A/N: Thank you so much for reading! A huge thank you and lots of love to all of the reviewers, your words have brought me so much joy! I hope you enjoy the conclusion to this story.
Last Train to Brooklyn
Chapter Ten - Epilogue
Is This Forever
Six months later - September
"Teef? Tifa."
Tifa was still wrapped thick in a hazy dreamworld, her vision bordered by darkness as she heard her name called somewhere in the distance. She felt herself lurch forward as she reached toward the sound, sighing breathlessly until she realized she had been on the edges of sleep. She blinked, her eyes fluttering open as a shine of white flooded her senses, slats of early morning sunlight beginning to seep into the bedroom through the blinds that hung over the window across from the bed.
"Hmm?"
Cloud was leaning over her, his body pressed against the back of hers, and she turned her head back to glance up at him, her eyes opening to catch his deep blue pools dark and heavy-lidded. He had one arm draped over her belly as he pulled her close to him, a lazy smile plastered on his face that deepened when he saw her eyes open.
"Morning, Teef," he greeted her, his voice low and roughed over from sleep.
"Morning," she murmured, letting out a little yawn. Cloud had one arm above her head on the pillow, and he reached down to brush thick strands of her hair out of her face. "Did you get a good night's sleep?"
He leaned in to kiss her shoulder, igniting her with a little shiver. "Yeah. Next to you, who wouldn't?"
She laughed, snuggling deeper under the covers and closing her eyes again, pressing her body back against his. He was firm and warm, and she was instantly smiling.
"Wow, Strife," she chided, feeling his hardness pressing into her soft bottom. "This early?"
"Can't help it," he growled into her shoulder in response, nipping the stretch of pale skin. His hand that was wrapped around her waist began to travel, finding the hem of the t-shirt she wore - one of his old, oversized shirts - drifting beneath to connect with the soft skin that was pulled tight over the expanse of her abdominal muscles. She felt his fingers draw lazy, undefined shapes there, drifting up just enough to brush across the undersides of her breasts.
"Mmm," she purred in response. "I bet."
He chuckled into her hair, lowering the trail of his hand. She wasn't wearing any underwear - they had been tossed away somewhere the night before - and soon, his hand was nudging her thighs apart, fingers seeking the dampness that was already beginning to drip and reawaken there.
"You're so sexy," Cloud whispered into the back of her neck, nuzzling her skin and pressing kisses through the dark silk of her hair. "I love seeing you come first thing in the morning."
"Oh?" Tifa tossed playfully over her shoulder, twirling and rubbing her bottom against his erection.
"Yeah," he responded, his voice breathless and throaty now. "You wanna come for me?"
"Maybe," she teased, rotating her hips, and Cloud laughed and looped his arm under her thigh, lifting her leg and sliding one of his beneath it to keep it raised. Kissing her shoulder again, he let his fingers trail new lines over her thighs, drifting to their insides where they flitted aimlessly, causing Tifa to feel her entire body begin to light up as she started to leak and the ache began to pulse.
"You're such a tease," she chastised him.
He gave her shoulder bite in response, now lowering his fingers to slide between the wet crease of her flesh.
"You're fucking soaked already," he groaned, kissing the spot that he'd bitten into.
"I might have been dreaming about you," she purred, leaning back into him even further as she felt his fingers stroke her from bottom to top, giving her clit a teasing pass before he slid back down to gently taunt the rim of her wet passage, gliding his finger inside of her up to his center knuckle.
"You can't get enough of me, can you?" he breathed into her neck.
"Don't let it get to your head," she tossed back at him, and at that, he laughed again and pulled his finger from her heat, slickly dragging it back up to her engorged nub and beginning to rub circles over it in the way that he had become so proficient at, it was practically hedonistic.
She moaned instantly, tipping her head back and bumping into his forehead, letting her body succumb to the sensations. Cloud was whispering something into her shoulder now, words that were dark and fleeting, but she couldn't pay attention to them, she was so wrapped up in the pleasure he was slowly pulling out of her. She keened, the sound willowing out into a breathy sigh as she felt him bring her body close to the precipice.
Cloud must have sensed the tension building inside of her, because he abruptly stopped, pulling his fingers away from her wetness in a slow, slippery drag. Tifa whined her protest, even as she felt him shifting behind her, guiding his slick, hard tip into the tight rim of her opening, pressing into her slowly, and stretching her open as he filled her.
Tifa felt the familiar, early feelings of bliss fold over her, her mouth dropping open as his length plunged deep inside of her, the angle of their position sending him deep and tapping a part of her that ignited fireworks in the back of her skull. She moaned darkly, reaching one hand up to find his still hovering above her head, interlacing their fingers together while her other hand brought his free one back between her thighs. He took the hint, and as he began to rock inside of her with a steady rhythm, he began to rub the pad of his finger against her clit again, this time with lazy, slow strokes that made her crazy but lacked the pressure to send her careening over the cliff face.
"Cloud," she whimpered, and he thrust inside of her even more deeply, tacking into her spot and making her wince and feel dizzy from the rapturous spikes that hit her nerve endings.
As Tifa sighed and whined with every thrust and stroke, Cloud worked her slowly into a frenzy, the sound of his voice whispering soft, sweet nothings and encouraging praises right into her ear, only adding to the languorous build. She closed her eyes and savored it, feeling herself suspended in a deeply entrenched state of raw ecstasy for so long that she was beginning to wonder if her heart could even take it much longer.
Eventually, he began to move faster inside of her, his rhythm now purposeful and determined and no longer indolent and sweet. He kept two fingers now pressed against her sensitive button, but he concentrated on his strokes inside of her, pumping into her hard and fast and driving them both to the edge.
It hit them both at almost the very same moment, and Tifa cried his name sharply as she tumbled across the pinnacle, the sound dying in her throat while she descended into a wave pool of pure euphoria. She heard Cloud groan and swear behind her, and soon he was squeezing her waist painfully tight, painting her insides with his sticky warmth.
A sheen of sweat had broken out into a layer between both their bodies, and Tifa panted frantically as she tried to catch her breath. Cloud held her tight to him, breathing the excess of his release against her shoulder.
"Goddamnit, Tifa," he muttered, and Tifa could only laugh in response; she could never tire of hearing him swear when they were in bed together.
Moments passed, and eventually, Cloud shifted away from her and rolled to his back, staring up at the ceiling. Having finally caught her breath, Tifa turned to face him, smiling down at the drained look on his face, bringing her manicured fingers up to his face to stroke his jaw.
"That was a hell of a way to start the day," he groused up at her, returning her smile in the form of a lazy smirk.
She blushed a little, nodding as she traced the boyish curves of his face with her fingertips, falling into the hazy royal blue of his eyes. "Well deserved," she agreed. "A lot to celebrate today."
And it was. In fact, they were planning to have a small group of their closest friends over that evening for a little gathering to celebrate the small accomplishments they'd finally found themselves experiencing.
Over the course of the last several months, a lot had changed for Cloud and Tifa. Tifa began working with AVALANCHE full-time last spring, and she'd helped Barret restructure the nonprofit so that the organization began to generate a lot less overhead so that more funds could be used for resources, materials, and staffing. She managed Seventh Heaven in SoHo for him, too, and her financial prowess had helped see the bar and grill increase its profitability significantly after she'd made several marketing changes and found ways to cut back on excess, petty expenses.
And now that she no longer had to worry about graduate school, she also began to community organize with AVALANCHE in the borough a lot more. Elections were a year out, and her volunteer work locally those last months - the environmental convenings she held alongside Barret, the signatures for worker's rights petitions she collected to be sent to the state legislature, the rallies and food drives and voter registration events she helped organized, all began to garner her significant interest in the local political scenes, and soon, Barret was demanding that she run for Borough President again.
"The local party leaders don't want me, Teef," he'd explained, slamming his fist against Seventh Heaven's bar top when she'd protested. "They say I'm too unpredictable, too much of a hothead. I guess I can't blame 'em. But you're much better suited for this kinda work, Tifa. The world needs more honest politicians."
