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"Don't worry. It'll be okay. I'll make a big enough ruckus for everyone."
Tifa laughs at his choice of words. "Ruckus?" Out of character for a brooding, brawny SOLDIER — but perfectly in character for Cloud. The Cloud she always knew him to be.
Thoughtful, unique, a bit dorky— The sweet boy who made lofty promises, and the faithful man who kept them.
He keeps up the good mood, the silliness, squats out the jitters that they both must be feeling.
Did it also make her a dork to fall in love with one?
“Yeah, you know, we can make a ruckus. Yell, run around, sing?” Tifa can only regard him with quiet wonder, with smitten eyes.
"Hm. On second thought… Doesn’t really seem like us.”
"Maybe not. Not sure the crew would really appreciate that.”
”Probably already fed up with us.” A cheeky look is exchanged.
It was difficult to keep eye contact without blushing. Tantalized by the heavy words, the implication. A small price to pay for the most special night of her life, she thinks.
Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking.
And… not many words were exchanged. They were both more action-oriented, after all. But the few words she remembers from last night makes her want to cover her face.
Is this okay?
You feel so good—
Tifa, Tifa, Tifa… in all tones, intonation, whispers and moans.
It was her first time. Their first time, and yet still was everything she ever imagined and craved.
Stark contrast to the the cruel, brutal valleys of Tifa’s life. All the pain, the loss, always gritting her teeth and bearing it. Drunken creeps, shady characters, wolves in sheep's clothing — pushing young Tifa further into herself herself, constricting an already locked up heart.
But then there was Cloud: the long-lost, golden carved key.
~~~
Battle scars, puckered scabs, still healing. Bruises, black and blue, and the sweet red marks she had left behind.
Tifa feels horrible for marring his skin, adding to the palette of textures and colors, more remnants of pain. Proof of how hard and difficult this has been on him. On all of them.
“I’m sorry…” her fingers smooth over the base of his neck.
But these marks were also proof that she had been there. That they went there, together, souls and skin bared. Broken blood vessels, shaped like little cherries.
“Do they hurt?”
“Hm?” Cloud catches a glimpe of himself in the small mirror above the sink. His face is cute and pink, just like bites he examines.
“Oh. Not at all.”
“I’ll have to be more careful next time.”
They stare at each other, the weight of her words daunting and heavy between them. Would there even be a next time, in the grand scheme of things? Would the world keep turning? Would Cloud still want this, or her?
Would there be proof they existed? If it all—
Before her mind can spin out in the dark, Cloud returns to the cot, pulls her back into his beautiful, comforting orbit. Face close, breath hot around her.
“Next time could be… now. If you wanted?” Their foreheads are touching. Her hands move before her thoughts can catch her, rubbing against his bare chest.
”And… I don’t mind if you bite.”
A kiss on the lips, then his lips down her neck, peppering the sensitive skin with more affection.
“Or do you want a matching mark?”
”Cloud!”
~~~
She was so happy to see the others. They came back, and deep in her heart, there was never any doubt. No getting off this train, after all, last stop approaching quickly.
Tifa ran into Barret’s big bear hug, collecting every bit of comfort while she could. He next grabbed Cloud, an unwilling participant in this show of affection. But she could see, past Barret’s arms, was a sweet smile.
This was the Cloud that she loved. Believed in. Had faith in.
Barret released him to the others — Nanaki, Yuffie, Vincent, Cid, Cait — many hugs and slaps on the back to go around. Tense and nervous energy buzzing about the room, even with the crew in house. But everyone still so resolved. United.
Tifa felt a sweet spot for Yuffie, unwilling to let go of the girl — so young, and so tenancious to keep fighting like this. She saw a bit of herself in her, a firecracker that ignites, helping Tifa remember her own intensity.
“Euuughhh, okay Mom!” she pushed Tifa’s hands away, threw her fists up playfully.
“Don’t say I never did you any favors, cuz I’m back!” She points at the others in the room. “And you’d all be toast without me.”
”It’s good to have you back, Yuffie.” Cloud’s unsual sincerity stops the girl dead in her tracks.
”Huh? You feeling okay?" Cloud shrugs.
”You’re supposed to say something all moody, like “Not interested.” Or “Like I give a shit.” She crosses her arms in pantomime, furrows her brow.
“Hah!” Cid, a few paces back at the helm, lights up a cigarette and laughs out a cloud of smoke. Others in his crew follow suit in the smoke break, taking time to kick around before buckling in.
“Kid’s probably feeling the best he's ever felt.” He slaps a rough hand on Cloud’s back, jerking him forward. “Ain’t that right?”
“I don’t follow.”
Tifa looks around, all eyes on Cloud, some chuckles from the crowd.
Uh oh.
Did he…
Did they— ?
”Our boy’s a man!” Cid takes a drag of his cigarette, chuckles. “Didn’t think you had it in ya.”
Barret cuts in, a pointed finger already in Cloud’s face.
“I hope that don’t mean what I think it means.” He looks to Tifa for affirmation, or a for a reason to not unload a round of bullets into Cloud. Tifa only blushes, her hands covering her face in demure admission.
She wanted to melt through the ships’s floorboards. But Cloud steadies her, a quick touch at the small of her back to remind her: they were in this together.
The peanut gallery coos and chatters, Cait and Yuffie’s babbling, and Red’s defending words, all background noise.
“No idea what you’re talking about.” Cloud deadpans, still with a small smile. Red cheeks, but straight posture. Coy, but not embarrassed.
And Tifa’s heart nearly leaps from her chest, because maybe Cid was right. Cloud was a man, her man, and oh how she loved him. How she wanted him.
Tifa puts a lid on her imagination, before she falls deep into last night's memories. And this morning’s. And all the memories she hoped they'd make in the future.
“The ship’s cameras would disagree.”
”What—!?” Tifa squeaked out, perhaps completely blowing her cover, as if her burning face did not.
Cid cackled all the way back to the pilot’s controls, leaving the rest of the group to settle with the chaos. Cloud still held himself proudly, though he avoided eye contact with the others.
Yuffie velcroed herself at Tifa’s side, peppering her with juvenile questions.
“Did you and Cloud, um… Did you — Blech, I can’t even say it!
Call it woman’s intuition. Which, at this point, I’m basically a woman so I’m well versed in love. But I just knew something was up.
Tifa and Cloud, sitting in a tree…K-I-S-S —“
Tifa’s head swam. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention. But neither was Cloud, and there he was, taking the poking and prodding. Standing, once again, like their leader.
He brought her closer, their hands skimmed each others, they lace fingers. And it was okay.
Because the others were back. And spirits were high. And Cloud, her real, true Cloud, was by her side.
They were ready for whatever.
(Even the teasing and lectures they’d no doubt get from Barret later...)