Hello! and welcome to Distraction's first foray into the Final Fantasy fandom. I returned to FFVII (the game) after a long break and I'm replaying stuffs. This bit was particularly irritating to me, so I rewrote it the way I wanted it to play out: no flimsy stealth mini-game, no endless battles while struggling up staircases.
Disclaimer: While this is my own take on a situation, the setting, characters, and the like are not my own. They belong to the fabulous Square Enix :heart: Also, tge game says "Aeris" and that's the spelling I'm going with. Deal with it. Or don't? Doesn't matter.
Onward!
-Rewarding One's Rescuer-
"Enemies to our rear," a young man with spiky blonde hair called, reaching up to clutch the hilt of the huge blade strapped to his back. "Be ready."
The rather imposing black man jogging at his side swore colorfully and rested his left hand on the gun that served as his right. "This shit's about to hit the fan. How many, Cloud?"
"Enough," was the flat response.
They both came screeching to a halt as an endless number of red-clad Shinra officers came filing out of the doorway at the head of the wide, open room, the former drawing his Buster Sword and the latter pointing the many-barreled gun at one man, then another.
… And another and another and another.
To say that they were severely outnumbered would be the understatement of the century.
It was then that the young woman who had been picking up the rear of their little trio caught up, her impressive chest heaving with each ragged breath. "Sorry I'm late, guys. I ran into some trouble."
Her companions blinked at each other then looked behind them at what was a trail of inert forms and Cloud arched an eyebrow. "Nice job."
"'Nice job'?!" the dark-skinned man demanded. "That's fuckin' incredible, Tifa!"
She smiled and slid into a combat stance, her bandage-wrapped hands clenched into fists. "Thanks, Barret. Shall we?"
He pulled a grenade from the utility belt around his hips and lobbed it, sending a few of their enemies flying and rocking the Shinra Headquarters to its core. "Let's fuck 'em up."
(break)
Tifa was a blur of movement, dodging enemy gunfire with fluid, agile flips and somersaults and returning the favor with a ferociousness that had her teammates staring.
She had to get keep climbing these stairs, no matter how long it took or how loudly her muscles screamed in protest.
Someone was counting on her.
Alarms wailed, nearly drowning out the pained cries of felled Shinra security, and her temples were beginning to throb as she pushed herself to her LIMIT, Beat Rush allowing the brawler to lay down an unblockable combo of punches to the torso of a particularly large mech, the ring of flesh against steel making her grit her teeth even as her knuckles threatened to shatter.
When that last enemy fell, she raised her hand and was enveloped in a cloud of green as she used her Heal Materia to mend the damage she had received.
Just like that, she was ready to push onwards.
"We're near the top," Cloud commented once they had crossed the room and were climbing into the 60th floor's glass-walled lift. Below them, the dimly twinkling lights of the lower sectors seemed unbelievable far away, though they had passed through that area not too long beforehand.
Barret nodded in agreement, rolling broad shoulders as he did so, and Tifa bit her lip.
'I hope Aeris is alright.'
Despite their differences—despite how the innocent young woman seemed to be the object of Cloud's affections—the brawler couldn't help but want to protect her.
The lift released a cheery 'ding!' as it halted and the trio exited without another word. Somehow, they ended up in that floor's restroom, though it was a good thing they had because there was a ventilation shaft above the toilet that allowed the AVALANCHE members to catch wind of the president's dastardly plans of a Neo Midgar and aspirations for something called the Promised Land.
After the meeting of the powerful executives disbanded, the eco-terrorists hastened to follow of the slimebag scientist, Hojo. He was clearly up to no good.
…67th Floor…
Sure enough, the party came upon the bespectacled braniac standing next to a cylindrical container that held none other than the beautiful young maiden that they had been searching for: she was pressed against the glass, cowering from a large, red feline-like beast that growled and bared wicked teeth.
"Aeris!" Cloud barked, taking a threatening step towards the scientist. Though the man gave some transparent reason as to why they shouldn't just beat his face in (because Tifa really, really wanted to), the blonde hoisted him into the air by the front of his white lab coat. "Let her go."
