Disclaimer- I don't own Final Fantasy VII.
Cloud and the others anxiously waited for the tram to take them up to the Gold Saucer. The previous owner of the keystone told them he sold it to Dio, the owner of the Gold Saucer. The keystone allowed access to the Temple of the Ancients, or so they have been told. Though they didn't know much about it, they heard Sephiroth was there, and that reason was as good as any to get the keystone.
But they didn't notice the suspicious looking man slowly approaching Cloud from behind. He slithered his way around the people like a snake. The man wore a black trench coat with a matching fedora that concealed his face; his small and stocky build was an unimposing one. Nobody could see the sinister smile he was wearing underneath his clothes.
The suspicious man grabbed a needle and inched closer towards Cloud in a way that didn't cause attention. When he was close enough to his victim he bumped into him and used it as a distraction to quickly poke Cloud with the needle. The unsuspecting leader didn't notice a pinch and only felt the contact from the apparently clumsy pedestrian.
"Sorry." The mysterious man said, tipping his hat. He walked away from Cloud and his friends to wait for the tram somewhere else. Cloud shrugged it off, unable to see the widening grin of satisfaction on the bad guy's face.
The ride started off uneventful. Cid let out a curse after stubbing his toe and Barret took a seat with his arms stretched out. Yuffie was in the bathroom trying to not lose her breakfast while Vincent stayed in the corner. Cloud held a pole next to Aerith.
But Cloud began to slowly feel hot. He tugged his collar for relief and darted his eyes across the tram, which he soon regretted because he was getting dizzy. Why am I feeling like this? He doesn't have motion sickness like Yuffie and he felt completely fine a few minutes ago. The more he looked around the more his vision blurred. Aerith noticed Cloud's uneasiness and tried to intervene.
"Cloud, are you OK?" She asked him, a tone of concern in her voice.
"I'm fine." The ex-soldier brushed it off, his mako blue eyes on her. Aerith considered to pry further but opted to stay quiet and spare a smile instead. Although she saw the beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, his answer was characteristic, Probably just feeling a little warm.
But then she realized Cloud was staring at her the whole time. What bothered her wasn't the act itself, but the way looked at her. His eyes were lifeless; he didn't blink and didn't seem like he had something to say, his gaze was just locked on her. OK, maybe something's wrong.
"Are you sure you're OK?" She asked again.
The blonds' eyes flickered, as if he came out of some kind of trance. "Yeah, I'm completely fine." He insisted, but not as convincing as Aerith hoped.
"If you say so." Aerith stopped the topic. She knew Cloud was lying but whatever he was going through he didn't want to talk about it, that she knew. At last the Cetra sighed and tightened her grip on the tram pole, waiting silently for the ride to end.
Moments later the tram came to a screeching halt, causing some people to lose their balance and fall. Aerith lost her grip on the pole but Cloud was able to stretch out his arm in time to catch her before helping her stand back up.
"Nice catch!" A grateful Aerith smiled at first but her lips curled to a frown when she didn't receive any kind of reaction from Cloud. He stared at her as he did before in a robotic-like manner. She was frustrated that she didn't know what Cloud's problem was, but she stared back in hope to get some kind of reaction.
"You look really beautiful Aerith." Cloud blurted out, too fast for him to stop himself. His face flushed, Why did I say that? He was speaking the truth, he always felt she was beautiful ever since they met, but it wasn't something he wanted to tell her so randomly, especially among so many people. He earned a scowl from Red XIII, who glanced at him and Aerith before minding to himself. Though Cloud didn't notice, Cait Sith also examined the two with interest.
"Thank you Cloud." Aerith smiled - taken aback - but smiled. When waiting for some kind of reaction from him this wasn't what she expected. Although the timing was unusual she was happy to hear it. But his behavior hanged over her head, something still wasn't right.
The Cetra leaned towards Cloud, examining his face. "You seem different today..."
Cloud didn't respond but stayed fixated on her. She was close to him, too close. Her presence quickly overloaded his senses. He was able to smell her long brown hair; the scent of flowers was intoxicating. Hearing her soft voice melted him in ways no song ever could. And seeing her goddess-like form in front of him made her irresistible. She was the sun's antithesis, it was impossible to look away from her.
