A/N: The best new crossover pairing to hit the world. Nicolai Conrad of Shadow Hearts: Covenant and Tifa Lockhart of Final Fantasy VII, because the people they love won't ever be with them. Which is woefully and tragically sad since they're both hot. Obviously they must be together.
But there's more nuances than that. Nicolai's attracted to strength, for one, and there's nothing stronger than Tifa in that game, 'cause she kicks ass. And if Tifa can still stick with Cloud through everything, she could stick with Nicolai, too. At least until she figures out his lovely plan of trying to destroy the world. (Plus, you know, Nicolai has a disconcerting resemblence to Rufus Shinra. Look at pictures of them next to each other, I swear you'll see it. Long lost brothers theory is ready go.)
For Doc, who is amazing.
faith
The chapel candlelight flickers when the air is deathly still. She swears she can hear doors creaking too, but there are none here.
The chapel is such a strange place to be: not warm and inviting and full of life, like Aerith's, but icy and remote, lost under the weight of sinners.
But this is where he wished to meet her and she always keeps her promises.
"Nicolas?" she asks, quietly, loud enough to be heard but not to disturb.
He turns around, face hard and eyes suspicious. She almost winces, but she sees his face go looser.
"Miss Lockhart," he says, and nods to her properly, like he's a knight. (She thinks that in another time, another place, he may have always insisted on bowing to her.
She thinks that in another time and another place he may have wished to be her knight.)
With a smile, and bangs light over his green eyes, he continues. "A pleasure to see you again. Is there anything I can help you with?"
She smiles, wanly. "I don't know."
Nicolai is not so easily tricked. "You're preoccupied. Is something troubling you?"
"I'm not sure," she says, vaguely. "It's about…"
But she doesn't know what to say. What is worrying her? She hadn't thought anything was bothering her before. But he was able to pin it out so perfectly, as if he's known it all along.
"You know that you could trust me with anything," Nicolas says, his eyes never leaving hers.
"I know I can."
He is losing his patience.
This is getting him nowhere and he decides that it's best to change the subject. He tells himself he is simply discerning what sort of a person she is, if she could be as strong as Karin was. (But on some level he cannot stand her looking so upset.)
"Would you mind terribly if I asked you something?"
Tifa shakes her head no. "I wouldn't."
"How is it that a woman such as yourself is still a miss and not a missus?"
"I'm sorry?" She can hardly believe what she's just heard.
"Is there someone you love, Miss Lockhart? Someone you'd do anything for?"
She thinks of Cloud and his cold eyes and pale skin and heavy memories. And his motorcycle driving away and leaving only dust to settle on her arms.
"No," she lies. "There isn't."
The chapel is deathly still, terrifying and silent and awe-inspiring.
He breaks that silence, speaks her name like a reverent prayer.
"Tifa…"
And his arms around her are anything but warm. In his distance and his faith he is cold, though she burns like a star going out in his arms.
"There will be," he tells her, "very soon."
"How do you know?"
He simply pulls away from her and smiles serenely.
And smiles faithfully.
"I have heard it will be so."
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