The brunette spluttered something nonsensical and the outraged SOLDIER dropped him to the ground, pointing the sharp tip of his buster blade at an unprotected throat.
He wouldn't be asking again.
Just then, the glass door slip open with the hiss of compressed air and the creature leaped out, landing on top of Hojo and brutalizing the man with sharp claws.
Now was their chance! Tifa stepped forward, more quickly than even Cloud could react, and offered a hand to the Ancient. "We're getting you out of here."
"I knew you would," the girl said softly, that gentle smile like a ray of sunshine—warm and inviting.
'Ba-bump.'
"Let's get the fuck out of here!" Barret bellowed, gesturing impatiently. Lights had begun to flash overhead and, in the distance, they could hear the faint keening of sirens.
Shinra was on the move.
"Ah… I wouldn't advise going that way," a new voice said. "There are some nasty traps these egg heads have set up."
All eyes went to the red beast still crouched over Hojo's lifeless form, crimson dripping from its chin.
"… You can talk," Aeris said at last.
"I can!" It tilted its head, jaws parting in an almost amicable expression. "The name's Red and I've been trapped in this facility for what feels like forever… Would you mind taking me with you?"
"Yes," Cloud responded without a moment's thought. "We don't have time to rescue any-er, thing that asks nicely.
"I could show you the way out. A short-cut, if you will."
"…"
"My hero."
The loud clanking of the train's wheels sliding over the metal tracks leading out of Midgar almost drowned out Aeris's voice and she had to lean in to be heard despite their proximity. They were sharing a blanket on the hard wood floor of a car stock full of crates of Materia.
Hero's didn't typically do luxury—especially when stealing away on a cargo train.
Tifa shook her head, smiling despite herself. "I prefer 'heroine.' The guys helped too, you know."
"Yes, but only one hero… or heroine gets the reward for this quest."
She perked up a bit. "There's a reward?"
"Mhmm… For my knight in shining armor who risked life and limb in order to rescue the fair maiden in distress."
"The fairest of maidens," Tifa agreed solemnly.
Aeris shifted, her hand brushing against the brawler's thigh. It was cool to the touch and the woman flinched.
"Oh, sorry."
"Don't worry about it." She took the Ancient's hands in her own. "Here, I'll warm them up."
The smile that curved full lips was dazzling. "Have I ever told you that you're amazing?"
"I don't mind hearing it again."
She giggled. "No, really… You're always so kind to me. Thank you."
The utter sincerity in dark green eyes made Tifa's heart pound and her cheeks flushed. "Er… No problem." She cleared her throat and averted her gaze. "How are you feeling? You've been through a lot—you should probably get some rest."
The others were already fast asleep: Cloud was leaned up against a metal beam, his arms crossed over his chest and a little frown on his face even in his (what was likely a grudging) slumber; Barret had laid his head down on a canvas bag of Phoenix Down and immediately started snoring with earthshaking force; Red had curled up at Cloud's boots, his tail slung over his nose, his ears twitching.
It was quiet… Which, given their circumstances, was a rare occurrence indeed.
"I'm fine." Aeris leaned against the taller woman and Tifa was hit by the familiar scent of jasmine and vanilla. She swallowed, hard, and went very, very still as the florist continued, "I spent most of my time in the lab sleeping. Hojo wanted to study my brain waves and see if they varied from a normal persons'."
At the late scientist's name, Tifa bristled. "You are a normal person. Don't listen to that asshole." When the mage cuddled into her side, the black-haired beauty instinctively wrapped an arm around her. "What is it?"
She smiled a bit too brightly. "It's nothing."
"Aeris…" It was brief, but the façade of happiness wavered and she caught a glimpse of the turmoil that stormed within. "Talk to me."
"I…" She hesitated and bit her lip. "I've been having this dream."
"About?"
"Dying. More specifically… of being murdered."
The thought alone was enough to make the brawler's heart go cold, the fine hairs on the back of her neck rising as her stomach sank like a stone. "What…?"
"There was a beautiful man with long silver hair… All I remember is green flames and he pulled out this huge blade and—"
"No."
"Huh?"
