

It was then that Tifa noticed something off about the balcony, like there was a shadow obscuring the skyline. She peered closer through the glass, though there was a glare, and it almost looked like—

Tifa gasped and stood up from the bar stool. 

Is that a person? No, it can’t be…!

Tifa shook her head and blinked her eyes and when she looked back outside, the person-shaped shadow was gone.

Maybe something just flew over for a bit… Or maybe I’m just tired.

Just to be safe, Tifa went around the entire apartment to make sure no one else was there besides herself and she double-checked that the front door and sliding balcony door were locked. After letting out a sigh of relief, Tifa simply put the volume up on her phone and resumed her meal. Just then, she got a notification of an email—and it was from her new boss, Barret Wallace. He had emailed Tifa to confirm the time her ‘training’ would start in two days. Tifa didn’t necessarily need training, as she’d been working as a bartender for nearly four years now, but Barret wanted to give her time to go over all the basics and show her how things worked at his modest but highly popular dive bar, Seventh Heaven. 

A couple minutes after Tifa replied to Barret, her phone chimed with another text notification.

Dad: Just wanted to say goodnight. I know you’re a big, tough girl now, but I’ll still make sure to tuck you in before you go to bed 🙂

Tifa smiled at the generic emoji smile her dad added at the end of his text. For a man who was usually of few words over text, this was a major display of affection.

Tifa: Thanks, Dad ♥ Everything’s great so far! I’m pretty tired after all the unpacking, though… 😴 Goodnight! 😘

***

It got unbearably warm in Tifa’s room later that night—typical late August weather for Midgar. Tifa had left the window cracked a few inches open before she went to sleep and she didn’t bother wearing any bottoms over her underwear. But even the white crop top t-shirt she wore felt too hot when she woke up at 12:39am, feeling like she was burning in her sheets. 

God, I could use a glass of water… Tifa thought to herself, uncomfortably swallowing to try and moisten her dry, hot throat.

Tifa got out of bed and didn't bother to put on pants as she brushed aside the long hair from her face. As she made her way to the kitchen, she turned on the main hallway light, reflexively shutting her eyes to its brightness. Once she got to the kitchen, she felt a cold waft of air hit, making her cross her arms over her chest as she rubbed her biceps after her skin prickled with a chill.

Is the thermostat on? If it is, it’s probably broken because my room is anything BUT cold…

Tifa poured herself a glass of water and drank all the refreshing, cool water in one long gulp. After she placed down the glass on the counter, Tifa walked to the living room to check the thermostat, not bothering to turn on the living room lamp since the hallway light was sufficient illumination. Tifa peered closely at the small box of plastic on the wall to see if the A/C had really been switched on—when she suddenly noticed a shadow from the corner of her eye. Something that shouldn’t be there. 

Or rather, someone.

Tifa turned around to look at the shadow, hoping it was just a trick of her eyesight—but then she clearly saw the figure of a man dressed in black clothes sitting on her couch.

“Ahhh!”

 Tifa let out a scream as she backed away from the man, and the man let out an echoing shout of his own—which scared Tifa even more. The blood instantly rushed out of Tifa’s face as she realized she was in her underwear with nothing to defend herself against an intruder. She felt paralyzed with fear as her whole body trembled. 

What do I do?! Did a burglar break in knowing I was moving in today? Will he try to hurt me—or worse? 

After she took a couple seconds to gather herself, Tifa finally mustered up her courage and remembered that her phone was sitting on the faux marble kitchen counter—so she ran for it. But just as she turned around, the lights in the kitchen and hallway began to flicker until they burned out. Tifa let out a short scream again as she picked up her phone, turning on the flashlight app to see that the man had moved near her, just across from the counter. He was blond with spiky hair and had piercing blue eyes—and his brow was furrowed as he stared at Tifa.

“Can you… see me?” he asked.

“Of course I can see you, pervert!” Tifa shouted. “I’ll call the police!” 

“No, don’t!” the man protested.

Tifa instinctively reached for the closest heavy object in her kitchen, picking up a large frying pan that was resting on the stove (thankfully, she had neglected to put it away earlier). She flashed her phone light on the intruder again and glared at him.

“Get out now—or you’ll get a pan to the face!” Tifa threatened. 

The man put his gloved hands up as he walked closer to Tifa. “Wait, it’s not what you think it is!”

As he reached a hand out for her, Tifa panicked and swung the frying pan towards his head—but it went right through him, as if he were—

A ghost… 

Tifa saw her breath in the cold air and then she realized that the peculiar cold spot and the flickering lights were all signs she should have recognized.

“You’re a ghost!” Tifa yelped.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you,” the ghost replied.

“No… No! Just go away, please!” Tifa shut her eyes briefly, but the guy was still there, and getting closer.

“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you…”

“Just go away!”

Tifa dropped the pan and ran back to her room, picked up her car keys, and quickly slipped on a jacket, a pair of shorts, and sandals before sprinting back out. She wasn’t sure if she should take her purse, but there was no way in hell she was staying any longer in that apartment with a ghost.

“Please, you don’t have to be scared!” The ghost was standing in the hallway and the lights were flickering nonstop now, creating a terrifying strobe-like image before Tifa as the ghost slowly walked toward her. He was between her and her way out… What was she going to do?

“Just leave me alone and get out!” Tifa shouted, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry—”

Tifa decided to run through the ghost, feeling a rush of cold pass through her entire body as she did so. She didn’t stop running and fled out the front door, shutting it behind her and not bothering to lock it. Tifa kept running down the stairs, her vision blurry because of her tears, and she nearly tripped over her own feet before she made it to the parking lot, where she quickly got inside her small red car and turned it on. Hands still shaking, Tifa opened the contacts list on her phone and found Aerith right at the top. She pressed the dial button, waiting in suspense as her heart pounded. She frantically glanced around the car and at her rear view mirror—in case the ghost was able to follow her.

“Aerith…? Please pick up!” Tifa pleaded, as the phone rang for a third time.

“Tifa? Is everything okay?”

Tifa sighed in relief. “Aerith, I’m so sorry to call you so late…but could I go to your place and sleep over?”

“Tifa, what happened?” Aerith sounded concerned.

Tears still streamed down Tifa’s face, but she did her best to swallow them down so she could coherently speak again. “I’ll tell you later, but… would it be okay if I came over right now?”

“Of course, Tifa! Stay on the line with me until you get here, okay?”

“Okay! Thank you so much, Aerith!”

***

After Tifa arrived at Aerith's apartment—which was thankfully only an eight-minute drive away from Tifa’s new place—Aerith made Tifa a cup of tea as she sat down with her at her small wooden dining table.

“So now that you’re calmed down, can you tell me what happened?” Aerith gently asked.

Tifa sighed as she held her cup in between her hands. “I saw a ghost.”

“A ghost?”

“Yeah... Remember how when we were kids, I told you about how I thought I could see ghosts? When I grew up, I thought it was just something I imagined when I was a kid…but I think it was real.” Tifa ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “When I was five, it started. Every night for several weeks, I would see ghosts… wailing and screaming about their pain, begging me to make it stop… Even though I was the only one in my house who could see them, Mom believed me, but there was nothing she or my dad could do about it. So since I wasn’t getting any sleep and it was affecting my overall health, my dad moved us to a new house on the other side of town. After that, I stopped seeing ghosts.” 

“Wow…” Aerith had a sad frown on her face. “You never told me that part!”

“I… was worried about what you might think,” Tifa admitted. “And it never happened again after we moved, so… I doubted if it ever really happened. But… sometimes, when I was out in town or somewhere else on a trip at night, I thought I could see ghosts—but I could never be sure. You see, the thing about ghosts is that they just look like regular people to me, so unless I’m right next to them, I can’t tell if they’re alive or not unless it’s super obvious by the way they’re acting.”

“So… there’s a ghost living in your new apartment?”

“Yeah—and I thought it was someone who broke in at first. But when I tried to hit him with a frying pan, it just went right through him—and then the lights flickered and he was so cold when I ran through him…” Tifa sighed and put her head in her hands. “I bet I sound crazy to you…”

Aerith leaned forward and pressed a hand over Tifa’s. “If you say you saw a ghost, Tifa, I believe you.”

Tifa smiled and let out a relieved breath. “Thank you.”

“So what can you do?”

“I don’t know if I can stay in that apartment, Aerith. I knew the low rent price was too good to be true…”

“Well, the lady with the listing couldn’t have known there was a ghost, right?” Aerith asked. “Zack was actually the one who told me about the place first since he knew the woman personally, so I really don’t think there’s anything shady going on.”

“Claudia was really nice to me, too, when we met. But now that I think about it, she said the apartment used to be—” Tifa stopped talking and gasped. She remembered the ghost. Blue eyes. Blond hair. Just like Claudia’s blue eyes and blonde hair.

“What is it?” Aerith asked.

“The ghost was a young guy, like around our age! Claudia said the apartment used to be her son’s…and that it was vacated because of ‘unexpected circumstances.’” Tifa lowered her voice to a whisper. “What if her son died?”

Aerith gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. “You think so?”

“Claudia seemed so sad when she mentioned him—but she made it sound as if he’d moved or something. But if he’s actually dead, then his spirit must be lingering because he can’t move on yet.”

“What if you helped him move on?”

“I don’t know how… I’ve never tried to help any ghosts move on.” Tifa shuddered, thinking about going back to the apartment. Wondering if the same terrors that haunted her as a child would happen again with this new ghost.

“Do you want me to go over with you tomorrow?” Aerith asked. “I’m sure nothing bad will happen to you, but I’ll be there just in case to make sure this ghost doesn’t mess with you!”

Tifa’s heart warmed at Aerith’s kind words. “Would you?”

“Of course! That’s what best friends are for.” Aerith moved forward and gave Tifa a hug, and then she pulled away with a bright smile. “And I’ll make you breakfast in the morning! And… you’ll finally get to meet Zack!”

“Oh, are you expecting him in the morning?”

“Uh… Not quite...” Aerith blushed as she ducked her head.

“Oh my god, is he here?!” Tifa’s eyes widened as she realized she might have interrupted an intimate night when she called Aerith. “Did you and him…?”

“Ahaha… Um, well… Yeah…” Aerith blushed as a coy smile grew on her face. “But you had more important things going on tonight, so I still wanted you to be able to have a place to sleep! It’s not too awkward for you, is it?”

“No, as long as it’s not awkward for you,” Tifa replied. Even though it now felt awkward that she came here crying while Aerith’s new boyfriend was sleeping in the next room.

“It’s not awkward at all! Besides, Zack sleeps like a log, so he didn’t even hear me get up when you called.”

“Wow, you’re moving pretty fast with this guy if you’re letting him sleep over, huh?”

“Well, it’s been almost a month since we’ve been together… is that too soon?” Aerith bashfully glanced down at the table. “It already feels like we’ve known each other our whole lives… I’ve never felt this way about a guy before.”

Tifa warmly smiled at Aerith. “Well, I’ve never seen you look so happy while talking about a guy before. That must mean Zack is really special. I can’t wait to meet him! But, uh… Can you maybe not tell him about the whole ghost thing?”

“Of course, Tifa! My lips on the subject will be sealed.” Aerith pantomimed a zipper closing her mouth.

Tifa softly chuckled. “Thanks. I don’t want him thinking I’m a weirdo the first time we meet.”

“I understand. Anyway, I’m sorry you had such a rough first night in your apartment. I would have let you sleep in my bed with me if Zack wasn’t here. I hope the couch is okay?”

“Yes, Aerith, it’s perfectly fine! Thank you so much… You really are the best friend anyone could have.”

“I’m just so glad to have you here, Tifa! Really… anything you need, I’m here for you.”

After they finished drinking tea, Tifa went to bed feeling much more comfortable as she reclined on Aerith’s couch, bundled underneath a soft throw blanket. However, when she closed her eyes, the image of that ghost under her phone’s harsh light flashed in her mind. Tifa had been terrified of him at the time, but now that she was able to calmly recall the moment, she realized that the ghost looked almost as scared as she was. And he looked… sad.

He kept saying sorry… Tifa sighed as she rolled over on her side. Can I really help this ghost move on and not suffer anymore?

Chapter 2

No one had been able to see Cloud ever since he became a ghost. Not even his mom, who had come alone with movers to take everything out of his apartment several weeks ago. Cloud remembered seeing her crying when she was alone in the empty living room after the movers left. The worst part was that Cloud’s mom couldn’t even see that her son was standing there in front of her, calling out her name and crying, too.

But that girl was able to see me… How is that even possible? 

Cloud replayed the scene in his head and he shut his eyes with a groan. Of course that girl thought he was a pervert or a serial killer who broke in. But the fear in her eyes after she realized he was a ghost…

I terrified her… Cloud sighed as he slumped over and put his head in his hands. Is this going to be my after-life now? Doomed to be forever stuck in this apartment, scaring everyone who enters like some stupid urban legend?

As much as Cloud could morbidly joke about it, he knew that wouldn’t happen because no one else could see him except for that girl who just moved in. For months now, Cloud had been invisible to every single person he came across, unable to touch anything, and unable to step even one foot outside his apartment. With no one to see or hear him—to give him proof that he still existed—Cloud almost wished that there had been nothing after death, because living each day alone with no one to talk to and nothing to do was almost enough to make him start going crazy. 

But for all that had gone wrong when Cloud encountered the new tenant in his apartment, he hadn’t felt so alive as when she saw him and spoke to him directly. It now made him feel a bit more hopeful and relieved that he was finally able to get someone else to acknowledge his existence. Admittedly, even before she screamed and threatened to hit him with a frying pan, Cloud got flustered by seeing a beautiful young woman wearing only a skimpy shirt and black panties when she walked into the living room. Just the sight of her made his heart race.

But… How can my heart race when I’m supposed to be dead?

***

Cloud didn’t have to wait long to wonder if the new tenant would return, because she showed up at the apartment shortly after 8am. Cloud had spent most of the night and early morning contemplating on ways he could approach the girl without scaring her, but it still surprised him to hear the door unlock while he was sitting on the floor in the living room. 

As soon as Cloud saw that girl’s long dark hair and her pretty, serious face—everything he had thought of saying or doing once she returned flew out of his mind. 

Nope—Can’t do it!

Cloud quickly shuffled backwards, merging into the wall so that the girl couldn’t see him. It was an unpleasant, stiffening sensation that entered his body every time he merged with a wall, but he’d deal with it until he figured out how to calm down.

“So… Do you see any ghosts?” It seemed like the girl brought a friend with her this time, a voice that Cloud wasn’t familiar with.

“...No, but it still feels cold. Hey, the lights work? But they went out last night! And they were flickering like crazy.”

“Maybe the ghost fixed it.”

Cloud rolled his eyes at that.

“I don’t know…”

“Tifa, if you’re still not feeling okay about this place, you can stay with me again.”

The new tenant, who was apparently called Tifa, sighed. “Thanks, Aerith, but if I don’t want to let a ghost get in the way of me living in an apartment that’s perfect for me, well… I have to deal with it. And if he left, then maybe I don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

“What if he only comes out at night?”

“Don’t say that!”

“Sorry—I’m just saying… do you really think he’d leave after one night?”

“Well, at least he’s not trying to terrorize me now.”

“Hey, why don’t we go do some grocery and furniture shopping today? Then we can figure it out when we get back?”

“Okay.”

The two young women left quickly after, and Cloud felt safe enough to come back out from the wall to his empty apartment.

So she’s here to stay… I gotta act cool the next time.  

But another voice echoed in his head, When have you ever acted cool in your entire life?

***

A few hours later, Tifa came back to the apartment alone and put away all her groceries. She had also brought a big cardboard box and other big bags full of a bunch of other stuff—and Cloud marveled at the fact that she brought everything up to the third floor in only two trips.

“You can come out now.” 

Cloud was startled to hear Tifa say that, almost as if she’d known he was just standing there waiting for her. He mustered up enough courage to move from his hiding place and emerged into the living room until he was standing just several feet away from Tifa. She was standing by the kitchen counter, staring at Cloud without saying anything. Her eyes had gotten bigger and her gaze looked reproachful.

