A/N: peers out from behind a shiny metal shield Mew... don't hurt meh! I am soo soo sorry for my super long absence... I knew school would have me uber busy but I never knew how hard this past semester would be. I had no time for anything but work and studying and doing projects... my apologies for leaving everyone hanging in the air here :( :( I have had this half written for some time now, but haven't had the time to finish it til now. Christmas made things so hectic so now I finally have time to do... other stuff XD I have like 2 1/2 weeks until I go back to school, but this semes should be much better. In the meantime I will try to update somewhat regularly, though I'm not promising anything.
I am not doing responses to reviews this chappie, but will try to next chapter! However, I remember many of you asking for more fluff, so I tried to pack a lot of it in this chapter. I hope those of you who are still there enjoy it! Lotsa love, Happy New Year and belated Merry Christmas! And now I give you Chapter 11!
Tifa sighed as she finished straightening up the house. Cloud had done an excellent job of keeping the place clean while she was recuperating, so there wasn't really much for her to do. Their guest wasn't scheduled to arrive until about seven the next evening, so she felt an itch between her shoulders for something to do. Just as she was heading back to the living room, Denzel came like a bullet to her.
"Mom… Zak wants me to spend the night tonight… can I? I can be back tomorrow evening when that Reeve guy gets here, promise!" he asked while widening his eyes at her to give the puppy dog effect. Tifa grinned down at him.
"Of course you can. Just make sure his mom's okay with it…" she warned, remembering a time before her poisoning when Zak forgot to okay it with his mom and ended up being grounded for a few weeks after that. Denzel grinned this time.
"She's the one who suggested it," he told her before thanking her and bolting off to get his stuff together. It only took about ten minutes and he was ready, so she walked him to the house (just to be sure) before returning home. When she walked in, Cloud was just emerging from his bedroom looking freshly showered and smelling like heaven (at least to Tifa). Whatever shower gel or cologne he used… it was yummy! Her senses were reeling as he asked her where Denzel was.
"He went to spend the night with one of his friends. He promised he'll be back tomorrow evening before Reeve arrives," she responded. Cloud nodded and took a seat on the couch while Tifa paced behind him. After a moment or two, he turned to watch her.
"Can't sit still?" he inquired curiously. She shook her head.
"No… I feel so restless. I'm so tired of being cooped up in this house… I just want to do something at least somewhat exciting!" she responded as she walked over a slight bump in the carpet for the eleventh time. Cloud's gaze turned thoughtful, and a smile spread its way across his face.
"You know… we should go for an adventure… overnight. Want to?" he asked her, tilting his head slightly to the right.
"Okay, where to?" was Tifa's response. Cloud only smiled mysteriously.
"You'll just have to trust me on this one, and see when we get there. So…?" he queried, one brow raised and his blue eyes sparkling. She weighed her options, then decided she would do anything to get out of the house.
"Fine… as long as we're not going to be ambushed by monsters or anything," she finally said. Cloud hopped up immediately.
"Don't worry… you can trust me!" he said enthusiastically as they moved to pack up a few things. By the time they were leaving the house, it was around five or six and they still had good sunlight. Cloud led Tifa to where he had been keeping their chocobos. The small village had built a stable area for the large birds since more and more people were using them for travel these days, and Cloud had rented out two stalls with some of his generous savings. Once they had everything set, they hopped on the birds and took off inland, with Cloud slightly in front to lead. It was a nice day with only a slightly cool breeze on the air, and Tifa just let her pent up frustrations fly away. She wasn't stretching her legs, not yet, but it sure felt good to be doing something.
It didn't take long for the brunette to figure out they were headed toward Nibelheim, and was preparing herself for that visit when Cloud surprised her by taking a small path between the base of some of the mountains. In a sharp curve of the mountain there lay a cave opening, something Tifa had never seen before. Cloud stopped outside and dismounted, then helped Tifa down. They left their things on the chocobos, who were firmly secured to the ground, before going inside. Cloud hadn't said much to her as of yet, but was letting her form her own reactions. At her first glimpse of the deep interior of the cave, Tifa stopped abruptly and drew in her breath.
