red
Written by Doggiegal
The first time he saw her wearing red after the incident in Nibelheim had been at one of AVALANCHE's "after-parties". It had been a week or two before his first mission; Barret, Wedge, Biggs, and Jessie had gone. She'd actually stayed here with him, despite his constant reassurances that he'd be fine watching Marlene in her absence. She fretted after them both constantly, so he wasn't really too surprised.
It was a beautiful crimson red dress, a blood red dress. He'd seen her covered in blood once before, back in Nibelheim, amidst all the fires and chaos, Sephiroth had stabbed her—harmed her—killed her, or so he'd thought, and when he found her broken and beaten and half-dead, he'd cried more than he'd ever cried before, sobbing and pleading for her to be all right, and he'd loved her with his heart, his blood-pumping heart, like the one that sustained Tifa even as she bled to her death…
He hadn't realized he was nauseous until after he'd thrown up all over the dress he'd been staring said. He felt like an idiot and a jerk (idierk? jidiot?) afterwards, apologizing and helping her clean up. He explained that all the blood had made him sick, and she gave him a concerned look.
After that, she never wore red again.
AN: Just a drabble on why Tifa wore a blue dress when Cloud came to save her from Don Corneo's place. Because I'm sure the events from Nibelheim scarred him too, if only because she and his mother were both harmed in it.
-Doggiegal