"The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different."
- Peter Drucker
-. Wait For It .-
Chapter X: Something New
"Hmm...No," Tifa said, releasing yet another disappointed sigh. "That's not right either."
"Oh, come ON!" In an exaggerated gesture of exhaustion, Marlene growled while throwing herself backwards onto the mattress. She then proceeded to bury herself under a mound of frilly show-pillows which she drew tightly around her head to muffle a series of tortured shrieks, to which Tifa could not help but roll her eyes.
Though, as a mother, she was eternally grateful for Marlene's high-grade maturity, it also made the few times she acted her age that much more theatrical. As shown in exhibit A; a tantrum that may cost her dearly seeing as the salesperson was wincing with every dirt-booted kick against the costly comforter.
"Oh for the love of...Calm down!" she chastised while attempting to pull her daughter to her feet. But the girl was seemingly lost among a sea of lace and rosebuds. "There are only a few more models to test. We'll be home soon."
"Buf we'fe been here forefer!"
"We've only been here, in this store specifically, for an hour. So please relax. Need I remind you that it was your choice to come along with me."
The key pillow was tugged free, finally revealing the mussed hair and frustrated expression lurking beneath. Eyebrows furrowed in a way that made her seem way beyond her six years.
"You said shopping. You didn't say bed shopping. Possibly the most boring thing ever."
"Well, what did you think I was going out to get? Toys? Candy? A pony?"
"Hmph." Marlene's arms rose to cross themselves over her chest, giving herself a consolation hug for the precious play time that was currently being squandered. "Why do you even need to replace your bed anyway? Don't you and Cloud sleep together now?"
"Marlene!" Instantly, Tifa felt her cheeks begin to burn as she glanced up to the sales clerk, hoping against all hope that he had miraculously become deaf. Alas, the small smirk on his lips proved otherwise, inspiring her to smack a hand to her forehead in embarrassment.
"It's not what it-" she began to explain, then stopped herself. Too tired to bother. They had indeed been in this store, and preceding stores, testing frames and mattresses and sheets and pillows for what legitimately seemed to be forever. And as unappealing as the idea was of spending yet another night on the cramped cot (an inevitable rough night's sleep despite the company of its other occupant), the fact remained that some part of her subconscious was obviously stalling.
For this outing marked day three of her search for a replacement due to Yuffie's little "accident" a few short nights ago. And though it was meant to be a quick trip, having never been a stickler for aesthetics or thread counts, it wasn't long before she began to realize how something once private and insignificant had suddenly become a platform for sending a crucial message.
The original plan had been simple; find the cheapest, quality piece closest to her original set up, and get out. Hers had been a twin bed, medium quality mattress, with a second-hand quilt and sheet set covered in faded, purple daisies. Easily enough, upon her first ten minutes of searching, she had found many qualified replicas. But as she lay there testing its springiness, the miniscule frame suddenly seemed constricting. Definitely much too small for Cloud's lengthy limbs. And the purple flowers? Not that he would probably care, but she imagined a solid navy set would suit his preference for dark simplicity, as well as look best wrapped around his pale form in the morning light.
The unexpected inclusion of him in the decision almost made her choke on her own saliva. For it was tad presumptuous to assume that they would continue to spend their nights together once the furniture was replaced. Her presence in his room could merely be a temporary kind gesture, like offering to share an umbrella during a storm. Pure politeness from someone who was known to relish their solitude.
She left the store in a huff that day, to the complete mystification of the kind and patient owner, and decided to try again tomorrow. After another uncomfortable yet exhilarating night's sleep in his arms.
The nights almost made up for the lengthy, aching and weary days. Especially the way in which, for the hour preceding bed time, the air seemed to cackle with invisible electricity. How a once monotonous chore of brushing her teeth became a somehow stirring prequel. Recently, in what she hoped Cloud would assume was 'convenience', she had switched to taking her showers in the evening and always remembered to leave her damp hair down instead of braided, silently encouraging the way he would sometimes thread his fingers through. She loved knocking on his door and seeing him there under the covers, waiting. She loved the way her heart beat rose with every step, the way he held out his hand, the warmth of him as she settled in. So thrilling, yet so natural. Completely innocent, and yet sensuous. Friends sharing a bunk for convenience, as well as lovers slowly penetrating new boundaries
But were those breached limits meant to be a permanent step forward? She still had no clue.
