Chapter Four: Crunch Time
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A/N: Thank you, thank you, and thank you to misanthropic angel, Diamond Moonlight, and macalaniaprincess for reading this and taking the time to review also. I have so many ideas and thoughts flowing through my mind while making this, and reviews keep me going. This is also my first fic; I've been interesting in writing for a while, and after seeing FF:AC a few times I was inspired to write a story I felt I wanted to continue the story with. But I digress. To make this short, I may update Christmas Day night or I may wait until the 26th to take a break, I'm still deciding on this. But I hope everyone who reads this, enjoys the story. I've still got quite a few chapters to go before it's complete, so be on the lookout for updates. And thanks again everybody!
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It's a shame Reeve and Nanaki can't make it…Cid almost didn't either, but he should be here too.
While waiting for a few more hours on the turkey to finish carefully roasting in the oven, Tifa Lockheart sat down tiredly on the soft, leather sofa, fitting in a small "time-out" segment of her time to relax and clear her thoughts. Crossing her right instinctively over her left, she could feel her foot begin to dangle nervously and quickly switched from her right to her left. The words of her comrade Yuffie Kisaragi reverberating from last night's conversation left Tifa's mind in a slight daze and left an afterthought of whether or not what the ninja was suggesting for her to do was true.
Maybe she's right…
I mean…I don't want to be like Dorothy and her friends, all alone and still looking for another mate in my elder years…
But…I feel like Cloud is the one for me. The only question is…how long will I have to wait to see if it's actually true?
Running her soft hands through her long, silky, black hair to help relieve some tension, it was no longer as long as it was in previous months and years; rather, it was cut shoulder length and lay comfortably on her small, yet strong shoulders.
"Tonight has to make or break him! Either him, or find someone else Teef!"
Sighing softly after hearing Yuffie's words burst into her conscious, Tifa could barely take another sip of her tea when the doorbell rang its pleasant three soft musical tones from what sounded like a grand piano. Walking over to the door, an eerie, uneasy feeling began to fill her stomach. Her feet feeling as if they were being crushed by heavy ankle weights, the brunette brushed a few hairs out of the way of her eyes and smoothed out some of the frizzes from her hair before slowly heading to the front door.
"Coming!"
Opening the door, a short red-haired man wearing a matching dark, blue blazer and pants, white button-up shirt, and shiny, black boots greeted Tifa with a somewhat straight, serious face. Held within his hand was a small, brown box marked "Urgent Delivery: A Surprise" stamped in bright red letters on the front.
"Excuse me ma'am, I have a package here for a, uh, Mr. Cloud Strife."
"He's not here but I'll take it for him, we live together."
"Okay, thank you ma'am. I'll just need you to initial on this clipboard here, here, and here."
Nodding after the man finished speaking with a somewhat southern drawl inflected in his voice, Tifa took out a pen and marked the correct spots and carefully took the package within her hands. Closing the door after he began to leave in his delivery truck, Tifa stared at the small package, small enough to fit within the palm of an ordinary-sized hand, and noticed the return address scribbled in the upper left of the face of the box. Her light brown eyes widening at the realization of who the name belonged to, Tifa's mind began to churn in thought about what it could be.
It says it's from Cloud…could it be…
…
Oh my god…
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"Hit me, Spike."
"You sure Barret?"
"Damnit Spike, when I say hit me, I mean it, bruh! Hit me!"
"All right. But I'm warning you."
"Jus' do it."
"Okay, here you go…"
"Yeah, give me ya best shot."
"…"
"Arrrrrrrrrrrgh!"
"…"
"…I should've jus' neva' asked…"
"…"
Taking the cards thrown down onto the console in the middle of the cabin of the truck by the big man in front of him, Cloud seized the rest of the playing cards of the deck and began to carefully shuffle and mix them around. Shaking his head, Cloud began to pass out two cards to Barret as well as himself and slapped the rest of the deck face down.
