A/N: I have decided to update on Tuesdays, sorry for chapters not being as lengthy as they could be,
Keep in mind that suggestions on how to improve myself are always welcomed.
The first thing that assaulted Cloud's eyes were the quaking forms of countless dilapidated buildings. They creaked dangerously in the faint breeze of the darkened slums of Midgar, a putrid sewer smell wafting towards the antrum of her nostrils. She flared them in a manner of disgust, hoping to expel the intruding stench from her senses. That, having done nothing, inclined her to simply cover her nose with the palm of her sweating hand. The sight and smell was unnerving to her in a way that only a child grown in a backwater town such as Nibelheim could understand. Hiking a shoulder bag further upon her back, Cloud reluctantly removed her hand from her nose. She was unwilling to give the people of the approaching sector a reason to shun her away. She quickened her pace and continued on to Sector 7, her heart giving away to increased excitement despite the less than pleasant surroundings.
Cloud had snuck away from home not long ago, having stowed herself away in the bed of a rickety, old truck that had been leaving the safe haven of the town of Nibelheim. It's not that she was unhappy with her life, it was quite the contrary. Despite being estranged by the other kids due to her compromising heritage, she had lived a decently happy childhood with all the love a child could ask for from their mother. Every birthday she was baked a cake and given a gift when it was affordable. She was given clothes to cover her back and a roof over her head to protect her from the harsh , mountainous weather. It was nothing extravagant, but it was enough and she rarely complained about it.
The reason she had left relied solely upon her having a goal to join SOLDIER, and knew her mother would be against it. "A young lady should act as such, not play in the mud like a hooligan." She mimicked in her head the words her mother would always tell her when she wanted to join in with the boys' activities. She had always found it unfair that they could play in the dirt and have fun while she was stuck braiding flowers in a dress all by herself. For awhile she had viewed herself as a boy at heart, claiming a secret crush on the town's heartthrob, Tifa, until her early pubescent years. Her only chance at joining the military was to disguise herself as the boy she once claimed to be and get assistance from a friend's friend to "correct" her paperwork.
Cloud toed at a rock underfoot, listening to it crunch into the dry sand-like soil as she exerted an increasing force into it. She removed her foot from the rock and stared at it a moment, observing how it was wedged into the dirt, half buried, half forgotten. She wondered if she was half forgotten now that she had left Nibelheim. When Tifa had disappeared, the villagers seemed distraught and were sent to retrieve her, but when they returned empty handed they settled back down and continued on without the brunette. The only one who continued to search was the town's mayor, having been the busty girl's father. The man put perpetual blame on Cloud for the taller girl's disappearance, believing that only a bastard child could cause so much "destruction", as the elder had put it. Cloud doubted they had even attempted to search for her. Maybe her mother had, but the woman had duties to fulfill and bills to pay; it wouldn't be surprising if she gave up the search quickly.
Inside Sector 7 was a small assortment of houses and small shops, one of the larger structures being a bar called 7th Heaven. It was managed by Cloud's childhood friend Tifa, who had escaped the overbearing rule of her father months before Cloud had even gathered the courage to leave. Cloud squared her shoulders and walked up the unsteady steps to the bar, pushing the door open and standing just inside. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the slightly brighter light, scanning over the few patrons inside. They glanced in mild curiosity at her before returning to their conversations, sipping idly on their beverages. Behind the bar was a stunning young woman with long brown hair that fell just below her knees. Smirking to herself, Cloud mischievously approached the brunette, knowing that Tifa was not yet aware of her cross-dressing scheme.
Cloud was currently dressed in dark, baggy clothes that did little to hide her girlish features, yet hid enough to pass her as an androgynous boy. Her hair was short yet long enough to be pulled into a small hair tie at the base of her neck. It had always naturally jutted out into weird angles, giving it a spiky effect without having to apply any hair products, which played a strong part in persuading others to believe her tall tale. Leaning a hand on the the countertop, Cloud drummed her fingers in a deliberately loud manner. The brunette turned around with a smile adorning her soft features. When her eyes landed on the blonde's face, the girl's face fell as she misinterpreted the other's smirk into a confident form of flirting. With a newly formed frown in place, Tifa placed her hands on her hips in a disapproving manner. "You better not be thinking you can get laid with a look like that on your face, kid, I assure you I'm not interested." Cloud's smirk faltered, giving way to a flustered grimace as she imagined the scenario the older girl had implied. Cloud was definitely not interested in his friend that way. Despite being willing to cross-dress to achieve her dreams, she was not interested in the same sex.
"Gross, no way!" Cloud exclaimed indignantly with a grimace. There was no way Cloud would let the other girl know that she had ever found her physically attractive at any point in her life. A slight blush dusted her unblemished cheeks as she pictured Tifa reacting to such a confession. The blonde had no doubt that their friendship would become awkward and strained beyond that point. Shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts, she splayed her hands on the bar and pushed herself further away from the other girl. This was almost a fatal mistake as she lost her footing next to the stool, nearly taking a tumble. Luckily her hands, still on the bar, saved her from further embarrassment. She inhaled a sigh of relief that was short lived once Tifa drew attention back onto herself.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tifa's eye began to twitch, the girl taking immediate offense. The brunette could always smile the biggest smiles, but when she got upset it was as if the whole world would tremble in fear of what the young Lockhart could and would do.
"N-nothing!" Cloud waved her arms wilding in front of herself in defense. "Come one Teef, you should know me better than that. You know I'm not interested in girls!" Cloud used her infamous pet-name for the girl, diminishing any further accusations as Tifa scrutinized her appearance. Apparently though, she had spoken a little too loudly, causing a man a few seats away to pause in his eating as he shot her a weird look and moved further down the booth. 'I guess that means my disguise it working...' She thought sheepishly.
Tifa appeared thoughtful as she looked the blonde's figure up and down, anger momentarily dissuaded, that curiosity quickly turning to shock as realization struck her. "Cloud!? What are you doing here dressed like that? Scratch that- what are you doing here!?" Tifa rushed around the bar and threw herself at the blonde, wrapping her arms around the small blonde's neck. Cloud chuckled and returned the hug, arms wrapping around the taller girl's waist.
"I'll tell you if you promise to help me." Cloud bargained. The two pulled apart, Tifa frowning into hopeful blue eyes as she considered her options.
"Let's go talk in private. Barret, watch the bar!" Tifa called over her shoulder before leading Cloud to the basement. The petite blonde could do little but follow the busty girl with anxious eyes before following after her with the grace of an elephant. Once downstairs and sitting, Tifa wasted no time with small talk or awkward silences.