Disclaimer: I do not own anything from SE. Just using the characters momentarily...
The Script
He doesn't know why he can't look at it. He only knows that he can't.
If he'd been willing to think about it some he'd have realized that it did nothing but bring up horrible memories of a time best forgotten. Oh, sure, there were good times too. Traveling the world with a group of people he actually considers friends... that was good. That was actually really good. But the rest of it, the death and destruction and uncertainty about everything, from the final outcome to his own sanity... well, that's better off in the past, in his opinion anyway.
And so when Tifa first mentions a script being delivered to their home, one being made into a play about their journeys, he ignores it. Pretends he doesn't hear. Tifa is used to it, unfortunately, and so they continue on with their day as if she'd never mentioned it.
The next day she brings it up again. She's been asked to approve of it, as was he. Elmyra already did and was very excited about her daughter's life, and sacrifice, being shown to all and well remembered. Tifa has read it... will he read it? She pleads both with words and with large, warm eyes, holding him in a steady gaze. He can't get out of it. He nods. She smiles. They go about their day. And he doesn't take the script off the table, where she has left it for him.
The next day he comes home to find it on his desk. The desk itself, as well as his room, is freshly cleaned. No distractions. She even left a glass of water and a plate of cookies, just in case he needed a snack. He almost groans. She doesn't voice her request at dinner but it's there waiting for him when he's finishing up the day. And so he goes into his office and closes the door. He eats the cookies and drinks the water. He even picks up the script and reads the first page.
Memories flood into his mind, distorted and dreamlike. She doesn't understand, not because she doesn't want to but because he hasn't told her. She doesn't know that he has so much trouble remembering that time in his life. Up until his mind was put back together he'd been half lead by Jenova. He has trouble remembering things, and the things he does remember can be odd. Reality was odd enough at the time so he doesn't honestly know what did and didn't happen at some points. He knows enough, though. And he remembers enough. He remembers fear and confusion and blood. Friendship and love, they were there too, but they were on the back burner as they raced across the world to stop the psychopath he used to worship.
He can't read this. It's just... it's too much.
But he also can't tell her that. He knows that he should just sit her down and tell her it hurts him, and that his mind won't allow him to remember everything exactly as it was, making him a horrible fact checker for a script about their journey. He should just... communicate. But he doesn't, because some part of him still wants to be her hero. Heck, all of him wants to be her hero. And hero's aren't usually that messed up.
So he lies to her in the morning, tells her he read it, that it's pretty good. She looks a little sad but agrees, it is good. He asks her a few questions, just trying to find out from her point of view how factual it all is. She says it's good, and pretty accurate as far as plays go, and even made her remember some stuff she'd forgotten. He nods, agrees, lets her think he feels the same.
She asks if they should approve of it, let it be made into the play that will tour Gaia, telling the tale of their deeds. He asks what she thinks. She hesitates.
After a moment of silence she carefully states, "If you think it's okay... then yes, we'll approve of it."
He nods, worried about how sad she suddenly seems. Some part of him is screaming that he should admit he hasn't read it, or at least ask her why she's suddenly solemn. But after a night of remembering so much, too much, of what he's gone through... he really just needs to get on his bike and go.
CTCTCTCTCT
The days pass quickly. They stop talking about the script as soon as it's out of their home, and their lives return to normal.
Tifa cares for the bar, the home, the kids. Cloud rides his bike, delivers his packages, and tries his hardest to pull his weight around the house. They get back into the swing of things and soon the sad look on Tifa's face fades into her normal, cheerful smile.
Not much changes in their life, though Tifa does mention things from their journey more. Just little things, here and there, where she'll be looking at a picture of the beach and remember seeing Hojo at Costa del Sol and how horrified she was of him in a bathing suit. Or she'll be getting ready for bed and suddenly mention that she always planned to return to Cosmo Canyon someday because their nights were so peaceful.
And then sometimes she brings up their fallen comrade, Aerith. When baking a cake she mentions how she'd promised Aerith she'd bake her that type of cake someday, but never got the chance. Another day she's brushing her hair and mentions how she and Aerith shared a brush on their journey. She looks sad then, and Cloud realizes that perhaps the sorrow written on her face that day was because she was remembering Aerith, and it's hard to know that her death will be revisited countless times by countless people.
CTCTCTCTCT
Months pass, and the script is forgotten. Life is happy and normal, and Cloud is glad of it.
Then, one day, he arrives home to a quiet house. Tifa tells him the kids are with their friends that night. She looks sad again, and he rushes to her. She just hands him an envelope, apparently delivered that morning. It's an invitation to a play. THAT play. It's finally happened. The rehearsals are almost done, the set almost finished, and they're ready to put on their first performance and would like all of AVALANCHE to attend.