"Man…I swear, if 'dis game was 23 instead o' 21, I'd be a millionaire…fa' real…"
"…"
"Yea man…we've been stuck in this traffic for about an hour now. No off ramp for about another few miles…and that's our exit too, damnit…"
"Right."
"…"
"…"
"Okay, I have a King…and a Jack. Barret. Hit me."
Barret began to chuckle, misjudging Cloud's decision to continue to play his hand of 21.
"Boy I tell ya…you've got guts man…"
Reaching into the deck, Barret handed the top card to Cloud face down. Receiving the next card to have in his possession, Cloud looked down as his hand unknowingly had already flipped it over for only him to see. Keeping a "poker face", the blonde, Mako green eyed man placed the card in front of him next to his King of Hearts and Jack of Spades.
"…"
"…"
"…21."
"Arrrrrrrrrrrgh! That's da' twelfth time in a row ya' got 21, Spike! You got x-ray vision or somethin'?"
"Let's just say…I've got a knack."
"Man…I'mma have ta' use ya' next time me 'n Elmyra go ta' Gold Saucer at those 21 tables…goddamn, goddamn…"
"Barret, the traffic is clearing up."
"It's about time, man…now I can turn ma' engine back on and get 'dis show on 'da road!"
Turning the ignition key clockwise to its' starting position, the truck began to turn on as Barret pushed the gas pedal a few times for the engine to finally begin revving regularly. Flipping the turn-signal switch to the right position, Barret started to slowly follow a few other cars getting on the exit to the highway that would lead to downtown Edge, not too far from their destination.
"By da' way, Spike, I hope it was okay o' me using yo' address at 'da tavern."
"No problem, Barret."
"Yeah, I mean…I don't get why 'da mayor wanna all a sudden start regulatin' who can send mail 'ta who & who can't? North Corel ain't got no problems wit' him, but he want 'ta block North Corel 'fo' now' he says due ta' a few weak ass 'terrorist threats' goin' on. What a bunch o' BS…"
"…I know."
"But, I'm sure 'da package wit' da' ring for Elmyra was sent nice 'n on time."
"…Yeah."
The only thing is…it had MY name on it.
I wonder if…
…
…
Nah, she wouldn't look. She wouldn't.
…
…
Right?
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"Hello Cid, glad you could make it!" Tifa held the door open long enough for Cid to bring his small suitcase with enough belongings to last for the night and for Christmas Day, much to Tifa's slight chagrin, wondering if was enough due to the guest room being a little small.
"Damn, Tifa! The food smellin' great, girl! Damn this place just bein' a tavern, make this a restaurant, too, damnit!"
Smiling a little from Cid's nice, yet somewhat vulgar compliment, a small, warm blushing feeling began to rise in Tifa's cheeks.
"Thanks Cid, but…where's Shera?"
Cid's smirk quickly changed into a small frown, his hands flinging into the air with each word filled with anger flying from his mouth.
"Damn flu goin' around, gettin' everybody sick…she got sick too. I tried to tell her behind ta' stay warm 'n up her Vitamin C 'n all that, but…hey…we're all not perfect, right?"
Cid managed to grumble through his lips, holding an unlit cigarette tightly in his mouth. Looking up the staircase, Tifa nodded as if she were able to read his mind, as the blonde pilot made his way up the stairs to where he would stay for the next day.
Sigh
Tifa began to place the remaining food items on the main table situated next to where the bar was located, carefully placing each dish in a position where everyone sitting would be able to look and see what it was.
Ding…ding…Doooooong!
"Coming!"
The lush, relaxing doorbell rang as the host of the get-together walked to the front door. Silently gulping a little gathering of saliva down her nervous, dry throat, Tifa reached for the doorknob and slowly opened it, the soft, yet cold winds seeping through the slightly-increasing crack of the door with each passing moment. The door finally open, her stomach began to return to its uneasy feeling as she realized who the two figures, one tall and one of slightly average height, were.
It's Barret…
And Cloud…
They're here.
…
He's here.