At the End of the Day
Thunder K: Just a cute Cloti I came up with, during a long period of boredom. Enjoy! Set 5 years post-meteor, in Cloud's POV. Hints of Yuffentine and Cid/Shera!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything!
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I walked through the small town of Kalm, deep in thought. My life had changed so much since Meteor...since Sephiroth. That had been five years ago. I had direction in my life now! I had things to look forward to; I had a future. I wasn't fated to wander for the rest of my days without a purpose.
And it's all thanks to Tifa. God, I love her so much. She means everything to me. I love everything about her; her long brown hair, her beautiful eyes, her optimism...everything. Not that I could ever quite say it out loud. I wouldn't be me if I did that, would I?
Sitting down on a random bench, I ran a hand through my spiky blond hair, just remembering...
- - Flashback - -
Cloud walked into the house he shared with Tifa, sighing slightly. Life was the same routine everyday; he longed for battles. He went out to train often, but the enemies here were so weak! But he wouldn't leave Tifa on her own. It wasn't that she couldn't protect herself; but he worried about her. She seemed nervous lately, and if he didn't know any better, sad.
It had been 5 months since meteor. Yuffie had forced Vincent to come with her to Wutai, and wouldn't let him go back to his coffin. She drove those thoughts that he was a monster straight out of his head; and, much to everyone's surprise, they had fallen in love. Cid and Shera had gotten married, but that was no surprise. It was quite obvious. Red XIII had returned to Cosmo Canyon to continue his duty as protector, and Reeve had started up a new ShinRa, an electric company that didn't use mako energy, and Cait Sith had been stashed away. Barret, Marlene and Elmyra had moved into Corel and helped in the rebuilding.
Cloud and Tifa had moved in together, buying a house in Kalm. The Ex-SOLDIER had finally realized that he loved Tifa, not Aeris. His feelings for her had only grown in the past months.
Suddenly, he heard what sounded like crying. Worried and confused, Cloud walked into Tifa's bedroom only to see her laying on her bed, muffling her sobs in a pillow as she cried her heart out. Hearing him enter, she turned to look at him.
Cloud's heart squeezed in pain as he saw the state she was in. Her hair was undone, falling around her, her pretty face stained with tears and her eyes red and puffy. A single tear slid down her cheek, and he wiped it away.
"Tifa, what's wrong?" he asked gently.
She only turned away from him, staring out the window, trying and failing to hold back her tears.
"Tifa," Cloud pleaded,"Please tell me what's wrong! I don't like seeing you this way. I want to help."
She tried in vain to smile, turning around to him and replying,"It's ok, Cloud. You wouldn't understand. I don't want to make living your living with me any harder than it has to be."
Now he was just confused. What in the world was she talking about?
"What do you mean?"
"I know you love Aeris. And I know it must be really painful to be living with me, another girl, who isn't Aeris...while she's...d-dead!" Tifa said, and she turned away.
"You've got it all wrong! I don't love Aeris."
"Y-you don't?"
"I don't." She looked suddenly hopeful, but her face fell suddenly.
"Cloud, I should have told you this a long time ago..." she whispered,"I love you."
Silence met her declaration.
"I knew it. It's ok, don't feel bad. I didn't expect you to-"
Tifa was abruptly cut off as his lips met hers in a gentle kiss. They parted, then he leaned down and kissed her again, this time more passionately. He snaked his arms around her waist and hers went around his neck as their lips met in such desperation, lust and most of all, love.
"Tifa," Cloud said, holding her close,"I love you too."
- - End Flashback - -
I smiled at the memory. That day had changed my life forever. Looking at the simple gold band on my left hand, I was thrown into another memory.
- - Flashback - -
Cloud fiddled with something in his pocket nervously. It had been 7 months since their love confession, and exactly one year since meteor. Tonight AVALANCHE would have a reunion, and Cloud planned to propose to Tifa. But what if everything went wrong? What if she said no? What if she told him she didn't love him anymore? What if -
"Cloud, calm down."
And there was Vincent Valentine, with an arm around Yuffie. Those two were the only ones who knew he was going to propose.