But at least she didn’t scream this time. 

Cloud felt like he should say something, even though he started shaking and sweating again. “Um… Hi.” 

Hi? That’s it? Real great, Cloud… 

“...Hi?” Tifa returned.

“Um… I’m really sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to scare you and I—” Cloud nervously swallowed. “I don’t even know where to begin…”

Tifa glanced down briefly and then she smiled, although it looked a bit forced. “I don’t know where to begin either.”

“My name is Cloud. Um, I lived here before I became a ghost. And I can’t leave. So it’s not that I wanted to stay and scare you last night—I just have nowhere else to go. And I really didn’t expect you to see me!”

“Where were you?” Tifa suddenly asked. “Just now?”

“I was…in the wall,” Cloud awkwardly explained. “But that’s the farthest I can go.”

“In the wall?!” Tifa looked horrified. “Is that where you were yesterday, too?”

“Most of the time. Until you were asleep.”

“Can you see through the wall?”

“No. But I can hear.”

Tifa awkwardly glanced around, not looking Cloud in the eye. It looked like she was about to panic again. “So you’re really a ghost, then?”

“Yeah. I think so.” Cloud shrugged. “You’re the first person I’ve met who has been able to see me, though. I don’t know why.”

“Because I can see ghosts,” Tifa quietly said.

Cloud’s eyes widened. “What? So… this isn’t new for you?”

“Well, it hasn’t happened since I was a kid, but—no.”

“Oh…” 

That was interesting and peculiar. What are the odds that the first person to move into Cloud’s apartment was someone who could see ghosts?

“I… I know you weren’t trying to scare me,” Tifa continued. “It’s just… I've had really bad experiences with ghosts before and—”

“It’s okay,” Cloud said. “I would have been terrified, too. I’m sure seeing a strange guy in your apartment in the middle of the night is terrifying enough.”

Tifa let out an exhale and briefly smiled. “Yeah…”

“Well, I’m not here to hurt you and I’m sorry that I can’t leave.”

“It’s okay. Why don’t we start over? My name’s Tifa.”

“Cloud.”

“Right—you said that earlier,” Tifa said, anxiously brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“It’s nice to meet you, Tifa,” Cloud said, smiling. “Do you want to sit down?”

“Right… It does kind of feel weird, talking like this.”

They both made nonverbal gestures as they both moved to allow the other space in their respective area—but then Tifa let out an awkward laugh before she walked toward Cloud. They sat down together in silence on the couch and Tifa let out an exhale at the same time Cloud did. 

So they were both a bit nervous about this…which made Cloud feel a little better.

“I’ve never actually had a conversation with a ghost before,” Tifa said. “Not like this, anyway.”

“What are other ghosts like?” Cloud asked.

“Uh… They scared me too much to ever talk to them. It was actually a lot like in scary movies when they just wail and repeat the same thing over and over again, as if they’re not really all there in the head anymore.”

Maybe they all went crazy from being unseen and unheard for years, losing all sense of who they were…

“You seem normal, though,” Tifa said.

“That’s good.” Cloud tentatively smiled.  “You think I’ll get like those other ghosts one day?”

Tifa sadly frowned. “I don’t know. I hope not.”

Cloud sighed. “I’m sure this is not what you signed up for at all. I’d get it if you wanted to move to another apartment…”

“Well the rent’s hard to beat and it doesn’t seem so scary anymore,” Tifa replied.

Cloud’s eyes widened in surprise. “So you want to stay?

“Well, I just moved in all my stuff yesterday. And maybe now that I’m here, I can help you try to move on?”

“You don’t have to, but… I guess that would make both of our lives easier, huh?” Cloud uncomfortably glanced down. “Well, your life and my afterlife, I guess?”

“Yeah. I hope so. You don’t want to be stuck here anymore, do you?”

Cloud bent over and sighed. “I do want to move on… I just don’t know how.”

“Well, maybe we can figure it out together,” Tifa brightly offered.

Cloud managed a half smile. “Thanks.”

“So I have to ask… Are you related to the woman who sublet the place? Her name was Claudia.”

“Yeah, that’s my mom,” Cloud answered. “She had to get this place rented out after… well, after the accident.”

“Accident? Is that how you…?”

“Yeah…” Cloud sighed, looking down at his knees. “The last thing I remember from when I was alive is I was coming home riding my motorcycle—which is probably why I’m still wearing the clothes from that night.” Cloud paused to gesture at his outfit, which was his black leather riding jacket over a gray hoodie and black t-shirt, which matched black jeans and boots. He even had his riding gloves on still. “It was raining and a dog had jumped onto the street, pulling a little girl with him… And I was going fast, and there was barely any time to move out of the way—but I tried to anyway. Next thing I knew, my bike lost traction on the road and I fell, and my head…it hurt a lot.”

Tifa had a hand over her mouth as she gasped, gazing at Cloud with an even sadder expression in her eyes. 

“Then the next thing I know after that, I’m waking up here in my apartment. At first I thought it was just a bad dream. But after a few days of not being able to touch anything, not being able to leave the apartment, and no one being able to see me or talk to me, it became apparent this was no dream. Then when my mom came to empty out the apartment…it was pretty clear that I was dead.”

“I’m sorry all of that happened to you,” Tifa softly said. “But why did you end up here? I thought ghosts usually stayed near the place where they died.”

Cloud shrugged. “Maybe because I was on my way home?

Tifa shrugged, too. “I honestly don’t know how it works. I used to see ghosts in my house when I was a little girl, so I always assumed it was people who died in the house because it was so old. Some of the ghosts looked like they were from another era.”

“Can you see all ghosts or is it something special about a ghost that makes you see them?” Cloud asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never tried to figure it out. I’ve really only lived in two houses my entire life and I just left home for the first time to move here.”

“So this is the first time you’re on your own?”

“Yeah.”

“And you got stuck with a ghost? I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You don’t scare me anymore.” Tifa smiled. “I guess I just have to think of you as a new roommate.”

Cloud breathed out a short laugh. “A creepy ghost roommate.”

“Well… not so creepy anymore,” Tifa said, softly chuckling. “As long as you don’t scare me in the middle of the night again.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay out here in the living room. You need your privacy and I don’t have any reason to go anywhere else in the apartment.”

“Oh, sure… But it’s still your apartment—I want you to feel comfortable, Cloud.”

Cloud was quiet in response to that. He appreciated the sentiment, but existing as a ghost was always going to be uncomfortable in many ways.

“So what do you do everyday?” Tifa asked.

Cloud shrugged. “I can’t really do much of anything, so mostly I people-watch from the balcony.”

“How long have you been alone in this apartment?”

“A few months. I tried keeping count of the days but after two months, it all got kind of hazy. I’m pretty sure it was still April when I got into the accident.”

“So… four months,” Tifa deduced.

“It’s August?”

“Yeah. August 27th.”

“Huh… It was my birthday two weeks ago then,” Cloud thought out loud. “I’m twenty-four now—well, I would be twenty-four if I were alive…”

“Happy belated birthday,” Tifa said.

Cloud smiled, feeling warmed by that. “Thanks.”

“I just turned twenty-three in May, so we really are about the same age.”

Cloud nodded. “Yeah, guess so…”

Tifa stood up and took a deep breath. “Well, I’m going to get started on cooking and unpacking. I would offer you lunch, too, but…”

“Don’t worry. I can’t eat. I also can’t smell anything, so it won’t torture me,” Cloud explained.

“Oh… okay. Just, um…” Tifa smiled and didn’t quite finish her sentence.

“I’ll be here,” Cloud said, feeling an awkward prickle in his face.

He couldn’t think of anything else to say and he didn’t know whether he should leave while Tifa started to prepare for cooking. So he awkwardly sat on that couch in silence, just watching her—but also trying not to watch her for too long. Cloud tried to think to himself what he’d be doing in this situation if he weren’t a ghost, but that was just the thing—he wouldn’t have a girl in his apartment if he weren’t a ghost. 

Cloud sighed and put his head down as he thought of this, but then he got distracted by a repeated banging sound. Tifa was trying to close one of the upper cupboards, but it wouldn’t shut all the way and she let out a quiet growl of frustration.

“You have to push up, then close it,” Cloud blurted out.

Tifa whipped around to turn to him, her eyes wide. “Oh…” She turned back round and pushed up the cupboard, and then closed it securely. “Thanks.”

Cloud nodded. “Yeah. I wanted to get that fixed but… never got around to it.”

“Do you have any more tips for the apartment?”

“The toilet’s a bit tricky. Don’t push too hard on the handle when you flush. The fridge is fine, but sometimes it’ll randomly get loud—especially when it gets hot.”

“Good to know.”

Cloud nodded and went back to being silent as he sat in the living room.

“Is this weird for you?” Tifa suddenly asked.

Cloud felt his cheeks flush. He was doing a terrible job of acting natural. “I’m sorry for just sitting here… I literally have nothing to do, but I can go outside if you want me to.”

“No, that’s not what I meant!” Tifa protested. “It just feels like you’re bored.”

“It’s okay. I’m not bored. I just don’t want to get in your way.”

“You’re not,” Tifa countered. “Hey, do you want to sit here with me while I get started cooking?”

Cloud’s eyes widened. “You want me to sit at the counter?”

“Feels weird to talk to you way across the room.”

“Oh… okay.” Cloud stood up and quickly went over to the counter and sat down across from Tifa. “I’m really sorry—it’s been a really long time since I’ve been around another person and I… think I kind of forgot how to act normal.”

You act as if you wouldn’t be this much of a disaster around a pretty girl normally when you were alive, Cloud’s inner voice remarked.

Tifa shook her head, giving him a sympathetic look. “Well… if I had nothing to do and couldn’t even open a book to read or turn on the TV or take a walk… I think I might go crazy with boredom.”

“Do you mind if I watch you cook?” Cloud asked.

Tifa raised an eyebrow. “Is it really that interesting to you?”

“It feels nice to watch you do normal things—I hope that doesn’t sound weird.” Cloud sighed as he put his chin in his hand. “I guess it makes me feel… not so dead anymore.”

Tifa gave him a sad smile. “Well, if it helps you feel better, of course you’re welcome to watch me cook.”

Cloud and Tifa talked for the next hour as Tifa cooked. She asked him many questions about what it was like to be a ghost and Cloud answered all her questions candidly and then turned things around to ask about Tifa’s life and where she came from. Cloud couldn’t remember the last time he talked to someone so much. But with Tifa, it felt easy.

“Hey, Cloud… Can ghosts sleep?” Tifa asked, later that night when she was about to go to bed. Cloud, of course, was going to stay in the living room that night.

“If I close my eyes, it almost feels like sleeping,” he answered.

Tifa frowned. “That’s awful. So what do you do all night?”

“Try to just… not think.”

“Have you ever thought about meditating?”

Cloud rolled his eyes.

Tifa chuckled. “Not a fan of meditation, huh?”

Cloud blushed, realizing he’d been rude. “Sorry, it’s just… not my thing.”

“Well, it’s not my thing, either. But if you need something to help pass the time, I have audiobooks and podcasts on my phone.”

“Thanks, but… I think I’ve had enough of talking today.”

“Oh.” Tifa’s face dropped and she looked disappointed.

“No, I meant that in a good way!” Cloud protested. “It’s been nice finally having someone to talk to. The quiet won’t seem so lonely tonight.”

Tifa gently smiled. “Okay. Just let me know if you change your mind.”

“Thanks, Tifa.”

“Goodnight, Cloud.”

“Goodnight.”

After Tifa walked away and turned off the lights, Cloud smiled to himself. He wasn’t alive anymore—that was for sure—but having Tifa see and talk to him, having this apartment filled with furniture and life again… it somehow made him start to feel a bit more alive again, too.

Chapter 3

Over the next few days, Tifa discovered that life was surprisingly easy living with a ghost. Sure, she had to make sure to always wear pants and a bra every time she left her room now, and the first few mornings she kept forgetting Cloud would still be there, so she ended up getting scared just from the sight of him when she went to make her morning coffee—but after only a few days, she became used to having Cloud around the apartment all the time.

As Tifa continued to unpack and put together more furniture and decorations around the apartment, it felt even more like a home with each passing day. She had originally looked forward to having her own place to decorate according to her own tastes, but Cloud was an unexpected good help as an extra pair of eyes. Aerith still texted and called Tifa everyday, of course, but with no other friends in Midgar yet, Tifa was glad she didn’t have to be completely alone and that she had someone to talk to in her new home. She had never lived with anyone who wasn’t family, and living with a young man was definitely something new—although, since Cloud couldn’t eat, sleep, or touch anything and he didn’t have a physical body he needed to maintain, it probably wasn’t the same as having an actual roommate.

Even so, living with a ghost had some new interesting perks. 

The day after Tifa and Cloud agreed to cohabit the apartment peacefully, she had been putting together one of her new dining chairs when the doorbell rang. It was already evening, and she hadn’t been expecting Aerith to come over.

“Who could that be? Am I making too much noise with all the building?” Tifa asked out loud.

Cloud shrugged in response, so Tifa got up and opened the door to see a guy with a red pompadour hairstyle.

“Hi, can I help you?” Tifa asked.

“Oh no…” Cloud groaned, obviously recognizing the neighbor. He had stood up and followed Tifa so that he was standing just behind her.

“Hi, my name’s Johnny!” the red-haired guy replied. “You must be the new neighbor! Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Tifa. Sorry if I was making any noise while moving stuff.”

“Oh, not at all!” Johnny said, grinning at her. “I just thought I’d come introduce myself!”

“Johnny lives on the second floor,” Cloud said, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed as he rolled his eyes. “He likes to ‘help’ all the young women who move in here.”

Tifa’s eyes widened as she turned to Cloud, but then she got distracted by Johnny talking again.

“So, I noticed you’re living alone. Do you need any help getting any furniture put together? I’m pretty strong, so…”

“Johnny has a wife and a baby at home,” Cloud interjected, while Johnny chattered on. “He likes to act like he’s single, though. He did the same thing with a girl down the hall.”

“Oh, gosh,” Tifa remarked.

“I know, right?” Johnny said, apparently thinking Tifa had talked to him. “But in these modern times in this city, I like to be proof that people can still be good neighbors to each other.”

“Now he’s gonna tell you how handy he is and then he’s going to casually flex,” Cloud said, smirking.

On cue, Johnny leaned his arm up along the door frame and indeed flexed his bicep as he said, “Well, if you ever need a hand...I’m pretty handy.”

“Um, I think I’ve got it, but thanks,” Tifa said. She bit her lip to stop from laughing out loud.

“Oh, sure—well, if you ever wanted to get coffee some time…”

“You should ask him how his wife’s doing,” Cloud suggested.

“You know what, Johnny? Maybe you should invite your wife for coffee, too,” Tifa brightly suggested. “And your kid!”

Johnny’s face went pale. “Wait… did you meet them already?”

“Thanks for your offer, but I think I’ve got everything handled here.”

Tifa closed the door while Johnny protested, “We can still get coffee!”

Immediately after the door was shut and locked again, Tifa turned to Cloud and burst out into laughter. Cloud laughed along with her as he continued to lean against the wall.

“Thanks for your help with that,” Tifa said, once she recovered.

“No problem.” Cloud smirked. “It was pretty funny to see him crash and burn for once.”

“You know, I probably should have flexed my own arms for him,” Tifa joked, casually flexing her right bicep and giving Cloud a grin.

Cloud’s eyes widened as he stared at Tifa speechlessly. 

Tifa blushed. “Oh gosh, that was kind of cringey, huh?”

“No… I… I just didn’t realize… You’re kind of buff.” Cloud was still staring at her wide-eyed, and it made her bashfully glance down.

“Is that a good thing or bad thing?”

“Good! Impressive, really.” Cloud smiled at her now, seeming to have got over his shock.