This debate continued into the next day when a Queen mattress caught her eye. One that was accentuated by soft, dark cotton sheets that felt like silk beneath her finger tips. The set had been expensive of course. Hardly worth wasting the gil on a still unanswered question, as it would make her intentions painfully obvious. Would such a purchase make him feel awkward? Appreciated? Annoyed? Pressured?
She decided then that she needed a second opinion, but had yet to scrounge up the courage to ask the person to whom it mattered most. And so, upon reflection, perhaps she had been a little too persuasive in getting Marlene to join her today, the third day of the search. But the after effects of multiple nights spent on the cot were keeping a constant pressurized reminder on her sore spine, pushing her into getting it over with. As soon as possible. Three mornings now she had set out, determination etched into her features. Two afternoons, so far, she had returned empty handed and exasperated.
And today it seemed, as she watched Marlene continued to scowl from her mattress base, it would be another fruitless attempt. She was simply not ready to decide yet.
Besides, what harm could one more restless night do?
"You win!" she exclaimed with an exaggerated breath, hands in the air to signify surrender. "I guess I'll just have to come back tomorrow. You're open at ten, right?"
"Yes m'amm." The salesman nodded, that annoyingly amused smirk still lingering on his lips. "I, personally, am not working but I'll write Jadena a note on where you're at. She is more than qualified to take over."
"Fine, fine. It's all fi-ouf!"
"THANK YOU TIFA!" in one bounding leap, Marlene had suddenly sprung into her arms with a vicious hug, temporarily knocking the wind out of her and causing her to reconsider the supple mattress brand. "I promise I'll clean up allllll my toys when we get home. I'll even not fight with Denzel for what movie to watch tonight!"
After a few raspy breaths, Tifa laughed and patted the girl affectionately on the back.
"Sounds great."
"We're hoooommmmmeee!" the shorter of the pair announced in a sing-song voice as they entered the bar, instantly kicking off her boots. "And we got ice creaaammmm!"
"Which is for AFTER dinner," her guardian insisted, turning to bolt the door as Marlene sprinted upstairs to enlighten her brother on flavor types. Tifa took off her own shoes, hung her keys on the hook behind the bar and made sure the refrigerated groceries she had compulsively purchased as an apology were properly stored, all before finally plopping herself down on the couch for some much needed time off her feet.
Above her she could heard the little girl's hurried footsteps exploring the upstairs rooms. Into the office, out into the hall, into her bedroom, out again into the hall and beyond. She briefly wondered where Cloud and Denzel were hiding in order to make the girl wander, but the concern dissolved as she welcomed the house's rare state of tranquility.
"Gods you are comfortable," she murmured to the furniture's fabric, leisurely running her hand up and down its length. As she had already done almost every night this past week, Tifa again debated squatting in the living room instead of robbing both she and Cloud of their precious few hours sleep. And as always, especially after such a grueling day and while basking in the glory of being able to lie fully on her back, the thought was tempting indeed.
But before should could even begin to seriously consider logistics, the option was already dropped. For tomorrow she was buying a new bed. No more procrastination allowed. Which would make tonight, possibly, their last excused night together; such a exceptional indulgence that she wouldn't trade for the sleeping quarters of a king.
As if in revolt, the throbbing in her spine suddenly and intensely increased, forcing her to bite down a piercing wince.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. This will end badly," she mumbled to herself while shimmying further into the cushions, desperately trying to find a comfortable position. "Just...one more. You can do it. One more night."
"One more night what?"
Startled, Tifa attempted to spring to her feet but was interrupted mid-way by a loud crack emanating from somewhere on her body.
From above her, Cloud cringed. "That...didn't sound good."
"And it felt like it sounded," she responded through tight lips, slowly lowering herself back down into the cushions.
After putting down his shopping bags, Cloud quickly swooped in to help. Kneeling beside the couch, he leaned over and took the weight of her torso with his hands on her back, slowly lowering her into a relax position.
