It feels like it's been ages since I've uploaded something! I wanted to post this sooner, but I was afraid of outing myself since this was submitted in an anonymous contest. But now that that's over, here it is!
I just want to say I'm extremely proud of this fic. It's the longest I've written so far, and it combines elements of romance, comedy, and even a little seriousness (something which I'm pretty bad at)! I know there are things wrong with it, but I'm pretty much happy with it. So if you have anything to say about it, please do! In fact, constructive criticism is encouraged! Of course, if you just want to say you liked it, I'm not complaining either :)
Edit: Thank you, Sorceress Fantasia, for pointing out some mistakes. Updated!
Slight musical inspiration from Secondhand Serenade's "Your Call", acoustic version.
Enjoy!
Isn't it funny how you can never seem to get your hair or clothes right just when you need it the most?
Yes, Cloud Strife fumed to himself, absolutely hilarious. Angrily, he struggled with his tie for the fifth time in three minutes.
"Cloud?" Tifa's voice accompanied the knock on the door. Softly, she opened the door and peeked in.
"Ten more minutes," she half-whispered, half-said, straightening up. She looked magnificent, Cloud noted, with her hair pinned up and her body wrapped in white silk. Aerith was right, light colors do suit her better.
Cloud had to clear his throat twice before he shakily replying, "I-I know. I know." He pulled on his tie some more.
Tifa eyed him. "Are you having trouble with your tie?" she said, a hand on her hip and her eyes amused.
"No!" Cloud huffed. Tifa quirked an eyebrow. "…Yes."
The brunette giggled and came into the room, letting the door fall shut with a soft click.
"Oh, come here, you." She walked up to him, her heels making sharp clacking noises. "Are you nervous or just hopeless?" her hands worked quickly and surprisingly accurate as she adjusted the sky-blue tie into his black suit and patted him on the chest when she finished. Her hand lingered.
When Cloud looked at her, she was staring at him with shining eyes.
"You look amazing, Cloud."
He smiled. "So do you, Tiff."
Tifa's hand traveled up and stroked his cheek for a moment before gently falling back to its place at the brunette's side.
"You need a few more minutes?"
Cloud hesitated for a second before nodding his head once. Tifa mimicked the gesture and started to leave. "I'll come pick you up in five," she whispered before closing the door behind her.
For a few seconds, Cloud just stood staring at the door, before shaking his head and releasing a quick, deep breath, nerves tingling in his belly. He turned back to the mirror and frowned at his – in his eyes – disheveled appearance. The most important day of his life and his hair couldn't even manage to behave. 'You have Strife hair', his mother used to tell him, 'utterly untamable'. He smiled a little sadly. If only his mom could have been here…
Glancing down, he took a look at his shaky hands and the band of gleaming silver on his left ring finger, and instantly a beaming smile replaced its sad predecessor. He had never hoped to get married. Well, he hadn't since…
'We could get married, y'know. If we get married, they would at least let you know if something happens to me.'
'Don't say that. I don't want to think about those things. Besides, that's marrying for the wrong reasons…'
A smile, a kiss, entangled limbs and sheets and hearts and the happiest he had ever been.
'I wouldn't do it just for that.'
"Reminiscencing?".
Cloud's head snapped back up, staring directly into the mirror.
There, together with his own – disheveled – startled appearance, was a pair of bright blue eyes looking at him and a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist.
The world froze.
Zack.
"I'm kind of jealous, you know. You always refused to dress up for me." Smirk.
Still stunned, Cloud only managed to swallow hard. He felt the rumble of Zack's voice against his back. Was this real? Slowly, he lifted his hand and placed it on the mirror. The SOLDIER felt his face soften and rested his chin on Cloud's shoulder.
"We look good together, don't we?" he whispered warmly. Breath somehow tickled Cloud's ear. The blonde couldn't do anything but nod.
The smirk reappeared on Zack's face. "Well, maybe you should be a little shorter. A little less beefy—" this was accompanied by a pinch to Cloud's abs "—but I think we still look great."
"We do. Gaia, we do."
"But you look better with someone else now, right?"
Cloud looked away, eaten by guilt once again. Guilt was always there. He couldn't save Nibelheim. He couldn't save Zack – the blood there was so much blood blood everywhere please please makeitgoaway – he couldn't save anyone. He hadn't been able to give himself to a new someone fully without feeling guilty towards Zack for a long time, and for that, he felt even guiltier. Guilt, guilt, guilt.
"You having those funny thoughts again?"
When Zack got no response, he tightened his grip around the blonde. "Cloud…"
"Zack…" the voice cracked, thick with emotion. "I…" he couldn't say it. He didn't know how.