Tifa didn't think there was such a thing, but she saw it in the eyes of the locals during her conversations with them, and soon, she found herself warming up to the idea. Cloud had been the one to solidify it for her.
"I told you a long time ago, Tifa," he said to her one night over sushi in the Bronx. "You'd be good at it."
That had been all it had taken, and just a few weeks ago, Tifa filed her name with the local election commission.
On the subject of Cloud, things had changed significantly for him as well. He still worked at the energy plant, though by now, it was more because of routine than out of necessity. By midsummer, Cloud had finally found a publisher to pick up his first novel, and he had deposited a 25,000 dollar advance into the bank, the publisher hoping to sell an initial 50,000 copies. The book was scheduled to be released in just a few weeks, and Cloud had gotten several pre-release copies that they were planning to give to their friends later that night. Having already read the book, Tifa was more excited about its release than anything else they were celebrating.
And aside from all of that, their small gathering was also a housewarming. Cloud and Tifa had moved into this two-bedroom flat in Williamsburg at the end of the summer, not long after Cloud's 25th birthday, and they'd only just recently finished furnishing their new space. It would be the first time any of their friends would be over to visit. After they'd leased their new apartment, Zack had quickly moved into the brownstone in Park Slope with Aerith.
"What do you have planned for today?" Cloud asked her, his breathing finally calm, now reaching his hand up to tangle his fingers in her hair.
"I'm meeting Barret and some canvassers for a few hours today at the new campaign headquarters," Tifa explained, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the side of her fist. "And then, Aerith is going to help me get the apartment ready for tonight."
Cloud smiled up at her, her onyx locks twisted and twirled around his fingers. "I'm so proud of you, Teef," he told her sincerely.
She blushed, looking down, her fingers still brushing against his cheek. "Thanks, Cloud. I'm really proud of you, too. I can't wait until everyone sees your book tonight."
Cloud's cheeks reddened, and he gave his shoulders a little shrug as if he wasn't interested, but Tifa knew that he was only playing it off, that deep down inside, he was finally feeling accomplished and, maybe, just a little smug.
"How about you?" Tifa asked.
Cloud sighed a little. "I'm meeting with my therapist this morning," he began, "And then I have to pick my mom up from the airport."
Tifa offered him a bright smile. "I can't wait to see her."
Cloud nodded. "Yeah, me either. Hey, Teef. Do you think your dad is gonna come?"
Tifa lowered her eyes and sat back at that, letting her hand fall from Cloud's cheek to his shoulder. The truth was, things between her and her father hadn't improved much over the last six months. The full trial had been held in late June, and mercifully, Tifa had been spared from testifying, since her depositions had provided enough evidence, and her contributions hardly covered the deep corruption of Shinra's financial transactions that went back more than a decade.
In the end, Tseng and Shinra's legal team had negotiated lucrative deals with Reeve and the prosecution, and Scarlet and Heiddegar were quickly thrown to the wolves. They were the only defendants to receive any jail time, both sentenced to three years with opportunities for early releases. The Shinras and Tifa's father all faced heavy fines in the millions of dollars, were placed on probation with the courts, had hundreds of thousands in assets seized, and were forced to watch as Shinra Capitol was herded into bankruptcy before the company was restructured, fragmented into pieces, and then sold off and liquidated to the highest bidders.
While he was not completely broke after all was said and done, the entire ordeal had put Brian Lockhart into enough of a financial predicament following the seizures and bankruptcies and fines, that he'd had to sell his flat on Park Avenue and move to an apartment across the river in New Jersey. And with his new criminal record, finding work in his former field as a financier had become nearly impossible, and all it had done was send her father into a tailspin of alcoholism and degeneracy. Tifa had visited him at his new apartment a few times, but she found that their relationship had stagnated and sat just out of reach out of any true reconciliation, Brian continuing to wallow in his own grief and misery and seeming only mildly interested in the changes taking place in her life. He had even forgotten her birthday that past May, he was so wrapped up in his own issues.
Sometimes, Tifa could see the light behind his eyes as he tried to make an effort, but his depression and regret was too heavy, and almost always seemed to impede any progress they made. Tifa usually found herself ending their conversations with an acceptance that this was simply the way that things would live between them, at least, until he admitted that he needed some outside help.
Tifa didn't know what had happened to Rufus after the trial, and she really didn't care, either.
Sighing at this thought, Tifa shook her head and met eyes with Cloud again.
"No," she answered. "I didn't invite him."
Cloud opened his mouth slightly to say something, but then closed it and simply nodded, before he pushed himself up.
"Tifa?"
"Yeah?"
"I… wanted to ask you something."
Hearing the sudden shy, tentativeness in his voice, Tifa lifted her hand to card her fingers through his hair this time.
"Shoot."
"I know we just moved in here," he was looking up at her, tipping his head into the press of her fingertips against his scalp, "But I was wondering… maybe in a few years… if you'd ever consider moving back to Colorado?"
She blinked, stunned.
"Really?" she asked, pulled apart in two directions by this idea. Part of her longed for her hometown, missed the serene beauty of the West with its mountains and rural landscapes in the backdrop. But she also now had deep roots in New York, and she thought it might be difficult to pull them out.
"Yeah," he breathed, reaching down to caress her shoulder. "I mean, not anytime soon. But maybe in the future when we're ready to like… I don't know. Settle down."
"Settle down?" Tifa repeated, raising an eyebrow, her tone playful.
Cloud was blushing again. "Yeah. You know… buy a house… get married…"
"Married!" Tifa exclaimed, her heart bursting with affection at the idea.
"…have some kids," he finished.
"Cloud!" Tifa cried, reaching out with laughter, circling her arms around his neck. "Oh, of course. Of course, I'll move back to Colorado with you and have all of your babies."
Cloud laughed, and the sound was so happy and joyous that Tifa felt her entire body light up again as he leaned up and captured her lips in another kiss.
"Big day ahead of us, huh?" he pulled away from her after a moment, his lips shining. "Better get out of this bed before I pin you down to it again."
Tifa laughed, her earlier melancholic thoughts now entirely dispelled. "You're right. We better."
A little after ten that morning, Tifa stepped out of a taxi in Brooklyn Heights, a latte in one hand. It was mid-September, and the weather was still mild, but there was a gentle breeze in the air that was pleasantly cool.
Ahead of her, Tifa faced the small campaign headquarters that AVALANCHE was renting for the base of operations, already seeing the activity inside through the large glass panel windows. They were plastered with red, white, and blue signs that announced her candidacy against a backdrop of stars and stripes, her name in the center in bold, block lettering. TIFA LOCKHART - A Borough President for the People read the slogan on the posters. She felt her heartbeat quicken as she stared up at it, smiling a little before she stepped inside.
The space had been a former retail shop that had shut down some years ago, and at present, the front floor space was filled with tables and chairs, AVALANCHE volunteers sitting in front of laptops or chattering into phones. Biggs was standing to one side, tacking sticky notes onto a large map of Brooklyn that was pasted to a wall. Across the room, Barret was waving his hands wildly in the air as he conversed with a young woman who Tifa thought she'd recognized from television.
"Hey, Tifa," Wedge was at her side, carrying a box of campaign flyers in one arm. "I'm getting ready to hang these on doors in a few neighborhoods with Wymer and Gwen. Barret has somebody he wants you to meet."
Tifa nodded, offering him a bright smile as he grinned at her and then turned away to depart. She glanced up to find Barret waving her over. She pulled her messenger bag off of her shoulders, dropping it onto a table before she walked over to him.
The woman he was standing beside was petite, completely diminutive in comparison to Barret's large, overbearing frame. Her black hair was trimmed into a bob around her face, her eyes dark grey and almond-shaped, betraying an Eastern lineage. She was dressed sharply in a navy blue pencil shirt and a floral, silk blouse.
"Tifa," Barret began, "This is Yuffie Kisaragi. You've probably seen her on some of the cable networks. She's a political journalist, and wants to talk to you about the campaign."