Their eyes met as her fingers clenched onto his shoulders for support, seeking and easily finding there the heartbreakingly sincere concern for her wellbeing. She tried to tell him, to assure that everything would be fine, but a fresh wave a pain forced her to bite back the words and she instead clung tighter, needing the paltry though remarkable comfort that his mere presence provided.
"You shouldn't open the bar tonight if you're in this much pain," he rationalized after she was finally settled horizontally.
In response, after a few deep breaths the quell the nausea, Tifa carefully shook her head. "We can't afford to. Tuesdays are pay day for the building crews. Great tips. Besides, I'll be fine in a few minutes. Must have just pulled something."
"You haven't been sleeping well." It was a statement, not a question. His expression firm and a little guilty. "You need a night off to catch up. I'll ask Yuffie to run the bar."
"Ha! Like Yuffie will just-"
"She owes us and I'll supervise. Besides," he took a moment then, casually, to brush a few stray hairs off her forehead. A gesture, one of the few, that reminded her that their relationship had changed recently, and there was no longer any need to pretend to be stronger than she actually was. "And I've been thinking about this for a while now. The bar gets busy enough recently. Have you ever considered formally training someone for part-time help?"
Tifa laughed at this, even though she wasn't exactly sure why. The thought had simply never occurred to her because it had always seemed so ridiculous. Paying someone to do something she was perfectly capable of doing herself, wasting such a chunk of the profits - well, it seemed to be the equivalent of throwing that gil down the drain. Gil that should be spent on Marlene and Denzel's futures.
As if reading her thoughts, Cloud interrupted the moment she opened her mouth to voice these reasons. "Between prepping the food service, teaching the kids, serving at the bar six nights a week as well as taking care of the house and all of us, you're working eighteen hours, seven days a week."
"You're exagerra-"
"No, I'm not exaggerating. You're going to wear yourself out at this rate, what with Denzel's lesson becoming more complex and the sudden rise in customers. And you wanted to expand the menu right? Take advantage of the jump in general salaries thanks to the WRO's construction projects? Maybe add lunch?"
"Lunch? I can't add-"
"You can if you hired servers and concentrated on the food. You could prep all day once the kids start school and then have your nights off, while still increasing profits."
"Cloud..."
"Just..." he took a deep breath to settle himself, her current disabled state rendering him unexpectedly passionate regarding the subject of change. With a sigh, his gloved hand moved downward to cup her cheek, mindlessly drawing circles with his thumb. He knew that Tifa was the most resilient person, let alone woman, that he had ever met. Back in the day, he wouldn't have bated an eye while sending her off on potential suicide missions, trusting that she could handle herself. He wondered what had changed, what chemical composition had rearranged itself in his brain these past few days, to suddenly make her seem so fragile. As if the slightest injury, from scuffing her knee to breaking a few bones, would make him want to rip out his heart and feed it to the behemoths.
Strange. But not all in a bad way.
"Just...think about it. Okay? I...I hate seeing you like this."
"Mmhmm...Sure..." As though his touch had healing powers, Tifa found herself feeling suddenly warm and happy and safe and confident. As if dreams could come true, money didn't matter, and as long as they were together, that everything would somehow end up fine. "I'll think about it," she promised with a smirk. "Once the kids start school."
"Good. I'm glad," he responded, his lips curving ever so slightly into a delicate grin.
It began then. One of those tense yet exciting moments that were slowly becoming more and more frequent. A rare timing when they were completely alone, having nothing more to say, the air between them charged. She watched, riveted, as his eyes briefly flicked down to her lips. A silent question if it was okay. She almost laughed, amused that he had yet to grasp the concept that it was always more than okay.
Four night now they had spent together, four days basking in the discomfited yet exhilarating glow of a new relationship. Every look lasted forever. Every touch was shiver-worthy. And their kisses? Cloud acted as if they were each a separate epic occasion; a strange yet not unappreciated method that, once experienced, she wouldn't have desired in any other way. Always the timid gentleman, he preferred to wait for privacy, quiet and opportunity for build up. She had quickly learned that he was not the type of man who gave goodbye pecks before leaving for the day. If and only if he felt it was necessary, if she had woken up too late that morning or they had been too tired or busy the night before or he simply felt a intense compulsion to do it again, it would be prepared for first. Like a card game takedown. One at a time, the kids or any visitors would be assigned conveniently far away tasks. If her position at that moment was deemed to be too public, a quick tug on her wrist would prompt her to follow him. Sometimes behind a door, or into the pantry, or (as was the case with Sunday's visit to the park) behind a public restroom structure. A spot, to her utter abhorrence, that would now always be stuck in her head as the place she first noticed their resemblance to a real, traditional family.
