Story Summary – When Cloud meets Tessa, a whirlwind romance develops between them. But will the ghosts of his past prevent the happiness in his future? (Cloud x OC)

Disclaimer – Cloud Strife and other characters and locations from Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children are the property of Square-Enix. I own nothing but Tessa and her family.

WARNINGS:
1) Based on certain criteria, Tessa could be considered a "medium" Mary-Sue
2) mushy, sappy romance…a little angsty
3) explicit and graphic sexual content
4) some graphic language

Author's Note – I've received a ton of PMs from people asking that I post this story on this site, so I guess I will. For those of you that don't know the background of the Final Fantasy VII game and movie, it doesn't take place on Earth, so the locations mentioned in the story won't be familiar. I'm not going to go into long dialogue and descriptive dissertations in this story on the events that previously occurred unless it fits in the current situation. Otherwise I'll try and explain things in Author Notes at the beginning of certain chapters. If you're curious about anything that needs further explanation, you can always pose your question in a review or a PM to me.

ADDICTION
By Marisa

Chapter 1 – Prologue

It didn't take me long to realize that I fell in love with Cloud from the first moment I saw him on his Fenrir at the stoplight. There weren't many guys in our recuperating world that intrigued me enough to deserve extra thought just from the way they looked. Maybe I was superficial and shallow when it came to those things. That and a lack of trust in men…thanks to a certain member of my family…it made up the reasons I never had many boyfriends, and didn't really care to anyway.

But there was something about Cloud that hooked me…the intensity of his aqua-colored eyes…the freakish way his blonde hair defied gravity…the soft timber of his voice when he was reflecting…

Cloud Strife…an enigma, shrouded in conflict from an entangled, obscure past…I learned a little more about him with each passing day. His past was based on falsehoods and consisted of such overwhelming violent tragedies that he desperately craved anything resembling a normal life. He yearned for the affection he lacked in his childhood and it was the main reason he was drawn to me from the beginning. According to him, I was the epitome of a normal life and once he discovered the warm connection between us, he refused to let it go.

But in our wounded and troubled world, there was never any guarantee that life would be a bed of roses. And our fragile relationship was put to countless tests…just when we thought things were going our way.

Thursday, August 1

When I finished grocery shopping, I headed home in my supercharged muscle car, a gift from Dad because he worried I'd be accosted by Shadow Creepers again. Shadow Creepers and I didn't get along and the fast car was so I could outrun them. So far I hadn't heard of any Shadow Creeper attacks...not since peace had returned to the eastern continent. Maybe they were gone for good.

The light up ahead turned yellow and I slowed down to a stop just at it turned red. My stereo blasted the beginning of a popular tune and with my windows rolled down, I crooned along to the lyrics.

Someone pulled up on my left, astride a monstrous black and bronze vehicle. A second glance told me it was some kind of beefed-up motorcycle. The rider was dressed entirely in black, his muscled arms bare. What immediately caught my eye was his severely chopped and spiked blonde hair. The cut wasn't an uncommon thing in this day and age, but it just drew my attention.

I continued to nonchalantly sing along as my eyes studied him from his head to his thick-booted toe. Not too bad for a biker. He looked a little young to own such an expensive piece of machinery…maybe early to mid twenties. But then again, I was that age and I couldn't afford my vehicle without Daddy's help.

He turned his head to the right and seemed to be checking out my car before pausing at my window to stare at me through his dark-tinted goggles.

I wanted to tell him to take a picture because he was staring so long. He was probably thinking the same thing about me staring at him. So I rolled my eyes and looked away first.

The red light was certainly taking its sweet time. How ironic that there was absolutely no traffic on the streets to speak of during these difficult times, with people trying to get back on their feet after so many years of violence…No one on the streets…just me and motorcycle man...yet the traffic lights still functioned as if there were a thousand cars roaming the city.

His engine revved loudly. Not wanting to be outdone, I kept my left foot on the clutch and revved the accelerator. When I turned back to him, he had a hint of a smile on his face.

He did something to the handle bar and the engine revved even louder. Then he bounced forward a couple of times, clearly indicating he wanted to race.

I suppressed a smile and shook my head, but he gave me a challenging look I couldn't ignore. So I revved the engine again and made sure I was in first gear. From the corner of my eye I saw the light finally turn green. As I released the clutch, I buried the accelerator down to the floor. The tires squealed and burned rubber as my car shot forward with a roar. But so did the motorcycle.

We were racing side by side for several blocks, exceeding the posted speed limit of 55 by at least 40. Somehow or another I felt he was toying with me. He accelerated ahead. I tried to pass him, but he moved his bike right in front of me. Then every time I moved over to pass him, he'd immediately swerve in my way.

Now I was pissed. I honked my horn and flashed my lights and he looked back over his shoulder at me, apparently amused by my anger. Finally he stayed in one lane and let me pull up next to him.

"You're cheating!" I yelled out the window to be heard over the roar of our engines.

He raised his goggles and rested them on his forehead before turning a pair of gorgeous, aqua-colored eyes on me. "You can't beat me!" he yelled back.

Those eyes distracted me from whatever foul curse had planned to escape my lips. I actually felt my heart stop for several seconds…and it felt like a lifetime. Good God…where did this guy come from?

He gave me a wink before putting his goggles back over his eyes and leaning further down on his bike. In the next instant he was gone. And I mean he was like a speck on my windshield. I braked and pulled over to the side of the road, staring ahead with my mouth open. What the hell did he have in his engine…rocket fuel?

It felt like I had just encountered a ghost. He didn't exist in real life. Just a figment of my overactive, sexually deprived imagination.

Or so I thought…