“Well, I do kickboxing…” Tifa shyly put her arms behind her back.

“I can tell. I’m sure if you’d been able to make physical contact the other night, your frying pan would have knocked me out cold.”

Tifa laughed again at Cloud’s remark, doubling over. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

Cloud smiled and let out a short chuckle. “Nope. My afterlife flashed before my eyes…it was really scary!”

Tifa continued to laugh. “Stop it!”

***

The day after that amusing moment with Johnny, Tifa had been rushing to get ready for her first day of ‘training’ for work, and the bathroom door got stuck on the rug when tried to open it from the inside. Feeling frustrated and in a hurry, she used a bit too much strength to force the door open and ended up jamming her big toe with the sharp corner of the door.

“Ahh! Ow…!” Tifa gritted her teeth as her big toe pulsed in pain, and blood pooled quickly around the cut. While in pain, she hopped over to the sink to look in the cabinet for her first aid kit, carefully trying not to let any blood spill on the rug.

“Tifa!” 

Tifa yelped as soon as she saw Cloud emerge from the wall behind her—which she had not been expecting to happen, of course. 

“Sorry—are you okay? I heard you scream!”

“Um, I’m…” Tifa gestured to her bleeding toe.

“Oh, no…” Cloud frowned as he looked down at her foot. “Did you catch it on the door?”

“Yeah… How’d you know?”

“I used to always hit my toe on that stupid door. Never bled like that, though.”

“It’s fine—it’s not that bad.” Tifa picked up a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a bag of cotton balls and hopped over to sit on the toilet and put pressure on the wound. “Damn, I have to leave for work in less than ten minutes!”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Cloud asked.

Tifa smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I think I’ve got it from here.”

Cloud sighed. “Sorry, I should have warned you about that door—I don’t think it’s the right size for the door frame and I always intended to get it replaced, but… it’s another thing I never got around to fixing.”

“I was also in a hurry—so it’s my own fault for not being more careful.” Tifa hissed. “Ugh, it still burns…”

“You should get ice, or…” Cloud knelt down and reached for Tifa’s foot, placing his hand over it and instantly bringing a cool sensation to Tifa’s skin. “Does that help?”

Tifa’s eyes widened and she couldn’t quite form words at that unexpected action. “Uh…”

“Oh—I should have asked, I’m sorry.” Cloud quickly pulled back his hand.

“No, it actually does help!” Tifa replied. “I just… wouldn’t have thought to ask you to do that…”

Cloud sheepishly smiled. “Well, I remember you saying how cold you felt when you passed through me… so I thought…”

“You could do it again,” Tifa said, blushing from embarrassment. 

When Cloud’s hand went through Tifa’s foot again, the cold touch was soothing for the pain. Then she realized that his hand was also partially passing through hers. Tifa couldn’t feel anything except cold air, of course, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d held a guy’s hand. It was silly to think about it in this way, especially since Cloud seemed so focused on her pain, but… Tifa had also never been taken care of like this by any of the boys she’d dated in Nibelheim. It was unexpectedly nice.

“Does it feel better now?” Cloud quietly asked, glancing up at Tifa from where he knelt.

“Oh, yeah—thank you so much, Cloud.” Tifa hoped she hadn’t embarrassed herself from looking at their intersecting hands for so long. “I think I can put a bandage on now.”

Cloud moved his hand away from Tifa’s foot and stood back up. “It was nothing.”

“You know, I just thought about how living alone means I’ll have to be dealing with scrapes and bumps and being sick on my own,” Tifa remarked.

“Yeah. It’s one drawback to living alone.” Cloud lowered his eyes. “I just hope nothing else happens to you while I’m helpless to do nothing but watch and be an ice pack.”

“I’m still glad you came so quickly to help me,” Tifa cheerfully said. “Even though you scared me half to death at first.”

“Yeah, sorry about that…” Cloud tentatively smiled, though he still looked a bit embarrassed. Tifa thought it was kind of cute, and now that she thought about it, Cloud was cute in more ways than one. 

But she shouldn’t think about that—because he’s a ghost!

***

Aerith: So… how are things with the ghost? 👻

Tifa: They’re fine 😊

Aerith: Really?! 😱

Tifa: lol yes! He’s actually okay

Tifa: For a ghost

Aerith: That’s so good to hear! So now you have a new roommate? 😉

Tifa: You could say tha t . He’s definitely easier to live with than any other ghost I’ve lived with.

Aerith: I wish I could meet him! Hey, have you tried taking a picture of him? Don’t ghosts sometimes show up in pictures all weird?

Tifa: Hmm… I could try.

Tifa had now been living with Cloud for almost a week when Aerith had texted her, and Tifa decided to approach him in the afternoon while he was sitting on the couch. The apartment finally had the internet installed, so Cloud was watching a show on a streaming service, although he looked bored. 

“Hey, Cloud?” Tifa asked.

Cloud turned to her, losing all look of boredom in his eyes. “Yeah?”

Tifa blushed as she thought about Aerith’s request. No… I can’t ask him for a picture, that’s weird!

“Um, never mind,” she said, nervously letting out a small chuckle.

“Oh… Okay.” Cloud’s brow was furrowed in confusion.

What if I just tried to take a picture of him secretly—but no, that’s even weirder! 

Tifa decided to get over her anxiety and asked Cloud, “Hey, um… would you mind if I… took a picture of you?”

“A picture?” Cloud raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“My friend wants to see if you’ll show up in a photograph.”

“Your friend?”

“Aerith—she’s my best friend,” Tifa explained. “I went over to her place the other night—and she helped me move in.”

“Oh… so she knows about me?” Cloud asked, sounding a bit wary.

Tifa shrugged. “Well, Aerith’s my best friend—I tell her everything. So… would you be okay with me taking a picture?”

Cloud fidgeted a bit, putting his hands together between his knees. “Um, I guess… I don’t know if I’ll show up.”

“That’s what the picture’s for,” Tifa explained. “It’s…ghost science!”

Cloud gave Tifa a hint of a smile and sat up straighter. “Do you want me to smile or something?”

“No, not if you don’t want to! Just be natural.”

Cloud glanced down and Tifa worried he might be uncomfortable. She was about to change her mind and tell Cloud not to worry about it—but then she lost her words when she noticed that the setting sun’s light shined through the window on Cloud, making his hair look like it was made of gold. Tifa smiled as she gazed at him, thinking to herself that even though Cloud was a ghost, he still looked like a normal person. She could even see him through the lens of her phone’s camera.

“Hey, why don’t you look outside?” Tifa suggested to Cloud.

“What?”

“It’ll be like a candid.”

“Um, okay…” Cloud shifted on the couch so that he faced the glass backdoor, facing the sunset.

Tifa aimed her camera and then she paused as she realized how Cloud’s eyes changed when the sun’s light shined in them. The blue color became so light that his eyes almost looked like crystals. Tifa thought it was a bit stunning.

“Did you take it?” Cloud asked, turning to her.

“Oh, uh—just getting the angle right,” Tifa said, feeling herself blush for how long she just stared at Cloud.

Cloud shyly smiled and turned back toward the sun. Tifa took a few snapshots and then she went to look at them in the gallery and…Cloud wasn’t in any of the pictures.

“So?” Cloud asked, giving her an anxious look.

Tifa turned to show her phone to him, which just looked like a picture of the corner of her living room. “You don’t show up.”

Cloud’s eyes dimmed and he sighed. “Yeah, well… I guess I’m not surprised.”

“I think it would have been nice if you had shown up,” Tifa said, trying to be comforting.

Cloud made a short smile. “Thanks.” 

Tifa texted the picture to Aerith with an additional “:/” caption.

“Hey, uh, I have to go to work soon—it’s my official first day,” Tifa told Cloud.

“Oh, well I hope you have a good first day at work,” Cloud replied, his smile not so shy this time.

Tifa smiled brightly in return. “Thanks! Me, too…”

***

Seventh Heaven was a small dive bar in the downtown of Midgar, furnished with mostly wooden tables and chairs and it had classic bar entertainment like a billiards table, darts, a pinball machine, as well as the newer trend of trivia and board games found on different tables. The walls were lined with all kinds of unique signs, artwork, and other seemingly random memorabilia that reminded Tifa of an antiques shop—and it even had a jukebox. Tifa wasn’t too nervous about her first day, since she’d already met the friendly, laid-back bartender Biggs, Wedge, who was probably too friendly to be a bouncer, and Jessie, a vivacious waitress who was working there while working part-time as an actress. Barret was also there, and Tifa had already taken a liking to him. He had a very imposing presence with how tall and burly he was, but he had a kind face and eyes, as well as a genuine, warm countenance.

It was a fairly easy first night for Tifa. Not too quiet and yet not too busy. Halfway through her shift, a girl with brown hair in a long braid wearing a strappy pink dress showed up at the bar, grinning at Tifa.

“Hello Miss! Can I get an alcoholic beverage?” 

Tifa laughed at Aerith’s opener, and she reached over the bar to give her a hug. “Aerith! What are you doing here?”

“I had to come and support you on your first day!” Aerith winked as she dropped a few big bills into Tifa’s tip jar. “Plus, I’m a really good tipper!”

“Aerith…” Tifa shook her head and laughed. “Thank you.”

“Zack should be here soon, too,” Aerith said. “He was just at the hospital.”

Tifa gasped. “Oh no—is he okay?”

“Oh, he’s fine! He said he was visiting a friend.”

“I hope his friend is alright, then.”

“I hope so, too. He didn’t say much about it, but Zack made it seem like this friend has been in the hospital for a while. Says he he visits at least once a week.”

“That’s sweet of him,” Tifa remarked.

“Yeah… He’s never talked about it before.” Aerith glanced down and sighed. “It seemed like a sensitive, personal subject for him… I guess we really still don’t know everything about each other.”

“Well, you have only been together for a month. You can’t possibly know everything about him in such a short time,” Tifa comfortingly said.

“True…”

“Anyway, what’ll you be drinking?”

“Hit me with your best cocktail!” Aerith exclaimed.

Tifa laughed. “Alright…” 

Just ten minutes later, when Aerith was already halfway through her drink, a tall, young man with an athletic physique, black hair, and bright blue eyes walked up to her side and said, “Hey, good-looking!”

Aerith rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Don’t tell me that’s how you pick up girls…”

“I was just joking!” Zack blushed and frowned in dismay. “You know that’s not how I’d seriously approach a cute girl.”

Aerith grinned. “No… You’d come to the flower shop and trip over a bucket of gardenias and then get knocked out cold after hitting your head on a shelf, forcing the only girl working there to call an ambulance while giving first aid—only to then wake up just a moment later and immediately ask her out on a date.”

“Well, it worked, didn’t it?” Zack reached down and hugged Aerith from behind, giving her a kiss on the cheek. 

They’re apparently still in the honeymoon phase, Tifa thought to herself.

“Hey, Zack!” Tifa cheerfully greeted him. She’d met Zack only once the morning after she stayed at Aerith’s, and it was a bit awkward since he had woken up before Aerith—so he was in nothing but boxers in the kitchen—and he shouted in surprise in a really high pitch when he saw Tifa. After the fact, Tifa thought it was actually a really funny moment.

“Hi Tifa! Sorry, got a bit distracted, but I’m here to support you on your first day!” Zack brightly grinned at her.

“What can I get you?” Tifa warmly asked.

“Your best beer on tap!” Zack added a tip to Tifa’s jar that was even bigger than Aerith’s, and Tifa bashfully smiled.

“You two… you really don’t need to do this!” she protested.

“We’re simply celebrating you!” Zack proclaimed. “You have an apartment, a job, and best of all, you’re in Midgar with Aerith finally! 

Tifa grinned. “You should be congratulating yourself, then, for being her boyfriend.”

Zack softly chuckled. “I mean, I do feel grateful everyday I get to remind myself that Aerith’s my girlfriend.”

“Oh, stop it, you…” Aerith giggled as she turned around and threw her arms around Zack’s neck before he gave her a soft peck on the lips.

Tifa softly chuckled, although on the inside she felt a bit envious seeing Zack and Aerith’s public display of affection. It had been a long time since Tifa dated anyone, and she’d never been head over heels for anyone the way Aerith was for Zack. Even though she had ambitions for a career in law, she also wanted a family of her own someday. She wanted to have what Aerith had, and she wanted to have what her parents had before her mother died. 

Tifa just hadn’t met the right person yet.

Chapter 4

Tifa came home a little after 1am, and although it was really late, Cloud supposed it must be normal for her as a bartender. 

A bit dangerous, though, especially if she’s living alone in the city…

“Hey, Cloud!”

“Hey. How was work?” Cloud asked, standing up to be polite as Tifa closed the door.

“It was good,” Tifa cheerfully replied, putting down her purse and taking off her shoes at the same time. “My friend and her boyfriend came to support me and I think I made a few new friends at work already.”

Cloud nodded. “That’s good.”

“I think I got roped into going out dancing with a coworker next week, though.” Tifa sheepishly smiled before she flopped onto the sofa, looking a bit tired.

Cloud sat back down next to her and raised an eyebrow. “Sounds fun…”

Tifa laughed. “Doesn’t sound like you actually think it’s fun.”

Cloud shrugged. “It’s just not something I do.”

“Dancing?”

“Yeah… Going out, in general…”

“To be honest, it’s not something I do normally, either. I was the bartender in the only saloon in my hometown and there was nothing else to do there at night, so… I’ve never actually been out at other bars.”

“Right… You said you’re from Nibelheim,” Cloud remarked. “What made you want to come out here again?”

“Hoping to get into law school.”

“Law school?”

“Yeah. I never went to college, but… it’s not too late to try, right?”

“No. College plus law school will take like seven years though, right?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Well, good luck.”

“What about you, Cloud? What were you doing before you lived here?” Tifa asked.

Cloud shrugged. “Not much. I did two years of college. Hated it. And then I just worked on a trade certificate with my best friend—we used to work together as plumbers and electricians.”

Tifa raised her eyebrows. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a plumber.”

Cloud bashfully smirked. “It’s not as grimy as it sounds… and the electrician part is really simple. Plus, it pays pretty good—enough to afford a place like this on my own.”

“You don’t have dreams or goals of doing anything else?”

“No… not since I was a kid. But you know, in the real world, I’m fine just doing what I need to do to get by financially.”

“What about when you were a kid? What did you want to be when you grew up?”

“A professional motorcycle racer.” Cloud let out a sardonic laugh. “Funny how riding a motorcycle is the thing that ended up killing me, huh?”

“Cloud…” Tifa’s brow was furrowed as she gave Cloud a mildly horrified look.

He uncomfortably cleared his throat. “Sorry. Not funny, but… ironic, I guess.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Tifa quietly started. “What if the reason you can’t move on is because you had a dream or goal you never got to achieve?”

“Well, motorcycle racing is definitely out,” Cloud muttered.

“Is there anything else you feel like you never got to do before you died?”

Cloud glanced down and sighed. “Uh… I don’t know… I mean I think I was happy enough. Sure, there are some things that I would have liked to have that I didn’t, but nothing that would have made me want to stay behind in this world as a ghost.”

“You really can’t think of anything? What about anyone you might have left behind? Did you have a girlfriend—or boyfriend?”

“No.” Cloud felt himself blush. “Neither. I liked girls, but… I never actually…”

Crap. Just admitted to Tifa that I’ve never had a girlfriend. 

“Oh…” Tifa sadly frowned. 

Cloud fidgeted with the edge of his jacket zipper, unwilling to look Tifa in the eye while feeling so embarrassed. “Well, a good way to look at it is that I saved someone grief.”

“Cloud…” Tifa’s voice sounded pained.

“I really mean it.” Cloud sighed and kept his eyes lowered. “Seeing my mom cry over me…it was bad enough. If I’d had a romantic partner, how much pain would they be in now? I guess maybe it was actually a good thing I didn’t have anybody like that.”

Tifa didn’t say anything, but her silence made Cloud feel even worse.