Yuffie took a step forward, thrusting her hand in Tifa's direction. "Ms. Lockhart! It's such a pleasure to meet you. I'm writing a series about local, rookie politicians all across the country, and your campaign caught my eye."
"Tifa is fine," Tifa rejoined, taking Yuffie's hand and shaking it. "It's nice to meet you, too."
"We should take this in the back," Barret suggested gruffly at their sides. "It can get a little noisy out here."
Tifa nodded, and she and Yuffie both followed Barret into the back of the shop, into a small break room. He gestured for them to sit at a long table, while he chose a seat in the back of the room, crossing his arms over his massive chest as he sat and watched, ever the protective sentinel.
Tifa chose a chair at one end of the table while Yuffie fell into one beside her. She dropped an oversized purse onto the table, digging through it before fishing out a small recorder, a notebook, and a pen. She settled the recorder on the table between her and Tifa, and flipped the notepad open.
"I'd like to record this, if that's okay?" Yuffie asked, crossing her legs under the table.
Tifa gave her head a little nod, feeling her nerves begin to shudder. She'd never been interviewed before, and she admittedly felt a little nervous about it.
"Sure," she responded after a moment.
Yuffie offered her a bright grin, and Tifa realized that she seemed so young, as if she was recently out of college.
"Okay, why don't we start with a little bit about you and your campaign? I'm sure that voters would love to know more about who you are, and why you were motivated to run?"
Tifa turned back to look at Barret, and he gave her an encouraging nod, offering her one of his rare smiles. She noticed he had taken off his sunglasses, and his light brown eyes were warm and shining at her with fatherly approval. It made her smile.
Her own father may not have his life together enough to be there for her this way, but Tifa was grateful for the small blessings in her life like Barret.
"Well, I've been volunteering for the non-profit AVALANCHE for the last 5 years," Tifa explained to Yuffie, watching the red light blink on her recorder. "When I first started college, I decided that I wanted to give back to my community, that I wanted to help people. A lot of people are struggling in New York, and I knew that I wanted to do something to help. I was able to do that with AVALANCHE. We do a lot in the community, through food and drives and voter registration, even helping people find work or prepare for job interviews. My friend, Biggs, set up an after school program to provide tutoring and recreation for local school children, and our CEO, Barret Wallace, created a legal defense fund to help people who had been wrongfully accused. We all work together; it's a team effort."
"And why did you decide to run for the office of Borough President for Brooklyn?"
Tifa folded her hands over her lap, absently pulling at the cuffs of her sweater. "It wasn't something I really ever saw myself doing, to be honest with you - running for political office. I am actually not really a fan of most politicians, believe it or not. But, my friends and colleagues in the borough and in AVALANCHE persuaded me. I've been working for so long with people in this city, that they convinced me that I could have an even greater impact on the community I love if I represented it at City Hall."
"That's so great," Yuffie agreed. "Can you tell me more about what you'd actually do if you were elected?"
Tifa nodded. "Well, the office of Borough President is a very unique one in the city's governmental organization. It's responsible for advocating for the needs of the people in the borough to the mayor and the city council. Since I've been working in Brooklyn for so long, I know what the community needs. I would focus on making sure that we are adequately considered during the yearly budget process. I have a background in finance, and I would develop a budget for the borough that would make sure that City Hall provides us with enough financial support and resources to properly fund our schools, hospitals, and other community initiatives. I'm also a strong believer in environmental protections, so I would make sure that land-use proposals are not harmful to the environment before they are approved. And I would for sure, absolutely appoint committee members that are diverse and that would best represent and serve the needs of every constituent in the borough."
Yuffie nodded, jotting something into her notebook.
"Your opponent has made several statements about you, accusing you of being out of touch because of your wealthy upbringing and your past work with the disgraced investment firm Shinra Capitol last year. What is your response to such allegations?"
Tifa resisted the urge to sigh, suspecting that the conversation might turn in this direction. Her fingers fiddled in her lap, and after a moment, she looked up to find Yuffie's slate-gray eyes watching her expectantly.
"I think it's very important to recognize one's privilege," Tifa began. "It is true, that I grew up without ever having to worry about my next meal, with a lot more than most people have. But it's taught me how inequitable life sometimes is, and it is actually the reason that I want to change things."
She leaned forward, watching Yuffie nod her head in response as she continued to scribble into her notebook. "And working for Shinra… I was only there for a very short time, but the greatest lesson that I learned was that there is often hidden corruption that makes things even more unfair for so many people, and it needs to be dealt with purposefully. That is another reason I wanted to run for office. I want to hold people and organizations like Shinra accountable when they abuse the public's trust."
This had Yuffie smiling widely. "That reminds me," she continued. "Next year's Borough President election is taking place the same time as the New York Governor's race. As you know, U.S. Attorney Reeve Tuesti recently announced his run. He's on the same party ticket as you are. Do you have any thoughts about his candidacy?"
Tifa held her smile. The truth was, she was largely indifferent about Reeve Tuesti, especially after the trial and all of the drama that had unfolded in its wake. But she did get the sense that he was genuinely invested in doing the right thing for the people, and for that, Tifa really couldn't fault him.
"I think he'll make a great governor," Tifa responded sincerely.
Yuffie peppered her with a few more questions about her campaign and her future goals, and eventually, the interview ended. The young woman stored everything back in her purse, then offered Tifa her hand again with a smile.
"Thanks so much, Tifa. It was so great to speak to you! I've been interested in politics for a long time. My father was the Prime Minister of Japan for many years when I was a schoolgirl. It's always so inspiring to me to see women in government."
"Wow," Tifa exhaled, her cheeks lighting up as she smiled. "Thanks. That means a lot to me."
"I'll be publishing my piece in Politico in a few weeks," Yuffie added. "I hope you enjoy it. Good luck!"
Tifa nodded, watching as Yuffie waved goodbye to Barret before she left the room. When she was gone, Barret rose to his feet, crossing over to her and dropping his heavy hand on her shoulder. Tifa looked up at him where he towered over her.
"You did great, Teef," he praised, his grin warm and genuine. "I'm really proud of you. I've watched you grow so much these last few months. Ain't seen nothin' like it, I tell ya. Brooklyn is lucky to have you."
Tifa couldn't stop the way that she blushed, shaking her head a little as she glanced down at her boots. "Thanks, Barret. But I couldn't have done it without you. I still think you'd make a better Borough President."
Barret chuckled, sliding his shades back on. He wrapped one arm around her shoulder, giving her a light squeeze, though under his massive biceps it felt more like the grip of a vice, causing her to wince as he throttled her. "Nah, this one's for you, kid. I've got my perfect gig already. And I know you're gonna blow this out of the water."
Tifa only smiled, shaking her head again as her cheeks continued to flare.
"Anyway, we got work to do. Phone calls to make - people love it when the candidates reach out to them directly - and I think Biggs has some polling data he wants us to review. Might help us with finetuning our strategy," he advised as he released her.
"You're right," Tifa agreed, nodding her head as they turned to head back onto the campaign floor. "Let's get to work."
"I absolutely love this apartment, Tifa!"
Aerith, dressed in a bright pink denim jacket over a candy-striped sheath dress, was bending over the edge of the brick railing that lined the deck to the apartment Tifa and Cloud shared in Williamsburg, overlooking a view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan in the distance. The deck was generously sized, three glass and iron tables settled in a row across it, the railing bordered by yellow lilies that Aerith had gifted them when they first moved in. It was Aerith's first time visiting, and she had gushed her way through every room that Tifa led her through.
"Thanks, Aerith," Tifa replied. She was standing in the center of the deck with her hands on her hips, wearing a black and white houndstooth bodycon dress that was belted at the waist, her hair pulled high into a ponytail, and her legs wrapped in black, suede, lace-up boots. "Do you think this is going to be enough space?"
Aerith turned around. Today, she was wearing her hair loose, and it spilled in a wavy tumble around her shoulders. Aerith rarely wore makeup, but today she'd rimmed her eyes with dark liner and a hint of a sparkly magenta eye shadow, her lips bright with a sunny pink gloss. She brought her hand up to her chin, tapping it as she thought.