Unable to fight it and craving for more, he pulled the unsuspecting Aerith towards him and locked lips with her; her eyes flipped open. Though initially shocked, it would be wrong to say it was something she didn't want. She soon relaxed, forgetting where she was and indulged in the kiss. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, allowing Cloud's aggressive tongue to enter. It wasn't until she heard Tifa clearing her throat that she abruptly pulled away from the blond. Seeing the rest of party frowning at them made Aerith blush.
"And I thought I was excited to get the keystone." Cid snickered, hoping to cause a laugh, but the moment was too awkward for anyone to do so.
Aerith ignored Cid and turned to Cloud and exhaled, "What's gotten into you lately..." She said, trying to scold him playfully. "The Cloud I know would never do something like that."
Cloud shrugged. "I dunno." He replied, unable to hide the doubt in his voice. "...I can't help it."
"Well," Aerith started before leaning in towards the blond again. "Maybe we can try it again later, just somewhere a bit quieter?" She said softly. Cloud avoided her gaze as she talked and kept his head down, it was all he could do to not kiss her again. He quickly nodded a few times before Aerith smiled and moved back, causing Cloud's temptations to die down somewhat. They were then greeted by premature static, the conductor was about to make an announcement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," The conductor started through the speaker, "We apologize for the technical difficulties. The tram will start up again now and we will be arriving at the Gold Saucer in a few minutes. Everyone standing up please make sure you have something to hold on to just in case. Thank you." They then heard a loud screech, signaling that the tram was back up and running.
Aerith started to reflect on what happened between her and Cloud during the last few minutes. She saw his awkward moments before but this was uncharted territory. And he was always cool and calm around her, yet during these last few minutes he had been anything but those things. She wanted to find a way to be alone with him and talk about it. But what will-
Aerith broke out of her reverie; she felt uncomfortably warm and it got worse by the second. She placed a hand on her head to confirm, yep, her forehead felt like it was on fire. She looked around only to notice that her vision was not as clear, Vincent looked like a black blob to her. Her body betraying her, she turned to Cloud for help, he had similar symptoms, perhaps it's not a coincidence.
But she couldn't get the words out. Instead of talking with him, she stayed still, her green eyes fully locked on the ex-soldier, who moved his head up to meet her gaze with his own. She couldn't explain why, but looking at him cleared her eyesight and she stopped feeling hot, it just felt right. Temptations rose within the two. Eye contact alone was unacceptable, there had to be more. She wanted to pull his face to hers and finish what they started and he wanted to hoist her up in his arms and take the Cetra someplace where it was just the two of them.
They would've acted on their desires, but they didn't want their friends to react to it, a small but rapidly fading part of discretion remained in them. They continued to stare at each other the rest of the ride, unaware that the other was going through the same type of love fasting.
After what felt like years for Cloud and Aerith, the tram made its destination and they arrived at the Gold Saucer. Fellow passengers sighed in relief and made their way outside. Yuffie slammed the bathroom door open, her hand resting on her stomach.
"Is it finally over?" Yuffie asked to nobody before exhaling, unaware that at one point the ride even stopped. "It felt like it was faster last time." She stifled a gag and ran out of the tram. The rest of the party followed suit.
They waited in line for their turn to enter the Gold Saucer. When that moment arrived they were greeted by a receptionist standing in front of a plush fat chocobo.
"Are you together?" Asked the receptionist, "A single pass is 3000 gil, or you can purchase a lifetime pass for 30000 gil." The price for the single pass was too steep in their eyes, let alone the lifetime pass, but it was a necessary evil to get inside and talk to Dio. Yuffie had a "Grand Master Plan" To get in for free but nobody was interested, they already got in trouble at the Gold Saucer once.
Everyone turned to Cloud, who held the money to pay the clerk, but he wasn't paying attention. His focus only had room for Aerith in it.
"Cloud, give 'em the money!" Barret shouted but Cloud didn't respond, still fixated on his flower girl. Barret growled, wanting to bash his head in but he looked at Cloud and became convinced he didn't hear him at all. The receptionist's eyes darted between the ex-soldier and the Avalanche leader, impatience appearing on his face as the line began to build up behind the party.