“Anyway, I don’t think there’s anything or anyone holding me back,” Cloud said. “I want to move on. I just don’t know how.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be a better help,” Tifa replied.

“Don’t be. Things have at least been a lot better since you’ve been here.” Cloud glanced at Tifa and warmly smiled at her. “I’m not alone anymore.”

***

Two weeks into living with Tifa as his roommate, Cloud really did not mind being a ghost so much anymore now that he didn’t have to worry about being isolated. But it was hard to see Tifa leave everyday for work or the gym or an outing with friends, knowing she got to have a life outside of the apartment. Still, Cloud couldn’t feel as bad about it whenever she’d come back home to tell him about her day, and it became a new daily routine of theirs to catch up on each other’s day.

“Hey, is it okay if Aerith comes over?” 

Tifa had asked this question on the morning of her day off that week, and she looked anxious as she awaited Cloud’s answer.

“Oh. Sure. Will she be okay with me being here?” Cloud asked.

“Well, I won’t make you hide. But… is it going to be weird?”

Cloud shrugged. “If she’s already okay with the idea of me existing, I think it should be fine. Don’t let me keep you from living your life and having your friends over, Tifa. I could even get out of the way if you want me to!”

Tifa shook her head. “No, Cloud—I want you to be comfortable in your own home, too.”

An hour later, Aerith arrived at Tifa’s apartment door.

“She’s here,” Tifa announced. She was smiling, but she looked a bit anxious, too.

“Should I… get up? Sit down?” Cloud asked.

“Why don’t you stay put and we’ll figure it out,” Tifa answered. Once she opened the door, Aerith appeared, wearing a white sundress and smiling brightly at Tifa.

“Aww, Tifa, it looks so great in here!” Aerith complimented, after coming inside the apartment and giving Tifa a prolonged hug.

“Thanks! Also, Cloud is here,” Tifa cheerfully said.

“Hello Cloud, wherever you are!” Aerith greeted, waving her hand in all different directions.

Cloud sighed. “Should I say hi back?”

“Yes, you should,” Tifa told him. She turned to Aerith and smiled. “He says hi, too.”

“If you’d like to, Cloud, you can come shake my hand,” Aerith said, stretching out her arm.

Tifa bent her eyebrows. “Uh, Aerith… You won’t be able to feel his hand.”

“Well, you said it gets cold when he’s near you, right? I want to feel that, at least.”

Cloud raised an eyebrow and told Tifa, “Your friend’s kind of weird…”

“Be nice,” Tifa whispered, sternly arching an eyebrow.

Cloud sighed and walked up to Aerith, and then took her hand in his—as much as he could without actually holding it.

“Wow… I really felt that,” Aerith said, trying to look at where she imagined Cloud’s face was. Cloud glanced over at Tifa, gauging her reaction, and she looked really happy.

Aerith took her hand away and then moved to the dining table where she had already dropped off two big bags on a chair. “Well, I got something special for us to use—and we’re going to cook, of course.”

“Sure! Let me help you put some stuff away.” Tifa put the groceries in the refrigerator while Aerith brought out a clunky box and then opened it to reveal—

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me…” Cloud groaned.

“What? What is it?” Tifa asked.

“I got us something—well, mostly me—so I can communicate with Cloud!” Aerith grinned brightly as she presented a Ouija board to Tifa.

“Aerith, you really don’t need to—”

“Come and sit, Tifa! We’ll see if it actually works,” Aerith said. “I picked it up from an antiques store, so I think it’s the real deal.”

“Okay…” Tifa let out a resigned sigh and glanced over at Cloud. “Do you want to try this?”

“I guess…” Cloud wasn’t really looking forward to this. He’s sure Ouija boards were fake, anyway.

“Cloud, can you make your presence known?” Aerith asked, in a mock-mystical voice.

“Is she going to talk like that the whole time?” Cloud asked, raising his eyebrows in exasperation.

“You should just talk to him normally, Aerith,” Tifa gently advised.

“Aww, where’s the fun in that?” Aerith pouted. “Okay, Cloud… I’m going to ask you a few questions, and you just answer by using the cursor on the board.”

Cloud nodded and Tifa relayed the “ok” to Aerith.

“Are you here, Cloud?” was Aerith’s first question.

Cloud knew there was no way this was going to work, but he humored Tifa and Aerith anyway, placing his hand on the cursor—and much to his surprise, he touched it.

“What?” Cloud gasped. He slid the cursor around, and gawked at the fact that he was actually moving something in the world.

“You can touch it!” Tifa excitedly said.

“Huh…” Cloud moved the cursor to the 'YES' on the left corner of the board, answering Aerith’s question.

“Amazing!” Aerith clapped out of joy. “Okay, a real question—How is it living with Tifa?”

Tifa bashfully glanced down. “Don’t ask him that, Aerith!”

Cloud smiled and slowly moved the cursor to the letters G-O-O-D. 

Aerith grinned. “Aww!”

“Aerith, I can just relay anything you want to ask him,” Tifa said.

“I think it’s more fun this way,” Aerith countered.

“Are you having fun?” Tifa asked Cloud.

Cloud answered her by using the board and spelling E-H.

Aerith laughed. “He’s kind of funny, isn’t he?”

Tifa smiled. “Yeah…”

“Well, Cloud, I’ll be a bit more serious now,” Aerith started. “I’m really sorry for what happened to you. But at least you get to live with Tifa! And she’s the best, most kind person in the world!”

“Aerith…” Tifa flushed a bit in her face.

Cloud moved the cursor to spell I-K-N-O-W.

“Cloud…” Tifa stared at him, her look of surprise giving way to a more tender expression, but she didn’t say anything else.

Cloud sheepishly smiled and tucked his hands in his pockets. “It’s true. You’ve been so kind and patient with me all this time… even though you were scared at first. Thank you, Tifa.”

Tifa nodded, keeping that same half-surprised, half-warm stare on his face.

“Did he say something to you just now?” Aerith asked.

“Yeah… He said something really sweet.”

Cloud felt himself blush and he turned away from Tifa.

“Well, I think that’s enough of that,” Aerith said. “I won’t ask anymore questions, but if you feel like saying anything, Cloud, just let Tifa relay it to me!”

After that, Aerith and Tifa got started cooking and baking and Cloud left them alone to be together while he watched a series on the TV. He didn’t try to eavesdrop on their conversation, although technically it was all one big room between the living room, dining space, and kitchen so he heard a few things here and there.

“You know, you should start going out!” Aerith suggested to Tifa.

“Well, I am going out with my new coworker Jessie this week.”

“Really? Exciting! Planning on meeting any guys?”

At that moment, the TV began to buzz with static and glitch. Cloud felt mortified when he realized it was him doing it.

“Um… maybe?” Tifa answered, not having noticed the TV.

“Well, if you do meet someone that means you can finally go on double dates with me and Zack!”

Zack? That’s the same name as… Well, it’d be too much of a coincidence if it was the same person…

“The three of us can hang out together, too,” Tifa suggested.

“I don’t like you being a third wheel, though,” Aerith complained.

Tifa sighed. “Well, who’s to even say I’ll find someone soon?”

“Are you kidding me? You’re the hottest girl in Midgar, Tifa! I’d be surprised if you didn’t have guys throwing themselves at you all the time.”

Cloud felt himself blush as he internally agreed with Aerith and the TV started to buzz even more with static, completely obscuring the picture with a gray and white screen. He really hoped that Tifa didn’t notice.

“No, not really…” Tifa uneasily laughed. “And I don’t really want that!”

“All I’m saying is it’s only a matter of time before you get snatched up and I bet it’ll happen sooner than you think!”

Tifa sighed. “Well, we’ll see…”

***

It was starting to become apparent to Cloud that he had a crush on Tifa. Even though there had never been a more impossible girl to have a crush on. For one thing, he was dead and she was alive. It was never going to happen, even if she somehow miraculously liked him back. But if Cloud was going to have to live with Tifa indefinitely, he would have to accept the fact that she was probably going to be dating guys and bringing them home and—Cloud groaned at the nauseating thought.

He was currently sitting out on the balcony at night thinking about all this as he let his legs dangle over the edge. It was always the best place in his apartment to clear his mind.

You must be the most pathetic ghost in the world… Having a crush on a living girl who would be way out of your league even if you weren’t dead?

As if on cue, Cloud heard the glass door slide open behind him and Tifa was standing there in her shorts and t-shirt pajamas.

“Hey, Cloud…”

Cloud let out a soft gasp. “Tifa? It’s late… Isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” She sat down next to Cloud, letting her legs dangle over the balcony just like him. “I couldn’t sleep.”

All the moroseness left Cloud’s mind as it became replaced with concern. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just restless.” Tifa sighed. “Do you ever get used to the sound of that train?”

There was an above-ground metro station just across the street from the apartment, so every half hour, the train’s loud bells and horns could be heard every night until one in the morning. 

“Actually, I really like the sound of it,” Cloud replied. “I guess the repetition of it used to help me fall asleep.”

Tifa nodded and then she turned to Cloud. “Hey, this weekend I’m going to go home for a bit to see my dad.”

“Oh. That should be a good time, right?”

“Yeah… Are you going to be okay by yourself?”

“Yeah. I’ll be okay, Tifa.” Then Cloud sheepishly smiled and asked, “You think you’ll tell your dad about me?”

Tifa let out a quiet laugh. “I’m not sure what would concern him more—the fact that you’re a ghost or a guy.”

Cloud chuckled. “So that’s a no?”

“No… Not yet.”

The thought of Tifa going home to visit her dad suddenly made Cloud think about how he would never be able to go visit his mom again, not even as a ghost.

“Cloud… Is everything okay with you?” Tifa asked, giving him a concerned gaze.

I guess I must really look sad if Tifa’s looking at me like that…

“Uh, just… thinking about my mom. I used to go and see her every weekend.” Cloud sighed. “I wish I knew how she was doing.”

“It sounds like you and your mom had a really good relationship,” Tifa quietly said.

“Yeah. We did. Mom always hated my motorcycle, though… She was always scared of what might happen to me one day.” Cloud sighed again, heavier this time. “Maybe I should have listened to her and returned it.”

“Hey… It’s no one’s fault what happened to you, Cloud… It was an accident.”

Cloud shook his head. “But if I’d been driving a car, I probably would have been fine.”

Cloud felt something warm cover his right hand and he gasped as he glanced down to see Tifa’s hand merged into his ghostly one. “Tifa…?”

“Can you feel that?”

“Sort of. It feels a little warm.”

Tifa smiled, her dark eyes shining even in the dimness of the night. “Good. Listen… It wasn’t your fault. And I’m sure your mom knows that. And I’m sure she must have known how much you loved her. At least that’s something she didn’t have to wonder about after you were gone.”

Cloud swallowed the heavy lump in his throat. “Yeah… I guess so.”

“I obviously can’t relate, but… my mom died after I had just turned twelve. It was devastating. She was my favorite person in the entire world. She was so kind and warm and…just being around her always made me feel happy. She got sick and there was no cure. Still, when it happened, there was no warning. She was there one day—and then gone the next. Without my mom, I felt empty inside for a very long time. But I knew I could always remember her love for me, and in that way, her love would stay with me forever because that’s how I would always remember her.” Tifa put a hand to her heart and sighed. “I think the extra weight that came with her death…it’s the love she left behind. Just like the love you left behind for your mom.”

“I’m sorry about your mom. And thank you—for saying all of that.” Cloud heaved a deep sigh, but it felt relieving this time. “I think that was the thing I felt the worst about this whole time. How much I hurt my mom…”

Tifa shook her head. “You can’t hurt if you don’t love… and she must have loved you so much.”

“Yeah… I know that.” Cloud smiled at Tifa. “Thanks for reminding me, though.”

Tifa nodded and then she took back her hand, joining it with her other hand as she folded them together to rest on her legs as she looked back out to the balcony view.

“Hey, Tifa… I know you didn’t come out here just to cheer me up,” Cloud tentatively started. “So… why couldn’t you sleep?”

Tifa sighed as she glanced over at Cloud. “I feel… like my stomach’s flipping over… Anxiety, I guess.”

“About what?”

“Just wondering if I can really make everything work,” Tifa said.

Cloud frowned in concern. “What do you mean?”

“Living in Midgar. Having an actual career. Sometimes it feels like I shouldn’t try.”

“Of course you should!” Cloud gently protested. “If being in Midgar and going to school is really what you really want to do, then you can do it!”

Tifa smiled briefly, but then she let out another sigh. “Well… I’m just doubting whether I’m really cut out for it or not. My college courses start in less than a month and I have one more chance to get better scores on the qualifying tests I need to get into the courses I want to take next semester, and… I know it’s not everything, but… how am I supposed to compete with people who haven’t been out of school for five years?”

“Who cares about other people? Tifa, I think it’s amazing that you still want to go to college and do something good for the world.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… I never had a lot of ambition, but you’re full of it—and you’re so determined that I just know you’ll be able to do anything you want. And you already got this far, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did.” Tifa ducked her head and smiled. “Thanks Cloud. I really needed that confidence boost.”

“No problem.”

Tifa stretched her arms above her head, keeping the smile on her lips. “You know, I feel like I can go to sleep now. But… maybe I'll stay out here with you. Just a bit longer…”

“Okay.” 

Cloud was really happy about that.

Chapter 5

The visit to Nibelheim was brief, but Tifa enjoyed getting to spend time with her dad and getting to ease his anxiety a bit. Yet all weekend, Tifa often found herself thinking of Cloud.

“So… Meet any boys yet?” Brian asked Tifa, on her last morning in Nibelheim.

“Uh… not exactly.”

“Well, that’s good. Just be careful who you let take you home…”

Tifa groaned, “Dad…”

“I’m just sayin’ Tifa, you’ve always been the prettiest girl in town, and there’s some guys out there—even the rich ones that talk all fancy and have fancy cars—that’ll try and charm you just to get in your pants…”

“Dad!” Tifa grimaced at hearing him talk about this. “I’ll be fine! I know what to watch out for…”

“Well, I just worry,” Brian sighed. “If you meet anyone, make sure it’s a nice boy before you get serious. And bring him here first so I can approve of him.”

Tifa breathed out a laugh. “Yeah, who wouldn’t want to drive three hours out to Nibelheim just to be able to get permission from my dad to date me?”

“I know you have a good heart, Tifa. That’s why I worry so much.”

“You have nothing to worry about. Really, Dad…”

Tifa almost wanted to tell her father about Cloud, how he was a guy she’d met in Midgar who was actually good and sweet, but… it’s not like Cloud was even a guy she was dating…so why did she even think about that?

***

The next weekend, Tifa was back on bartender duty on a busy night at Seventh Heaven. A few of their wait-staff were out sick due to a cold virus that was going around the city. Barret was trying to manage things as much as he could to make up for the staff shortage, and he even asked Tifa and Biggs to help out.

“Tifa, I hate to ask this of you—but with Jessie sick and the new girl being new… I’d like you to serve a particular patron. Call him a VIP,” Barret said.

“VIP?” Tifa echoed.

“Don’t worry, boss—I got it,” Biggs said.

“It’s Shinra,” Barret answered, with a grave stare.

Biggs groaned. “He’s already back?”

“I’m not quite understanding… Who’s this guy, Shinra?” Tifa asked.

Barret gestured to one of the booths at a dark corner of the bar, where a blond man in a white suit sat with two other guys in black and white two-piece suits. They definitely stuck out among Seventh Heaven’s typical patrons who wore jeans or other casual wear.

“VP of the Shinra Electric Company, Rufus Shinra. Rich as shit mofo about to take over his daddy’s billion-Gil company. Lord knows why he took a likin’ to this little dive bar, but he drops in about once or twice a month. I usually have Jessie serve him because he likes her.”

Tifa furrowed her brow. “What’s the issue?”

“Sociopath likes to make people uncomfortable like it’s his job,” Barret muttered. “He can be…difficult.”