Tifa looks like she's been crying.
Cloud carefully places the envelope on a table and takes her in his arms. She's almost resistant to him, letting him hold her but not holding him back. She's crying again, silently, just standing there with a look of utter anguish, allowing him to wrap his arms around her but only leaning in slightly.
It's killing him. He should've said no to the script, shouldn't have stayed away from the subject, should've just read the damn thing and seen what's upsetting her so much.
This is what you get, a voice tells him. You avoided it, avoided her, and she's the one who ends up being hurt.
Right as his own mental berating begins, she pulls back.
Looking him straight in the eyes, she asks the only question he really wasn't prepared for.
"When we see this... when it's done... will we still be together?"
Her eyes search his, even as they threaten more tears.
He's taken aback to say the least, and for a second can only tilt his head in confusion.
"I mean," she continues, seemingly catching herself and trying to clarify. "When we leave the play... will we leave together? Will you still come home?"
This only confuses him further, but he knows she's being earnest and needs an answer.
At first he can only nod his head dumbly, but he quickly shakes himself out of it and responds.
"Yes, of course. Of course I'll come home. I'll always come home. Don't worry about that."
Had he had time to think, he probably would have phrased it differently, but it's enough for her. She smiles, and even as new tears flow she hugs him back.
He wraps his arms around her again, feeling the weight and warmth of her body as she leans on him. He tries to assuage her fears, tries to hug her tight enough, so that she knows he's sincere. He doesn't know why she's so scared, but she doesn't need to be. He isn't going anywhere, not anymore, and he wants to make sure she knows it.
"You're right... I'm sorry... it's different now... I shouldn't have... sorry..."
She half mutters it into his shoulder, and he only hugs her tighter. He can feel her smile now and it makes him smile too. He doesn't know exactly what's caused this, but he'll do his best to fix it.
CTCTCTCTCT
The big night comes and everyone is there. Cid is almost late, thanks to Yuffie not being where she was supposed to be when he came to get her. Vincent arrives seemingly out of thin air, Red and Barret had stayed for a couple days previous, and even the kids have decided to come. Tifa has told them what happens, mostly, so they hopefully won't be upset. The Turks arrive with Rufus Shinra, making a grand entrance to some clapping and some jeers. Rufus smiles it all off.
What strikes Cloud more than all of this, though, is Tifa. She's radiant. Her hair is done up, light make up applied, and a gorgeous form fitting dress encases her figure. Everyone is dressed up, certainly, even him, but she is (in his opinion at least) the most beautiful creature to ever walk the earth. When she takes his arm to walk into the playhouse he feels like the luckiest man on the planet, and as they take their seats and he feels the jealous eyes from nearly every man in the house he can't help but grin.
It had been hard for him to come. If reading the script was hard, this should be impossible. But the idea has been sitting with him for awhile, and besides... it's only a play. He was able to survive all the horror with Tifa by his side, so surely he can survive a few hour play with her sitting beside him. He does have a back up plan of heading to the restroom and never coming out (and Fenrir is parked facing outwards, just in case he absolutely needs to leave), but no matter what he's sworn to himself that he'll be there for the end of the play, to accompany her home. He won't break another promise to her.
Everyone finds a seat, and soon they're all quieted down. Not surprisingly, Yuffie is the last one to stop talking, hushed by a quick word from Reeve. The lights dim. Cloud takes a deep breath, in time with Tifa, and they both look at each other and give a soft laugh. He grabs her hand and squeezes, and she gives him a squeeze back, a firm nearly bone crushing squeeze which lets him know that the confidence she exudes, at least right now, is only for show. She's nervous bordering on scared. He squeezes back again, trying to convey that he's there for her.
And then it starts.
Within a few minutes the fear he feels softens to relief. It's actually not that bad. The characters playing them don't look enough like them for him to take it too seriously, and while some parts of Shinra and AVALANCHE's background are glorified, others are softened or taken out altogether.
He chuckles lightly when they meet Tifa's character. The girl playing her isn't nearly as pretty as the real Tifa, he thinks, but she has her upbeat attitude down pat. He turns to his lovely companion to see her blushing.
But then... something strikes him. The characters relationships aren't right. His character isn't reacting to Tifa the right way. It's almost like... like she's infatuated with him, but he sees her as if she's only a friend.
Well, maybe that's how I did act, he thinks. It's not like he can remember too well, and his mind wasn't in the right place then. Not until she fixed him.
Not long after, they meet Aerith's character. The music changes. The lighting changes. And his character reacts... differently than he would've expected. A quick look at Tifa shows her looking down, that same look of sorrow written on her face.
And that's when it hits him.