"I think this is perfect," she decided, her emerald green eyes sparkling as she winked at Tifa. "For the amount of people you're having over, it will work out well. I'm so excited for tonight, Tifa! I can't wait to see Cloud's book."
"You're going to be seriously impressed," Tifa agreed. "But never mind all that. You look so gorgeous today! Zack is absolutely going to lose his mind. You're irresistible."
Aerith actually blushed, and she waved her hand to and fro in the air in front of her. "Oh, stop it, Tifa! Please! Just look at you, in that dress! It's just too much to handle. Cloud is going to have you out of it before we crack open the first bottle of wine."
Tifa chuckled, now her turn to blush. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. My birth control is really effective, Aerith. It's a small wonder that I haven't fallen pregnant yet. He's kind of ridiculous."
Aerith laughed so brightly that she began to clap her hands in front of her several times in excitement. "Oh gosh, I just love that. Zack is just as bad, Tifa. These boys are insatiable."
Tifa nodded, joining Aerith in her laughter.
"Oh, my god, Tifa," Aerith blurted. "I just remembered something. Here - I have to show you this."
"What is it? Tifa asked, watching as Aerith began to dig through her purse that was sitting on one of the tables.
"Just - oh my god," she repeated. She pulled out her phone, typing something into the screen. Tifa watched as she searched through it, before she turned it toward Tifa and offered it to her.
Tifa accepted the device, squinting down at the screen's glow. "US Weekly?" She asked, intrigued.
Aerith could barely contain her enthusiasm. "Just scroll down," she squealed.
Tifa quirked an eyebrow; celebrity news sites were not her thing. She scrolled through the page, though, her mouth dropping open when images of Rufus Shinra appeared on the screen, a cache of candid paparazzi photos. He was with Tseng in all of them, and some of them were… intimate. There was an image of them walking arm in arm down a narrow cobblestone street, another where they were photographed dining in a curved booth in a restaurant, seated close to one another in the dim lighting, Tseng's arm behind Rufus' shoulders as Rufus sipped on a glass of wine. Another photo showed him climbing into the backseat of a dark vehicle with strange plates, a coffee in one hand, Tseng holding the car door for him. In the final picture, Rufus was seen stepping inside of a fancy hotel late at night, Tseng behind him with his hand pressed to the small of his back, Rufus looking back in the direction of the camera with his tell-tale simper.
Tifa's mouth dropped open as she looked back up at Aerith.
"Dear god," she murmured.
"Read it!" Aerith cried, suddenly jumping up and down where she stood.
Tifa blinked, dumbfounded, and began to scroll again to the text of the article. Her eyes widened as she began to read out loud."
"Rufus Shinra, former Vice President of the scandal-plagued and now-defunct investment firm Shinra Capitol, was recently seen in Prague with his lawyer and long-term lover, Tseng Taikoro. They have been spotted dining and taking extended stays at some of the city's most exclusive restaurants and hotels.
"Rufus was found guilty of insider trading during a June trial where Shinra's chief executives were prosecuted in federal court for fraud and conspiracy, but avoided incarceration, instead hit with heavy fines and the seizure of assets. For more on the meteoric collapse of Shinra Capitol, please turn to our full coverage on page 53 - 'The Belly of the Beast - The Rise and Fall of Shinra Capitol'."
Tifa looked up at Aerith with her mouth still agape.
"Longtime lover?" she repeated, stunned.
Aerith just laughed, high pitched and practically manic. "Tifa, I just can't. I don't usually read those types of magazines, but I went back through some old articles about Rufus, and oh my goodness. Apparently, he's been on and off with Tseng for a while, but nobody's ever been able to confirm it. It's just been gossip based on photos that the tabloids have posted about them. Rufus has dated a few female socialites too, but they never last. Tseng's always there, though."
Tifa's shocked expression pulled back into a smile, and she shook her head as she began to laugh, handing Aerith back her phone. "Well, that explains why Tseng hated me so much."
Aerith scrutinized one of the photos a little bit before she set her phone down. "Is it just me, or does it look like Rufus' jaw is still a little crooked from where Cloud decked him?"
Tifa giggled even more. "Oh, Aerith, stop."
Aerith snickered, dropping her phone into her purse again. "I thought that would bring a smile to your face," she told her. "Anyway. Speaking of Shinra… how are things going with your father? Especially following the trial?"
Tifa sighed, the mirth of their earlier conversation slipping away as she crossed over to the ledge, leaning over and looking out over the city skyline. It was a little after five in the evening, and the sun was just beginning to sink against the horizon, the sky now painted with wide strokes of fuchsia and amber.
"I don't know, Aerith," Tifa began. "Since the trial, he really hasn't been doing well. He's started to drink more than I have ever seen him. He hasn't been able to work, and I'm worried about him drinking straight through what's left of his savings." She lowered her eyes, shaking her head. "I just… sometimes I think he's trying, but… it's just really hard for him. He's so broken after all of this. I don't know if he can ever really fully turn around."
Aerith crossed the deck and came to stand beside her, dropping her hand to Tifa's forearm. Her palm was warm, and something in her touch radiated a sense of calm over her.
"I understand, Tifa," she breathed carefully. "You're doing your best with him, and that's all you can ask of yourself. He's your dad, and it's his responsibility to make things right after everything that he's done. Maybe he will figure it out, and maybe he won't. It's hard to say with these things, Tifa. But as long as you are no longer carrying that anger on your heart, you'll be okay."
"I've let it go," Tifa admitted for the first time out loud.
"Good," Aerith replied, giving her arm a little squeeze. "And at least you've got Cloud. Gosh, that boy loves you so much."
Tifa smiled again, blushing a little as she thought about him, recalling their conversation early that morning in bed.
"Aerith," Tifa began. "Cloud… Cloud asked me if I would ever want to move back to Colorado with him."
"What?" Aerith demanded, clearly taken aback as she turned to face Tifa fully. "But you just got this apartment! And what about the election?"
"Not now," Tifa stopped her, letting out an airy laugh. "Like, in the future, years from now. He, um, wants to get married when we are older."
"Oh, gosh, Tifa!" Aerith practically screamed.
"…and have babies," Tifa added, and Aerith was jumping up and down again.
"Goodness, that boy is so smitten!" Aerith cried, her voice bright and wild, colored with excitement. "Honestly, I knew it the very first day I met him, outside of the apartment. It was written all over his face in the way that he looked at you. I think he's been in love with you for a very, very long time, Tifa."
Tifa only smiled, feeling warmed over again as she thought back on the teasing words that Cloud's mother had shared back on her hospital bed, causing Cloud to turn red with embarrassment.
"You might be right," she agreed. "And how about you and Zack?"
Aerith just laughed. "Well, Zack has certainly never said anything to me about marriage," she replied. "But I can see myself staying with him for a long time."
Tifa nodded, her smile expanding into a grin. "You guys are cute."
"Thanks, Tifa," Aerith said. "Come on, let's go inside and get the appetizers ready. I ordered all of the drinks with this new liquor delivery app on my phone, and everything should be here soon. Everyone will be arriving in a couple of hours."
Tifa backed away from the ledge, nodding her head. "Okay, let's finish getting ready."
"Cloud Strife?"
Cloud looked up from where he sat in the waiting room of his doctor's practice, finding the receptionist standing by the rear doorway of the office.
"The doctor is ready to see you now."
Cloud nodded, rising slowly to his feet, sliding his phone back into his pocket. He crossed the room, following the receptionist to the back. She led him down a short hallway, stopping by the door and gesturing for him to enter.
When she disappeared, Cloud entered the small office and looked around. It was quaint and nicely decorated, a couch in one corner, potted plants lining the bookshelves, framed degrees hanging from the wall behind the desk. The left wall was paneled with floor to ceiling windows, and Cloud's eyes caught a man standing in front of them, overlooking the city below.
He turned at the sound of the door closing, offering Cloud a toothy smile.