“So why don’t you just kick him out when he acts up?” Tifa asked.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t serve the bastard if that didn’t mean a guaranteed spot on his blacklist. Some of my friends had to fold their businesses for politely asking him to leave after he harassed their employees. It was that easy for him to kill their business with his power and influence.”

Tifa grimaced.

“As long as you can hold your ground and not take anything he says personally, he’s easy to handle,” Barret continued. “I think you’re just as capable as Jessie, from how I’ve seen you handle yourself amongst our rowdier customers.”

“I don’t know, boss… Are you really sure we should be sending Tifa in?” Biggs asked.

“That Folia girl will crumble if I send her to Rufus, and she’s the only girl I have on wait-staff tonight. And you know as well as I do, Rufus only likes being served by women.”

Tifa rolled her eyes and sighed. “It’s just this one time, right? I think I can handle it.”

Barret smiled. “Thanks, Tifa.”

Biggs pursed his lips uncomfortably. “Listen, if anything happens, I got your back.”

Tifa nodded, and then she took a deep breath before approaching the booth in the corner.

“Hi, I’m Tifa. I’ll be serving you tonight,” she said, with a smile.

“You’re the new bartender, aren’t you?” Rufus asked.

“Yes, I am,” Tifa replied, keeping the professional smile on her face.

“Interesting. Is Jessie still working here?”

“She’s at home sick.”

“Shame… Hope she feels better soon.”

“Could I get any drinks for you guys?” Tifa asked.

“The usual,” Rufus dismissively replied.

“And that would be…?”

Rufus’ eyes slightly narrowed as he gave Tifa a cavalier smirk. “How about you figure that out?”

Tifa raised an eyebrow. “What…?”

“Let’s call it a game. You guess what my usual is and get it right, then I give you a handsome tip and you’re done serving me for the rest of the night. Guess wrong… well then, we’ll see what other games we can play tonight.”

Tifa had to force herself not to frown. “Alright.”

“Same for my associates,” Rufus added. “I’d like you to guess their orders, too.”

“You’re really puttin’ her through it, aren’t you, boss?” the one with red hair scoffed. The bald one kept silent.

“Three drinks coming right up, then.” 

Tifa promptly walked away to get to work, but she was stopped when the red-head said, “Oh, miss—I have one more request!”

“Yes?”

“Could you walk a bit slower?”

Tifa clenched her fist as the three men laughed, feeling herself fume with rage on the inside—and regretting that she wore her black miniskirt that night.

“You okay?” Biggs asked, once Tifa got back to the bar. 

“He wants the usual,” Tifa answered.

“That’s easy, I’ll tell you,” Biggs said.

Tifa shook her head. “He said he wanted me to figure it out. I’m guessing it might not actually be his usual and he wouldn’t make it so easy that I could just ask you.”

Biggs groaned. “Couldn’t the asshole have just ordered something like a normal person?”

“I think I’ve got this, Biggs.” 

Tifa got right to work on preparing the drinks based on her first impression of the three men she had to serve. For Rufus, she’d made a Soixante-Quinze, a bright, light sparkling drink made with champagne, gin, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and a bright yellow twist of lemon peel for garnish on the glass flute. For his red-head friend, a glass of fireball cinnamon whiskey, and for the bald, stoic one, a pint of Seventh Heaven’s featured dark stout on tap.

After Tifa dropped off the drinks, Rufus picked up the glass in front of him and frowned. “This isn’t the usual. You lost the game.”

Tifa sighed. “Alright then, what will you have?”

Rufus flicked an eyebrow up. “Hold on—just because it’s not the usual doesn’t mean I won’t accept it.”

“And for you two?” Tifa asked the other two men.

The red-head sniffed his glass. “Good choice.”

“Yes, perfect,” the bald one complimented.

Tifa smiled. “Well, then, call me over if there’s anything else you’ll need.” 

She turned to go back to the bar, but she was stopped when Rufus reached out and grabbed her wrist. 

“Wait.”

Tifa’s heart beat fast with anxiety. “Mr. Shinra, please let go of me.”

“You made this drink yourself, didn’t you? I want to appraise your skills to your face.” While keeping a hand wrapped around her wrist, Rufus drank from his glass, and when he was done, a smile formed on his lips as he turned to Tifa. “This is actually delicious. And you have great taste. Clearly not a novice bartender… Where have you worked?”

“Not anywhere you’ve likely been,” Tifa answered. “I was the bartender of a small saloon in Nibelheim.”

“Isn’t that some backwater town up in the mountains? I bet they’re missing you.”

“Will that be all, sir?”

“It was Tifa, right? Do you have a last name?”

“Lockhart.”

“Tifa Lockhart… Good name,” Rufus remarked, smirking at her.

“Sir, could you please get your hand off of me now?”

“It’s not sir—It’s Rufus.”

“I’d like to get back to work, Rufus. ” Tifa was unable to keep the edge out of her voice that time.

Rufus let out a quiet hum of a laugh. “Are you afraid of me, Tifa?”

Tifa glared at him. “I won’t ask again…”

“I’ll take that as a ‘no.’” Rufus let go of Tifa’s wrist. “You should be afraid of me. I’m capable of ending anyone’s career—or making it. And I assume you’re a bartender because you need the money, since you’re a smalltown girl who came to the city. I’m sure you have bigger dreams than being a bartender.” 

“My dreams are none of your business,” Tifa bitterly replied.

“Wow, she’s got a mouth on her,” the red-haired one teased.

Rufus didn’t look deterred, and he smugly grinned. “I like that about her.” He then reached inside his inner coat pocket, pulling out a black leather bound booklet. It looked like a checkbook. “Rude—a pen, please.”

“Boss, are you serious?” the bald man named Rude asked, gawking.

“Deadly.”

After Rude gave him a pen, Rufus told Tifa, “Name your price.”

“Excuse me?” Tifa exclaimed.

“I can write you a check payable to the amount of your wishes. What’ll it be?”

Tifa blinked rapidly, feeling flustered. “Oh, I… I don’t think that I can—”

Suddenly Rufus let out a loud laugh, ripping the check from its booklet. “I got you, didn’t I? You really thought I was going to give you all the money you asked for…” He tore the check into a clean half and let the pieces fall to the floor in a cavalier manner as he smirked up at Tifa. “That would be a stupid habit to make as a businessman—even if it was to help out a beautiful poor girl like you.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Tifa sneered.

Rufus gave her a smug grin. “I’m sorry, you’re just too adorable… I couldn’t help playing with you. But for all your trouble tonight…” He reached inside his inner coat pocket, pulling out a group of large bills. “I bet this will still be the best tip you get all year…”

He stood up in a smooth, swift move, towering over Tifa as he leaned forward to stick the thick folded wad of cash underneath the left leather strap of her suspenders, just below her collarbone. Tifa flinched at the brief touch, but Rufus sat back down as quickly as he stood up. Then he gave her another self-satisfied smirk. 

“Thank you, Miss Lockhart.” Rufus turned to his associates and sent them a glowering stare. “Aren’t you two going to say anything?”

“Thank you, Miss Lockhart!” they both said in clumsy harmony.

“You’re welcome. Enjoy your night.” Tifa tried her best to remain composed and turned around, bringing her hand up to take the money from her strap. She took in a deep breath as she walked away, clenching the money in her fist as her hand shook—and to her relief, Rufus and his goons didn’t call her back for anything else this time.

“Hey, we got a few more drinks to hand out,” Biggs said, as soon as Tifa returned to the bar.

“Yeah, sure,” Tifa said, absentmindedly glancing at the orders written on the paper note near her station.

“Hey, Tifa… are you okay?”

Tifa took in a deep breath as she met Biggs' concerned dark eyes. “Yeah… I think maybe I just need some air real quick.” She was still holding onto the wad of Rufus’ money as she walked away from the bar, hot angry tears welling in her eyes. 

The thing is, Tifa did need to save up as much money as she could if she planned to pay for her schooling on her own. But Rufus’s money felt like dirty money. She was used to being flirted with and borderline harassed—that usually came with being a bartender, even in Nibelheim—but this was a whole new level of harassment for her.

“Tifa? What happened?” Barret had come outside to the back alley, where Tifa was sitting on the doorstep, crying out her frustration.

Tifa wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m alright…”

“Did Rufus do something to you?”

“...No. Not really…”

“His guys?”

“No, Barrett.”

“Then what happened?”

“He’s an asshole! And they treated me like… like I was someone they could just humiliate for their entertainment, and…” Tifa’s angry tears welled up again. “How can people be so cruel just because they have so much money?”

Barret sighed as he sat down next to Tifa. “It’s Midgar. You get used to it.”

“I don’t want to get used to it!” Tifa protested.

“You’re from a small town, huh? There’s no assholes like that there?”

“Oh, there are assholes, but… I’ve never had anyone make me feel so small.”

Barrett sighed. “I’m sorry you had to deal with Rufus… I thought you’d be able to handle it like Jessie.”

Tifa angrily frowned. “Jessie shouldn’t have to be subjected to Rufus’ bullshit, either! No one should!”

“Listen, if I anger that man, everyone’s livelihoods could be on the line. But I promise—you’ll never have to deal with him again, Tifa. I’m sorry…”

“Thank you, Barret.”

“Next time Jessie’s gone and if I don’t feel like our other waitresses are up to it—I’ll serve Rufus Shinra personally. He can’t say no to the owner giving him special treatment, right?”

“Really?” Tifa asked.

“Yeah.” Barret smiled over at Tifa. “Still, you’re a pretty tough cookie. What is that, a 5,000 Gil tip? Jessie usually only makes 1,000 when she serves Rufus. He must have really liked you.”

Tifa made a facial expression of disgust. “I don’t know if I should keep it…”

“Tifa—it’s your money.”

“But it feels dirty.”

“Hey, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth—even if he’s technically an ass.” Barret chuckled. “Use it to make a difference.”

Tifa smirked. “Thanks, Barrett.”

“You want to head home early?”

Tifa shook her head. “And give Rufus the satisfaction of driving me away? No. I want to make drinks, since that’s what you hired me to do.”

***

Tifa felt exhausted when she came home, and driving home in the rain at night didn’t make her feel any better. But just walking through the front door to see Cloud looking relaxed as he reclined on the couch...it instantly brought her a sense of ease.

Once she closed the door, he turned to her and smiled. “Hey, welcome home! Did you have a good night at work?”

Tifa sighed and closed her eyes, smiling. “Oh, I wish I could hug you...”

“Huh?”

Tifa shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy to be home.”

Cloud’s expression looked worried, and he stood up. “Did something happen?”

Tifa glanced down. “It’s alright… it was just a rough night.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“Not really…”

“Well, I figured out something new today,” Cloud said, changing the subject. He sounded excited about something—that was rare.

“Oh?” Tifa asked.

“Well, you know how I can’t touch anything? I tried to see what would happen if I stood in the rain—since, technically, rain is something that touches you.”

Tifa watched as Cloud walked through the glass door onto the balcony and then she opened the door so she could see him clearly. 

“Watch,” Cloud said, smiling.

Every point of contact with the rain rejected Cloud’s ghostly body and glowed with a blue-tinted, sparkling light as countless drops fell at practically the same time.

It was… “Beautiful.”

“Huh?” Cloud asked.

“It’s beautiful!” Tifa repeated, surprised that she’d said her thought out loud. 

Cloud bashfully smiled. “I thought it was kind of cool. Even though… you’re probably the only person who will ever see it.”

Tifa smiled, feeling her heart warm. “I’m glad I am seeing it.”

She stepped out onto the balcony and walked up to Cloud.

“Tifa, you’re getting wet,” he protested.

“I don’t care!” Tifa softly giggled. “Could I… try something?”

She tentatively raised her hand up and Cloud instinctively raised his up just in front of hers so that their palms were close together. Then Tifa moved her hand into Cloud’s, almost as if she were interlacing their fingers, and she could see her own hand sparkle with that same bluish glow. 

“So cool!” Tifa suddenly took her hand back and bashfully glanced down. “Sorry, I just had to try it… That was okay, right?”

“Yeah, of course.” Cloud warmly smiled at her. “You should go back inside before you ruin your clothes.”

Tifa laughed and then went back inside the apartment, Cloud following just behind her. He, of course, didn’t look like he got wet at all. 

Tifa smoothed her damp hair and then she turned to Cloud with a smile. “Hey, Cloud… Thank you.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise. “For what?”

“For making me smile.” Tifa shook her head, unable to get the big smile off her face. “I had a stressful night at work, but just thinking about coming home to see you helped me get through it… because I knew I’d be okay as soon as I got home. Because I always feel good when I’m home with you. Honestly… lately I find myself thinking about you a lot when I’m away, and it makes me feel…” 

Tifa was quiet as she stared at Cloud, losing her smile as she realized something she’d long been denying herself.

Cloud had his brow furrowed. “Tifa…?”

 “I just realized… You’re exactly the kind of guy I want to be with, Cloud.”

“...What?”

“I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have said that!” Tifa ducked her head and then turned around as she brought her hands up to her face. 

“No, it’s okay! I… I’m… I mean—Do you really feel that way about me? You… like me?” Cloud asked.

Tifa nodded, turning back around. “Yes… Sorry for not being clearer. I do like you, Cloud. A lot.”

“Oh,” Cloud breathed out, looking like he was about to faint. The lights in the living room started to flicker a bit and Tifa hoped that wasn’t a negative response to her confession.

“I don’t know when I started feeling like that, but… we’ve spent so much time together and I feel like no guy has ever treated me as well as you do or connected with me like you have… and you’re so kind and a bit of a dork, which is actually really cute, and you make me laugh and smile so effortlessly—and most importantly… I always feel good about myself when I’m with you, Cloud.”

The lights stopped flickering and Cloud seemed to calm down as he warmly stared at Tifa. “Tifa… Is this real?”

“What do you mean? Of course it’s real!”

Cloud glanced down, looking bashful. “It’s just… I never thought someone like you could ever feel that way about me, because you’re so…”

“I’m so… what?” Tifa nervously asked.

“Perfect.”

Tifa bashfully looked away. “Please, I’m the farthest thing from perfect!”

“Not to me,” Cloud said, in a soft voice.

Tifa blushed. “Well… I’m happy to hear you say that. Cloud… if you were alive… this would be the moment where I’d ask you to be my boyfriend.”

All the lights went off suddenly, but came back on after a few seconds.

“Was that the storm?” Tifa asked.

“No… I think that was me,” Cloud sheepishly said.

“It’s okay!” Tifa was giggling. “I think it’s cute… Anyway, does that mean you like me, too? The way I like you?”

Cloud’s eyes were lowered and he looked unhappy. “I do. But I can’t be your boyfriend.”

Tifa’s smile dropped. “Because you’re a ghost?”

“That’s kind of a huge obstacle…”

Tifa walked up to Cloud and raised her hand to his face, knowing that even if they couldn’t touch, Cloud would still feel her warmth. “Cloud, if you feel the same way about me that I feel about you, then we should be together.”

“Tifa… I want that more than anything, but how would we even make it work?”

“Isn’t it enough to be together?”

“Is it enough for you?” Cloud sighed. “I won’t be able to go out with you, or touch you, or do anything two people would normally do if they were dating.”

Tifa shook her head. “Those things are shallow... What really matters in a relationship is being happy with the person you’re with, even if you’re not doing anything special. Being with you, Cloud, even without all that other stuff…it’s enough for me.”

Cloud slowly smiled at Tifa. “Then it’ll be enough for me, too.”

Chapter 6

In the late morning, Cloud had been sitting on the balcony again, watching a sunny world wake up when he heard the sliding glass door open. Tifa was there, still dressed in her pajamas, and she quietly said “good morning.”

“Good morning,” Cloud shyly answered. He still couldn’t believe Tifa was his girlfriend now.

She didn’t come to sit next to him this time, and she shyly glanced down as she said, “Just wanted to say hi.” 

Cloud scrambled up to stand. “Do you want me to come in?”

Tifa’s face seemed to flush now. “Oh… sure!”