Their messy date had only been two days prior. Since then the adoption papers had been handed in directly to Reeve by Cloud and as a result, in addition to the slight change in their relationship that it now involved kissing, and she felt she had become, gratuitously, invincible. As if nothing could ever go wrong. Even though it was still very likely that things could.
The only explanation was that, perhaps, she was in love. And not the miserable, deprived, desperate kind for once, but the normal, comfortable, and slightly stupid kind. The kind of love you didn't have to scrape to hold on to, but grew steadily as a new, un-encumbering piece to your body. The piece you had never known that you had always been missing.
Something about that Sunday, family day, running around the playground together with Marlene and Denzel, the weather bright and sunny on the outskirts of Edge. When he kissed her after tricking the kids into an extended hide and seek marathon and finding solitude in the shadows...
That day, behind the bathroom stalls, everything felt, for lack of a better word...complete.
It was way too soon to say of course. But she was reassured by thinking it anyway. The fact that it was on the tip of her tongue every time he looked at her like he was doing now, gave her a strange sense of accomplishment. As did the knowledge that this was only the beginning. And it could only get better.
She watched through hooded eyes as he went through his usual, torturous preparations. Sweeping away her hair, tracing her jaw, angling her head upwards, his eyes beginning to glow ever so slightly, gradually becoming more mako-green than sapphire-blue. As subtle as the reaction was, she had asked him recently if he knew why it happened, she being a dedicated student in all things Cloud related. He had laughed awkwardly then and rolled onto his back, flinging an arm across his eyes in mortification. It was a pulse/adrenaline thing, he eventually confessed. He used to notice it occurring in other SOLDIERs when training, but up until that moment had never realized it happened to him as well.
The glow was a reaction to increased blood flow, anticipation and excitement which animated the mako cells within him, temporarily increasing power and stamina. Basically igniting a hidden battle reserve of energy. In a moment of complete idiocy, Tifa almost asked why such an intense reaction arose when he was alone with her and not fighting, but stopped herself just in time. And so she closed the conversation with a very poignant "oh." and they never felt the need to discuss it again.
Since then, in these occasions when the green glow inevitably began to dominate his irises, the air would become much more thick and sweet. And though it may not have been as visually obvious, she was sure Cloud's enhanced senses could pick up the changes in her as well. Her heartbeat increasing, the beads of sweat, the sudden tenseness in her knees. If he had ever thought to be embarrassed after having revealed the glow's source, it never mattered once he began to smell the mirrored eagerness on her in response. In the end, his strange abilities revealed both their usually hidden contemplations to each other, adding to the intensity of this rather sinless act.
Kissing Cloud was never just a kiss after all.
After a full minute of priming, full-bright eyes boring into hers with purpose, he finally began to lean forward. His slowness was excruciating, as usual. And the only thing keeping her from pulling him forward were the memories of how much better it became after those final few millimeters and the knowledge that he needed this extra time to conquer his many anxieties regarding this newfound intimacy. Still, she felt as if she had been starving for this moment all day, and was close to salivating after having it teasingly waved in front of her like this.
He was so close now, she could feel his breath on her lips. While still debating whether or not to push things a little further this time, a prequel for their last "hassel-free" night together, the decision was unexpectedly settled by Cloud as he shifted to apply a little more of his weight, chest to chest and pressing her into the couch cushions. He was feeling it too, she assumed. A strange, compulsive need to be slightly closer than previously.
"Tifa," he whispered, brushing parted lips against hers. "Tifa..."
"TIFA!"
In the blink of an eye, he was gone. His insanely quick reflexes having picked up the footsteps before the intruder actually entered, allowing him to jump up and into a far away chair just as an exuberant Denzel burst into the room.
Tifa was dumbstruck, lying motionless on the couch with her hands still in the air where they had once been on his shoulders, even as her son swooped to her side while waving a stack of paper in her face.