"Yeah, calm down Spiky!" said Yuffie cheerfully. Well, Cloud thought dryly, some things - or people - never change.
"It's hard to calm down at a time like this!" he replied nervously.
"Come on, dude, let's go! Then you can get it over and done with, kiss and live happily ever after and all that mushy stuff." said the ninja.
With that she let go of Vincent, grabbed Cloud by the arm and dragged him into the next room where everyone else was. Everyone welcomed eachother warmly, and Cloud turned around when he heard Tifa's voice.
And there she was, in all her beauty, standing next to a very pregnant Shera. Tifa hugged the other woman, congradulating her. Then Cid walked over and pulled Shera close to him, bragging to Tifa about how great his kid was going to be, and what colorful vocabulary it would learn. Shera promptly turned in his embrace and began scolding him, informing him that no child of hers would have a mouth like his.
Then they all sat down to supper. They talked about meaningless things. They talked about how their lives had been going since meteor, and they reminisced about their adventure.
"...and then he said,'Marlene, Daddy wanted to see your face one last time!'" Tifa said, recalling the time when they ran up all those stairs in the ShinRa building. Everyone laughed, including Barret.
Vincent sent a meaningful look in his direction, and Cloud began to lose his nerve. Before he lost it entirely, he walked over to his beloved. She looked up at him questioningly, and he got down on one knee in front of her, pulling out a small black box from his pocket.
"Cloud, are you...?" she gasped.
Taking one of her hands in his, Cloud said,"Tifa, you have helped me through so much. You believed in me when no one else would; you helped me when no one else could. You've always been there for me, even when you thought I loved Aeris. We have known eachother since we were kids. You are my best friend, my lover, my soulmate, and I never want to let you go. Tifa Lockheart, will you marry me?"
"Of course! Oh, I'm so happy!" she cried, and he slipped the ring onto her finger. She fell into his waiting arms, and they kissed passionately, whole tears of joy rolled down Tifa's cheeks. Everyone applauded loudly, and as the two broke apart and stood up, everyone came over with congradulations and hugs. As they looked at eachother with loving eyes, they knew they were meant to be together.
- - End Flashback - -
That had been one of the most wonderful days of my life. We had been married only three months later. Two months after our marriage, Yuffie and Vincent had been married as well. And a month after the marriage of those two, Shera had a little baby boy who she and Cid called Brandon.
I got up and walked to my house, still thinking. I reached the large home and opened the door, and found Tifa, my wife, in the kitchen, humming to herself as she washed some dishes. I just leaned against the wall for a few minutes, content just to look at her.
When she finally noticed my presence, she turned around and smiled brightly, her eyes shining happily. She dried her hands on a towel, walked over to me and planted a soft kiss on my lips.
"Hi honey," she said as she studied my face,"You look unsually happy today. Anything on your mind?"
"Just remembering." I murmured. She smiled again, knowing what I meant.
Suddenly, I leaned down and kissed her, gently at first, then more heatedly. I pulled her as close as possible, wrapping my arms around her waist protectively, never wanting this day to end. Our moment was abruptly halted as someone tugged on Tifa's skirt.
Then a little voice said,"How do you bweathe when do that?"
And there she was, my pride and joy. My little daughter, Laurel. She had my eyes; but everything else was like her mother. She had beautiful brown hair and was a born fighter. She was only two years old.
Tifa laughed, and picked up her daughter.
"Aren't you supposed to be napping?"
"Yesh, mama...psst, daddy, help me!"
"No way, squirt," I whispered in reply,"When it comes to your mom it's everyone for themselves!"
She stuck out her tongue at me, and I replied with a grin.
"Then we had better get you back on track!" Tifa said, beginning the trek through the kitchen and up the stairs.
"Okies, mama." came the defeated reply. After a few minutes, I followed them upstairs. I crept into Laurel's bedroom, and there was Tifa, holding her close and rocking her back and forth as she sang.
I watched them for a while, a smile forming on my face. I had everything I needed right here. I had a loving family. And I knew, that at the end of the day I had something to come home to.
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Thunder K: My first fic, no flames please! R&R! CLOTI FOREVER!