Chapter 3
"Should I shoot him?! Because you know I -"
"Yuffie!" Tifa interrupted the ninja's angry and foolish outburst, raising her body to sit upright on the couch. She took a deep breath to prepare herself. "I'll just – tell h - him that it's over a - and that he has to – to leave…"
Her voice cracked and her eyes shimmered with tears, and she finally gave up, throwing herself helplessly into Yuffie's arms, allowing sobs to wrack her body.
"Teef, he's not worth crying for," Yuffie soothed, rubbing a comforting hand on her friend's back. Tifa could not retain the tears from burning trails down her cheeks, no matter how much Yuffie tried to console her.
Slowly and gradually, Tifa's crying subsided, and she wiped her cheeks with her hands, taking deep breaths to calm down. Yuffie stared deep into her reddened eyes. "Do you want me to tell him to leave?" Yuffie asked, slowly and steadily.
Tifa closed her eyes, feeling a sting coming from them. "No," she said quietly, stiffly shaking her head. She rose from the chair, wiping her cheeks again and squaring her shoulders.
"I have to do this myself."
She headed for the stairs. A very random and unexpected thought popped into her mind. I wonder where Vincent is…
She chided herself for not focusing on the problem at hand, and she glided down the stairs, exploding on the inside, but calm and collected on the out.
It was late evening, and the bar was empty; Yuffie had closed up early. God, she's a great friend. Tifa smiled a little, grateful that Yuffie, though childish, noisy, annoying at times and slightly crazy, could always manage to be so thoughtful.
She heard a clatter of dishes in the kitchen that caused her to glance towards it. Through the half-opened door she saw the unmistakable blond spikes belonging to the man she loved. He heart wrenched with pain. Oh how she loved him…
Okay, here goes… Tifa took a final deep breath and let it out slowly to calm the dancing nerves in her body.
Before she even placed her hand on the door to push it open, it was flung open from the other side, and Tifa felt herself being pulled into the warm and muscular arms she had grown so deeply to love, the very arms she now feared would break her resolve to kick the man she loved out of her house.
Oh Cloud, please… please let me go…
"Tifa, honey," Cloud said, tenderly.
Tifa felt him hug her close, clinging to her as if he would never let go. Tears pricked her eyes again at a mental picture of him with another woman. She cursed herself for her weakness.
It was hard for her to believe at that moment that he did not love her, did not care so deeply for her as she did for him. It took every ounce of her strength to pull herself away from him.
"Cloud," she began, taking yet another deep breath; her lungs were beginning to hurt. She looked at him straight in the eyes, those gorgeous Mako blue eyes with a sparkle so attractive…
It took quite a while for her to gather her thoughts. "I saw you – today – at the construction site… kissing – making love – to another woman -" "Tifa," Cloud interrupted, placing both hands on her trembling shoulders.
Don't touch me Cloud.
"You know me Teef. Couldn't you tell that I was drunk?" He looked at her with pleading eyes. She stared back at him; his warm hands on her shoulders had her struck dumb. She did not know what to say.
A single tear escaped her eyes. Tenderly, he reached up and brushed the tear away, placing his hand on her cheek and pulling her forward with his other hand. Oh God, no…
He pulled her against him, their lips just barely touching. Tifa weakened; her bones melted within her body, and her strength went with it. "Tifa," Cloud whispered against her lips, caressing her cheek oh so gently. "Kiss me."
Cloud…
Tifa lunged forward and pressed her lips to his; she was unable to control or tamp down the fluttery feeling he created in her heart, or the exciting race of hot blood in her veins when he touched her, held her. She loved him, and that was that.
She did not protest when he crushed her body against his own, his lips traveling to his ear. Gently, tenderly, he played with her senses, nuzzling the velvety skin beneath her ear. She sighed and slipped her fingers into his hair, pulling him ever closer.
He became more forceful, hungrily pressing his lips to her neck. Her sighs quickly changed to moans as she held his head against her. There was no one else on this earth for her. There was only Cloud…
BOOM! BOOM, BOOM!
Tifa jumped up and gasped sharply at the ear-splitting, slightly weird-sounding but unmistakable crack of gunshots in the air. Cloud's whole body stiffened and she stared at his face, seeing a look of shock frozen there.
He staggered backwards, stiff and clumsy. Her eyes widened fully and she clamped a hand over her mouth. Oh my –
Her thought was cut off by a few more gunshots making Cloud's body jerk and twist forcefully. Her other hand pressed upon the first one over her mouth, and she desperately searched for strength within her to look around.
Oh my gosh what the hell is going on gunshots and Cloud and Cloud's shot and I don't know and – oh my -
Tifa's jumbled and rambling thoughts stopped short as she gasped in shock and fear; the origin of the gunshots stood in the doorway.
In front of the swinging kitchen door stood the red caped figure with flowing black hair clouding his face, save for blood-red eyes glittering with deadly furiousness and seriousness.
Vincent stood poised to shoot, triple barreled gun in hand, his head lowered; behind the collar of his cloak and the screen of his hair he hid, and his eyes glared at Cloud.
