(A.N.) This is another story I wrote about a year ago so please forgive any mistakes I missed while editing! I got the inspiration to write this while watching 'Aladdin'

Disclaimer: Nothing from Final Fantasy belongs to me.

Cosplay

By J.

It's for the kids, he kept saying to himself. It made him feel a little better.

Cloud had already started to drink from the whiskey cabinet, where the pretty barmaid kept the expensive stuff. She wouldn't be happy with him. But she would be happy that he actually followed through. His lips went into what she called 'Cloud's brooding pout'.

It's also for her, he included in his mind.

He hadn't wanted to wear this idiotic outfit. Cloud didn't think anything of it when he was invited to Reeve's annual costume party, he was invited the past three years and he always went as himself. He never felt out of place. When Tifa suggested a costume he could wear he immediately said no, but the kids were in the room. The thought of the planet's hero in a costume set the kids off. He couldn't say no to the teary-eyed children. But he also didn't think that they were involved in the process of choosing his outfit for the evening.

The vest and baggy pants were enough, but Marlene screamed over the fact that he wasn't wearing the fez. The hero had also lost that battle. Underneath the fez was a dark wig that covered over his out-of-control blond spikes. He wasn't even allowed to hide in the comfort of his heavy boots. He had to be bare foot.

He scratched the damn-itchy wig and the fez tipped over. If the costume wasn't a rental he would burn the hat afterwards.

The vest was the only thing that was covering his torso. Cloud already known the effect that he had on women, the first time one of them pressed herself to his arm and bat her eyelashes at him, he knew immediately that he was in trouble. He considered never showering again. And he knew that he was going to be stared at like a piece of meat with most of his chest showing. He further tried to conceal himself by wearing-a flesh colored- shirt, but of course, the kids wouldn't have any of that.

Tifa was brought into this too. But she didn't mind, it was her idea in the first place.

Cloud sighed again for about the millionth time that day. He was someone from the kid's favorite movie, Alex or Alfred or something like that. Tifa was the characters mate. That was the only part he didn't mind.

Cloud was exiled from the apartment. According to Marlene, he wasn't allowed to see Tifa until she was done. It was the only part of the night he was anxious for, not counting something that would happen later in the night if he behaved himself. He smirked at the idea, finding himself more excited.

His fantasy was interrupted when footsteps stampeded down the stairs, Marlene and Denzel appeared with grins on their faces. Then he heard another pair of footsteps, these ones were more hesitant. She appeared and Cloud became speechless. She was in a matching light blue outfit, she was wearing baggy pants like him, but she actually had shoes, no matter how ridiculous they were. But they looked cute on her. The top was more like a bra and it accented her-um- chest area. And underneath he could see the fading scar that was almost a decade old. It looked like her hair grew a few feet longer in the past hour, and it was brought into the same style she wear during their AVALANCHE days, except it was tied a few times more. He figured she had either a wig or extensions. And on top of her head was a head band that had a blue gem in the center with gold jewelry, which completed the ensemble.

She was stunning. It made going to the party dressed like he was bearable.

After being verbally abused by everyone he knew and the few he didn't, and after being hit on constantly when Tifa was in the bathroom for what seemed like forever, he finally got to unwind when a slow song came on the speakers. He fully prepared to sit down at one of the many tables Reeve had someone set up before the party, but no- Tifa had to grab his hand to drag him on the dance floor. He immediately planted his-bare-feet on the ground firmly. No way was he going to dance.

But the look Tifa had given him made him sigh. Knowing that she had won the battle, she grinned triumphantly and tugged his hand to lead- no, drag him to the center of the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he placed his hands on the bare flesh of her waist and they started to sway.

"Maybe you should actually dye your hair." Tifa teased as she played with the artificial hair that covered the back of his neck.

He grunted, knowing she was kidding.

"But seriously," she tried to bring her mouth into a serious expression but her eyes gave her away, "you should walk around without a shirt more often."

"You should walk around like this all the time." He said brushing his fingers over the curve of her waist.

She chucked. "Remember I used to? A few years ago? As I recall I wore less clothing back then."

Cloud brought his head down to nuzzle the side of her neck. "Mmm." He actually memorized the exact way the clothes hung on her figure. The proudest day of his life was when he actually got to feel the fabric of that outfit when they were under the Highwind. "What happened to those clothes?"

She chuckled again, knowing his question wasn't serious, but she still wrapped her arms around his neck tighter. She shivered when he kissed the skin there.

He chuckled too, except his was more a hum. "It doesn't feel like I'm kissing you." He mumbled. Cloud brought his head to look at her in the eyes, confirming that it was actually his girlfriend he was with.

She smiled seductively. "How about I'll be Jasmine tonight, if you'll be Aladdin?"

Cloud didn't know who they were, but he agreed anyway.

So what do you think? Love? Hate? Let me know :)

Written on July 7, 2010