AUTHOR'S NOTE:Hey y'all! welcome to my first fanfic ever! I'm a FFVII fanboy and this is in my opinion the greatest game created so i wanted to do a fic on it very badly. this fic is set in a slight AU, in that Shinra is a prestigious university and there's no swords and cool combat sequences (plan to fix that with later fics). anyhow i hope you guys enjoy it and please feel free to drop a review.
DISCLAIMER: all Final Fantasy characters, locations and related material are property of Square-Enix, not mine so do not sue.
***IMPORTANT NOTICE***
Strange Clouds is currently undergoing major changes. The basic story remains intact, along with majority of the author's notes. I'm just trying to change the childishness of the story and lighten the mood and make it more polished and professional. Some chapters, such as this one will be heavily revamped while others will remain relatively untouched. I've made a note of changes made at the end of each chapters. If anyone can give me a better summary, PM me or put it in a review! :)
EDITTED MARCH 2013
XXX
As the sun crept its way into the young man's bedroom, seeping through the curtains like a noxious fluid, Cloud Strife tossed and turned. Morning had come and he hated it.
"Cloud! Honey, you gotta get up. Today's first day remember?" His mother's voice came floating down the hall.
"Shit!" Cloud groaned. He had completely forgotten. Today was supposed to be his first day at university, Shinra U to be exact. And goddammit he was late already!
Lazily pulling himself out of the bed, and rolling onto the floor, trying to wipe the sleep gunk from his eyes. Where the heck did that stuff come from anyway? Scratching away any remaining itches from sleep, he walked to the mirror. Bright blue eyes stared back at him from underneath a shock of unruly blond hair. Cloud often wondered what genetic anomaly had caused his hair to stand up like that, particularly that one large spike near the front. Not exactly the most muscular of young men, he was decently well built, with shoulders wide for his 1.75m frame and ripped abs. Still grumbling he slouched to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
"Cloud, if you take any longer the class will be writing final exams before you leave."
Groaning once more, Cloud pulled out a shirt, black, with a shiny silver print on the front with a pair of dark blue jeans and black sneakers. Checking himself out in the mirror, he absently messed with his hair. Yeah, not too formal, but decently smart. Without giving his personal appearance another thought, he walked down the stairs.
"Morning, Mum" he mumbled when he reached the kitchen.
"Do you honestly have to make such a racket when you walk down the stairs?" Mrs Strife demanded. "You got lead weights in your shoes?"
"I slept well thanks Ma, how was yours?" Cloud asked, with a slight smirk.
Cloud was particularly proud of his relationship with his mother. She was by no means an uncaring mother who let her only son run wild, nor was she a strict authoritarian. Cloud could easily banter with her, and she him. She was a friend in some ways, although the line between mother and son was as clearly defined as ever.
"It was alright. You ready for today?" She asked, handing him a cup of steaming coffee.
"Yeah, I think so," Cloud answered slowly, not sounding too convinced.
"Well, just don't lose sight of the future son," Mrs Strife said with a proud smile as she ruffled his hair.
"Ma!" Cloud protested.
"What? Its not like I can mess it up anymore," Mrs Strife laughed. "I probably don't have to tell you this, Cloud, but remember what you're there to do, okay? Study hard and don't have a royal party okay?"
Cloud groaned yet again. "I know Mum, you've only told me about three times, an hour, everyday, all summer."
"Yeah, what kind of mother would I be if I didn't?" Mrs Strife replied with a shrug. "Maybe you'll finally get yourself a nice girlfriend to keep you on the straight and narrow!"
"Aren't you supposed to tell me not to get involved with girls?" Cloud asked with a quirked eyebrow as he sipped his coffee.
"Nah, I know you're a good kid and you won't let yourself get distracted," Mrs Strife replied. "Besides I think a nice older girlfriend will be good for you? Although bring home a old lady and I'll fry your livers myself!"
"Why would you think I'd bring home an old lady, Ma?" Cloud asked with interest.
"Please Cloud, I know how upset you got when Ms Trepe back in Nibelheim left," Mrs Strife laughed.
"That was just a-"
"School boy crush?" Mrs Strife finished for him. "I know I'm just teasing!"
She gave him a tight hug as he stood up. As they broke apart, she cupped his face in her hands. "I'm so proud of you!"