"Hey!" Barret nudged Cloud with his elbow. "What the hell man!?" Cloud's face jerked upward, Barret's elbow was the splash of water he needed. He turned to Barret and spared him a slow nod before reaching in his pocket for the gil. Aerith scowled that the blond wasn't facing her but it was only for a moment, after he paid the receptionist Cloud swung his gaze back to Aerith and everything was well in the world.
Once inside they made their way to the lobby. Barret stopped everyone to give them a walkthrough of the events. Everyone else gave their two cents to talk about the keystone as well but Cloud and Aerith weren't paying attention. For all they knew, their friends were saying, "Blah blah blah, Keystone, blah blah blah, Sephiroth, blah blah blah." The walls they built were beginning to crumble; it became harder and harder to resist each other. Cloud took deep breaths, his shoulders slowly rolling up and down, desperate to take control of himself but it didn't work. Aerith felt her heartbeat fasten, almost like her heart would thump out of her chest.
They tried, they tried so hard to fight it, but their friends don't understand how difficult it really was. They couldn't restrain themselves any longer, they needed this. In the blink of an eye, Cloud and Aerith went from standing still facing each other, to embracing each other in a kiss. The touch of their lips mended each other's scars from being apart. Cloud ran his hands underneath her red jacket while Aerith twined hers around his neck.
It didn't take long for the others to notice. Cloud and Aerith were oblivious to the others but bystanders frowned at them. Some parents covered their children's eyes before quickly running off to anywhere away from the lobby.
"Barret, I think something is wrong with Cloud and Aerith." Tifa said, tilting her head to the two. Barret examined them and felt it wasn't a big deal.
"Eh, I dunno Tifa, it's not what I expect, but who cares?" Barret wanted to stay on topic. Even if Cloud and Aerith were obviously distracted, getting the keystone wasn't an all hands on deck kind of mission. Unbeknownst to the others, Cait Sith looked at the two intensively.
"I think Tifa is right." Red XIII added, "They have been acting different since the tram ride. Something happened to them on the way."
"But it's kissing." Barret stayed adamant, "What's the worst that could-"
Aerith ripped off Cloud's shirt in two like it was a piece of paper, the ripping sound interrupted Barret. Cloud's Pauldron flew off his shoulder like it was fired from a cannon. The flying Pauldron hit Vincent on the side of his head.
"Ow." Was all Vincent could muster before rubbing his ringing head in pain. Aerith ignored the plight of the poor tall man. With her lips still pressed onto Cloud's, she dropped the ripped shirt in her hands on the floor before sliding Cloud's suspenders off to his sides. Aerith then straightened her arms, Prompting Cloud to swiftly lift her red bolero jacket off of her. Once it was off he tossed it aside and began to unbutton her dress.
"OK, yeah, enough's enough." Barret approached Cloud and Tifa did likewise with Aerith. Realizing that words won't reach them, they forcefully pulled the two apart from each other. Barret hoisted the Blond over his shoulder with one arm. Tifa took a more discreet approach and restrained Aerith by gripping her forearms but not before rebuttoning what Cloud unbuttoned earlier.
They tried to resist. Tifa sensed that Aerith was about to break free, she didn't realize the Cetra was so strong. The fighter alone could not stop her from reuniting with her bodyguard.
"Yuffie!" Tifa grunted. "A little help please." Yuffie quickly approached her and helped restrain Aerith. With their teamwork they were able to hold her back.
Barret held Cloud with ease, the Avalanche leader was almost surprised at how light the ex-soldier was. Cloud tried to break away several times, frustrating his captor.
"Cloud if you don't shut yer hole I swear I'm gonna throw yer skinny ass off this ^* #$& cliff!" Barret threatened, but an empty threat it was. Cloud didn't relent and on the safe side of the cliff Cloud remained.
Cait Sith was silent until now. He thought about speaking since the tram ride but opted to hold his tongue, biding his time to confirm what he believed was the problem between the two. Watching Cloud and Aerith's recent act reassured him; he felt he has seen enough to confidently appraise the situation.
"Guys, we need to keep them separated." Cait Sith started, a firm tone in his voice.
"We already did that dumbass." Cid scoffed.
Cait Sith shook his head, Cid didn't understand what he meant. "What I mean is, get them into separate rooms, out of each other's sight."