The cave was absolutely gorgeous! Every where she looked, all she could see were crystals practically glowing in every single color of the rainbow. The walls were just completely covered in them. The floor of the cave was shiny enough to reflect all that color… it was a breathtaking experience with full impact on the senses. When she was able to close her jaw, Tifa finally let out her breath and turned her dazzled eyes to Cloud.
"This is absolutely spectacular! How did you find this place?" she asked softly. He grinned at her, absurdly pleased with her reaction.
"Before we defeated Kadaj and I was roaming the land a lot, I followed a monster here that knew it couldn't beat me. After I dusted it, I happened to notice the edge of the cave, and went to explore. I decided not to look too far inside because I wanted to share it with someone special… Don't really know why, either," he mused, looking thoughtful. He just hadn't been able to step further inside than a few feet, and had left that day but never forgotten about it. He smiled at Tifa; he was glad he was sharing it with her. She returned the smile, and he took her hand. "C'mon, let's see these crystals closer," he said, pulling her with him as he approached the walls.
Tifa wished she had a camera with her, or even a small piece of one of the crystals to take home with her. They were just so beautiful and precious… especially since it was a gift Cloud was sharing with her. 'Someone special… it's so wonderful being called that…' she thought, her heart bursting with warmth as if it were blooming. Taking in a deep breath, she almost tripped over an object on the ground but caught herself in time.
"Cloud, look! A chest!" she exclaimed, excitement in her voice. It was a decently large chest with a thick lock on it. Cloud immediately joined her and they both stared at it for a solid moment before he took his whole sword and in one quick slash unlocked it. Tossing the lock away, he looked back at Tifa and they shared a look before he slowly pushed the lid up. Both of them gasped at the plethora of jewels and other gold and silver trinkets. On top was a rolled up piece of paper, like a scroll, and Cloud took it. Unrolling it, he read its words out loud.
"To all whom open this chest: each trinket and jewel in this box was made in the spirit of love. Anyone who possesses and wears them will be truly blessed with love for the rest of their life. Please, take only one or two and leave the rest for the next lucky person. The lock will reassemble itself when you close the chest." Looking up at Tifa, he gave her a genuine smile. "Well, is there anything you like in here?" he queried, gesturing to the contents of the chest. Tifa moved forward and crouched down next to him, her eyes roving over everything. Finally they stopped on a simple silver necklace with a sapphire in a Celtic type of pendant. She beamed and picked it up.
"I love this one… it's so simplistically beautiful," she told him, her eyes glued to the object. Cloud gently took it from her hands as they rose, and moved around behind her to put it on. Once it was clasped, he turned her around to face him, and eyed the jewelry.
"It looks great… it only enhances your beauty," he told her with a serious tone to his voice. She inhaled sharply and their eyes met again. Slowly Cloud leaned forward and tipped her chin up with his thumb gently, placing his lips upon hers. It was a tender, soft kiss that lasted only a few seconds, but Tifa's heart started racing again. Their gazes stayed locked, sharing secrets without words, and after a few moments Tifa found some courage and rose on her toes to kiss him again. This time it was hot, strong, passionate… Cloud's mouth seemed to devour hers in slanting motions, his arms holding her close and one hand cupping her head. Tifa felt a searing bolt of lightning travel down her body, warming her belly and creating a pressure she'd rarely felt. Her thoughts were hazy, clouded, but all she knew was she wanted more. More and more…
Cloud himself was following that same line of thought, and his body was on fire. He'd never felt such a great passion inside of himself ever before… it both amazed and scared him. The urgent chant in his mind, 'More… I want more… no, I need more…' seemed to push at him with a ferocious intensity but also made him realize they had to stop now or it would go to a whole different level. Regretfully he broke away from her, his chest heaving a bit from the lack of oxygen as he deeply inhaled and exhaled several times. Tifa was panting, gazing at him with clouded eyes. 'That look… I have to look away before I pounce her…' Cloud thought, turning his gaze to the chest. Slowly he moved to close it, and just like the note said, the lock materialized back in its place looking brand new. Shaking his head in wonder, he turned to smile at Tifa.