"I'm proud of me too," Cloud replied nonchalantly.
That earned him a minor cuff on the back of the head.
"Ow," he moaned.
Mrs Strife giggled. "I bet the girls aren't gonna leave you alone the second you hit campus!"
"Why would they, genes like mine," Cloud replied puffing out his chest. "I got them from you!"
"Flattery will get you everywhere," Mrs Strife answered. "Now move it, before you're late!"
"Okay, see ya Ma," Cloud said leaving the house. "I won't let you down!"
XXX
Commuting's a bitch, Cloud thought as he neared the Cornelia Building. Finding the goddamn venue of his first lecture was a pain to begin with, the campus was immense to say the least! Probably as big as his village Nibelheim.
Another shock awaited him as he entered the lecture hall. Giant and cathedral-like with probably one hundred pews of fifty seats arrange in a dish-like pattern, it could probably fit five hundred students.
And curse Cloud's rotten luck, every single on of those bloody seats were taken! Shit! Looks like his ass had to be content with the cold stone floor.
"Hey," came a voice.
Turning, he caught sight of a pretty brunette girl sitting near him. She scooted a seat over, and patted her newly vacated seat, implying he should sit there.
Relieved, he collapsed into the seat, and turned to see the girl smiling at him. She had very beautiful green eyes, and wore her long light brown hair in a thick braid that was draped over one shoulder of the pink dress she wore, with a pink hair ribbon tied in a bow.
"Can you believe class hasn't even started and its already so full?" She asked.
"Yeah, this is madness!" Cloud agreed. "What's the point?"
"Nerves I guess, hell I got butterflies already!"
"Same here," Cloud replied with a grin. She was really cute, in a delicate sort of way.
"So, you from Midgar?" The girl asked. She seemed very chatty.
"Ah no, I'm from Nibelheim, we just moved here after I was accepted," Cloud replied.
"Oh, that's great! I've always wanted to live in the country, I've lived in the Midgar slums all my life," the girl said. "My names Aerith by the way," she continued, holding out her hand.
Slightly bemused now, Cloud smiled and shook it, wow they're soft! "I'm Cloud."
"So, you excited? I'm sure moving all the way from Nibelheim is terrifying!"
"Well, my Ma came along with me. She got a good job here in the city so it was perfect," Cloud replied. "To be completely honest I'm not sorry to see the back of that piece of shit town!"
"And what about your dad? He stayed in Nibelheim?" Aerith asked.
"To be honest, I don't know." He snorted. "Nor do I care, he walked out on us fifteen years ago."
"Oh," she replied, sounding genuinely shocked. "I'm sorry to bring it up, I'm sure you don't want to talk about it."
Cloud shrugged. "Nah, it doesn't really bother me anymore. I barely knew him anyway, so its his loss more than anything. So what about you?"
Aerith smiled, he wasn't angry with her. "I live with my mother in the slums. I managed to get a bursary, so I decided to study here."
"That's great!" Cloud said.
They had to keep quiet after that, the Head of Department, a tall, stringy looking woman with a deep voice, now stood at the podium and began adressing them. After speaking a while, she dismissed them.
"So why engineering?" Aerith asked, as they left the hall.
Well, I've always wanted to do it, ever since I was kid. I got a job at the local mechanic back home, so I pretty much grew up under machinery. And you? It's not exactly a girl's course."
Aerith frowned at that. "I wanted to do something different, and just to prove it's not a Men-Only-Course."
Cloud actually laughed at that. "Wow, well that's as good a reason as any I guess," he said running a hand through the mass of blonde spikes on his head.
"You're making fun of me!" Aerith said shrilly, with the air of a five year old in the midst of a tantrum.
"No I'm not," Cloud said, although he continued to snigger.
She stopped walking and stood facing him with her hands on her hips. "I'm never going to speak to you again!" She snarled.
Cloud continued to laugh, but didn't say anything more as they continued walking around the campus side by side. He was thankful he had at least made a friend.
"Want anything to eat?" Aerith asked, forgetting her vow of silence.
"Nah, I'm not really hungry," Cloud replied, choosing not to remind her. "But I won't say no to a cold drink."
"It is quite hot, yeah" Aerith agreed as they entered the store.