"I got the mail for you! All by myself!" the boy announced with a wide smile. After taking a deep breath to compose herself, Tifa moved to sit up, careful not to upset her still-sensitive back as she did so.
"That's...great sweetie," she muttered, trying her hardest to hide the disappointment in her voice. She was torn between scolding Cloud for sending their young son out by himself at this time of night, or for not sending him far away enough. But one glance toward where he sat, his wide eyes still glowing furiously from the dark corner, legs crossed and a hand over his mouth, proved that he was sufficiently punishing himself.
"There you guys are!" Marlene, having finalized a complete tour of the other rooms, returned to plop herself next the Tifa on the couch. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Where did you go? And what did you do to Tifa's room?"
"My room?" Tifa asked in confusion. "What happened to my room?"
"We just went to the hardware store," Denzel explained in a tone that seemed exasperated. "Cloud said that we had to fix the burns on the hardwood floor planks before Tifa got her new bed in. We sanded it, but Cloud said it wasn't nice-looking enough. So we tore them up and went to find replacements, but Cloud didn't like the stains they had in stock." He groaned and rolled his eyes, shooting his male guardian an annoyed look reminiscent of the one Marlene gave Tifa in the bedding store. "So we bought some raw pine which we now have to shape and varnish ourselves! It's gonna take forever!"
"Hmm. Is that so?" Intrigued, Tifa swung her legs off the couch, giving a space for Denzel to sit beside her as well so that all three could stare the apparently picky contractor down. "You do know that I didn't fix the floor because it's only a little spot under my bed, right? No one's ever going to see it."
Across the room, eyes having since dimmed to their normal ethereal blue, Cloud only shrugged. "I'd know it's there. It would bother me. And what if you wanted to, I dunno...rearrange things in the future?"
"Rearrange...things?" she repeated poignantly, causing her target to sigh in annoyance but remain otherwise silent.
The unspoken conclusion of this event was that Cloud too, for whatever reason, was stalling. The unnecessarily complicated renovations guaranteed that even if she had been brave enough to purchase something today, there wouldn't have been the place to set it up. Forcing another night together. She was about to make a mental note to tease him about this later, but then Marlene inconveniently decided to even the odds.
"Oh, that's nothing," she insisted with a snort. "Tifa took me to FIVE different bed stores today, where we tested every. single. mattress! There were over ten thousand, I swear! And she STILL didn't like anything enough-"
"Yes, yes. We're evil people for wanting to keep a nice house for you two. We get it," Tifa interrupted with mock irritability, ignoring what was sure to be a haughty smirk from across the room. "How about we get some dinner in you guys and then- ssss!"
Having forgotten for a second her still sore back, Tifa had stood up too soon and seemingly double-pulled the already throbbing muscle, if such a thing were possible. Cloud was immediately at her side, directing the kids up and way so that he could once again lay her down.
"Are you okay Tifa?" Came Marlene's anxious voice hovering above her once Cloud had moved away.
"I'm fine sweetie. Just...had a long day. We've all had a long day."
"I'm calling Yuffie. No buts." Cloud insisted, his phone already in his hand and dialing. And Tifa, for once, felt no desire to argue. "Marlene, Denzel. Could you heat up some soup for us all?"
"Course!" they responded in unison before scurrying away towards the kitchen.
Once they were out of sight, Cloud dared to lean forward to place a quick kiss on her forehead while balancing something light on top of her folded hands.
"Feel better," he whispered before striding away, the phone clamped to his ear.
And she did. Almost instantly.
For the paper he had handed over, one of the pieces of mail that Denzel had brought home, it was from the WRO adoption board. The residents of 7th Heaven had been assigned a new interview date and interviewer, selected by Reeve himself, a mere two weeks from now. Just in time for the census papers to be completed and avoiding any need for the children to spend even a second within the walls of a dire orphanage.
Maybe it was delusion brought on by exhaustion and pain, but in that moment, as she re-folded the letter, Tifa had not one inkling of doubt that they would be accepted. For who would dare to disrupt a family so clearly complete?
And with those pleasant thoughts in mind, she easily drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Tifa awoke just as the first beams of sunlight began streaking over the horizon, and instantly began to panic. Not only because she was still stationed in the unfamiliar living room area, nor because someone had somehow removed her vest and apron during the night. But because it was Wednesday. Market day. And she was so very late.