Sure he'd heard rumors pairing him and Aerith together, even been outright questioned a few times by those who'd heard of their journeys and had a romantic preoccupation with a "love beyond death." It had never occurred to him that people really took that seriously, not when he lived with Tifa. And yet... Here it was, portrayed in front of him.
He sits back and watches, dumbfounded. He watches the story of their journey turn into something he didn't expect: a love story.
A love story with the wrong woman no less.
He watches kiss scenes that never happened, a far more romantic date than he could've ever experienced given his mental state at the time, small but consistent romantic gestures, and even a large declaration of his love upon her death.
Then, following her death, there were monologues. Oh, the monologues. All about his love for her.
His mouth gapes. This... most certainly never happened.
The worst part of it all, though, is Tifa's character. Endlessly caring, giving, and optimistic, but also unlucky in love, having fallen for a man who could never be with her. At least Cloud's character had the decency to not turn her down outright, and even struggled with it in a monologue (arrrg, those stupid monologes!), but he certainly never accepted her.
Cloud sat through the whole thing. He watched pretty much all of it, when he wasn't looking to Tifa for her reaction. She never glanced at him, only at the stage or her lap, and despite how utterly depressing it probably was for her she never let a tear fall or a lip quiver but remained placid and aloof.
Must be learning from me, he thinks.
Finally, it ends. With a monologue, of course, detailing what Cloud intends to do. It has something to do with driving all over the world with the goal of scouring daisy fields for his long, lost love. Cloud isn't so sure anymore since his head is pretty much swimming at this point.
No, no, this is all wrong! I can't let the world see this! I can't let them think this! For Tifa's sake...
It finally strikes him what he must do. He stands, right as the audience is starting to applaud. They all stand up with him, in an ovation. He groans, then yanks away from Tifa, sparing a look at her hurt face before running up to the stage.
He tries not to think about it, because if he does he'll end up getting tongue tied. He can't do that. He needs to explain, needs to stop this, needs to let the world know...
He's on the stage now, looking out at the audience. And he's tongue tied. Why does there have to be so many people there, all looking at him?
To make matters worse, the guy playing him comes up and pats his shoulder, smiling for the crowd. That isn't helping him keep his focus.
Finally, after staring dumbfounded for several moments, he puts his hands up and yells "STOP!"
The clapping softens, then disappears.
They wait, with bated breath.
Cloud is, once again, tongue tied. He doesn't like having a captivated audience of a couple hundred.
Luckily the man playing him breaks him out of it, by handing him a microphone.
"Seems like the real me would like to say a few words!"
Cloud just mutters something that even he doesn't understand, grabbing the microphone.
"Hi, I, um... I'm Cloud."
Everyone claps. Some people cheer. That doesn't help him any.
"Look, I, uh, I have something to say."
Silence again as they all wait for his words.
"I... I have to admit something..."
Now they all look even more interested.
"Tifa..."
Oh, the interest just peaked, and suddenly a spotlight is on her. She doesn't look to pleased, somewhere between heartbroken and pissed off.
He gives a weak smile.
Yes, I'll fix this. For you. Because you should be smiling right now. You should always be smiling.
"Tifa, I lied to you."
Obviously that wasn't the right thing to make her smile. Even from the middle of the stage he can see her shocked and hurt face, and sees her avert her eyes. He's pretty sure there are tears in them. Damn.
"No, I mean...."
Oh, man, this is not going well.
"Tifa... I didn't read the script."
There's a small collective gasp then, and Tifa's eyes snap open, widened in surprise. They lock with his.
"Sorry," he says dumbly, giving a sheepish grin. "I just... it was hard for me, to relive my past. When I said that I approved, that it was accurate... I wouldn't have known. I just thought I was agreeing with you."
Now her surprised eyes turned to something else. Anger.
Well, at least she doesn't look sad...
"Hey, buddy," the actor playing him interupts, whispering in his ear. "This is all very sweet but could you, ah, finish it up? It's not exactly relevant..."
Cloud glares at him. Not relevant? Of course it's relevant! He just needs to get to the point is all...
"Fine," he growls out. "Can you, please, bring out the two women playing Tifa and Aerith?"
The actor looks taken aback, and before he can react the two actresses step forward, cautiously approaching him.
Cloud nods in thanks, then turns to the audience.
"Look," he begins. "I'm not good with this... speaking thing. So I'm going to make this simple. I messed up and didn't read the script, you got that right?"
He sees enough heads nod that he continues.
"Alright, so... if I had read it I would've cleared this up then, but obviously I didn't so I guess now is... here's the thing. There seems to be a misunderstanding and I'd like to take care of that right now, before this gets spread all over the planet."
The audience continues to stare, some with mouths agape.
"So, uh..."
He points to the woman playing Tifa.
