Happy New Year: Finding Red
Cloud gives a sigh of exasperation as he looks through his closet, which didn't really have much sans for a couple pairs of black pants and extra shirts. He never really had a need to increase variety in his wardrobe since the only factors that he really cared about were comfort and whether it looked decent on him or not. So when Tifa came up and told him an hour earlier to find something red to wear to Yuffie's party tomorrow, he frowned more so than he did anytime before.
"Of all colors, why red?" he grumbles as he stood there with arms crossed, staring at his almost bare closet.
He hears footsteps come up behind him and realizes by the sound of them that Tifa was coming into his room.
"What's wrong?" she asks as she takes a place beside him. "You don't have anything to wear to the party?"
"You think?" he retorts back, still glaring at his closet.
"Well, I'm planning to take Marlene and Denzel to go clothes-shopping later," suggests Tifa. "Want to come along?"
Cloud was quiet for a few moments as he contemplated some thoughts in his head. "Why… red?"
"Don't ask me," replies Tifa, putting her hands on her hips. "Yuffie just said everyone has to wear something red. I didn't really think much of it."
"But…" Cloud utters softly as he tilts his head downward. "I look… weird… in red."
"What?" exclaims the young woman. "No, you don't."
"Yes I do," the blonde argues back. "The last time I wore red was for that one school play back home years ago."
"I thought you were a very cute little apple," notes Tifa with a smile.
"I looked like a huge Christmas ornament," grumbles Cloud.
"No, you didn't," responds Tifa with a slight giggle in her words. "You don't belong anywhere on a tree; you're too big."
The man turns to glare at the woman. "You're not helping."
"Sorry," apologized Tifa as she holds a hand up over her grin. "The shopping trip is still up for grabs. We're leaving in about an hour."
"… I'll think about it," Cloud declares with as much enthusiasm as Vincent at a children's daycare.
"Okay," exclaims Tifa, leaving the room and the blonde to his thoughts.
Once she was gone, Cloud returns his view back to the closet, which was still in the same state as when he first opened it.
"Why… red?"
The afternoon was warm and sunny as Tifa prepares to leave with the kids. Red XIII sat near the entrance of the bar, deciding to come along since he didn't really have anything else to do and human activities always fascinate him to no end. Marlene pops out of the bar and runs over to the red-furred creature to give him a welcoming hug. Denzel follows after the girl and decidedly pets the mammal instead. About three minutes later, Tifa comes out of the bar putting a petite wallet into a pocket.
"Okay, I think I have enough Gil for all of us," she declares with a smile. "So, where to first?"
"Well, I sure for one don't know where to start, seeing as I am very inexperienced in this field," asserts Red XIII.
"Hmm," sighs Tifa, putting a hand to her chin in thought. "I think I saw some nice shops over in the Sector 6 area. We'll head there first."
With a nod from Red XIII, the group begins to leave until the creature's fray-end ears perk up to pick up the sound of someone approaching from the direction of the bar. The four turn around in time to see Cloud coming up to them with a not-so-happy look on his face.
"I see you've decided to join us," affirms Tifa, clasping her arms behind her with a smile.
"I'll just buy a shirt," asserted the blonde. And then I'll burn it after the party.
"At least it's something," notes Tifa.
With that said the group of five head over to the reconstructing Sector 6. As they began walking, Denzel quickly dashes to Cloud's side, looking up at the man with a glimmer of pride in his eyes. Marlene stays by Red XIII, keeping a hand on the creature's shoulders. Tifa smiles at the scene around her as she walks alongside Cloud, the sight looking more like a family than ever before.
Stepping into Sector 6, the group could tell that things were starting to come together in the area. Whereas the little shops were previously overwhelmed by the construction effort, enough was built to move the reconstruction area elsewhere, leaving a new environment that was never finished in years past.
"Shin-Ra never did finish building Sector 6, did they?" affirms Tifa, putting her hands on her hips. "Looks nice with Reeve and the WRO taking over construction of it."
"Yeah," agrees Cloud, who was also enthralled by the sight of Sector 6 coming together. "I wonder…"
"Ooh, let's go in that one!" squeals Marlene, pointing to one of the clothing shops that had a couple racks of clothing lined outside. "I see a dress I want."
"Onward, shall we?" declares Red XIII, smiling at the little girl's enthusiasm.
While Tifa and Red XIII help the kids pick out some outfit combinations, Cloud half-heartedly browses through the racks, looking for the simplest red whatever he could find.
Why… red…? the thought keeps cycling through his troubled mind over and over. Why… red… of all colors… Why…?
"Hey, it's you!"
The blonde-haired swordsman turns around to see a redheaded woman clad in a blue shirt and matching bandanna along with a pair of dark green pants rush up to him. Tifa hears the commotion and goes over to where Cloud was standing.
"It's really you!" exclaims the unknown young woman excitedly. "The cross-dresser!"
Darkness rains over Cloud's head as he could physically feel his dignity level dropping dangerously low. Oh… no…
"What?" exclaims Tifa, surprised by the woman's words.
"Don't you remember me?" the woman asks Cloud. "I'm the store Keep. You helped my father, the Owner, a few years ago. By the way, do you still have the dress?"
Denzel, Marlene, and Red XIII hears the woman's ranting and stare suspiciously at their blonde friend, especially Denzel, who doesn't really know what to make of his hero now that he's hearing all of this.
Tifa was perplexed by the woman's words until a memory finally clicks in the back of her mind. She looks at her childhood friend and opens her mouth in a silent gasp.
"So THIS is where you got that dress," she exclaims with a chuckle.
"Tifa, please," exclaims Cloud, covering his face shamefully with a hand.
"So you and Aerith went shopping here to…" Tifa could barely keep from falling into a giggle-fit. "Oh… my… word!"
"Do I even want to know?" Red XIII asks inquisitively with a hint of rhetoric.
Feeling that he's been embarrassed enough for one day, Cloud thrusts a red t-shirt into the smiling Keep's face. "I'll buy this if you would please keep quiet about all of that."
It was near evening by the time the group finished their shopping expedition. Tifa was still grinning from ear to ear as she tries to repress any desire to laugh, still unable to keep out the image of her blonde friend in a purple dress. Cloud, on the other hand, could swear that his cheeks were so hot with embarrassment eggs could be cooked on them.
Almost as soon as they entered the Seventh Heaven bar, Denzel finally asks what's been on his mind the entire trip.
"Did you really wear a dress?"
In an instant, Tifa was on the ground laughing as much as she should have the first time she saw the man in a dress. Even Red XIII began chuckling a little, imagining the poor man in an indistinct dress wielding his Buster Sword. Cloud said nothing as he silent struts off to the stairs up to his room with his clothing purchase and closes the door.
To Be Continued…