"Shall we go back outside? I have another surprise for you," he told her, the smile rather enigmatic. Tifa managed to shake herself out of her stupor and nodded, following Cloud out of the cave. They mounted their chocobos and headed out once again. Cloud led her to a small forest, and straight into the heart, where a beautiful meadow with tall grass was. There they got off their chocobos right next to a large tree and tied them up again, and Cloud pulled a bundle out of his saddle pack.
"What's that?" Tifa asked, suspicious at the sight of a blanket wrapped around something pretty large. Cloud smiled at her and unrolled the blanket, revealing a basket stuffed with food.
"Picnic lunch," he replied, laying the basket down before laying out the blanket underneath the shade of a tree. Once it was smooth, he picked up the basket and took Tifa's hand to lead her to sit down. Cloud joined her, setting out the club style sandwiches, pickle slices, chips, cheese dip, chocolate cake, and finally he produced a bottle of champagne. Tifa's eyes were wide with surprise and shock. "Heh, sorry, but I thought a glass of this would make it a little more 'romantic'," he told her somewhat sheepishly. She shook her head and beamed a smile at him.
"It does! But isn't it hot?" she queried, thinking of the ride to the cave, then the ride here, plus the time they were in the cave. He nodded.
"Yep, but I've still got some materia with me. Ice!" he said, his palm on the bottom of the bottle. Ice covered the bottom and started cooling the liquid inside. Tifa's smile widened at this, and Cloud poured the two glasses of the bubbly drink. Once he had handed Tifa hers, he lifted his glass. "May I present a toast? To the friendship we have held onto for so long which means more to me than anything else on this Planet… and to staying close to each other for many more years to come…" Tifa's eyes grew wider as she clanked her glass to his and drank. "It means more to him than anything else??' she thought, bemused. The tingly warm feeling she had had in her chest spread all over her body at this, and as they ate she couldn't keep her eyes off of her companion.
Noticing her stare, Cloud asked, "Wha? Did I spill something on my chin?" while cutely trying to lift his chin and look down at it at the same time. Tifa giggled at that.
"No, no… I was just looking at you…" she replied honestly, taking a generous bite of her sandwich. Cloud stopped trying to view his chin to look at her oddly a moment, then he just smiled and continued eating. This time he was looking back at her, and their meal was comfortably silent. Once they were finished with the food, Tifa felt her eyes drooping as they put everything back into the basket except the blanket. Feeling very brave when she saw Cloud seated next to the tree and leaning back against it, the brunette moved to situate herself on his lap. "Hope you don't mind… I'm sleepy," she told him, her voice drowsy.
Though he was surprised at her actions, Cloud didn't mind at all and said so. Soon Tifa had wrapped her arms loosely around him and rested her head in the crook of his next, drifting off into sleep while he rested his hands at her waist. They stayed in that position for her half hour nap, and were only bothered by a couple of wasp creatures flying around. Cloud easily defeated them with his material and never woke Tifa. When she did come to, she found Cloud watching her intently, a tender smile on his face. As if a magnet were between them, their heads moved together and their lips met in a very soft and sweet kiss. Not wanting it to end, Cloud tightened his hold on her to pull her closer, and the kiss turned into something full of passion and sparks. When they finally came up for air, both were once again panting. As Tifa regained her bearings, she noticed something.
"Cloud… it's already dark. Are we going to set up camp?" she asked him curiously, noting the growing chill in the air. Cloud blinked, surprised that time had flown by so quickly, and then he nodded.
"Yeah… I brought the supplies in my other saddle bag," he responded as she stood up. He immediately missed her warmth but decided to concentrate on getting their camp set up. Once that was done and the fire was going, they looked at each other. Tifa was shivering, despite her best efforts, and Cloud smiled. "Want to share my sleep roll?" he asked. "It is pretty cool tonight… I wouldn't want you getting ill so soon after your recovery," he added to clarify that his intentions were innocent. Tifa smiled at him and nodded.
"Okay… that sounds good," she said, following him to lay out the roll. Once they were lying down, Cloud put his arm around her abdomen and pulled her close to him, spooning her. Tifa shivered once before snuggling close and turning her head. They kissed goodnight, and as she drifted off to sleep, Cloud heard "Thank you…" whispered from her lips. He was unsure of what she meant exactly, so he squeezed her gently before casting a protect spell on them and falling asleep as well.