"Ah, Cloud. Please, have a seat."
Cloud nodded, making his way over to the chair in front of the desk.
Cloud had started seeing his therapist at the beginning of the summer. Even though he had worked through a lot of his issues with Tifa - who had a degree in psychology and was just an overall great fucking listener - he was still at times visited by nightmares or found himself triggered to the brink of a panic attack. Tifa became convinced that he was suffering from a case of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences in the war, and she had gently suggested he see a qualified therapist. Cloud had been hesitant at first, not really thinking he could bring himself to open up to a stranger about his problems.
Dr. Nanaki had been recommended to Tifa by one of her old undergrad classmates, and Cloud had finally broken down and had his first session with him in July. Nanaki was young - maybe in his late twenties or early thirties - a recently minted PhD who had only opened his practice in Queens just a little over two years ago. It made Cloud feel a little bit more comfortable around him and talking to him.
Nanaki was an indigenous Native American, his skin ruddy and dark, his long, black hair dyed a flaming bright red at its tips, fashioned into a braid that trailed his back. Despite the formal dress that he chose for the office - dark, wool suits and sweaters - Cloud could see the way that he still embraced his culture. The few times that Cloud had seen him with short sleeves or his sleeves rolled up, he noticed the assortment of tribal tattoos that covered his arms, and it was evident in the beaded and woven jewelry around his wrists and neck, even in the decor and paintings hung in his office. And he and Cloud had instantly bonded over their shared birthplaces out West, where Nanaki had grown up, his parents originally part of the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
Nanaki crossed the room when Cloud sat, settling himself into his seat at the desk across from him. He opened a file in front of him before he looked up at Cloud and offered him a smile.
Nanaki was a handsome young man, but his left eye was disfigured, marred by a thin, cross-stitched scar that trailed the side of his face. Cloud found it sometimes distracting, but he didn't dare ask how it had happened.
"It's good to see you again, Cloud," he greeted, leaning back in his chair a little.
"You too, Dr. Nanaki," Cloud responded, returning his smile.
Nanaki waved his hand in the air dismissively. "Please, I've told you. Everyone calls me Red. This doctor business… it is just far too much. I don't really place a lot of value on titles."
Cloud nodded. "Okay, Red."
Red held his smile, then glanced down at the folder in front of him, pushing some papers to the side as he examined them. He looked up at Cloud.
"So, how have you been?" he asked.
Cloud scratched the back of his neck, thinking. Things had been much better in recent weeks, that much was for sure. But they certainly weren't perfect.
"I've been okay," Cloud answered, giving his head a little shake. "I did have one, really bad dream last week. It was really hard for me to concentrate for the rest of the day."
Red nodded slowly, digesting this information. "I see. Would you like to talk about this dream with me?"
Cloud swallowed, pouring over it. Whenever the nightmares captured him in the dead center of the night, waking him with his body covered in sweat as he sat up in bed, he tried to do everything in his power to shove away the traumatic memories that they unearthed. But as he had begun to learn over his last few sessions with Nanaki, sometimes talking out what had happened helped him to resolve them, filing them away with finality and finally being able to find some closure over the events.
"I know I told you about my comrades - Kunsel, Essai, and Sebastian," Cloud began. "And how they - how they died. But this time was different. It was about one of our commanders."
"Oh?" Red prodded.
Cloud swallowed, feeling his palms begin to sweat as he dredged up the old memory. "Y-yeah. General Sephiroth. He commanded our unit for a while, taking over after Angeal had been injured. He was… remarkably cruel."
Red only nodded, waiting for Cloud to elaborate.
"A lot of times, we had to go into civilian villages," Cloud continued. "There were often insurgents hiding there, and whenever we got intelligence, we were dispatched to root them out. We were always as careful as possible to not involve civilians. I mean, sometimes there were casualties, of course, but… we tried to avoid them. But Sephiroth… he just didn't care. Whenever we went into one of these villages under his command, he would lay ruin to everything. Civilians - even women and children weren't safe from his wrath. Sometimes the streets would run red with blood before he was finished, and he'd order us to stay silent. He even set fire to one small encampment, trying to burn the insurgents out of hiding. It was… it was terrible. He should have been tried for war crimes."
Nanaki remained silent for a long moment, his eyes holding Clouds. When Cloud said nothing else for a while, he leaned forward in his seat.
"I can see how that might be very traumatizing for you," He conceded. "Let me ask you something, though."
"Yeah?" Cloud answered.
"When we talked about your fallen friends - Kunsel, Essai, and Sebastian - you told me that you felt terrible that you couldn't save them during the ambush, that you'd gotten to them too late. That you felt like a failure."
"Yeah," Cloud breathed in agreement.
"Do you think that you feel the same way about this commander and these villages? That you blame yourself? For not being able to stop him, perhaps?"
Cloud looked down at his hands, absently picking at the callouses in his palms.
"Do you remember what I told you before?"
Cloud nodded slowly, Nanaki's words to him during a previous session returning. "That I had to let go of the guilt, that I can't blame myself for things that are outside of my control. That… I'll feel lighter when I start to accept."
"That's right," Red agreed. "And have you begun to let go of the guilt over your comrades' deaths? Have you started to accept?"
Cloud looked up again, meeting Nanaki's eyes. "Yeah, I think so."
"Have those nightmares stopped?"
Cloud thought about this. "Yeah. I think that they have."
"Good," Nanaki responded. "Then you must do the same here. You must understand that this commander's behavior is not a reflection of you, that it was outside of your control. That as a soldier, you did your best, and you tried your hardest. No one can fault you for that, least of all yourself. But you must accept what happened and move on from it."
Cloud nodded, feeling tears threaten the corners of his eyes.
Nanaki leaned forward, offering a warm, brown hand, his wrist circled with a woven bracelet that was colored with tribal patterns in the string. "I know that this is difficult. And you spent nearly six years at intermittent phases of the war. There are probably many more memories from that time that will threaten you as you close the door on the violence of previous ones. You must remain strong. I know that you are."
He extended his hand further, and Cloud reached forward for it, dropping his into Nanaki's. The therapist closed his palm around Cloud's, enveloping him with a gentle warmth.
"I know that you can do it," Nanaki finished.
Cloud felt his lips pull into a smile, and he blinked away the tears.
"Yeah. Thank you."
It was a couple of hours later when Cloud found himself in the back seat of a taxi, staring at the strip of highway as they traveled in the direction of John F. Kennedy airport. He was on his way to pick up his mother; she was planning to attend their housewarming and also stay for a few days in the advent of the release of Cloud's novel. He was already lighting up with excitement over her visit, since he hadn't seen her since he'd left Colorado with Tifa following her hospital stay.
He was still thinking over his therapist's words as they drove along, ruminating on his feelings of guilt that Nanaki had been so readily able to identify. Cloud knew that he was right, knew that he had to begin to disassemble the deep feelings of inadequacy that were tied to so many moments he had experienced during his deployment. They were things that were simply outside of his control.
He was feeling a little better. Already, he had let go of his guilt over Kunsel, Essai, and Sebastian. He had begun to forgive himself, let go of the tragedy of their deaths and held on to their memories.
Surely he could do the same with the pain he felt over General Sephiroth, and all the other moments of the war that still plagued him.
He watched as the airport loomed in the distance, the taxi falling in line with the slow crawl of the vehicles that pulled up near the terminal, waiting for loved ones to be picked up. Cloud sat up, peering through the glass and scanning the crowds, looking for his mother.
Eventually, he spotted her - standing near the curb holding on to a rolling carry-on bag, her bright yellow ponytail and blue floral shirt-dress standing out amongst the drab grey concrete architecture of the terminal. He indicated for the cabbie to pull over, and as soon as they stopped, Cloud hopped out while the cabbie popped the trunk.
"Mom!"
She looked up at him from the curb, her face instantly breaking out into a wide grin when she sighted him. He ran up to her and hugged her, Claudia bubbling over with laughter at the sight of her son. He instantly grabbed her luggage, taking her hand in his.