"Dammit!" she screeched while kicking off the blankets that had been placed upon her and grabbing the discarded garments draped over the back of the sofa. There was no time shower or even eat. The best of the week's produce deliveries had probably already been plucked and if she left now she just might be spared some scraps.
Having managed to snatch her mangled cart off its hook while sprinting through the kitchen, she was in the midst of pulling an arm through her vest when she ran straight into a solid body standing just inside the bar doors. Cloud, up early as he always was on Wednesdays to prepare coffee for her return. It took him a moment, but the reason for her hurrying eventually registered. As did the fact that it was his fault for not wanting to wake or move her last night, or think to set an alarm.
"I'll come with you," he quickly decided. "We'll take Fenrir. It'll be faster."
"No. It's fine. Plus, the kids-"
"Yuffie's still here from closing," he gestured toward a pair of laced booted feet that stuck out from behind the other end of the bar. "She'll watch them. Ditch the cart, we'll buy rucksacks."
Terrified of disappointing her customers with sub-quality produce, Tifa saw no choice but to agree. After a quick kick to rouse the ninja and inform her of her new task, she exited the bar door just as he was pulling up on the infamously intricate motorcycle. Not wanting to waste time in stopping, she immediately sprinted toward it and somersaulted onto the back seat before he had even begun to slow down.
"Go. Now. Fast," she instructed while wrapping her arms around his waist. Cloud allowed himself a proud smirk, amused and impressed as he always was with her death-defying acrobatics, before revving the engine and gunning it toward the train station.
Soon enough, thanks to the minutes saved by taking Fenrir, it was like every other Wednesday's shopping excursion. Except...it wasn't at all.
Her favorite stand owners had, thankfully, stashed some of their best for her usual order, which was piled into Cloud's arms as she made clumsy introductions. Everyone wanted to know who he was, where he worked, how he obtained those beautiful eyes (at least, all the elder females did) and, most importantly, if and how long they had been seeing one another.
"Twenty-odd years," Cloud would respond with ease, never failing to inspire dropped jaws or wordless stutters. At least it gave them the perfect excuse to express a quick thanks and exit before the inevitable and awkward marriage questions. The couple would stride away, sharing a private smile at the absurdity of their past, and then move on to the next item on the list.
"I didn't know they sold things other than food here," Cloud observed as they toured the remainder of the stands, even though both their hands were full with more than enough produce for the week. Still, despite the teasing behavior of most of her favorite vendors, the morning had turned out to be surprisingly pleasant; a simple stroll in the public eye, feeling delectably ordinary. A state which neither of them wanted to end just yet.
"They only started to recently," Tifa explained, trying not to be too distracted by the way their arms sometimes brushed as they walked. "People from smaller, outside villages want to have shops in Edge but can't yet afford it. So they either make their own crafts or buy some non-perishable specialties from home to sell here at a premium. Or they trade for Edge-made electronics."
"I see. Makes sense."
She watched, amused, as Cloud's eyes feasted on some of the world's finest knickknacks. Tiny, shimmering animal figurines made from Northern Crater crystals. Decorative oil lamps from Fort Condor. Hand-stitched quilts from Gongaga.
Really beautiful hand-stitched quilts.
"Hey. Tifa." He gestured with a nod of his head toward a rather pathetic looking booth, manned by one middle-aged woman whose dark, grey-streaked hair was braided and pinned with black ribbons. She looked hauntingly familiar. But then again, with the amount they've travelled, everyone looked somewhat familiar. Still, Tifa and Cloud somehow found themselves drawn toward her stall and the three modest wares she had on display.
"These are...quite gorgeous," Tifa couldn't help but compliment.
The woman flashed her a sad though grateful smile. "Took me months to make only three. Premature arthritis, ya-know? That and a lack of supplies."
"Things are still difficult out in Gongaga?" Cloud inquired, hands carefully exploring the largest of her pieces; a dark blue quilt of about queen size, embroidered all over with white and yellow lilies so delicate and detailed that one could almost confuse them with a micro-printed image if not for their dimensionality.