The next morning Tifa woke up first, a while before dawn, and just stayed there soaking up the warmth of Cloud's body. He hadn't relinquished his hold on her or moved at all, and it gave her a wonderful feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't help feeling cherished in that moment. Just then Cloud woke up, yawning softly. "Already awake?" he whispered to which Tifa nodded. "Well, good… there's something I want to show you," he said then, causing her to crack a grin. So many surprises in so short of a time… she didn't know if she could take it all without crying tears of joy. They reluctantly got up and put everything away, then mounted the chocobos once more. Cloud took the lead again, this time steering the huge bird to the top of a high cliff which overlooked the ocean.
Motioning her to dismount, Cloud stepped close to the edge, smiling as he noticed the sky lightening. "Cloud… what are you up to?" Tifa asked, coming up next to him. He smiled at her then, moving behind her and putting his arms around her.
"Just watch…" he said, closing his eyes a second to inhale the scent of her. When his eyes came open again, the sky was turning brilliant colors of pink and orange as the sun started to rise from its sleep. The water was reflecting those colors, causing a gorgeous scene. When the top of the sphere came up, Tifa gasped. The sunrise was an amazing experience, one she knew she would cherish forever. It was made even better by the fact that the man she loved so much was holding her close to him, his breath catching at the beauty that always took him by surprise. The colors were always different but always beautiful and vibrant. It signaled the birth of a new day and life of a planet that refused to be destroyed despite the efforts of those who hated it.
When the sun finally pulled itself up above the horizon line, Tifa turned her glossy eyes to Cloud, a soft smile on her face. "That was absolutely amazing… thank you for sharing it with me.." Cloud nodded.
"I have seen it a few times myself, but every time it takes my breath away… I'm glad you enjoyed it." Then he paused to consider. "I suppose we could head back to Costa del Sol, unless you wanted to stop anywhere else first?" Looking down at Tifa, he was caught in the beauty of her dark ruby eyes, feeling as if he were seeing into her soul. Tifa smiled brighter at his words.
"Well, can we drop by Nibelheim before we go back home?" she asked, striking him with the word 'home'. He felt like he had just been dunked in lightning for some odd reason, but shakily pushing the feeling away to be dealt with later.
"Sure, why not? Haven't been back there in quite some time…" he responded, releasing her finally to get back on his chocobo. Tifa followed suit, eyeing him curiously. She had seen his stricken look and wondered about it, but wouldn't pursue it. If he wanted to talk about it, then she would be willing to listen, but she wasn't going to push him. He seemed confused anyway. The ride to Nibelheim was silent again, both lost in their thoughts. When they reached their hometown, they slowed before dismounting. Their steps were a bit hesitant at first, but finally they plunged on in.
The town hadn't changed much after all this time… everything was still in the same place. However, more people had moved in, and it was looking livelier now. Tifa went to her old house while Cloud wandered to the well. No one had bought her childhood home yet since it went on the market again after Sephiroth's first Reunion, but there were some inquiries. She had a feeling that soon it would have someone residing in it again, and felt the need to say her final goodbyes. The interior was still so much the same, and as Tifa moved through, old memories assaulted her. Meeting Cloud for the first time… playing with him… then him leaving to join S.O.L.D.I.E.R. Everything else in her childhood was a blur after that, up until he returned and saved her life. She had been so happy to see him again after so long, but Sephiroth's madness had put a damper on that. She still resented him for ruining her reunion with her old friend.
Moving upstairs, she sat down on her old bed, gazing out the window thoughtfully. She could see Cloud sitting at the well and remembered saying goodbye to him there. As she stood and made her way back downstairs, Tifa smiled. They had changed so much since their innocent childhood, but still remained part of each other's life. It was wonderful that she had made such a solid connection so young… and despite the pain he had brought her, all the joy was making up for it day by day. Turning to face the house's interior, she smiled. "I have had a lot of good memories here… I hope you give better memories to the next person who lives her," she said, closing her eyes a moment before turning and exiting.