Tifa tried to speak, "But why would that-"
"There isn't much time!" Cait Sith interjected. "They know me here, I will get us some rooms, but we need to separate them. I'll explain later." He said with an air of confidence in his voice. Everyone arched their eyebrows that the voice of reason is the toy cat, but they believed him. Red XIII picked up Aerith's jacket with his mouth and they left for the hotel, a screaming Cloud and Aerith warned anyone nearby of their arrival.
On the way to the room Cloud and Aerith's resolve at breaking free didn't diminish. They latched onto whatever they could from banisters to doorknobs but nothing worked. Their weary friends stayed patient until they eventually made it to their rooms. They owned two for the moment which were opposite of each other in the hallway of the Ghost Hotel, the Gold Saucer's horror themed hotel.
Barret dropped Cloud down in his room, causing a loud thud when the ex-solider landed on his backside. Tifa and Yuffie pushed Aerith into hers and Red XIII gently placed her jacket on the floor. Cloud and Aerith both gazed at each other, so close yet so far away. They each extended an arm out, as if it would somehow magically reach to the other side of the room. Tifa twitched, perhaps earlier didn't help, but none of their antics would amuse her now.
"Oh, for the love of-" Tifa rolled her eyes, too angry to finish her sentence before slamming Aerith's door shut and locking it from the outside. Barret did likewise for Cloud's. They could hear doorknobs rattle as Cloud and Aerith had to learn that the doors were locked. Tifa wiped a bead of sweat off her head and sighed in relief at a job well done. Her red eyes turned to Cait Sith before her hands rested on her hips.
"You said you would explain it?" Tifa said, speaking a little louder than normal to drain out the muffled screams from Cloud and Aerith through their doors.
"Yes," The toy cat bowed, "I think they are suffering from the effects of a drug Shinra made before."
Yuffie's eyes widened in confusion, "What kind of drug does that to people!?"
Cait Sith paused momentarily, trying the find the right order for his words. On any other day it would've felt shady to the others, but desperate for an answer, Cait Sith's slight hesitation to respond went unnoticed.
"I read about it in the Shinra Times...they didn't have a name for it. It was some kind of love drug. The article said there were various effects, but it overall lowered people's inhibitions. It was cancelled because of how expensive and strong it was."
"Inhi-what?" Barret asked.
"How should I put this...?" Cait Sith stopped himself again for a moment, "You ever like someone but hold back how you feel?"
Barret shook his head in confusion and tried to think of a time. "...Never."
Barret was the wrong person to ask, the toy cat turned to Tifa. "How about you?"
"...Yeah." The fighter slowly admitted, her head moved downward while clutching her arm.
"Well there you go," Cait Sith continued. "If you were injected with it then you would probably act the same way towards the person you like."
"How the hell did they even get 'injected' with it?" Cid asked.
"I think someone must have secretly given it to Cloud." Cait Sith said calmly, "Aerith caught it when she kissed him."
"Do you all remember the guy that bumped into Cloud before we got on the tram?" Red XIII noted, "He seems suspicious." Cait Sith nodded in agreement with the red lion.
"And he-"
"Tifa, open the door right now!" Cait Sith was interrupted by Aerith screaming while she furiously thumped the door, causing him to flinch while talking. The party ignored Aerith, hoping that their two friends will eventually tire themselves out.
"And he probably has the antidote for the drug too." Cait Sith resumed "The drug itself will wear off, but not for a week."
Tifa furrowed her brow. The toy cat spoke of the matter with authority the whole time, it disturbed her that he knew so much. The party suspected that there was a spy in the group, who better than someone who knows the ins and outs of Shinra so well?
"Are you sure you got all of this from an article?" Tifa asked, folding her arms, awaiting an answer.
"What?" Cait Sith studied her body language before realizing that she just now accused him of being a spy. He was visibly nervous as the party's gaze on him never wavered, but he was determined to prove himself. "Oh come on guys, I swear I'm not a spy! I read that article somewhere on my free time and just remember it, that's all!" Barret was prepared to inquire further but he recalled that Cait Sith did provide them with the rooms just now. After having a thought of Cait Sith waiting in the doctor's office while reading the Shinra Times, he tossed his accusations aside, if only for the moment.