"Cloud, sweetheart," she greeted him, patting his cheek gently. "I'm so happy to see you."
"Me too. Come on, Mom," he told her, leading her to the taxi. "Let's get going."
He led her to the taxi, throwing her luggage in the trunk before they both climbed into the backseat. As soon as the cabbie pulled away from the airport and began to travel the connecting expressways, Claudia leaned forward to look out of the window.
"I have never been to the East Coast before," she sighed, drinking in the scenery. "I am so excited to see all of the sights."
"I'll take you anywhere you want to go this week, Mom," Cloud promised.
Claudia turned to him, wearing her sunny smile again.
"That would be lovely, sweetheart." She reached over the seat to take Cloud's hand in hers.
"How have you been feeling?" Cloud asked her.
"Oh, I've been much better," she replied. "My doctor thinks that I've made a lot of progress. Some of the changes have been difficult, I will say - I really had a hard time changing some of my recipes." Claudia laughed, giving her head a little shake as her smile widened. "But in the end, I manage. Linda has been a big help. I don't really have anyone to cook for, so when she comes by for dinner, I'm always happy to hear she still thinks my cooking is okay."
For some reason, this left Cloud feeling a pang of guilt in his chest. He turned to his mother in the backseat.
"Mom," he started. "Are you sure you don't need me to move back home?"
Claudia scoffed, shaking her head dramatically in response. "Cloud, I've told you a thousand times. I'm fine. And you just moved into your new apartment with Tifa! Don't worry about me, darling."
Cloud nodded, returning his mother's smile, and although he knew that he couldn't help but worry, he tried to shove it aside.
"Okay, Mom," he answered.
"Speaking of," Claudia went on, "I can't wait to see your new place. I bet Tifa did a great job of decorating it, too. Lorelai was always so good at such things."
"I bet it would make Tifa really happy to hear that," Cloud remarked, and Claudia just smiled.
It wasn't much longer before they returned to Brooklyn, and Claudia stared out of the window the entire time, in awe of the views and sights of the city. When they pulled up in front of Cloud and Tifa's new brownstone in Williamsburg, Cloud hopped out first to grab Claudia's luggage from the trunk.
When the taxi disappeared, Claudia stood by the curb, brushing off her dress and looking around at the street beyond. Cars passed by on the road, and at the early evening hour, people were still out in full force on the sidewalks, children playing in front of nearby houses, groups of teenagers walking down the street in packs. Cloud stood at her side, watching as she wrinkled her nose and looked around.
"Wow," she breathed, turning to Cloud. "This is so much different from Colorado."
Cloud offered her a shrug. "It takes some getting used to. Come on."
He led her inside, and they went up to the second floor where he and Tifa's apartment was located. They stepped first into the living room, which Tifa had decorated in shades of cream and warm, chocolate browns, highlighted by deep teals in the details of the curtains and the piece of abstract art that hung from over the back of the couch. Claudia dropped her hands to her waist as Cloud shut the door behind her, looking around approvingly.
"I knew it," she remarked. "This is lovely."
"I'll drop your stuff off in the guest room," Cloud told her.
Before he could maneuver through the hallway, Tifa and Aerith appeared from the kitchen. Cloud took one look at Tifa and stopped in his tracks, his eyes instantly drawing a trail along her body, tracing her from head to toe. He was instantly floored by all of it - her pretty face, eyes rimmed with kohl and her mouth shining with shimmery red gloss. Her hair was pulled up high into a ponytail, and Cloud couldn't stop the way that he was imagining pulling on that thick rope of hair while he pushed her dress up and bent her over.
And that dress. It was practically painted onto her body, every bend and curve fully highlighted in winding hills and valleys. The black and white cross-stitched pattern made his vision blur, and he couldn't stop his eyes from hovering over the wide black leather belt at her waist that made her hips appear even fuller. Somehow, it was at once the classiest and hottest fucking thing he'd ever seen, and he was beginning to smell smoke when his brain started to fry.
Goddamnit.
"Tifa!" His mother exclaimed, pulling him out of his daydream. She glanced at him and winked, seemingly knowing where her son's mind was headed.
"Hi, Claudia," Tifa greeted, and then crossed the room to give Cloud's mother a hug. "I'm so glad that you could make it. You are going to be so proud when you see Cloud's book!"
"I can't wait," Claudia agreed, smiling back at Cloud, who just waved them both off as he felt his face heat up. "I have never been prouder in my life. I always knew that you could do it, baby."
"Mom…" Cloud whined in embarrassment, just as Aerith giggled.
"Claudia, this is my best friend, Aerith," Tifa introduced. "Aerith, this is Cloud's mom, Claudia."
Claudia extended her hand, but Aerith was running forward gleefully, enveloping the older woman in a tight hug.
"It's so nice to meet you!" Aerith exclaimed.
Claudia just laughed from all of the affection, hugging Aerith back. "It's nice to meet you, too, darling."
Aerith giggled and stepped back, angling up to Tifa's side and squeezing her arm in hers.
Claudia began to look around the living room again, a wide smile plastered on her face. "Did you decorate the interior, Tifa?"
Tifa nodded diffidently. "I did," and when Cloud saw the way that her cheeks began to match the color of her lips, he almost lost it.
"You did such a wonderful job," Claudia complimented. "I just adore the color scheme. It's so… rustic, almost like being back home. Your mother always was so creative, too. She had such good fashion and design sense. It's no wonder that you do, too."
Tifa blushed even harder. "T-thanks, Claudia. That means a lot to me."
Cloud's eyes met hers, then, and Tifa offered him a shy smile before she looked down at her boots. Cloud had to swallow several times to keep from choking on his own oxygen.
"What is that smell?" Claudia suddenly asked. "Are you girls cooking?"
Aerith perked up at this. "Yes! We decided to focus on a smorgasbord of appetizers tonight. I've got a shrimp cocktail chilling in the fridge, and Tifa just finished the wings and sliders. We still have to finish the potato skins and the mini tacos. Oh, what else Tifa'?
"Mozzarella sticks and pigs in a blanket," Tifa responded.
Claudia nodded, rolling the sleeves of her dress up. "Well, let me help you. This is my area of expertise!"
With that, she followed Aerith, who was giggling again, into the kitchen. Tifa turned to follow, but Cloud stepped forward with two long strides and captured her wrist in his hand.
"Tifa."
Tifa smiled, turning to face him, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, and Cloud instantly knew she was fucking with him.
"Yes, love?" she responded coyly.
Cloud shook the mist from his head. "Is that a new dress?"
Tifa looked down at herself, still holding her quixotic smile. "Oh, do you like it? Today's a special day, so I wanted to dress up and look nice."
"Goddamnit, Tifa," Cloud heard himself practically growl. "Quit teasing me. Or else you're gonna regret it."
"Ah, ah, ah," Tifa leaned forward and pressed a manicured fingertip to the center of his lips. "You're just going to have to be patient, Lover Boy. Now, I need to get in the kitchen. I can't leave Aerith around any open flames, not even with your mom around to supervise."
"Fine," Cloud finally relented, dropping her wrist and smirking at her. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
Tifa laughed at that, turning away to head inside of the kitchen. "Challenge accepted."
Cloud watched her ass the entire time she walked away, licking his lips until she disappeared.
Jesus. Fuck.
Several hours later - after Aerith helped Tifa string fairy lights along the outside of the deck to filter a warm glow now that it had begun to grow dark outside, Claudia bringing trays of food wrapped in foil out to the patio, several of their friends began to arrive. Barret, Gwen, and Folia were the first, carting along Marlene and Denzel with them.
"Tifa!" Marlene exclaimed as soon as she saw her, the little girl running up to her to give her a hug. She collided into Tifa with her arms wrapped around her waist, causing Tifa to light up with laughter.
"Marlene! How have you been, sweetheart?"
Cloud watched with a hint of a smile on his face as Tifa crouched down in front of her, Marlene beginning to gush with stories about school and her friends. Denzel, on the other hand, began to wander the living room, stopping in front of a model of a motorcycle that Cloud had propped up on one of the shelves of the entertainment center.
