Normal
Disclaimer: FFVII and its characters do not belong to me.
This is the first story I have written for FF7…. So please tell me you opinion so if need be I can improve my writing and my portrayal of the characters.
"You're here," It was a statement. Not one of surprise, or alarm, or anything really. Just a statement.
He shrugged.
"For awhile anyways."
She laughed humorlessly. "I wouldn't expect anything else." Her voice was bitter enough to hurt him, but of course his hurt don't show on his face. Nothing ever does.
There was an awkward silence where neither of them could think of anything to say. He stood there in the doorway, half-looking like he was going to bolt back to his motorcycle. She hoped he wouldn't.
"So…." his eyes darted around the room. Seemingly looking for something to talk about.
"….How are the kids?" He asked awkwardly.
"They're fine," she answered. Her mind however screamed at her to ask him to stay. She was so tired of being alone.
"Marlene's doing well in school. Denzel too." She walked from behind the bar to stand in front of him.
"That's nice." He answered distantly. His mind was now a hundred miles away.
Tifa bit her lip and her eyes drifted to the floor. She'd lost him already.
"Are you hungry? She asked, desperate to find something to say to make him stay, even if it was only for a little bit longer.
He frowned like it was something he really need to think about.
"No," he answered softly, but he walked over and sat at the bar anyways.
Tifa studied him critically. She didn't know what to think of this man anymore, but she went back to the bar and served him a drink like everything was normal.
"How were your travels?" her voice was light, cheerful even, a sharp contrast from how she felt.
Cloud picked up the glass to eyelevel. He didn't drink it. He just stared.
"I saw Yuffie,"
Tifa laughed.
"And how is Yuffie? She didn't steal anything from you, did she?"
Cloud smiled slightly and looked up at her. He loved it when she laughed.
"Not exactly," he answered took a sip.
She raised an eyebrow at that.
"What do you mean, 'not exactly?'"
"I mean," he answered. "She took something, but I knew and let her have it."
Tifa laughed. "Of course you did because you're just hat nice."
Things were almost normal, almost like it should be, but the spell was broken when the door clanged open and a customer walked in. Cloud stood up.
"I really only came to grab a few things," he explained awkwardly as he backed our of the room, for her to deal with the customer. When he walked back now with a couple books under his arm, Tifa for the first time noticed a black sleeve covering his left arm while his right remained bare.
She pointed it out.
"Cloud , what's that?"
His expression darkened and he touched the covered arm lightly with his right.
"Nothing," he said and walked out of the door without another word.
Tifa sighed when she heard Fenrir start up. She listened silently to Fenrir's roar as it rumbled away with its owner.
Often, all she wanted was a normal relationship and a normal life. But, people hardly ever get what they want, and Tifa Lockhart was no exception.