Beyond Tomorrow

--

Cloud initially dropped his duffle bags on the wooden floor of Tifa's room, but immediately picked it up again when he realized that the room was only meant for one occupant-her. It was almost midnight and he appeared in front of the Seventh Heaven bar just a few minutes ago, accepting Tifa's request to stay with her. He suddenly regretted not giving her a phone call a few hours before arriving at the bar with two fully packed duffle bags and a small sash of whatever gil he had earned from his delivery job. He had been living quite comfortably on his own, occasionally seeing his childhood friend to see if she needed any help around the bar or taking care of Marlene and Denzel. It was awkward and surprising when he first received a phone call from Tifa one night asking him to move in with her. He was against the idea at first, seeing no reason to change his simple and comfortable lifestyle, but then thought against it when he realized Tifa probably needed extra assistance. He forced himself to take the least selfish path, eventually convincing himself that he should do whatever he could to help the people who had done so much for him in the past.

They had talked about the living arrangements many times over the phone, and he had easily detected the excitement laced in Tifa's voice whenever the subject of moving came up. He had offered to help her make the arrangements, but she stubbornly refused his proposal, promising him that she was going to have everything under control.

She did for the most part, but missed something vital.

They had been standing in her dark room that was only illuminated by the faint beams from the moon for a good two minutes before Tifa decided to break the silence. Even in the dark, Cloud could see the slightest movement of Tifa's facial muscles shifting, turning her previous bright smile into a dissatisfied frown.

"I'm so sorry, Cloud…I-I can't believe that-"

"It's okay, Tifa. I'm sure you had other thing on your mind," Cloud interrupted casually. "Um…I guess I can just leave my bags here and-"

Tifa shook her head, inwardly reprimanding herself for forgetting to make the most important arrangement for Cloud's move. "I did have other things on my mind but…I don't know how I completely forgot to…" She didn't even want to finish her sentence. She stole a quick glance at him from the corner of her eyes and wondered what he was thinking about the situation. She could feel her face blush at the thought that perhaps Cloud thought she made this arrangement on purpose even though it was simply an accident on her part. A very careless accident.

Cloud chuckled lightly and dropped his bags neatly in a corner. "Tifa, it's fine. You get some rest. It's late and you have to open the bar tomorrow."

"But what about you?" The martial artist immediately demanded. She was afraid that if he were to walk out of her room, he was just going to leave her entirely.

Honestly, he was tired and wanted to rest, but that was not an option right now. Weaving a hand through his blonde hair, he shrugged and walked toward the door. "I guess I'll get something to eat or drink downstairs."

"But you're exhausted," Tifa observed quietly. She didn't need to see the dark circles beneath his eyes and the way his movements lagged when he made his way up the stairs to tell that Cloud had many sleepless nights. The main reason why she wanted him to stay with her was so she could keep a close eye on his condition and health. She had suspected he wasn't doing too well from the way he looked whenever he visited her. Under the pretense of needing more aid around the bar, she hesitantly asked him to live with her for his own good.

"Yes…I mean no…I mean…"

Tifa looked at him sternly, forcing him to sigh wearily. "You're right…I am."

"So get some sleep then." Tifa smiled and walked toward her bed, neatly fixing the pillows and the sheets for her guest. For that moment, she ignored the fact that there was only one bed. No cots, no extra mattresses, no sofa. Reviving the bar took up a great portion of her savings and the money left over went to supporting herself, Marlene, and Denzel. As a result, her mini apartment above the bar lacked the furnished room she could only dream of having.

"But…there's only one bed…" Cloud pointed out, bringing up the problem again. He was firm in his resolve of not accepting Tifa's invitation of using her bed for the night. He had terrible sleeping patterns when he was living by himself and adjusting to a new schedule was going to take some time. He often found himself awake most nights, making up for the lost hours of rest in the morning. Noting that there he was only a few hours away from dawn, he tried to shrug off his weariness. "I can get some rest in a few hours when you open the bar."

He was ready to make his way toward the door again when he felt a light hand grasp his wrist. Cloud turned away from the doorknob slowly, his gaze eventually falling upon Tifa's delicate slender fingers around his wrist that passively begged him not to leave. Although this wasn't the first physical contact he had with Tifa, her touch still felt strange in a soothing way. It was a comforting gesture, one that he was not too used to often receiving. A part of him urged him to just go through the door to put a quick and easy end to the awkward predicament, but another part of him, a greater part of him wanted to stay with the comfort her touch had just given him. When she felt secure enough that he was not going to leave, she slowly released her grip on him and folded her hands uncomfortably behind her back. They had been friends ever since they were children, but being around him and even touching him made her feel nervous, and she could never figure out why. Her mind always gave her the excuse that she harbored feelings for Cloud, but that excuse was no longer sufficient anymore.

"I'll sleep on the floor then," Cloud stated firmly. He was getting ready to create a makeshift mat using his duffle bags as support when Tifa handed him a real pillow. "Um…thank you," he accepted it with hesitance. "This might get dirty though."

