-Unconditional-
-A 'Final Fantasy VII' drabble-
=^w^=
He absolutely loved her, and he wasn't afraid to show it.
Sometimes it was just a touch, whether it be hand on hand or hand on shoulder or even lips on neck, but Cloud loved to reach out and gently touch Tora wherever he could reach. Part of him did it because he was afraid that he would lose her just like he did Aerith, the way she disappeared beneath the water's surface like a spirit; he was afraid that Tora would disappear the same way. The other part of him did it because it was what his mother used to do to him when he was growing up in Nibelheim, gently running her fingers through his hair or along his arms; she often whispered sweet nothings in his ear and told him how much she loved him. But mostly he did it because he loved the feel of Tora's skin against his, the pale olive colour complimenting his paler tone and smelling like whatever cream she had rubbed into it that day.
Sometimes it was material things, whether it be small gifts or more expensive things like the week in Gold Saucer. Tora never asked for anything to be given to her, not even on Christmas or her birthday, so it was something of a treat for the blond to watch her many reactions when she was given whatever it was he had gotten for her. She would often protest at his generosity and argue that Tifa and the kids needed the Gil more than she did, and more than once did she ask him to return it and put the money to good use. Her favourite gift had been a pendant in the shape of his wolf's head brooch; she wore it all the time and never took it off, not even when she had been asked to take off her shirt by Rude to check for any injuries after they'd had a game of volleyball at the orphanage.
Tora once told him that he had a kiss that could melt the mountains around Modeoheim with how hot and passionate it was, and he believed it. Behind every kiss he placed his heart and soul, and to hear a comment like that made him feel proud that he was conveying his emotions to her every time their lips met. He could kiss her forever if she would let him, but because breathing was a necessity they couldn't; some days he only kissed her to find out what flavour lip balm she was wearing. It was a strange habit of Tora's, collecting and using different flavoured lip balms, but for some reason he loved it. More than once they'd played a guessing game with the different balms, some of them having no colour or scent so guessing the flavour was tricky until she let him kiss her to check his guess.
But as he lay in bed that night, moonlight coming through the crack in the curtains and Tora sleeping soundly beside him, Cloud realised that no-one else could have him acting the way that he did with her, and he was perfectly alright with that.
Now all he had to do was work out what the hell he was going to do with her on Valentine's Day...
=^w^=
DISCLAIMER: The disclaimer applies to the characters and settings of 'Final Fantasy VII' – SquareEnix – and Tora – me.