Meanwhile, Cloud had been reminiscing as well as he gazed into the well's depths. Tifa had been so nice to him when he first came here… and was his very first friend. He remembered the pain of leaving her and all his hopes and dreams of making something of himself. Then returning to Nibelheim as only a shadow, nothing close to what he wanted to be… but he had been happy to see Tifa again. Then it was taken away with Sephiroth's actions… which still angered him. But still, they remained friends and Tifa had been the one to rescue him from his mako poisoning. He felt very lucky to have her and very grateful to her. He hoped he could make it up to her over time. Hearing a door open and close, Cloud raised his eyes to see Tifa emerging, a smile on her face. "You ready to go?" she asked, looking as if a weight had been lifted. He nodded.
"Yeah… let's go," he said, standing up and taking her hand in his. As they headed for the town's entrance, they both glanced toward the old mansion. They knew Vincent was probably out collecting materials for his project of restoring the house or working hard inside, so they decided to visit him another time. The ride back to Costa del Sol went by quickly, and soon they were putting their chocobos in the stable and heading back to Tifa's home. Once there, they split up to take showers and change. Tifa emerged from her room to find Cloud making some salad for lunch, and she joined him to help. They ate and chatted, and when they were done and had cleaned up, Tifa felt some energy remaining.
"Hey… I am not tired yet, so do you want to come with me to do some light shopping? Nothing big, I promise you! Just groceries and things like that," she suggested, looking at him hopefully. Cloud pretended to consider it before nodding slowly. Tifa clasped her hands happily and dragged him out of the house to the market. They had already picked up a few things when they ran into Genko. He seemed overly happy to see them, despite Cloud's menacing glare in his direction. He didn't like the mayor very much at all.
"Tifa! Mr. Strife," the man greeted, his eyes shining though he kept glancing warily at Cloud. "You'll never guess what's been happening around here lately! For some reason people seem to want to live in the sunshine rather than inland in the smoggy cities… and we've had a huge influx of residents! We're expanding the town outward to keep up with the demand for housing! Perhaps you might think about buying some land and a larger house, since you seem to enjoy it here so much! I know your place is comfortable, but you are raising a boy… I bet more space would be nice," the mayor suggested before moving off to speak to another resident. Tifa stared at him a moment before speaking in a serious tone.
"You know… I have been considering doing just that lately. I really like it here… the fresh air is so nice, and I know Denzel can be safe and healthy here," she said, looking at Cloud to see what he thought. He considered it a moment before nodding.
"That sounds like a great idea, Tif. It is a pleasant town to live in, for sure," he told her, earning him a beaming smile.
"I'm so happy you think so! I'll have to speak to Denzel about it and see what he thinks, but I'm sure he'll love the idea," she commented before going back to her shopping. As Cloud followed her, he started thinking about the future now that Tifa was seriously thinking about staying here for good. For some reason, the idea of going back to live in Midgard was extremely unappealing. "Duh… you don't want to leave Tifa, doofus!' his inner voice said. Cloud stiffened in surprise, then relaxed when he realized it was the truth. Every time he thought ahead into the future, he always saw himself near Tifa. Very near her. Nothing else made sense. He would follow her into the Northern crater if she so desired to live there.
He realized then that Tifa had been happily chatting away at him while he had been lost in thought, and made himself concentrate on what she was saying. "I never would have imagined living here when we were kids… but my heart tells me this is where it wants to be," she said, turning to smile up at him. Cloud returned her smile, and inwardly sighed. She was his future… that he was sure of. He loved her so much, and never wanted to let her go. He realized how serious his feelings for her were. 'Marrying Tifa would be the greatest thing I have ever done…' he thought, his eyes widening. Marriage? That was something he had never considered to be something he would do… he was the hero of the Planet who was always there to save the day when something catastrophic happened. He was supposed to be lonely for the duration of his life, or so ancient tales said. However, this was his world, and his life. He could do whatever he wanted… and marriage? Yes… he wanted to marry Tifa Lockheart. She was his heart and soul, and understanding that gave him a delicious feeling inside.
Watching her decide which pineapple was better, Cloud smiled. He would show her that marrying him would be the one thing to make them both complete, starting right at that moment.