"Wow!" he exclaimed. "That's so awesome!"
Cloud nodded, dropping his hands into his pockets as he stepped next to the boy. "That's a 1977 Harley Davidson Sportster," he explained. "One of the coolest bikes ever made. One of these days, I'm gonna buy a motorcycle of my own. Though it's not the best form of transportation for the city. Just something I've always wanted."
"Will you take me on a ride on your motorcycle when you get one, Cloud?" Denzel asked, pupils wide.
Cloud offered him a smile, ruffling his floppy, ash-brown hair. "Sure, kid."
The others soon began to arrive not much later after that. Biggs arrived with Jessie, who was wearing her hair loose and curled around her shoulders, dressed in a red and brown, long-sleeved, A-line dress and carrying a shopping bag full of bottles of hard liquor with her as Biggs carried another tray of appetizers at her side. Wymer and Wedge soon joined them, carrying armfuls of beer, and Zack, who was no longer in the Academy and was now a full-time police officer, was the last to arrive, still wearing his uniform, which he unbuttoned at the collar, Aerith instantly swooning and rushing him as soon as he stepped out onto the balcony.
Cloud stood off to the side with a beer in one hand, watching as his friends began to eat and congregate outside. It was just after eight in the evening, and the sky was now almost full dark, shadowed to a deep, plum and violet shade, the lights of the bridges and the skyscrapers in the distance beyond lighting up the heavens with a cool, fluorescent glow. Everyone had gravitated outside now, and Cloud sipped his beer quietly with his hand in his pocket as the noisy scene unfolded in front of him.
Claudia had gotten on well with everyone, and Cloud realized how different he was from his mother in a way that he hadn't really noticed when he was growing up. She was energized by the small crowd, happy to chat with everyone and genuinely interested in learning about each of them. At present, she was sitting at one table with both Marlene and Denzel crowded around her, while Barret, Gwen, and Folia sat across from her, Claudia laughing and gesturing with her hands in the air as she spoke.
Cloud was smiling at the scene when suddenly, Tifa appeared from the doorway that led inside of the house, clutching a book to her chest. Behind her, Biggs was carrying a cardboard box over his arms, and he carefully placed it on the floor.
"Hey, guys?" She called over the din of chatter, and everyone turned to her where she stood. "It's time!"
The porch fell silent, eyes falling on Tifa as she held up the book she was holding. Cloud felt his cheeks begin to burn off, and he couldn't help but look away as Tifa waved the hardcover in the air.
"It's called Destiny's Crossroads," Tifa gushed, practically bubbling over with excitement as she held the book in front of her bosom. The cover featured an image of a tall, skyscraper-like structure, a man in dark fatigues facing the building with his hand on the hilt of a sword behind him as he looked up at it.
"What's it about, Cloud?" Denzel asked from where he sat.
Cloud wanted to hide. He knew that they were planning to share his book with all of his friends to celebrate, but now it was actually happening, he felt largely uncomfortable with all of the sudden scrutiny and attention.
Tifa seemed to pick up on this, because she was crossing in his direction, looping her arm through his and pulling him close. He could pick up her scent, warm melted vanilla dripped over her skin, and almost instantly, the flare of anxiety he was experiencing began to quell.
"It's about a former military operative in a fantasy kingdom. He joins a rebel organization that is fighting against an evil corporation for sucking the planet dry of all of its resources, just like the oil companies." Tifa explained in a rush, her voice sunny and bright, her smile wide, and Cloud's head began to spin from her summarization. "But that isn't the real threat. Ugh, guys! You just have to read it! It's so good!"
Cloud's face began to hurt, he was grinning so hard.
Biggs started passing around copies of the novel to everyone, Cloud watching as eyes widened all around the patio, thumbs turning through the pages, eyes scanning the synopsis on the back of the book. Seeing the physical copies in their hands suddenly made this feel even more real than it had before, and Cloud realized his throat was beginning to constrict, and he fought back the urge to cry.
Tifa was handing him a pen. "You know you have to sign everyone's copy, right?"
Cloud smirked at her, catching her dark crimson eyes sparkling under the warmth of the fairy lights that bordered the deck. Her lips were full and pouty as she smiled up at him, and instantly, he felt the prideful, nervous swell inside of him transform into a raging blaze. He slid the pen into his pocket, his eyes dropping to draw a long trail over her shape.
"Later," he whispered, pulling on her arm. "Come here."
"Cloud - " she protested, but Cloud was dragging her back inside of the house, slipping through the back door while the others were distracted as they chattered and raved about his book.
"What are you doing?" Tifa demanded when he stole her away into the kitchen.
But Cloud was still pulling on her with his hand now around her wrist.
"I told you, I wouldn't be able to wait."
He led her through the back of the house, pushing her into the bathroom and locking the door behind them.
"Cloud - " Tifa tried again, but he was instantly crowding her against the wall in the bathroom, his hands now ravishing her body, gripping palmfuls of her with rough squeezes, grasping at her breasts and her bottom, at the dip in her waist as his lips dropped to hers, kissing her savagely as his tongue pressed and prodded at the seam of her lips.
She moaned against his mouth, and Cloud felt Tifa's body come fully alive under his coarse touches within a matter of seconds. She rolled her hips towards his groin, and Cloud growled, dropping his lips to her neck as he began to suck and lightly nip at her flesh there.
Tifa hummed breathily, lifting one leg to wrap around his waist, her arms coming around his neck so that she could begin to pull her fingers through his hair, tugging at his strands until he was wincing.
Still attacking the side of her throat, Cloud dropped one hand between her legs, under the hem of her skirt. Instantly, she was spreading her thighs for him, still writhing beneath him while his free hand settled on her waist, attempting to hold her still. He brushed his fingers along the insides of her thighs, causing her to gasp out and tip her head back against the wall, her eyes squeezing shut. Smirking kisses into her jaw, Cloud lifted his fingers and stroked two deft fingers along the seam of lacy material there, finding her damp and hot.
"Oh, Cloud, please," Tifa whined at him, hooking her leg higher around his waist and angling her hips up at his even deeper.
"I knew it," Cloud murmured into her skin. "Making a mess already. Did you miss me, Teef?" As if to illustrate his point, he gently pressed his fingertips into the wet fabric, lifting up to brush against the ridgy button of her clit that was trapped beneath the material, and Tifa keened and rocked into him.
"Please," she begged again, her hand coming up to his shoulder, gripping him impossibly tight as he began to gently rub her through the fabric, keeping his pressure light but just enough to have her trembling.
"You like that?" he whispered right into her ear after a moment.
"Yes… please, baby," she cried, locking her leg around him tight in an attempt to encourage him to bring her closer.
Cloud laughed darkly, kissing her in intermittent trails all over her face before he gave her pussy a little pat and then pulled away.
She whined a protest, lowering her leg, and Cloud looked down at her to see that her eyes were glassy and wet, pupils blown open wide, and her breath was heavy and ragged, escaping in harsh puffs from red, dewy lips.
"Fuck, you're sexy," he told her, unable to control himself. He grabbed her arms and locked them together at the wrists, pinning them above her head and tipping his head to the side to admire the long curves of her body with her stretched out this way.
"Please, Cloud," she pleaded again, and it was all she needed to say.
Cloud quickly began to twist open his pants with one hand, letting them drop as he pulled his erection free from his underwear, sore and straining for release. He dropped his hand to the hem of Tifa's dress, this time bunching it all the way up all the way over her hips to her waist, exposing her pale thighs and the black strip of lace that was shielding her desire from him. He licked his lips at the sight of it, then ripped them off of her in one movement, the flimsy material tearing away into nothing.
"Cloud!" Tifa immediately chastised as he shoved the ruined fabric into his pocket.
But Cloud just ignored her, laughing again. "Keep your hands above your head," he demanded, and Tifa obeyed, gasping as he hooked his arms under her thighs and lifted her up, pinning her with his hands flat against the wall while he pressed his body against hers.