Cloud's face slowly lifted up again, and wet blue eyes met the SOLDIER's in the mirror. Zack's eyebrows arched sadly.
"I know. I know, baby. I love you so much," he lifted his hand to wipe at the corners of Cloud's eyes, hearing the blonde gasp at the touch, "And I want you to be happy."
Cloud closed his eyes against a new onslaught of emotion. Guilt, guilt.
"I was worried for a while. You were all by your lonesome all the time, all hurt and lonely and…" Zack paused and let his eyes stray from the mirror, "…and I could do nothing but watch."
"Don't!" Cloud suddenly said, the word resounding through the seemingly airless room. He pressed his hand harder into the mirror, staining the surface, somewhat blurring Zack's now startled reflection.
"Don't say that," he looked down again, swallowing down everything that threatened to overwhelm him. He had to say this, he had to make this clear, or he'd never have a sense of closure, would feel this guilt for the rest of his life.
"You did so much for me, Zack. I owe you everything," a pregnant pause, the burden of being a living legacy weighing heavily on his shoulders. "And I… I'm sor—Hmpf!" a hand was suddenly clamped over his mouth.
"No apologies, Cloudyboy." Zack was smiling again, that beautiful smile that had made Cloud fall for him in the first place so, so long ago. "You never apologize to me for anything, and certainly not that, got it? Now!" he straightened up and clapped his hands on Cloud's shoulders. "I believe there is a wedding we should get you ready for?"
"There is," Cloud smiled. He felt like a teenager again. A happy, teenage cadet.
"You bet there is. Come here," he gently turned Cloud around and looked him in the eye. Cloud noticed the smirk on Zack's face too late to do anything but frown as the former lieutenant suddenly put his hands in soft tresses and ruffled them thoroughly.
"What are you doing! I spent half an hour on that!"
"You worry too much, Chocobo. Besides, you look really cute with your hair like this."
Cloud glared at him. Zack chuckled, only to replace that chuckle with a sad smile a moment later.
"Tifa's coming." Zack whispered, and Cloud knew they had to part. He took Zack's hands and could do little else but stare down at them, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He wanted to say more, but he knew words would fail him. Or maybe this was enough. Maybe now he could finally, after all these years, be able to move on without forgetting, to love without regretting, and to live and remember without guilt.
Zack moved forward and cupped Cloud's face in his hands. He placed a warm, lingering kiss on Cloud's forehead.
"I'm always here, babe." he said, his voice growing distant, his warm hand on Cloud's heart. "Be happy."
"Goodbye…" Cloud whispered, looking at Zack as he seemed to softly fade away, and grasping the hand over his heart as long as he could. "Thank you, Zack." When he blinked, Zack was gone, and he was holding only air. He looked at where Zack's appearance had been just moments ago, and he smiled. Part of my heart will always be yours… And that's okay, right?
"Are you ready?" Tifa's voice startled Cloud back to the present. He looked at her like a deer caught in the headlights.
The woman's face instantly grew worried. "Is everything okay, Cloud? You're all white. Ah—", she smiled. "That nervous?"
Cloud shook his head a little to wake himself up. "Just a little." No. Not anymore.
Tifa giggled. "You're about to go out there and you look like you've seen a ghost."
They shared a laugh, Cloud trying to keep his from being slightly hysterical. If only you knew…
"Come on," Tifa said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, careful not to mess up her make-up. She held out her arm. "Time to walk you down the aisle."
Cloud took her arm and clasped her hand, when he noticed her staring at him, a concentrated look on her face. "…What?"
She cocked her head a little. "Your hair looks really cute like that."
Cloud frowned, suppressing a smile but unable to fight the furious blush creeping up his face.
"Let's just go."
.
.
.
Thank you, Zack.
Anytime, Spiky. Anytime.
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.
.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"I saw a ghost today."
A warm baritone chuckle greeted his ears, the shadowy figure lying next to him shifting to look at him.
"He told me to be happy with my new husband."
The hand on his hip drew circles on his skin and another wove itself into his tousled hair.
"Are you going to listen to him?" amused grey eyes regarded him.
"He's been proven to be right before," Cloud murmured, barely suppressing a yawn. He was starting to get sleepy.
Their hands entwined, wedding rings making a tiny ting sound.
"Goodnight, Leon."
"Goodnight, husband."
A shared chuckle. Noses – lips – pressed together.
"By the way…"
"Hmm?"
"Your hair looked really cute today."
Cloud pushed against Leon's chest half-heartedly. "S-Shut up!"
.
.
.
'Anytime.'
.
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Once again, reviews very much appreciated and constructive criticism encouraged. I hope you all enjoyed. :)