"Well how are we gonna find the guy?" Yuffie changed the subject. "He's probably long gone by now."
"Not necessarily." Red XIII turned to the Ninja. "That man may have been hired to also keep track of us, so he is probably somewhere around the Gold Saucer right now."
Barret nodded, throwing a punch with his gun arm into an open palm. "Good enough for me! We ain't got no time to wait for Cloud and Aerith to stop actin' like this. We gotta find this guy!"
Barret pointed to some of his friends. "Red XIII, Yuffie, Cid, you three go look for 'em." His eyes then darted to Vincent "We'll get the keystone." He then looked at Tifa and Cait Sith, "And you two look after them."
"Are you sure you can get the keystone from Dio without Cloud?" Tifa said with a skeptical tone in her voice.
"Relax Tifa." Barret played it off. "I can get people to do anything!" He flashed a grin; a glare appeared on his teeth. This did not make Tifa any more of a believer but the Avalanche leader shrugged it off and left the hallway.
And with that everyone but Tifa and Cait Sith shuffled out.
xxxxx
Barret and Vincent made their way to Dio's show room, a place where the owner displayed his most precious treasures he acquired over the years. It was impossible to ignore the portrait of the owner on the other side of the room, but Barret and Vincent were shocked to see a small materia-shaped object in front of it. Next to it was a sign that told them not to touch it. There was no doubt about it, it was the keystone. As soon they realized this, they heard footsteps behind them.
"Heh heh heh, you like that huh?" A man wearing nothing but a speedo entered. Barret's lips curled upward, it was the man he was looking for. He puffed his chest out. Beaming with confidence, this was his time to shine. By the end of the day he will be known as "Barret Wallace: Wordsmith extraordinaire"
"Hey Dio, long time no see!" He greeted. The bathing suit wearing owner furrowed his brow, confused that the man before him spoke about him in such a familiar way.
"...Do I know you?" Dio asked, tilting his head somewhat. Barret's eyes widened in disbelief, he forgot about him. Was he really that indistinguishable?
"How many other People have you seen with a gun for a #$ !^& arm!?" Barret gestured at his synthetic arm. Barret was wrongly locked up at the Gold Saucer before because of the gun on his hand, surely Dio would recognize him.
"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell." Dio shook his head.
Barret's arms shook. Vincent thought about helping out but this was the first time he saw Dio himself. Barret knew how to refresh his memory though. He didn't want to bring it up, he hoped his own merits alone would get the keystone, but it was not meant to be.
So with his head dipped he mumbled, "I'm Cloud's friend..." And sure enough a gleam could be seen in Dio's eyes once the words left Barret's lips. He remembered the blond very fondly, he had a charisma that he didn't see often in others, a true pleasure it would be to see him again. The Avalanche leader wanted to throw his arms up in resignation at the obvious change in Dio's body language, but it worked.
"Ah Cloud," Dio said, his voice implying his interest picked up. "How is the boy?"
An image popped in Barret's mind of Cloud trying to break though the hotel door tooth and nail to get to Aerith, "He's sick."
Dio scowled, evidently offended. "What is this? Too sick to pay a visit?! The buggy wasn't good enough for him!?"
"He's at the hotel." Barret didn't know where Dio was going with this.
"Oh, the hotel now!?" Dio's hands moved as they talked, they were an instrument in channeling his emotions. Barret couldn't recall anybody who moved their hands while he talked as much as Dio did at this moment.
"So you tell me he is sick - too sick - to see his good buddy Dio, but not sick enough to be here!?" Dio slightly raised his voice. He was normally a composed man but Cloud's seemingly two-faced behavior struck a nerve in the Gold Saucer Owner. He didn't wait for a response but walked down the stairs from which he came, and was gone.
Barret was furious. "What the hell was that!?" His arms shook more violently now. If he had something to throw, it would've hit the moon by now. Not only did he fail to get the keystone, but he failed in asking for the keystone. It became apparent to him that he if were to acquire the keystone through legal means, they would need Cloud to talk to Dio. With a defeated countenance, Barret and Vincent made their way down the stairs to the lobby of the battle square.