Cloud followed her inside the apartment and then they both stood together, not saying anything for a very long, awkward beat.

Tifa let out a breathy, nervous laugh. “Um, sorry—this is kind of new for me. At least it feels new.”

“Yeah,” was all Cloud could say in response.

Several more stilted and awkward conversations happened like this over the next few days before Tifa and Cloud felt settled in their new relationship. However, it was a slight relief for Cloud to see that Tifa was just as nervous as he was about it. Tifa was his first official girlfriend. Even if he were not a ghost, he would have barely had any idea of how to do things. 

So, of course, Tifa was the first one to suggest a date. 

“A movie night? Isn’t that something we do pretty much every night you don’t work?” Cloud asked.

“Oh, well…” Tifa frowned sadly. “I guess that’s not really special, huh?”

Cloud felt a pang of guilt. “No, it’s great! I’m happy to do anything with you, Tifa.”

Tifa shyly smiled at Cloud. “Okay. But… it might have to wait until after work, or tomorrow when I have the night off?”

Cloud smiled. “Let’s do tomorrow, then.”

“Maybe I could wear something special since it’ll be a date!” Tifa suggested. Then her bright smile faltered. “Oh, but you can’t…”

“It’s fine,” Cloud replied. “Although my riding jacket and gloves are not exactly what I’d choose to wear on a first date.”

If only I could take these gloves off, at least. I look ridiculous wearing them all the time…

“It’s okay,” Tifa warmly replied. “You still look really good to me.”

Cloud snapped out of his momentary sullenness when he saw Tifa’s cheeks get a bit red. 

Wow, she really thinks I look that good?

He felt himself blush as he answered, “Thanks…”

Tifa let out a short, flustered laugh and said, “Well, I gotta get going soon, but I’ll see you later!”

“Where are you going, again?”

“Aerith wanted me to go with her to a farmer’s market.”

Cloud nodded. “Right… Do you think you’ll tell her about us?”

“I don’t know… I mean, Aerith’s cool with the whole ghost thing, but if I told her you were my boyfriend…” Tifa was quiet for a while before she finally said,  “I think I just want to keep it secret for now.”

Of course she wouldn’t want to tell anyone… I probably wouldn’t, either.

***

On the night of their first official date, Tifa wore a short strappy black dress and Cloud had trouble not staring at her—Tifa was always so beautiful and most of the time, she would just wear a jeans and t-shirt or exercise clothes or pajamas inside the apartment, but it was a nice surprise to see her wear something new. Tifa also prepared the ‘movie night’ by making popcorn and turning off all the lights before she and Cloud decided on a movie, which was a lighthearted comedy. It would have been really nice if Cloud wasn’t constantly reminded that he couldn’t share popcorn or candy with Tifa and he couldn’t hold her hand or have her rest against him as they sat together—like he would have wanted to do if he were a real, living person. 

Cloud felt his heart sink at how much Tifa was trying. If this was the closest they’d ever get to having a real date… was it really worth it for her?

After the movie was over, Tifa turned all the lights back on and asked Cloud, “So did you like the movie? You were pretty quiet throughout the whole thing…”

“Uh… it was okay, I guess,” Cloud said, glancing down. “To be honest, I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Is everything okay?” Tifa was frowning in concern.

“Yeah, it’s just… you’re trying so hard, Tifa, and I’m the one who can’t make this work.”

Tifa’s eyes looked even more wounded. “What do you mean?”

Cloud felt bad that Tifa looked so hurt because of his words, but he had to tell her the truth. “You can date anyone you want, Tifa—someone who can actually step outside this apartment and go out with you and have dinner and hold your hand and share popcorn and candy with at the movies, and… do all the things that I can’t do for you. Do you really want to waste your time with me?”

Tifa’s eyes glistened as she glanced down, looking like she was about to cry. “I’m sorry… maybe I should have come up with a better idea…”

“No, Tifa—that’s not what I meant! And it’s not your fault,” Cloud protested. “It’s mine. I can’t give you what I need.”

“I don’t need anything but to be with you, Cloud.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Cloud sighed. “Then… maybe we shouldn’t try to do any ‘date’ things. It’ll be easier that way.”

“Okay,” Tifa quietly said. “Well… I should go to bed soon. I’m pretty tired…”

She and Cloud exchanged goodnight’s, and Cloud sat by himself after she left, feeling anger well up in his chest—anger at himself. 

He hated that he finally had a real girlfriend and he couldn’t do any simple thing with her that a normal couple should be able to do! What if Tifa got bored of him or she got tired of trying to have a relationship with a ghost—and then what if she resented him for it? The night that she confessed her feelings, Tifa had told Cloud that he made her happy…but all he did on their first actual date night was make her almost cry…

Cloud slammed a fist down to the table out of frustration, even knowing his hand would go through it—except it didn’t.

*CRAAA-AAACK!*

Cloud gasped when he felt the physical impact of the wood against his fist. 

“What the… Oh, shit!” 

There was a big splitting crack in the wooden coffee table now, and Cloud struggled between feeling elated that he’d actually managed to make physical contact with an object and the horror of having to explain to Tifa what happened when she woke up and discovered it. 

Does this mean… I can touch things?

Cloud reached for the nearly empty glass of water that Tifa had left out on the coffee table, and carefully tried to pick it up. He was wearing gloves, so it was hard to tell when he was actually gripping the glass, but indeed, he could feel the weight of it within his hand when he lifted it up.

“Whoa,” Cloud happily remarked—but in the next second, the glass slipped through his hand and fell, hitting the corner of the table and chipping before it bounced down to the carpet and spilled its contents.

Cloud closed his eyes in exasperation, but there was a mix of excitement in his heart. He was able to make physical contact with the world. That had never happened before. Cloud figured that he must have already been able to somewhat have that ability if he was able to sit down on couches and chairs without sinking through them—as a matter of fact, he probably should have been more skeptical about why—

“Cloud?”

It was Tifa’s voice that called out for him from the hallway.

“Yeah, I’m here!” he called back.

Shit—how do I explain—

“I thought I heard a crash—did something happen?”

“Uh…” Cloud was sitting on the couch with the evidence of his destruction on full display. “Well, I tried to pick up a glass and dropped it on the table, so uh…that happened.” Cloud hoped his little white lie would be good enough—he didn’t want to tell Tifa he’d smashed the coffee table out of his fit of angst.

“You… lifted something?” Tifa walked over and examined the table and chipped glass.

Cloud shrugged. “Yeah… I just picked it up.” 

“Wow, this table must be so fragile! Amazing that the glass is still mostly intact, too…”

“Yeah, uh… weird, huh?” Cloud gave Tifa a sheepish smile.

The light in her eyes returned as she smiled. “Does this mean… maybe you and I can finally touch now?”

Cloud flushed as Tifa stretched an arm out toward him. “Um… I… I don’t…”

Tifa’s hand went right through his wrist and her smile dropped. “Oh… Guess not.”

Cloud gave her a soft smile. “It’s okay. I think I have to try really hard—and it only happened for, like, a second.”

“But this is great news!” Tifa exclaimed. “Maybe this means that one day it will be possible...”

Cloud blushed at that—and he felt stupid for it—so he tried to say something to distract Tifa. “Well, I’m sorry about the table!”

“Oh, don’t worry about it—it was kind of cheap anyway,” Tifa said, letting out a short laugh.

Cloud smiled back.

It really would make her happier if we could touch… If we could be like a normal couple… Then I have to try my best.

***

Over the next week, Tifa and Cloud engaged in trials for Cloud to practice holding and moving objects—things that weren’t so fragile this time. Cloud nearly managed to open doors and turn on faucets and he even managed to pick up the TV remote. But the one thing he didn’t want to practice on was Tifa.

“Why not?” Tifa asked, frowning after the first time she suggested Cloud practice holding her hand.

“Because… what if something weird happens like it I get my hand stuck halfway and it messes something up with your body? We don’t even know how this whole thing works…”

“That’s why we’re doing research, remember?” Tifa brightly replied. 

She and Cloud had been watching ghost shows and movies to see if anything they found in media could give them ideas for how to help Cloud interact with the physical world. It had been a lot of fun and those movie days/nights were less stressful than their first date because the pressure to make it perfect and romantic was absent. Plus, Cloud knew those scary movies scared Tifa—but she sat through them anyway, even if she had to peek through her fingers to watch, just because she was doing it to try and help him. Her willingness to do all of this with him was even more reason for him to not want to screw things up if he tried to touch her.

Cloud finally replied, “Still… I think maybe we should wait to do that until I have a handle on the easier stuff.”

“Well, I think you’re already showing great promise, but if you’re not ready, then that’s okay, Cloud.” Tifa gave him a warm smile, and it warmed his heart, despite how bad he felt about not being able to do something she wanted.

“Thanks, Tifa. This really isn’t all too much for you?” Cloud asked. “I mean, you’ve been spending all your free time with me this past week, just helping me and… I just don’t want to get in the way of you living your life.”

Tifa shook her head. “This is my life, Cloud…and I want to spend my free time with you.”

Cloud glanced down in guilt and said nothing.

“Hey… I know it’s not ideal, but we’ve found a way around a less-than-ideal situation. All the time we’re putting into it will pay off. I know it will.”

Because you think one day I’ll be able to touch you...

“Think about it this way,” Tifa continued. “We’re in the same boat that a long distance couple would be in. Never able to touch or go anywhere together.”

Cloud nodded. “That’s true…”

“Although… I think we’re still able to do a bit more than even those couples,” Tifa said.

Cloud raised his eyebrows. “Like what?”

“You were able to feel my hand that one night we talked on the balcony, remember? 

“Barely. It was like feeling warm air.”

“Still… You felt something.” Tifa suddenly walked up close to Cloud and smiled. “I want to try something…”

Cloud rapidly shook his head. “Tifa, I can’t—”

“You don’t have to try and touch me, Cloud. Just close your eyes. Relax.”

Cloud did as he was told and let out a relaxing exhale, although he could still feel his heart beat fast—and what the hell was that about?—and within a few seconds, he felt a new warm sensation on his lips.

Cloud blinked open his eyes and flinched, pulling away from Tifa. “Tifa… did you just?”

Her dark eyes looked anxious. “Did you feel it?”

“Sort of…not physically, but like I just got really warm on my lips… Did you feel anything?”

“It was cold… like if I were to stick my head into the freezer and kiss air,” Tifa answered.

“Oh…”

Tifa laughed. “But I felt you and you felt me!”

“Yeah... I did.” Cloud bashfully smiled, feeling his face warm. “Sorry I pulled away, I just got kind of nervous…”

“It’s alright. We can try it out again later,” Tifa said, giving him a warm look.

Well, maybe things aren’t completely hopeless…

Chapter 7

It was a slow evening at Seventh Heaven when Tifa found herself leaning along the bar, gazing at a young couple playing billiards together. They kept pausing their game just to hug and take photos of each other kissing, and even though Tifa would normally think to roll her eyes at that, she couldn’t help but envy them. She and Cloud had been making the best of his lack of a physical body and she enjoyed spending time helping him get better at interacting with the physical world, but…

Even if Cloud could manage to finally hold my hand and kiss me—which he’s still too anxious to try—we would still never be able to do something like go out to a bar and play games together. I’ll never get to introduce him to my dad. We’ll never go on double dates with Aerith and Zack. 

It will never be normal for us.

“Hey, what’s got you down?” It was Jessie who had broken Tifa from her thoughts, furrowing her brow and looking at her with a kind expression in her brown eyes.

“Oh… Nothing,” Tifa answered.  Jessie glanced over to where Tifa had been staring. 

“You mean that lovey dovey couple over there acting like they're doing the most basic engagement photo shoot is what you’re moping about?”

Tifa blushed. “No! Not really…”

Jessie raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on!”

Tifa smiled at Jessie’s insistence on helping her out. “It’s just… I’m kind of in a long distance relationship right now.”

“What?! Since when?”

“Uh, it’s recent! Anyway… my boyfriend and I… it just feels bad that we can’t go out to do stuff like this. I never used to really care, but when you go so long without being able to go out with and touch someone you really care about…”

“Aww, I get it,” Jessie said, in a comforting voice. “But you know, there are apps these days that make it a lot easier to be intimate with long distance lovers, if you know what I mean...” 

Jessie winked at Tifa and Tifa found herself blushing as soon as she realized what Jessie had been referring to.

“N-no, I don’t need anything like that!”

Jessie chuckled. “It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it—but I could send you a few links just in case you want to check it out… Just saying it might help keep things spicy so you don’t get bored of being away from each other!”

Tifa smiled. “Yeah, uh… maybe…” 

Cloud and I have much bigger problems than distance, though…

Tifa had finally started her college courses a week earlier, so she didn’t have as much free time to be at home between work and school, and when she was home, she would often spend time on homework or studying. But even on the days that she had more time to spend with Cloud, he started to seem…a bit detached. While he would still ask Tifa about school and work and how her day was, any time Tifa asked about his day, he’d be very short about it. It had almost been three weeks since Tifa and Cloud started doing daily practice together for improving Cloud’s physical interaction abilities, but by the end of the second week, Cloud seemed to lose interest and he began to decline Tifa’s help with it. It seemed like this entire past week, she’d barely seen or talked to him, and she wondered if Cloud was starting to have second thoughts about their relationship…

Maybe I shouldn’t take it so personally, Tifa thought to herself. After all, Cloud is still a ghost who is trapped within the veil between life and death, and now I’m doing the very opposite of what I had first set out to do for him—helping him move on. Instead, I insisted on us being together in a relationship… but doesn’t that mean I’ve just given him a new reason to stay in this world?

These thoughts spiraled in Tifa’s mind as she drove home from work, and she took a deep breath before she opened the door to their apartment, preparing for another night of not getting to talk to Cloud as much as usual. But after Tifa got inside the apartment and locked up, she turned around to be met with an unbelievable sight, leaving her frozen where she stood.

“Welcome home, Tifa.”

Cloud had said this while he stood in the doorway, although Tifa couldn’t believe she was actually seeing him—or the state of their apartment! For one thing, the dining table looked beautiful, decorated with a nice, white tablecloth Tifa had bought and saved for a special occasion, and there were candles set up on the table in pretty glass holders and along the shelf space in the dining and living room. The ceiling lights were dimmed, creating romantic lighting, and Tifa heard one of her favorite songs softly playing from the TV—and she suddenly detected the scent of something really good cooking in the kitchen.

And Cloud looked different, too. He had somehow gotten rid of his jacket and hoodie and he was just wearing his black v-neck t-shirt, jeans, and boots, sticking his hands in his pockets—and the gloves were gone, too!

“Is this… real?” Tifa had to blink her eyes several times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating or dreaming. 

“Yeah, it’s real,” Cloud said, letting out a soft chuckle. “Uh… surprise!”

“I don’t know what to—what’s going on?” Tifa asked, rapidly blinking, still too stunned to move from the doorway.

“Since you had the early shift today, I thought you’d come home just in time for dinner, so… I wanted to surprise you with a real date,” Cloud explained.

“But… how did you even do this?!”

Cloud bashfully glanced down. “Um, I gotta confess… I’ve been lying to you the last week and a half about the progress of my physical interactions. Once they got to a good enough point, I got the idea in my head to set up a real date for us, so I had to be absolutely sure it could go off without a hitch. That’s why I had to start practicing the harder stuff in secret. I couldn’t let you be in on it because I wanted us to have a night where you didn’t have to worry about me or be focused on helping me out. Not that I haven’t appreciated all your help, of course! But with school and work, you just already had so many things going on—I didn’t want to have to be another job for you.”

Tifa’s mouth was still open in shock. She didn’t know how to respond to such a sweet gesture—to something that obviously took careful planning and effort and dedication—all to make her happy.

“I don’t know what to say…” Tifa could feel her heart swell as tears prickled at her eyes. “Oh my gosh—so all your standoffishness and not talking to me and spending more time away from me this past week… It was all for this?”