"Girlfriend."
He points to the woman playing Aerith.
"Not girlfriend."
Back to Tifa.
"Woman I'm in love with, and have always been in love with."
Back to Aerith.
"Good friend. Who I miss. As a good friend."
Back to Tifa again.
"Better friend, who lives with me and raises children with me and cooks me dinner and is perfect in every possible way."
And to Aerith, yet again.
"Good friend... and also best friend's girlfriend... and girlfriend's best friend.... but not girlfriend."
Both ladies are starting to look uncomfortable, so he stops.
"Any questions?"
He didn't really mean it, but he still sees a hand shoot up from the second row.
"Yes Yuffie?"
"Hey Cloud! So, like, why didn't you clarify that, like, earlier? Like a looooot earlier?"
It's Cloud's turn to stare in silence, long enough to make her squirm.
"I thought..... it was kind of obvious."
Yuffie only stares, before being pulled down into her seat by Vincent. A cursery glance at his friends reveals that several are smirking. In fact, there are more than a few cheery faces in the audience. Tifa has too many friends and fans throughout Edge for them to be happy with her portrayed as the scorned woman.
One face in particular, though, looks stricken.
Cloud's heart stops when he catches Elmyra's eyes. He remembers what Tifa said, that she'd been excited about the play. It hadn't hit him before that she'd thought he and Aerith were together. To have lost her daughter was one thing, but to have her supposed place in the center of Cloud's heart suddenly taken...
He gathers his thoughts quickly. There are more hearts at stake than just Tifa's and he needs to work fast to make things right.
"Aerith loved Zack," he says quickly, a little more fluidly than before. "He was... a good friend to me, died saving me. I was similar to him. I don't know if that's why she trusted me but... she missed him. And she loved him, And he loved her. They're together now."
As he says this he sees a kind of calm wash over Elmyra's face. Obviously, Cloud still has a lot of explaining to do. It's entirely possible, he realizes, that in all these years she never even heard Zack's name. But he'll explain another time.
He quickly turns his eyes back to Tifa, who seems to be shedding a different type of tears.
"And I'm with Tifa. And I love Tifa. And Tifa loves me."
He can't help the small smile that creeps onto his face as he says this, especially given the smile that lights her face even as she looks down, embarrassed at all the eyes on her.
After a long pause, the clapping commences. Tifa is suddenly pushed onto the stage, which she only half fights, and the two reunite in a tight hug, complete with loving kiss. Soon they're laughing and holding each other.
On some level Cloud feels bad for ruining the play. There's no way they'll be able to save it now, not without rewriting it almost entirely, re-rehearsing everything, and maybe even re-casting.
Cloud also feels bad that he didn't clarify earlier, didn't stop this in it's tracks, and instead put his beloved through months of pain, hell years perhaps, all over a misunderstanding.
But in this one perfect moment, holding her on stage, her smile more radiant than he's ever seen, flowers being thrown on stage all around them and seemingly the whole city clapping for them... it doesn't matters. Nothing matters but the feel of her in his arms and the sound of her overjoyed laughter in his ears.
CTCTCTCTCT
Months pass, though they're far better than the months previous. He'd thought life was good before with them living together, side by side. They're far, far better, though living together with hearts completely intertwined.
He's explained his past, and Aerith's, to Elmyra. He's even explained it to the world in a tell-all interview (where he really didn't tell all as there's only so much he was willing to relive for the world to see). And the play is being reworked, which is made possible from a large donation from Shinra (something about Rufus being thankful for such an entertaining evening).
Finally, one day, a man appears in the bar. It takes Cloud a minute to recognize him, but soon he remembers. It's the actor who played him.
They chat amiably for a moment before the man hands Cloud a package.
It's a script.
The new script, reworked and polished up, just waiting for the final reviews.
Cloud hesitates a second before taking it.
As the man leaves, he turns to smile softly at Tifa.
"You wanna read it first, or should I?" is all he asks, but it's enough. She only gives him a soft smile and says it's all his. He grins, grabbing some cookies off the cooling rack and a glass of water, then giving her a light kiss goodbye.
As he alights the stairs and closes his office door, she can't help but smile. He really does make life interesting.
*****
Author's Note
*****
Thanks for reading! I'm not entirely pleased with how the story turned out, but hey, at least I had time to write :)
This is my "take" on stories where there's a play/movie or other type of media depicting a Clerith romance within a Cloti fic. While I loved all those that I've read, I still felt bad for Tifa. I was originally going to write a tragedy/angsty fic where a play or movie was made depicting a Clerith romance and Cloud did nothing to stop it, leading to a large schism in their romance that would never heal, even if they were to remain together. Buuuuut, it ended up like this. Me and my penchant for happy endings...