"Oh no! The WRO has already increased our standard of living more than we could have ever dreamed. We have a constant fresh water supply for our crops, a new church and even a rail station! They have helped us tremendously." She attempted a smile, but it was as unstable as a new racer on a wild blue chocobo. "It's just...it's just that, without my husband...it's...still a little difficult." To all three of their surprise, the woman's eyes instantly began to leak fat tears which spilled onto her quilts, darkening the fabric. Quickly, she wiped them away, mortified at her reaction as well as potentially losing a sale.
Sensing her heart tighten at the sight, Tifa oddly felt no shame in leaning forward to cover the stranger's hand with her own. She should have realized. Black ribbons were for mourning after all. Finding the love of your life and losing him so, relatively, young. It must be devastating. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
"Oh, I'm just being a drama queen," the stall owner laughed through her tears, giving Tifa's hand a grateful pat before releasing. "He was sick for ages and it's now been over two years since he's been gone. Seven since my son disappeared. In fact, you..." she paused, suddenly observing Cloud as if for the first time. "You look a lot like him actually. Same eyes. My boy had such beautiful eyes."
Cloud could only grin uncomfortably at her, finding this to be the most awkward compliment to digest so far. But the woman, luckily, was a master at the art of the sales segue.
"Eyes that I bet would look that much more stunning and bright when next to this quilt of mine. Let's check!" Whipping the fabric out of its folded state, she held it against Cloud's cheek and turned his head toward a now laughing Tifa. "Aha! A perfect match if I do say so myself. What does the Lady of the House think?"
"Perfect. I agree," she stuttered through her giggles. And, all joking aside, it was perfect. A blue bed of white and yellow flowers, queen size. This woman had inadvertently and so easily solved her most pressing of dilemmas. "How much?"
"120."
"You're kidding?" Tifa couldn't help but exclaim. The stores in Edge sold plain, synthetic comforters for twice that price. "In that case," she looked down to the other two pieces folded on the counter. Both were for single beds, one a delicate pink with rosebuds that closely resembled a set she had witnessed Marlene ogling, and the other a deep forest green with paler vines embroidered throughout. Denzel's favorite color. "I'll take them all! And for no less than 600."
"Oh no! I couldn't-"
"I insist! It's what they're worth in this market. Trust me." At least the days of scouring stores and prices wouldn't be completely in vain.
"Well...thank you then! Your future children will appreciate being kept warm in winter, I'm sure."
"Existing children," Cloud felt the need to clarify while handing over his open phone, the background wallpaper of which was no longer his lone wolf emblem, but a picture of the two kids posed on top of the playground's largest slide. Tifa wondered when exactly he had made the change, but quickly decided that it didn't matter. "That's Marlene, age six, and Denzel, eight."
"Well, well, well" the seamstress handed the phone back before decisively looking the ex-SOLDIER up and down with a teasingly cocked eyebrow. "You certainly didn't waste any time, did ya?"
"Nope," he responded with a matching amused grin, accepting the bags of purchases while Tifa handed over the promised cash. "Not anymore."
And that's when he kissed her.
In front of everyone.
No privacy or shadows or build up required.
Tifa's originally wide, shocked eyes eventually fluttered closed and the bags she was holding dropped, freeing her arms to wrap around his neck. She noticed then that she had lied when telling herself that it was Cloud's slowness that made their kisses so exhilarating. For this, his rare impulsive moves, when wants finally overpowered fears, were found to be equally if not more wonderful.
The vendor squealed in mock horror then full out laughter when someone from the bustling market crowd dared to yell "get a room!".
But neither Tifa nor Cloud could hear anything.
And when Mrs. Fair packed up her sold-out stand later that morning, she prayed for a blessing from Gaia upon her quilts and the fortunate family who owned them. Eternally grateful as she was for her first genuine smile in years.
Author's Note: I'm nearly choking on the cheesy-ness of this chapter, but I do hope you enjoyed it! Though we have reached chapter 10, I have a few more twists planned before the possible "happily ever after". Cloud still has his issues as I attempted to hint at here and I'm just having too much damn fun writing this couple-beginning period out for once! Damn those fics that end with "they admit they like each other, they kiss anndddd...that's all folks!" Pft. Lame.
Reviews equal faster updates, as you know :D. Thanks again for all your encouragement and support.