"It can always be washed…" She cast a final glance at Cloud fluffing the pillow before making her way to her bed. I know that tone. He's really set on sleeping on the floor. There's no stopping him. But, at least it's better than staying up all night downstairs drinking God knows what… "It's cold tonight-"

"I can't take your blanket," Cloud finished before she cold even offer him her covers.

"But wouldn't you be-"

"I'll be fine," Cloud reassured. "I think I can handle a little cold."

"Are you sure?" Tifa asked again, her voice filled with a hint of hope. It was only after her words came out of her mouth that she realized she had sounded like she was begging him to sleep elsewhere. She clasped a hand over her mouth to seal her foolish thoughts that were manifesting into foolish words.

"Don't worry." Cloud smiled faintly and relaxed his back against Tifa's cotton pillow. He could smell the scent of lavender on the pillow and exhaled deeply, enjoying the sweet aroma that filled his nostrils.

I can't help it… Tifa thought to herself as she slipped beneath her covers. As if Cloud was cued, he dutifully turned his away in the opposite direction, leaving her enough time to take off her white sweater and black jeans. He waited until the shuffling faded before turning his head upward to face the ceiling.

"Thanks…" Tifa giggled shyly, almost forgetting that she and Cloud weren't that close. Sure, she knew him longer than half her life, but there just always seemed to be a barrier between them. No matter how hard she tried to penetrate the wall between them, she always ended up failing. Cloud was an isolated person, preferring to be and work alone, and if he wasn't going to let down the bars guarding his aloof self, there was nothing she could do on her end. That sad reality had hit her one day when she was absentmindedly cleaning the countertops of the bar on a slow morning, suddenly remembering the days when AVALANCHE held their meetings at the old Seventh Heaven.

Cloud gave a silent courteous nod, realizing that another slightly awkward moment had just passed.

"I'm going to order a bed first thing tomorrow morning. I can't believe I forgot…" Tifa muttered bitterly, the thought of forgetting to add an extra bed in the room was bothering her again. What bothered her most was thinking that Cloud might assume she had done it on purpose, which was anything but true.

He wished she would stop beating herself over the incident. It wasn't like the floor was too terrible to sleep on. "I'll help you set it up tomorrow. Do you know where you want to put it?"

"Probably where you're sleeping at now." She turned to her side and looked down. He had an arm slung over his forehead and one of his legs drooped lazily on the ledge of the end of her bed. She could tell his eyes were still open and suddenly felt guilty that she was the reason he couldn't get any decent sleep for the night, especially when he was probably exhausted from just arriving in. "You're not tired anymore?" she asked quietly.

"Oh…well I was before but I guess…I'm just more awake now." He flipped on to his side and used his previously wilted arm to prop his head. "What about you? You must be tired from running the bar and taking care of Marlene and Denzel."

"I'm okay. I'm used to it. It's the same thing everyday," Tifa answered flatly. She loved her bar and she loved Marlene and Denzel as if they were her own biological children. They had managed to fill a part of the emptiness in her heart, but sometimes she still felt lonely. She hadn't seen the rest of AVALANCHE in almost a year since everyone had gone their own separate ways after the Meteor incident. The only person she had managed to keep in contact with was Cloud, but he was rather distant from her until recently. Many times, she found herself trying to figure out what was doing with his life, but she didn't want to appear like she was prying. The fact that he didn't seem so willing to tell her about his secluded life made everything harder for her.

Cloud didn't need to ask her if she was upset. He knew her well enough to answer that for himself. "I wish I could say hi to them now," he said to change the subject.

"They wanted to wait up for you, but I could tell they were nodding off around ten o'clock." She smiled briefly before sighing out loud. "They really like you, Cloud."

"I really like them too. That's why I wanted to help you out here." He sat up and leaned against the wall, the sleepiness that had consumed him before was no longer there.

"Oh…?" she replied slowly, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. Is that the only reason why you came? To take care of Marlene and Denzel?

Cloud nodded and brought his knees up to his chest. He could feel the cold autumn wind seeping through the tiny cracks at the ledge of the window, making him shiver slightly. He was contemplating about grabbing something to wear over his white t-shirt and shorts, but he didn't want to disturb the tranquil state that Tifa's presence was giving him.

"Cold?" Tifa observed the way his muscles slightly twitched as he brought his knees up. She could see the faint wind ruffling the tiny strands of his unkempt hair and his loose t-shirt.

"No," he stated firmly and slightly turned his head away from her.

Tifa smiled, amused at the way he tried to hide his lie. Then, she did something that she normally wouldn't do. Her maternal instincts kicked in, and she moved over to allow for extra room on her bed. She opened the flap of her thick pink blanket just enough to make the inviting gesture obvious. She had offered Marlene and Denzel to sleep with her many times when they couldn't seem to fall asleep on their own, and now it looked like she was going to have to take care of another insomniac, only he was much older.