On the way down they saw their friends, who seemed to be diligently searching for the culprit. Barret and Vincent approached them and gained their attention.
"How y'all doin'?" Barret asked.
"Didn't find him yet." Yuffie shook her head then gestured to Red XIII, who sniffed the ground. "He's been sniffing everywhere..."
"Did you get the Keystone?" Cid turned to the Avalanche leader.
"Naw," Barret muttered, "I told em 'bout Cloud and he jes' left...ya think we can bring Cloud here anyway?"
"I don't think that's a good idea." Red XIII said flatly, finally removing his nose from the ground. "You've seen him...Cloud's in no shape to be around anybody right now."
"Yeah you're right." Barret slumped over. "I guess we jes' have to find the guy who did this to 'em." Everyone silently nodded to Barret's words. He started to walk out of the battle square. "Let's go back and-"
Cid cut him off, extending an arm to stop the Avalanche leader from walking further. "Cid, the $ &^?!" Barret turned to the engineer only to realize that he wasn't staring back, his gaze was to the entrance in front of them. Barret and the others turned their heads likewise and noticed a small figure with a black trench coat and fedora, who was on his way to the chocobo races.
"Is that the guy?" Cid asked, returning his arm.
"Yeah, that's the man who bumped into Cloud earlier." Red XIII noted, which was the green light for Barret to run towards the man.
"Hey, I got some questions for ya!" Barret shouted. The man turned to Barret and spared an obnoxious smile with his tongue sticking out before leaving the battle square. Everyone bolted after him, knowing he was the key to Cloud and Aerith's recovery and the keystone itself.
xxxxx
Cloud remained locked up in the hotel room, restlessly pacing back and forth like a wild animal trapped in a cage. He felt His urge to find Aerith overcome his thoughts, he even tried to think of something else to retain some sanity but his mind threw it away like garbage, only thoughts of the Cetra were allowed. He had to have her, he had to feel her lips, smell her hair, touch her skin, and thinking about it made him even more restless.
But Cloud decided to look around the hotel room in hopes of distracting himself. He first noticed how dimly lit the room was. It was still daylight, though he didn't know for sure. The tram ride felt like such a long time ago and the black curtains impeded any light from going through the window, it couldn't have been that long, could it? The blond then noticed the new red rug on the floor, but the spot where he paced on was starting to show some wear, Maybe it has been a long time. He then turned to see two broken wooden chairs near a table, he used them to try and bust the door open earlier, but to no avail.
Finally Cloud sat on one of the three beds and sighed. He was a melting pot of emotions. He felt indignant; he doesn't understand why his friends locked Aerith and himself up in separate rooms. He can't stay here forever - they don't have the money for it - and when he gets out, there will be some explaining to do. Cloud also felt incomplete. Although being apart from Aerith has made him more tranquil, his desire for her didn't go away, but rather increased.
And he was feeling hot, even while not wearing a shirt. It wasn't like before on the tram where it was just him, but the room itself was just hot. He moved his head up towards the ceiling and spotted the vent, it wasn't working...
The vent! The light bulb on Cloud's head went off. He stood on top of the bed and was able to reach the vent. After a few minutes of fiddling with rusted screws he was able to pull the front of it apart. He was unsure if he could fit inside but a closer look showed that he could barely fit. Cloud bent his knees and jumped up, making his way inside.
The crawlspace was filthy, his pants and chest accumulated dirt from years of neglect, and it wasn't as well taken care of as the actual rooms. One of his loose suspenders caught on something but He was able to pull it away. Cloud was worried that the clinking noises from him squirming would alert his friends but this was his best chance to see Aerith again so he quickly cast the notion aside.
Cloud stopped when he came across another vent. After looking through the slits, he saw Aerith sitting on a bed in a room similar to his, appearing as sad as he was earlier. His heart raced as he kicked the vent open and jumped down. Aerith's face beamed, her wish came true. Cloud, although incredibly filthy, made his way back to her, with nobody around to separate them.
XXXXX
A/N: Hey guys. I have had writer's block but this idea came up so I decided to write this. It's basically my way of saying "I'm still here." This fic won't be long though. If you guys have any criticism on what I can do to improve or just want to say the chapter was good or bad, let me know. Hope all is well and have a great weekend. Until next time, have a good one.