Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of FFVII or make a profit from this story.
Tifa wiped the brow of her forehead, smudging a bit of dirt. For being an early spring day, it was awfully warm outside. She picked up the spade she had set down and began to dig another little hole. Once she felt it was deep enough, she carefully took one of the potted, white lilies and set its' roots into the hole. She filled the hole back up, keeping the dirt a bit loose, and then watered it. She had done this several times over all ready with not only lilies, the special ones from Aerith's church, but also with buttercups, impatients, begonias, and a few other flowers.
Looking over at the beginning of the garden, Tifa smiled. There was a bush in bloom there that had been planted shortly after the house had been completed. Cloud had planted it. He had remembered her favorite flower: a bleeding heart. The little pink heart-shaped flowers hung in curved rows, peeking between the leaves. Cloud had told her that the flowers reminded him of her.
Tifa had not had a chance to plant flowers last spring. With Edge becoming a booming town, Seventh Heaven had been expanded to accommodate the new business. Cloud's delivery service had also taken off. He had gotten Denzel a moped so the boy could make deliveries in Edge while Cloud took all the out of town deliveries. Denzel had been thrilled at helping his idol. Marlene was taking advance courses in school and had classes over the summer break, much to her annoyance. She was preparing to transfer to an academy in Midgar. They had all been busy and embellishments to the house had been postponed.
Turning to look behind her, Tifa saw Cloud up on the ladder. He was painting the outside of the house a light green. He had a can of paint perched on the ladder with him and he would periodically dip the brush in it. Sometimes drips of paint would fall to the bushes below him. Of course, what held Tifa's gaze was the sight of Cloud shirtless, stretching his arm above him to reach a high point. The muscles in his back moved scintillatingly under his lightly tanning skin. Tifa wiped at her forehead again, but not from the heat of the day.
As Cloud finished another patch, he climbed down the ladder. It was time to move it over to start in another spot. Tifa approached him with the hose in hand. She had used it to rinse her hands of dirt and to take a drink. She thought Cloud would appreciate some of the cool water.
"Hey," Tifa said.
"Hey yourself." Cloud smiled at her and took the hose from her hand. He brought the gently running water to his mouth and took in mouthfuls of the cool liquid. After he had his fill, he poured some of the water over him. Tifa watched as the droplets ran over his body in the sunlight. Oh, that man…
"You're looking a bit hot there, Teef," Cloud said. Tifa looked back to his face, a mischievous grin upon it. She knew that grin. "Maybe I should cool you down a bit." And before Tifa got a word of protest out, or any sound at all, Cloud spritzed her in the face with the water from the hose. After the initial shock of cold water wore off, Tifa made to grab at the hose and got another shot of water. Cloud danced just out of her grasp, continuing to spritz her with water and laughing.
Tifa stopped stalking Cloud as an idea popped in her head. "Well, look at me now, Cloud. I'm all wet!" She gave a dramatic sigh. "I can't stay in these wet clothes, I'm just going to have to take them off." She started with her black tank top. She pulled it slowly over her head, revealing the turquoise string bikini top underneath. She peeked over at Cloud and saw his hand limply holding the hose, the water running over his bare feet. Tifa threw the shirt to the side and started on her shorts. She peeled them off her skin and they dropped to her feet to show the matching bottom to the top of her bikini. She kicked the shorts away from her. "There we go. Much better!" She looked at Cloud. He was frozen in place, his mouth opened slightly. Quickly, Tifa grabbed the hose from his hand.
"Wha—" was all Cloud got out before he became doused in water. He stood there for a moment before he took off, realizing Tifa now had the hose. The tables had turned. Tifa raced after him, but the chase did not last long. From all the water, the grass had become wet. Cloud slipped on the grass, landing on his back. Unable to stop herself, Tifa tripped over him and landed on top of him. She heard him let out an "oomph!" as she impacted with his stomach. The hose landed in a bush and rained down water on both of them.
Tifa rolled off Cloud and laid beside him, both of them breathing heavily. The stream of water continued to rain down on them, the irony striking both of them. "Truce?" she heard Cloud say. She looked to her left to see him smiling widely. He looked so innocent and pleading with his wet, blonde hair dropping into his blue, blue eyes. She smiled, then began to laugh loudly. She leaned over him and kissed him on the nose.
"Only if you make some of your fresh squeezed lemonade I like so much," she said.
"Deal." Both of them sat up and Cloud helped her to a standing position. She went to turn off the hose, the yard now sufficiently watered, and Cloud went to towel off on the patio before he went inside the house to make lemonade.
Tifa smiled wistfully as she watched him disappear through the door. Sometimes Cloud could be so childish. She couldn't blame him, having lost years to being an experiment to a mad doctor. When these little moments came about, Tifa couldn't help but laugh along with him and enjoy it. She adored and cherished every playful moment with him, for they were sometimes far and in between. And he only did them in front of her. Only for her.