Tifa pulled Aeris close, resting her chin on the crown of the younger woman's head and growling, "That will never happen. I'll keep you safe. I always will."
She felt the brunette relax in her embrace. "Promise?"
"Promise."
They stayed like that for a time, the only sound interrupting the peaceful lull being the loud, droning snore of their gunner.
Then, Tifa felt slightly warmer fingertips trace over her collarbones and she shivered, releasing a soft sigh of approval. When the brunette's other hand slid under the starch white shirt she wore, the warrior squirmed anxiously.
"Aeris!"
"Mm?"
"What are you…?"
"Rewarding my knight," the girl responded—as though the answer was obvious. Her hand slipped easily passed both shirt and bra to cup a soft mound and the fighter bit her lip.
"We can't—" She hissed when a rosy nipple was pinched punishingly. "The others—"
"Won't wake up if you're quiet," the Ancient completed pleasantly.
The way slender, talented fingers massaged large, sensitive breasts really weren't helping with the whole 'quiet' thing. Still, Tifa let her head fall back and parted her thighs, leaving her body completely at the mercy of her lover's advances.
There was no way she was going to turn down a bit of physical release—especially considering how little private time they had together.
Aeris smirked—as though she knew she had won—and her free hand went to the front of those short black shorts, unbuttoning the top button and slipping inside to press up against the front of cotton panties—
"Oh my…"
—that were soaked through with the brawler's excitement.
"Shaddup," Tifa muttered, hips bucking minutely at the gentle contact.
The florist giggled, brushing her lips teasingly against the warrior's. "Mind if I use my mouth for something else, then?"
Before the empathetic "Hell no!" could leave her partner's mouth, Aeris claimed her lips, wet warm muscle wrestling with warm wet muscle for dominance; Tifa lost ground when she whimpered at the teasing touch of fingers sliding through velvet heat, spreading slick dampness, but she made up for it with the fervor behind nipping teeth and a swirling tongue and—
And she lost it again when slender digits thrust as deeply as they could, plumbing the depths of her womanhood and sending electric arcs of pleasure zipping along her spine and to her pleasure receptors.
A Fire material couldn't have done a better job at reducing her to a pile of molten goo.
Aeris swallowed the ecstatic cries her partner made, expertly wriggling her fingertips against the far wall and making dark eyes roll back as Tifa broke away from the kiss and bit down on her fist to silence herself.
The muffled sounds of her pleasure filled the cramped cabin, almost completely drowned out by the steady chugging of the engine, as the fighter desperately attempted to hold in the scream that built with the tidal wave of bliss that threatened to wash over her senses.
She almost succeeded, too, if only the mage hadn't chosen that moment to thrust her fingers in as far as they would go and stretched them apart at the tips, creating an almost unbearably full sensation that made the brunette's breath catch in her throat. As her world was reduced to white light and the rattle of metal, Tifa cried out, her muscles clenching and unclenching in an attempt to ground her.
And as she fell, as if boneless, into the arms of her "fair maiden," the heroine swore she heard a low growl in the darkness.
"You look well rested," Cloud observed, blue eyes curious.
Last night had likely been the best sleep of her life considering how exhausted she had been after…
The brawler went pink. "Y-yeah. I dunno, I just woke up refreshed."
And relaxed—man was she relaxed.
"Strange, that," Red commented somewhere to her right—too quietly for Cloud to hear. "Didn't seem like either you or Miss Aeris got much sleep last night."
The brunette flinched. How had they managed to forget that the beast had a heightened sense of hearing and smell? Bahumut knew what he had witnessed…
Or the price for his silence.
When the SOLDIER went off to scout ahead, she rounded on the feline creature. "What do you want?"
"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean."
"You… Know something you shouldn't."
"Ah. You mean about you and Miss Aeris? I believe is the only one who has not realized something is going on between you two."
Her blood went cold. "What?"
Red XIII tilted his head. "It's quite obvious that you care about each other. It's very rare to witness such adoration between friends."
Oh…
Tifa looked down at her boots, a slight, shy smile curving her lips. "You really think so?"
"I do."
She'd really have to speak to Cloud about keeping their new party member. She was really starting to like him.
-Fin-