"What you in a mood for?" Aerith asked.
"How about a Red Bull?" Cloud asked.
"Not really a fan of energy drinks," Aerith said, uncertainly.
"Try a Monster," Cloud replied. "Those are real good," he continued, showing her a large green can.
Aerith shrugged. "Why not?"
They paid for their drinks to a rather old lady who's face seemed to take on an unpleasant sour expression the second she caught sight of Aerith.
"The hell is her problem?" Aerith grumbled as the old crone's gaze followed them as the walked to empty park bench.
"Probably looking at you and feeling her age," Cloud supplied. "Must be hard when you've gotten old and young girls walk past and remind you what you used to be."
"Could be, but it doesn't mean you have to get bitter like that old bitch," Aerith said jerking her thumb in the old woman's direction.
"Yeah well, maybe you look so good it makes her jealous," Cloud suggested.
Aerith's face took on a warm glow. "That's my style," she said with an exaggerated flip of her hair. "Heads turn, asses burn."
"Don't let it go to your head though," Cloud advised, though he laughed along with her, opening his drink.
Aerith had brought a straw along and sipped happily at her Monster. "Y'know its not really that bad."
"Told you so," Cloud grinned.
"Okay score one for the Cloudster!" Aerith said, holding her can out in a mock toast. "Okay, I'm tired of trying to act like a lady," she said flinging the straw away and chugging the rest down.
"Whoaaaa, easy there," Cloud said, trying not to choke on the Monster as Aerith whacked hers.
A small bee buzzed nearby. Aerith nearly shrieked in surprise.
"What the hell its just a bee," Cloud tried to calm her down.
"Fuck off, fuck off!" Aerith muttered as she twisted on her seat, doing a full three-sixty on the seat. "Fucking bee, get lost! Get your own!"
"Whoa, language there!" Cloud laughed.
"Desperate times," Aerith snapped, trying to protect her drink from the bloody bee.
Cloud was laughing so hard he spilt some down his front. "Shit!" He said, looking down.
Soon the bee made a...beeline for him. Jumping up with a yelp, he tore off, while a guffawing Aerith followed.
XXX
"And you though your stalkers couldn't take a hint!" Cloud grumped as they sat down on a small patch of grass underneath a tree, having finally evaded the evil insect.
Aerith giggled. "So much for it just being a bee huh?"
"Yeah, yeah," Cloud said. "That bee had it in for me okay?"
"Sure it did," Aerith replied.
Cloud was spared from answering when his phone rang.
Checking his phone, he groaned inwardly.
"Hi, Ma," Cloud said, trying to ignore Aerith's delighted cackle. He felt his cheeks begin to burn red.
"Hey honey, I'm just calling to find out how you're doing and if you're managing to cope," his mother said cheerfully.
Glancing at Aerith, who continued to giggle uncontrolably, he blushed a deep scarlet. "Mom, its been two hours since you last saw me, what could possibly happen? I'm doing fine, I'll talk to you when get home, okay?"
"Okay, no problem," Mrs Strife replied, unperturbed by his rudeness. "I love you."
Cloud hit the red button, and then turned to Aerith, who had finally managed to contain her laughter, but her face was flushed from glee.
Cloud sighed, might as well get it over with. "Just say it."
Aerith looked even more delighted, if that was possible. "MOMMA'S BOY!" She screeched, exploding with laughter.
Cloud's blush deepened.
XXX
Even though his day hadn't been that busy, Cloud collapsed on his bed the moment he reached home.
He had gone for mainly introductory classes, then lunch with Aerith, followed by a long tour of the campus.
"Cloud, I'm home," his mother called.
"Hey," he replied tiredly.
"Cloud?" She said uncertainly, as she entered his room. "How was your day?"
"Tiring," he spoke into his pillow.
"It's not gonna get any better, you know?" She said.
Cloud mumbled something incoherent into his pillow, as Mrs Strife laughed a little bit and walked out.
XXX
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Soooooo? what do you guys think? please review and don't be shy to flame if you feel I am in anyway not true to the game.
CHANGES MADE:
-added a bit more description to every scene.
-changed the dialogue between Cloud and his mother. Made it much longer and humorous, while adding to their relationship.
-extended Cloud and Aerith's time together.
-added the bee scene