Cloud guiltily glanced down. “Yeah… I’m really sorry I made you worry. I didn’t know how to actually lie to your face, so… deflection and avoiding you was my go-to.”

Tifa let out a huge exhale of relief. “Well, you definitely succeeded in surprising me!”

Cloud smiled. “Good! So… are you hungry?”

Tifa grinned brightly. “Yes! I can definitely eat! I can’t believe you cooked!”

Cloud shrugged. “Well, I hope you’ll like it… I had to practice a lot. Mostly while you were at work.”

“You’re going to have to tell me how you pulled all this off—and also… your clothes!” Tifa exclaimed.

“Oh, right—well, I couldn’t exactly wear a new nice outfit for the date, but I figured since I could already zip and unzip my jacket, why couldn’t I just take the whole thing off? Same with the gloves.” Cloud shrugged and then pulled a hand out of his pocket to show Tifa. It was the first time she’d ever seen his hand—which made her feel silly to think that such a small thing was such a big deal to her, but it was a big deal!

“Anyway, I hope this black t-shirt is fine for a date—black is sort of formal, right?”

Tifa warmly smiled at Cloud. “It counts in my book. Give me just a few minutes, and I’ll get dressed, too!”

***

Tifa quickly freshened up and then came back to the dining room, wearing a short wine-red cocktail dress with a halter style collar.

“Wow… that’s a really nice dress,” Cloud complimented.

“Thank you! Are the heels a bit much?” Tifa gestured to her matching ruby-red high heel pumps.

“No…” Tifa watched Cloud as he glanced down, and saw him slowly scan up her legs before his eyes reached her face again, and he looked visibly flustered with pink in his cheeks. Tifa felt both bashful and extremely flattered from the way he stared at her.

Cloud broke his gaze away from Tifa, and then he gallantly held out a chair for her to sit in. Tifa happily obliged before Cloud then walked through the kitchen counter to serve her dinner—it was a pasta dish with sauce that was clearly made and not store-bought, and Cloud had even prepared her bread sticks with oil as a side appetizer. He expertly carried the plates and utensils in a waiter-like manner as he walked through the counter again before setting the plate down in front of Tifa. Then he even managed to open a bottle of red wine and poured half a glass for Tifa.

“This is all so much… I can’t believe this is actually happening!” Tifa said, bashfully covering her face.

Cloud grinned down at her from where he stood. “Well, I wanted to make this date extra special for you. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like this before for anyone. Hope I did a good job…”

“You did incredible, Cloud,” Tifa praised.

“Well, just wait until you try the food—it might taste horrible, since I couldn’t taste-test it for myself.”

Tifa laughed as Cloud sat at the seat adjacent to her. “I’m sure it will taste great! I just wish you could eat and drink, too…”

“It’s okay,” Cloud quietly said. “I will vicariously enjoy it through you.” 

Tifa felt a bit self conscious as she prepared to take her first bite. “Are you going to watch me eat?”

Cloud blushed. “Uh—no, sorry—I, uh…”

“How about while I eat, you explain everything to me about how you pulled this off?” Tifa asked.

Cloud agreed, and as Tifa ate her dinner (which was surprisingly really good!) he began to explain all the ways he progressed from simply touching and holding things to learning how to use pressure in his hands and arms—practically having to reteach himself how to use his ghost muscles. It didn’t always work perfectly, however, and he apparently narrowly escaped some disasters in the kitchen and managed to cover up a few broken dish accidents.

“Cloud… I still don’t have enough words to say how happy this all makes me feel,” Tifa said, after she was done eating. “No one has ever done anything like this for me before! And you’re a ghost, so it definitely took like a thousand times more effort to pull this off! You really did this all to make me happy…and you didn’t have to. But I’m really glad that you did… Thank you. This meant so much to me…”

Cloud warmly smiled at Tifa. “You’re welcome, Tifa. You deserve this and so much more…”

Tifa smiled back and reached over to affectionately touch Cloud’s hand, but he flinched and pulled away before she could make contact.

“Oh—I’m sorry,” Tifa said, pulling back her hand.

Cloud sighed. “No, it’s okay, I just… I don’t know if I’m ready to try that yet.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Tifa smiled, although she could tell Cloud was feeling guilty about it on the inside. 

They continued to talk for the rest of the hour of their dinner date, and when Tifa began to yawn, that signaled the end of their night together. Tifa offered to help Cloud tidy up the kitchen since it was quite a lot to put away and she put out all the candles and packed them away while Cloud washed her dishes. Tifa paused in her task to watch him for a few seconds, out of curiosity. Cloud’s hands were sparkling within the water just like they did in the rain, and it was amazing to see how much Cloud had improved in just a short amount of time.

But why is touching me the biggest obstacle for him? Shouldn’t that be easier than washing dishes without breaking them?  Tifa thought to herself. Still… I shouldn’t push it. Tonight’s date was already a huge breakthrough and I know it’s only going to get better with Cloud from here on out.

“So… I guess this is the end of our night, huh?” Cloud had his hands back in his pockets as he and Tifa stood together in the kitchen.

“Yeah, I guess...” Tifa smiled at him. “I had a very lovely date, Cloud.”

“I’m glad you did.”

Tifa anxiously held her hands together in front of her. “Well, typically this would be the moment I’d kiss you goodnight, but… I know we can’t.”

Cloud’s eyes lowered briefly. “Yeah, sorry about that…”

“We can still do a ghost kiss, right?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

Tifa leaned forward with a smile until Cloud interrupted her again.

“Wait.”

Tifa frowned. “What is it?”

Cloud was giving her an intent look, as if he were focusing very hard. “Let me come to you this time, Tifa. Just stand still." 

He stepped closer to Tifa and raised a hand up near her face. Tifa tried her best to keep her eyes on Cloud’s face, even though she wanted to watch his hand. The anticipation of his touch as she felt the coolness of his proximity was almost too much to bear—and then she finally felt him. Cloud’s fingers were cold and the physical contact on her skin made her flinch at first—but his hand felt solid and his skin felt soft, as if it belonged to a regular living human.

“Is this okay?” Cloud nervously asked.

“Yeah…” Tifa smiled big. “I can really feel you!”

Cloud smiled and let out a small laugh, as if he were surprised he managed to touch Tifa—but in the next second he unintentionally let his hand pass through Tifa’s cheek, leaving a cold sensation one one side of her head. 

Cloud sharply pulled back his hand and frowned. “Tifa, I’m so sorry! I think I’m still kind of nervous...”

“It’s okay! Try again.”

Cloud took in a deep breath and then asked, “Can you close your eyes?”

Tifa nodded and closed her eyes as she waited for Cloud. Her heart raced as she braced for the cold touch of him again, but when Tifa felt his lips press against hers, they weren’t cold at all—or the sensation was simply too electrifying to notice. Tifa’s eyes shot open when she felt the kiss, although Cloud had closed his eyes now with his brow furrowed in concentration. Tifa smiled against his lips as she reached a hand up to touch his face, feeling another burst of happiness in her heart as she realized she could feel Cloud's skin under her fingertips. It felt so good to finally hold him the way she had been wanting to for weeks now… 

Tifa parted from their kiss to briefly take in a deep breath before she kissed him this time, cradling his jaw firmly as she brought him close to her, their noses and foreheads softly brushing against each other. Every single point of contact between Tifa and Cloud’s skin felt electrifying to her, sending quivers down her spine. Just a second later, Cloud gasped and flinched, breaking away from his and Tifa’s kiss, but his face still felt solid underneath Tifa’s hand and she was breathing out hard now, spurred on by the rapid beating of her heart.

“Sorry... I got a little too excited.” Tifa bashfully bit her lip as she smiled at Cloud. “But you did it!”

Cloud’s eyes were wide and his cheeks were rosy as he stared at Tifa. “Was that okay?”

Tifa rapidly nodded. “Can we try again?”

A big smile formed on Cloud’s mouth just before he leaned in again. Tifa leaned in at the same time, smoothing a hand up Cloud’s chest and neck, grasping him tightly as their lips reunited. The kiss was slower, sweeter, and heavier at the same time. Cloud seemed more confident this time as he placed a hand at the small of Tifa’s back and he took a bit more control as he cupped Tifa’s jaw.

As they pulled apart again, Tifa held onto Cloud’s hands and they were both smiling at each other.

“That was… incredible,” Tifa breathed out.

“Yeah…” Cloud breathed out. Tifa didn’t think she’d ever seen him smile bigger or look happier than he was at that moment.

“See, we can make this work!” she cheerfully said.

“Yeah…” 

Cloud was apparently still too dazed for more words than that, but Tifa didn’t mind.

She squeezed his hand. “Hey… Since you’re doing so good now… Do you want to come to bed with me?”

Cloud’s eyes widened as his face paled. “What?”

“Oh—I just meant to… lie down and cuddle or something!” Tifa blushed. “I just think it would be nice if we didn’t have to sleep separately for once—well, I guess I’d be the only one sleeping but—”

“Okay… If you’re sure about it.” 

Cloud’s brow was tensed in apprehension, so Tifa smiled and nodded enthusiastically to reassure him. “Yes, I’m absolutely sure!”

Tifa took Cloud by the hand and led him to her bedroom, realizing it might actually be the first time he'd been in there since she moved in.

“It looks nice in here,” Cloud said, glancing around at all her walls.

“It’s a little messy…” Tifa said, bashfully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Do you mind turning around so I can change?”

Cloud’s face got rosy again and he quickly whirled around. “Oh, of course!”

Tifa smiled at how clearly flustered he was. She pulled out her comfy shorts and t-shirt from the middle drawer in her dresser and quickly changed. Then she headed to the bathroom to do her bedtime ritual, quickly coming back to Cloud, who was sitting on the edge of her bed waiting for her. She didn’t get completely under the covers as she lied down on the right side of the bed, beckoning Cloud to come lie next to her. 

Tifa could feel the weight of him on her bed already as he got next to her, and then he quietly asked, “Is this good?”

She glanced up to see him lying on his side while supporting himself on one elbow. She gently smiled up at him. “Yeah, that’s good… You can get closer if you want.”

“Okay…”

After Tifa turned onto her side, moving a bit closer to Cloud, he sidled a bit closer, too, and then she finally felt Cloud, pressed close against her back—although they weren’t quite touching yet. 

“Is this okay?” Cloud asked.

In the next second, Tifa felt something solid form over her ribs and she gasped at the cold touch. When she glanced down, she saw that Cloud had wrapped an arm around her middle.

“Too cold?” Cloud’s voice was near her ear, sending a not-unpleasant shudder down Tifa’s spine.

“It’s alright,” she softly answered.

“Okay. But feel free to push me off the bed if you get sick of it...”

“I won’t!” Tifa laughed and placed a hand over Cloud’s, happy to feel how solid and soft his skin felt under her fingers. “Thank you for being here, Cloud. I’m so happy right now.”

“Me, too.”

“Can we stay like this for a while? Until I fall asleep?” Tifa asked.

“Of course.”

Tifa settled into Cloud’s hold and closed her eyes, wondering how long he would be able to keep up his physical presence.

“Hey, Tifa… you know what’s weird?” Cloud quietly asked.

“What?”

“I actually feel sleepy, for once… Like I might actually fall asleep.”

“That would be nice if you could, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sleepy, too. Goodnight, Cloud.”

“Goodnight, Tifa.”

***

When Tifa woke up the next morning, she smiled and stretched out her limbs, feeling fully refreshed. She turned over and sat up on her elbows, but saw that Cloud wasn’t in her bed anymore.

Well, maybe it got uncomfortable for him or he couldn’t hold it for that long…

Tifa got up, brushed her teeth, and made herself look a bit more presentable before she intended to meet up with Cloud, who was likely back in the living room. As she walked out to the kitchen, she leisurely called out, “Good morning, Cloud!”

But there was no answer.

Tifa looked around the living room and the kitchen, and bent her brow in confusion, but then she went on as usual, getting her coffee ready as she casually glanced around to see where Cloud might be.

Maybe he’s out on the balcony.

After her coffee was ready, Tifa carried it with her to the balcony, sliding open the glass door and smiling as she prepared to greet Cloud. 

But he wasn’t there, either.

She began to feel a prickle of anxiety in her chest. “Cloud… Where are you?” 

Tifa called his name again as she walked through her apartment, searching every single room and closet space—yet she couldn’t find Cloud anywhere. 

With each passing minute, the dread in her heart began to feel heavier.

Could he have figured out how to leave the apartment? But he wouldn’t leave without telling me, would he?

Tifa took a deep breath, trying to calm down as her heart rate quickened with anxiety.

She couldn’t voice the thought in her head. She didn’t want to accept it.

Even though I should be happy for him… Even though this was the thing we both wanted for him in the beginning… 

I can’t… 

I can’t accept that Cloud is…

Gone.

Chapter 8

When Cloud opened his eyes, it felt hard to breathe and his eyelids felt heavy, but he found himself staring up at a spotty white ceiling. Then he glanced down to see tubes on his arms and a white hospital gown he was apparently wearing.

“What the hell?” he wanted to say, but his mouth was connected to a tube that gagged and choked him as he tried to talk. He removed the tube and breathed in deeply, making one of the monitors beep in a way he was sure it shouldn’t be beeping.

Monitors? A hospital? Am I…?

Cloud glanced around and tried to sit up in his bed. His limbs felt heavy, almost like they were numb, and he moved slowly and carefully as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position—although apparently there were more tubes in more uncomfortable places on his body.

“Fucking hell…” Cloud groaned, giving up and sighing as he rested back on the bed.

That’s when he realized…

“Wait… I’m… alive?”

Cloud had asked that question out loud before a nurse came rushing into the room, and she proceeded to ask him all these questions while she checked his vitals. But Cloud was just trying to remember what happened before he woke up… He had been with Tifa in her bed, she was asleep in his arms…and then he had started to fall asleep, and…

“Tifa… Where’s Tifa?” Cloud weakly asked.

“Is that your girlfriend? You can have visitors later today after we get you all checked out—I’ll go get the doctor!”

...Doctor?

Cloud glanced around the room. He wasn’t the only patient in that hospital room, separated by a curtain from another bed. There were pictures set up on the table next to him, of himself, his mom, and Zack, and even a small stuffed bear resting beside the picture frames with a few ‘get well soon’ cards. Cloud realized he was also resting underneath the indigo star-designed quilt his mom had made for him when he was a little boy.

So… I survived the accident? But… if I’m really alive, then… was everything else just a dream?

Chapter 9

Five days had passed since Cloud disappeared. 

It was time for Tifa to admit that he was never coming back. 

She should be happy about it. She helped Cloud feel so happy that he was able to finally move on and rest his soul.

But it still hurts so much… 

Tifa was crying again as she sat in the living room, waiting for Cloud to potentially appear for the fifth day in a row. Her arms were folded around her knees as she sat on the couch and the silence of her apartment was deafening. Perhaps it would have hurt less if she had been prepared for it. If she’d had some kind of warning. If she’d been able to say goodbye.

But death had never been that kind.

It feels like my mom has died all over again… Except this time… I really do have to grieve on my own. Who would I even tell about losing my ghost boyfriend? I never even told Aerith that Cloud was my boyfriend… What would she think of all of it?

But then Tifa remembered that there was someone else she knew who had also lost Cloud. Someone who was probably hurting even more than she was…

***

Later that week on her day off, Tifa drove to the forwarding address that Claudia had given her for all of Cloud’s mail that mistakenly arrived at the apartment. The house Tifa drove to was in a suburb on the outskirts of Midgar and the street was quiet and filled with small older houses. It was probably rude to come unannounced, but Tifa didn’t know if she would have been able to keep it together if she had called Claudia on the phone instead. 

And something like this… Tifa felt like she had to do it in person.

It was still early enough in the afternoon that it was light out, but late enough that Claudia could be home from work if she worked a regular 9-5 job, so Tifa optimistically walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Claudia opened the door within a few seconds, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Tifa?”

