Title: Sword Lessons
Words: 592
Summary: Cloud teaches Tifa some swordplay.
A/N: Imagine a guy teaching a girl to play golf. Same concept except Cloud wouldn't do it on purpose the first time.
A/NII: I'm sorry for the delay, everyone. Unfortunately, my updates will be rather sporadic from now on due to certain personal reasons. Still, I hope you'll be patient with me and I'll follow up with chapters whenever I can. Also, if the chapters are not what they used to be, please do tell me how and where. I'd like to know what it is I may be doing wrong and work to correct it. (bows) Thanks so much for all your support!
Cloud blinked at the sudden sounds. Looking up from his maps and books, he frowned slightly, listening in the quiet.
There it was again, a sort of thud and a sort of scratchy sound of something being dragged along dirt and sand.
One blonde eyebrow rose. It was familiar, this sound and at this time of night, not supposed to be heard. He got up from his chair and exited his room. He paused to check in on the kids and was relieved to find both asleep, tucked underneath their respective blankets. If one of them had been the cause of the sounds, there would have been punishment in the form of "No dessert for a week" or "Wash up duty for two weeks". It wasn't something he enjoyed meting out and, very sheepishly admitted in the privacy of his mind, mostly left up to the other adult within the premises of Seventh Heaven since he was the coward that he was.
Give him Behemoths, Bahamut, even dare he say it, Sephiroth, and he would fight.
Tell him to punish either Marlene or Denzel and he quailed like a puppy that'd been kicked.
He descended the stairs and stepped out into the cool night air through the back door. Blue eyes roamed the surroundings for a moment in the darkness before he spotted who he was looking for.
"Ngghah!"
Clang!
Scriiiitch…
"Huua- woah!"
Thud!
Scriiiitch…
Cloud shook his head after several minutes of silent watching. He walked up quietly and without words, took her hands from behind.
"If you want to hold a sword this heavy, at least position your hands where they can actually grasp it properly."
Tifa had been about to punch this strange fellow who had suddenly just grabbed her from behind. Luckily, he spoke quickly enough and she relaxed at hearing his voice. "How did you know I was out here?"
Cloud nodded at the shallow ruts the blade of his sword had caused in the ground. "I heard the dragging sounds. Why didn't you tell me you wanted to learn swordplay?"
The bar manager shook her head. "Not serious swordplay. I just want to know if I could handle one. Martial arts are all well and good but after watching everyone else… I kind of wondered if I could make a weapon work too."
"The way the sword kept falling out of your hand every time you tried to swing it, I doubt it." Cloud's little grin was interrupted by his grunt when Tifa elbowed him in the ribs. "Look. Put your right hand here, just below the hilt. Your left hand here…"
It wasn't until he guided her hand to swing the sword down that they both realized he had his arms around her from behind, like a very large hug.
Cloud coughed softly. "…maybe you should try it on your own now."
Tifa looked away, nodding. "…maybe."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…on my own means I don't need you to guide my arms, Cloud."
"…"
He reached a decision.
"I said maybe. I didn't say you needed to."
Tifa's cheeks grew warm at this. "…oh."
Cloud noticed she didn't protest. Neither did he.
It was a bit like inverted dancing, thought the bar manager an hour later after being taught some basic moves. With a very large sword, but that was beside the point.
The thought of Cloud's arms surrounding her just confirmed that it'd been worth dragging said weapon out into the back alley to see if she could be strong enough to lift it.
.
End.