Cloud looked at her with a questionable glance and quickly turned away again, embarrassed by her kind and innocent motion. "I'm fine."

"Okay…if you say so…" Tifa replied in a slightly mischievous tone. She relaxed her head against her pillow and pulled her blanket closer to herself, sighing contently at the way the warmth enveloped her almost bare body save for her lacey black undergarments. She was about to close her eyes when she heard slight shuffling noises beside her. She suddenly felt an extra weight on her mattress and detected Cloud's familiar musk scent. "I thought you said you were fine," she mocked jokingly and draped part of her blanket on his strong chest.

She blinked in surprised when he suddenly darted his eyes away from her. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"Um…I'll just pretend I didn't see anything."

It took Tifa a few moments to realize that she had exposed a good portion of her body when she was shifting around to offer him a part of her blanket. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried and immediately felt her face flush in embarrassment. Her entire body suddenly felt warm from the predicament, and the worst part was that there was nowhere for her to hide except to sink deeper beneath the covers. "Sorry…" she meekly apologized again when he didn't say anything. She hoped he wasn't mad, thinking that she was intentionally trying to seduce him.

"It's all right, Tifa. It was an accident." He tried to say those words as calmly as he could. He closed his eyes, trying to force out the image of her nearly nude body. It wasn't because he didn't think she was beautiful, it was simply because he thought it was inappropriate for him to see her so exposed.

That's the second time tonight you've messed, Tifa! she scolded herself and silently prayed that Cloud wasn't going to reconsider staying with her. She had intended for him to feel comfortable around her and the children, but everything that had occurred tonight revealed anything but that. "I wouldn't be surprised if you left tomorrow…" she whispered glumly.

"Why would I do that? I promised you I'd stay with you to help out." He frowned upon hearing her upset tone. Rolling around to face her, he caught her beautiful dark eyes beneath his gaze and said in his most convincing voice, "I'll be here for you, Tifa. I promise."

She gripped the edge of her blankets tightly, feeling tense and calm at the same time from hearing him say the words she had only dreamed to hear until tonight. She had always cared for him deeply as someone who was more than just a friend. Even when he decided to go his own way after the Meteor incident, she had always kept him close to her heart, wondering what he was doing and if he was all right almost every waking moment when her mind was not preoccupied with immediate concerns. She wanted him to help her rebuild the bar with her, but she could also tell he wanted to be alone to sort out his deepest thoughts from the year long battle to stop Sephiroth. She couldn't deny him of what he wanted to do, what he needed to do. As usual, she placed his needs above her own and allowed him to seclude himself from the rest of his friends, from the rest of the world. But now, she was starting to question if she had done the right thing. Did his time alone bring him more trouble than comfort? More questions than answers?

"Tifa?" he asked again, tapping her gently on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Oh…sorry. I was just lost in my own thoughts…" She placed a reassuring palm on his hand and squeezed it lightly. "I'm really glad you're back, Cloud. You won't leave again, right?" She feared his answer. In a sense, he was her only family and it terrified her to think that the only person she could truly find solace in was only here temporarily.

"I-I'll try not to. I'll only go if I have to. If I feel it's better for you and the children…" He wanted to tell her he was going to stay by her side, but he wasn't going to make any false promises.

"I see…thanks, Cloud." She wanted to embrace him, just to make sure he was really there, but she would have to wait until morning when she was properly clothed. His answer wasn't too reassuring, but she couldn't have asked for a better response. She knew it was the truth, and that was all she wanted. I just hope that there will be no reason for you to leave…

"I've missed you, Tifa…" He knew how much she wanted him to stay and he wanted to fulfill her request to the fullest, but if she and the children were going to be harmed because of his presence, he wouldn't think twice about staying no matter how much he wanted to. He watched her smile contently at his words and watched her until her eyes closed before sleepily muttering a simple, "…missed you too, Cloud…"

He tucked her loose raven strands behind her ears and watched her inhale and exhale softly until he felt the reoccurring short piercing pain throbbing against his arm. Rolling up the sleeve of his t-shirt, he took a quick glance at the faint gray markings that marred his skin. He wasn't sure what it was or how he had contracted it, but the markings felt like it had a life of their own from leeching off of his life.

"I'm sorry, Tifa. I'm not sure how long I can stay…"

-Fin

--

A/N: This is just a short piece that takes place when Cloud first moves in with Tifa and mysteriously contracts Geostigma, which explains why he cannot keep his promise of staying with her as evident in Advent Children. I initially wanted just to write a fluff piece regarding Cloud/Tifa and one bed, but the idea of Cloud contracting Geostigma came to me last minute and I decided to incorporate that into the ending, making this fic somewhat angsty. It's been awhile since I last wrote a CloTif so it's nice to be back into the FF7 fandom again. Thanks for reading and please leave a review! Until next time!