Tifa stood rooted to the spot, afraid to move lest he shoot again. "V – Vincent!?" She shrieked, anger, shock, fear and confusion meshing into one frantic and mind-boggling emotion as Tifa registered what had just happened.
"What the HELL is wrong with you!? How could you just shoot him like that? Are you out of your mind??" As she shouted a tirade at the motionless, expressionless man, her hands clenched tightly in fists and fury flaming in her eyes, she heard clamoring footsteps on the stairs. Yuffie!
"Yuffie?!" "Teef what in God's name is going on!?" the ninja screeched frantically. "Stay away from the kitchen!!" Tifa warned, and she heard Yuffie's footsteps stop. "Are you okay? I hear gunshots - " "JUST STAY THERE!!" Tifa screamed, just about ready to lose her mind.
She glared daggers at Vincent, waiting for an answer. He just stood there, not even looking at her. She decided to try again. "Vin-" She stopped as she saw slight stiffening in his frame and his head lower a little more. She gasped. "Don't shoot-"
Too late.
Tifa cringed at the gunshot, loud and ringing. Then she heard something else. What the…? She heard, not a shout of pain in Cloud's voice, but a monstrous and screeching bellow.
It was not the voice of her beloved, it was the agonizing shriek of a creature unknown. Fear-stricken, Tifa turned her head slowly, and almost fainted at the sight before her.
Cloud's lightly but attractively tanned skin was replaced with an unhealthy, bone–white pallor, and his beautiful, sparkly blue eyes slowly swirled between blue and dark purple, darkening into a frightful glare as it changed completely to a murky purple colour, as though filled with poison.
But it was his teeth that caused Tifa to whimper in fright. The incisors had doubled in length, and he bared them menacingly, then grimaced at the pain of the previous gunshot.
Move, move, move, move, MOVE!!
Tifa screamed inside her head, willing her limbs to listen to her. She whimpered again as Cloud, whatever creature he had become, glared straight at her, his back hunched and his hands formed like claws; he was an animal.
An evil leer replaced Cloud's grimace. Tifa rammed her hands further against her mouth, choking back the scream that threatened to escape, fearing that she would offend the creature further.
Tifa could barely hold back that scream when she saw the beast stand erect, straight and proud, the way Cloud usually would, and stretch out his arms, raising his head upwards, as if asking God for something.
There is nothing Godly about that creature…
A low, rumbling growl began to sound from the very core of the creature's being, and Tifa whimpered again. What is he DOING…? What the hell is going on!?
The growl became louder, crisper and scarier. Tifa was horrified, crazed, shocked, in disbelief and so much more. She still could not bring herself to move. She stared at the creature in front of her. The skin began to heat up; she could feel the searing heat on her skin.
She still could not move.
The growl had turned to a loud and nerve-rending roar. Cloud's eyes were open wide and his head thrown back, as if enjoying the frightening interlude. Tifa choked back a startled shriek as she saw what was going on.
Through some insane, supernatural power, Cloud was forcing the now flattened bullets that Vincent had fired out of his body. Tifa's legs shook with fear and shock and disbelief as she saw little objects protruding from various points in Cloud's body.
This is NOT happening. I'm in a nightmare, this is NOT real…
These thoughts raced up and down in Tifa's mind as she looked on. The disc-like shape of the bullets protruded more and more, shifting and moving and wriggling until one by one they dropped out of bloody bullet holes and onto the hardwood floor, blood covered. Another whimper escaped Tifa's lips, and her mind threatened to abandon her in blackout again.
Slowly, the monstrous being straightened up. It seemed now to be composed, and tears streamed form Tifa's eyes as she saw what used to be her boyfriend, standing there, who was just a minute ago was a growling beast. The stress of the predicament was too much for her. She just stood there, unable to move, speak or blink; she simply let the tears flow freely.
Cloud calmly looked at Tifa, and as his gaze shifted to Vincent, a glint of revenge shone in his eyes. The long teeth bared as it hissed at the man, and Vincent gripped his gun. Then Cloud grimaced as he lifted his hand to a bullet wound on his shoulder.
Vincent took his opportunity.
He fired shot after shot after shot, and Cloud writhed in pain, growling and roaring in so much agony. His body fell momentarily to the ground, but before Vincent could shoot again, Cloud jumped up and, with one swift movement, leaped through the window above the sink, growling in pain as he retreated.
Vincent's frown deepened, but he made no attempt to chase the creature. He holstered his gun and turned his blood colored eyes to Tifa.
Tifa stared, wide – eyed, at the window through which Cloud had jumped. She slowly turned to face Vincent, her hands still pressed against her lips. Vincent's eyes, cold and red, seemed to glare in silent disappointment at her foolishness.
How stupid could I have been to let him get to me?
Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment, and she turned and ran, past a peeking Yuffie whose shock did not waver even as Tifa jostled her. Tifa ran from the horrors, the pain and embarrassment, all the way up to her room.