“Hi Claudia, I’m so sorry to come unannounced,” Tifa started. “I really wanted to talk with you. I hope it’s alright.”

“Oh—is everything okay with the apartment?” Claudia asked.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. It’s just…” Tifa took in a deep breath to compose herself. “I was thinking about your son. I heard about what happened to him and I’m… I’m really sorry…” Tifa’s eyes began to well with tears, but she tried her best to keep it together.

“How did you hear about it?” Claudia quietly asked. “Well, I suppose you probably must have heard about it from neighbors—it was even in the newspaper at one point…”

Now that she looked at Claudia, Tifa could see so much of Cloud in her, from the same golden hair to those guarded, yet sincere blue eyes. They even had a mostly similar facial structure, although Cloud’s features were sharper.  

“Yes, I just found out about it,” Tifa lied, “and when I thought about you and thought about how hard these last few months must have been for you, I wanted to check in.”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you… You really didn’t have to come all this way!” Claudia seemed overwhelmed with emotion as her eyes became glassy, but then she shook her head and smiled. “Tifa, why don’t you come in?”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly intrude on your home!” Tifa gently protested. “I did come unannounced…”

“Don’t worry, it’s no trouble at all! After all, you were so sweet to come all this way just to check on me and it’s been a really long time since I’ve had company. Please, come in!”

Claudia led Tifa inside her small home, and although it wasn’t very spacious, it looked like a comfortable, cozy house that was decorated in warm colors. Tifa could smell something good and savory cooking in the kitchen and then she noticed that photos of Cloud were all over the walls and in standing picture frames—there was even one on the refrigerator from when he was a small boy after winning a third place medal for something, looking embarrassed and shyly smiling. It made Tifa’s heart swell to see all these photos of Cloud, but she was luckily distracted by Claudia offering her tea before she became too overwhelmed.

“It’s been kind of lonely here, I will admit,” Claudia said, after they sat down together at her kitchen table. “Cloud—my son—he used to visit every weekend. You know, we never lived that far from the city, but he wanted to be independent and on his own, so of course I supported him in that—and he even started giving me some of his paycheck monthly to help with the mortgage.”

“He sounds like a really good son,” Tifa quietly remarked.

“Yes, he’s always been so caring. I think you would really like him if you met him.” Claudia’s eyes suddenly widened as a grin formed on her face. “You know what? It’s actually a good thing that you came by, Tifa!”

Tifa tilted her head in question. “What do you mean?”

“I haven’t told anyone outside of immediate family or close friends, but considering this may affect your living situation in the future—oh, but I guess I’d have to see how Cloud feels about it first...”

Tifa furrowed her brow at that last statement. “What?’”

“He’s awake.” Claudia’s eyes were wet with tears again. “My Cloud finally woke up... It just happened the other day! Usually, after four months in a coma, doctors tend to give up on their patients, but I wanted to keep hope and keep waiting for him to get better—and finally my prayers were answered. No one knows how it happened, but he just woke up out of the blue the other day… It’s nothing short of a miracle!”

Tifa didn’t answer Claudia because she was still processing the words ‘coma’ and ‘awake,’ and she was crying quietly, tears streaming down her face.

He’s alive… 

He was never dead…

HE’S ALIVE.

CLOUD IS ALIVE.

Tifa was so happy and yet so stunned that all she could do was sit in that chair across from Claudia, crying, trembling, and smiling.

“Oh, honey… are you all right?” Claudia asked, frowning with worry.

Tifa managed to reply, “I’m… so happy to hear that he’s awake…” 

“Hey, you know… I was actually planning to go down and visit Cloud later,” Claudia said. “What time is it? I don’t want to be late…”

“Oh—I can get going now if you need to leave soon,” Tifa quickly replied, her head still spinning at the revelation that Cloud was not dead.

“I feel bad about cutting our time off short since you came all this way…” Claudia put a hand to her chin in thought and then she smiled at Tifa. “Would you like to come with me to the hospital? You can also meet Cloud—and maybe we could all talk about what the future holds for us three!”

***

“Are you sure it’s alright for me to visit?” Tifa asked, after she and Claudia were already in the hospital.

“Oh, of course it is!” Claudia replied. “They relaxed their strictness as time went by and since Cloud is officially out of the ICU, it’s even more lax now. Although, I’ve been treating Cloud’s best friend Zack like family since the start—he comes by once a week to visit Cloud. He’s so good like that...”

“Zack?” Tifa gasped.  

It couldn’t be… Aerith’s Zack?!

She suddenly remembered that story Aerith told her about Zack visiting a friend who had been in the hospital for a while—and Cloud had never bothered to give a name to his best friend he sometimes talked about. But Tifa couldn’t ask Claudia for clarification at the moment—because they’d finally arrived at Cloud’s room. 

“Come on in, Tifa,” Claudia said, as she opened the door. 

The two women had to walk past another patient’s bed that had a curtain around it until they came around to the bed at the end of the room. Tifa’s heart felt like it was in her throat as she rounded that curtain. She wasn’t sure what Cloud would look like post-accident and it still didn’t feel real that he was a living person and that he had just been in this hospital this whole time.

Claudia finally moved aside the curtain and she quietly let out, “Oh, he’s asleep again.”

Tifa trembled where she stood, hardly believing she was seeing Cloud alive and in the flesh for the first time. He looked smaller than usual, as if he had lost considerable muscle mass in his body, and his face and hair looked softer than Tifa remembered, except for a few light scars across his forehead. She remembered him saying that during the accident, his head “hurt a lot.” It must have been his helmet that saved his life, but the head trauma was probably the thing that put him in a coma.

“I suppose we’ll just sit and wait for him to wake up,” Claudia said. On a small table near the bed, she placed down the brown paper bag that contained the soup she had cooked for Cloud, and then she beckoned Tifa to sit next to her in the second visitor’s chair. Almost immediately after they sat down, the room door opened again and a brunette female doctor went up to Claudia. 

“Hello, Ms. Strife. As soon as I heard you’d arrived, I wanted to meet with you while I had the chance.”

“Oh, yes—of course.” Claudia stood up, politely smiling at the doctor.

“I need to discuss final plans for Cloud’s transition home, as you will be his primary caretaker during recovery and managing his physical therapy at home. I’ve already spoken to Cloud about it, but—” The doctor glanced over at Tifa and stopped talking.

“Oh, if you need to talk privately, I can step out,” Tifa awkwardly said.

“Don’t worry, I don’t mind stepping out with the doctor,” Claudia warmly replied. “Besides, I don’t want to wake up Cloud with all this talking.”

“Yes, of course.” The doctor smiled at Tifa. “We won’t be long.”

After Claudia left with the doctor, Tifa stared at Cloud, mentally preparing herself to ‘meet’ him. She didn’t know if she should wake him up or not. What if he didn’t remember anything about their time together? What if everything he experienced as a ghost disappeared from his memory? Tifa would be a stranger to him if that were the case… But if he did remember, then he’d be really happy to see her, right? 

It was the riskier option, but if this might be the last moment Tifa would have to be alone with Cloud, she had to face her fears now. 

Tifa stood up, feeling her legs tremble and taking in a deep breath as she looked down at Cloud. His chest was rising with the deep breaths and he looked peaceful as she sat down on the empty space next to where his right arm rested.

“Hey, you,” Tifa quietly said. “You really scared me…”

She moved her hand into Cloud’s empty, outstretched hand and laced their fingers together. Cloud’s hand was soft and pliant between her fingers and she gently squeezed it, feeling the warmth of his skin—so different from the cold she had only ever known with him. Teardrops were falling onto the bed sheet now and Tifa wiped her eyes with her free hand. She was just so overwhelmed with happiness.

Only a few seconds later, Cloud stirred and moved his head towards Tifa as he slowly opened his eyes. “...It's you…”

Tifa smiled and more tears spilled from her eyes. “Cloud… Cloud, I…” Tifa didn’t know what to say, so she just bent down and hugged him around his shoulders, pressing her face into his soft hair. After she pulled away, Cloud blinked up at her rapidly, and the color deepened in his cheeks. 

“...Can you tell me your name?”

Tifa’s heart went cold at that question and she loosened her grip on Cloud's hand. “Cloud… you don’t remember me?”

Cloud stared up at Tifa and whispered out, “Tifa…?”

Tifa exhaled in relief. “Yes!”

“So it was all real?” Cloud asked. “It wasn’t just a dream…?”

“Yes, it was real! Don’t scare me like that!” Tifa exclaimed.

“Sorry… I had to make sure that I hadn’t dreamed you up. But you’re really here…” Cloud smiled, but then he groaned as he moved to sit up in his bed, as if it took a lot of effort. Tifa didn’t know what to do to help him, and all she could do was keep her hand in his, gripping so tight, like if she were to let go, he might disappear again.

“Tifa… If you’re real, and everything else was real, then—” Cloud stopped talking as he reached a hand for Tifa’s face. “Hey, it’s okay…”

Tifa shut her eyes and spilled even more fresh tears from her eyes. “I thought you were gone! After the night we went to sleep together, you disappeared… and I never even got to say goodbye, so I thought you were gone forever!”

“I’m here, Tifa. I’m here…”

Tifa couldn’t stop crying and now Cloud’s eyes were watering and he was smiling at her and looking so beautiful in the flesh—it was too much!

“I’m so sorry I made you cry…” Cloud threaded his fingers through Tifa’s hair, gently stroking the strands behind her ear.

“No…” Tifa shook her head and smiled. “I’m just so happy! Are you feeling okay?”

Cloud raised an eyebrow, smiling. “Are you kidding me? I’ve never felt better in my entire life…”

Tifa sighed. “I can’t believe this whole time we thought you were dead… but if you never died, then how did you become a ghost?”

Cloud shook his head. “I don’t know… Maybe because being in a coma is like being not quite dead and not quite alive at the same time?”

“Like your soul was stuck between life and death,” Tifa concluded. “Like a ghost.”

“They said that a few weeks ago I started showing a change in my vital signs and brain activity. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I woke up the morning after the night I finally got to kiss you. I don’t know how… but I’m pretty sure it’s because of you I was able to wake up, Tifa.”

Tifa shook her head. “If only I’d known…”

“It’s alright. I think things worked out the way they were supposed to,” Cloud gently said.

Tifa wiped away her tears as she smiled. “Still… I missed you so much. It felt like my mom died all over again…”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that again… I was worried you didn’t actually exist, either—that everything between us never happened. I was scared of losing you, Tifa…”

“Well, you haven’t lost me.” Tifa bent down and stroked the front strands of Cloud’s hair as she exchanged a tender gaze with him.

“This feels good… Even better than before,” Cloud said, bringing a hand up to Tifa's wrist, gently rubbing his thumb along her skin. 

“And you’re so warm," Tifa softly remarked.

“Tifa…” 

Their faces were so close together now, that Cloud easily closed the distance between them with a soft kiss, and Tifa shut her eyes as she basked in the gentle, warm feeling. Cloud threaded his fingers through her hair as he held her against him with his other hand, digging his fingers into Tifa’s side as he rubbed up along her torso, and Tifa thought she was going to burn from the inside out—

“Ahem…”

Someone had cleared their throat and Tifa pulled herself off of Cloud, turning to see the doctor. Tifa had never moved so fast in her life as when she flew back down into the chair next to Cloud’s bed, hoping she didn’t look conspicuous when Claudia finally came around the curtain. 

“Oh, Cloud, you’re awake!” Claudia happily exclaimed.

“Mom?! Uh, I mean… hi, Mom,” Cloud awkwardly responded.

“You look a bit flushed… is it too hot in here?” Claudia asked. “I brought you some soup, too, if you’re hungry.”

“Oh… thanks, Mom…” Cloud swallowed as he glanced toward Tifa.

“Oh—I brought a special visitor for you today,” Claudia cheerfully added. “This is Tifa! She’s been taking over your apartment lease for over a month now.”

“Yeah—we—we just met,” Cloud stuttered, not quite looking Tifa in the eye.

“Uh huh,” Tifa awkwardly added.

The doctor raised an eyebrow, but said nothing to betray what she had just witnessed.

“Oh, he must be so bashful because you’re so pretty,” Claudia told Tifa. “He’s always been shy like that…”

“Mom!” Cloud yelped, blushing an even deeper red.

“Well, you certainly seem much livelier today, Cloud,” the doctor said, giving him a knowing smirk. “We can probably have you discharged by the weekend.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and pretty soon you’ll get back to living a normal life. I’m very happy for you.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Cloud said.

Even after the doctor left the room, Tifa felt like she needed an oxygen mask. She had no idea how to move on from the fact that she and Cloud were practically making out just a second away from Claudia discovering them. There would have been far too much to explain…

“Uh, maybe I should give you both alone time?” Tifa said, standing up.

“Oh, that’s not necessary, Tifa,” Claudia protested. 

“Yeah—you should stay,” Cloud quickly followed up. “If you want to…”

Tifa gave him a warm smile. “Yeah… I want to.”

“How are you feeling, baby?” Claudia asked as she put a hand to Cloud’s forehead.

Cloud smiled. “Like I have a second chance at life—and I don’t intend to waste it.”

Epilogue

In the pale November light of the sunset, Tifa sat on the hood of her car next to Cloud as they watched the sun go down on Midgar from a faraway hillside. It had been two months since Cloud woke up from his coma and one month since he moved back into his apartment—with Tifa. 

“Thank you for suggesting we do this,” Tifa told Cloud. “Midgar looks so pretty from here.”

“You’re welcome.” 

Cloud leaned forward and kissed Tifa’s cheek and she beamed at the display of affection. Ever since he’d been ‘alive’ again, he’d been so touchy with her, almost as if making up for all the time he could never touch her as a ghost. Tifa had no complaints. 

“Feels good to get away from the city every once in a while,” Cloud continued.

Tifa hopped off the hood of the car and brought her phone out with a big grin on her face. “Want to take a photo with the view behind us?”

“On the edge of the cliff? People die like that,” Cloud chided.

Tifa gave him an exasperated look with a tilt of her head.

“Look, I just don’t want you to turn into a ghost this time,” Cloud said, dryly laughing.

“Alright… Guess we’ll just have to take a selfie here.” Tifa sat down beside Cloud and leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her, and they both smiled up at her phone’s camera. She liked that even a couple months into their relationship, Cloud still blushed whenever they did things like this—and it was always so cute to capture on camera.

“Perfect! We should send it to your mom,” Tifa suggested.

“No, don’t do that!” Cloud reached for Tifa’s phone but she leaned back and stretched her arm away from him. 

“Why are you so embarrassed about that? You know she’d ask for one anyway!”

“Because it’s my mom!” Cloud said, still blushing.

“Alright, I won’t send it… But you know she likes to get frequent updates.” Tifa laughed as Cloud reached behind her, finally snatching the phone away from her and pocketing it into his jacket. “I think she just likes to see proof that you’re alive.”

Cloud’s eyes softened. “You know you don’t have to worry about that anymore, don’t you, Tifa?”

“I know… But I like capturing all the sweet moments like this. Moments I never want to forget. Moments I can finally save to look back on and share with others.”

Cloud smiled and then reached down to smooth Tifa’s tousled hair. “Do you have to share it with my mom, though?”

“Just be thankful I don’t share them with my dad.”

“You’re right… that is worse.”

Tifa softly chuckled. “But seriously, I do want to share you with everyone I know… Because you make me so happy.”

“You make me so happy, too, Tifa…”

Tifa smiled up at Cloud as she wrapped both of her arms around his neck. Cloud immediately leaned down to kiss Tifa and she tightly held him close to her while the cool autumn wind whipped her long dark hair up into a frenzy.

“It’s cold,” Cloud said, shivering after they pulled apart.

Tifa softly laughed. “Oh, come on… this is nothing compared to touching you when you were a ghost!”

Cloud laughed. “Well, I think we’ve already established you’re way tougher than me.”

Tifa laughed in return. “Let’s go home then… and we can continue our date with a movie night?”

Cloud grinned. “Sure—just no movies about ghosts…”