"Oh, my god," Tifa trilled as she realized what was happening.
Cloud only continued to laugh in response, now carefully guiding his hard tip to her soaked entrance. He slid inside of her, Tifa wincing and whimpering as he pressed deep, the angle letting him reach a spot that had her instantly wailing. His vision turning red from the sounds she was making, Cloud made sure that their bodies were as close together as possible while he thrust into her with a fast, brutal pace, putting pressure on her sensitive, engorged nub while he tore into her, her wails only increasing in volume with the added measure of pleasure.
"Shhh," he scolded her right in her ear, stopping just long enough to cover her mouth with one palm, before he let it slide away when she'd quieted down, only to wrap around her throat and gently squeeze. "You want everyone to know the way that I tear your pussy up?"
"Fuck," was all Tifa breathed out in response, and it was enough to send Cloud headfirst into the stars.
Unfortunately, Tifa wasn't able to keep quiet after that, and Cloud stopped giving a fuck; her screams of his names and her bright, piercing cries and sobs were enough to keep him living for the next one hundred years. He felt her as she broke apart and came twice with wild, intense shivers, and he dropped his mouth to hers each time, swallowing her elation with his kisses. Eventually, he finally concentrated fully on driving towards his own climax, eventually spilling deep inside of her, Tifa finally lowering her arms to wrap them around his neck and kiss his face contently as he descended.
Carefully, he lowered his hands from the wall and gently placed Tifa back on the floor on her feet, the heels of her boots clicking against the tile. Her makeup was wet and smeared around her eyes, and her breathing was heavy and ragged, and Cloud could almost swear he could hear her heartbeat alongside his from where he stood.
Expelling a heavy sigh, Cloud carefully fixed Tifa's dress, pulling it down over her hips and smoothing the soft material while she tried to collect her breath. He then focused on righting his own clothing, taking a moment to quickly wash his hands in the sink.
Tifa was sighing, wiping the sweat from her brow and the tears from under her eyes when Cloud turned to her, taking a step forward and wrapping an arm around her consolingly.
"You okay?" he asked her softly.
Tifa hummed, leaning against him and nodding before she lifted up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.
"Better than okay," Tifa answered. "I love you, Cloud."
"I love you too, Tifa," he rejoined, feeling his heart swell, and he reached down to take her wrist in his hand again.
"And I am really proud of you," she told him. "Everyone is going to love your story so much. And I know you are going to write so much more."
Cloud was blushing now, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks, Tifa." He offered him a small, easygoing smile, now once again reminded of how many burdens and stresses of the last year he had finally begun to be able to unload.
Like Nanaki had said, he was beginning to feel lighter.
"I'm proud of you too," Cloud said to Tifa. "I am. This city is lucky to have you."
Somehow, her eyes managed to soften even further, the dark crimson sparkles in them bubbling away into a bright cherry red. She leaned forward into him, offering him a tight squeeze.
"Thanks, Cloud."
Cloud just nodded, squeezing her back before she finally pulled away from him with a little sigh.
"I think you should go back first, otherwise the others are going to be suspicious if we come back at the same time. I need to fix my makeup anyway."
Cloud wanted to say that he didn't give a flying fuck what the others thought, but then he remembered that his mother was sitting outside, and that sent his cheeks into a full-blown red flare. He nodded.
"Okay, Tifa. I'll just tell them you're on the phone or something."
Tifa nodded, giggling a little, and she was so adorable that Cloud couldn't stop himself from pressing a final kiss to the center of her nose before he left her alone in the bathroom.
A few hours later, after the food had been devoured and the drinks were opened, after Cloud had signed everyone's copies of his novel and Tifa and Barret had talked about her campaign and the upcoming election with the group, Marlene and Denzel began to yawn. Folia and Gwen took them inside of the house to lay on the couch while Barret remained on the patio, still nursing his beer. Claudia also rose to her feet, offering everyone hugs before kissing Cloud and Tifa on the cheek and heading inside to rest in the guest room, announcing to everyone that it was already far past her bedtime.
By now, the rest of their friends who remained were deep into drink, and with the kids and Claudia both gone, Aerith was sparking a joint, perched in Zack's lap again. Cloud watched the plume of white smoke lift into the hair, drifting up toward the sky before dissipating among the backdrop of the moon in the sky overhead.
Tifa was also now sitting in Cloud's lap, just as Jessie was perched in Biggs' again, and Cloud couldn't help feel a little smug that he finally now had Tifa the way that he'd always wanted her, that he could show the world how he felt about her, her arms wrapped tight around him as she leaned into him with all of her sweetness and her softness. And as she pressed her knees into his sides, holding onto him even tighter, he only felt more satisfied with himself knowing that she was bare under her dress and that her torn panties were stuffed inside of his pocket.
Tifa waved away the joint when it came in her direction, and Cloud declined it as well. He was already high enough on the woman in his lap.
"Did you guys ever think about the fact that the last time we were all sitting outside getting trashed like this together, not quite a year ago, Cloud and Tifa were the only ones who weren't booed up?" Jessie began, flipping a wave of her auburn hair out of her face as she blew a thin line of smoke from her lips, up into the sky. Biggs was holding her around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder, a happy, drunk look on his face. "And now look at them."
"Yeah, 'look at them' is right," Zack suddenly chimed in. "I gotta be honest with you, Cloud. I didn't think you had it in you. I really didn't."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Cloud muttered sarcastically, but Zack only guffawed in response.
"I think everyone here just owes me thousands of dollars at this point," Jessie stated, matter of factly. "I told all of you that they would never last. There was no way. I have an eye for these things, and I had them both read from day one."
"Jessie," Tifa warned, shaking her head and sipping from her red plastic cup.
But Jessie only laughed brightly in response. "I mean, just look at Tifa's hair. Your ponytail was so much neater earlier tonight. Don't think we didn't miss how you two suddenly disappeared for like, twenty minutes, after Cloud's book was revealed."
"It was not twenty minutes!" Tifa instantly retorted, and Cloud dropped his face into her collarbone, feeling his cheeks flay away with fire.
"Oh, leave them alone, Jessie," Aerith chided, wrapping her arm around Zack's neck and pulling her fingers through his dark, messy hair. "You're just as bad. We all are, let's face it. Right, Zack?"
"Of course, babe," Zack grinned up at her devilishly.
Jessie tsked under her tongue. "Sure, but I don't go sneaking around pretending that I'm so innocent, hmm? We all know that those two are probably the worst freaks out of all of us."
"Jessie!" Tifa shouted.
"Alright, enough of all of that," Barret interrupted, turning away from where he stood overlooking the ledge with a disgusted look on his face. "Remember, we're here to celebrate. This has been one helluva year."
"You're right," Biggs agreed. "A lot happened, for all of us. But looking at Cloud and Tifa, I can't say I'm not prouder for how much they accomplished this year despite everything that was happening to them."
"It's not just us," Tifa protested. "It's all of us. Biggs, you got promoted. Jessie got her first starring role on Broadway. Barret expanded AVALANCHE. Zack finished the police academy. And Aerith got her botany degree and started her own side business selling flowers online."
"Don't forget about me," Wedge piped up from where he sat drinking beside Wymer. "I got a second job at the cat sanctuary in Bed-Stuy."
"…Right," Tifa agreed.
Cloud sat back in his chair, looking up at Tifa and admiring the profile of her face, dropping his hands to her hips as he watched the sparkle and the shine of the vermillion in her irises against the low lighting outside on the porch. In that moment, with the wind gently kicking up tendrils of her ponytail and her fringe, her lips full and her eyes dancing with a smile as she stared at her friends, Cloud reaffirmed that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, the sweetest and the kindest and the strongest, and she was finally his, to cherish forever.
Squeezing her hips, Cloud knew that he would never, ever let her go.
At the sensation, Tifa turned back to him, her smile brightening as she gifted him with it.
"It's like I always say," Barret began to preach, "There ain't no gettin' off this train we on. Y'all just gotta keep goin'. Yeah, this was a rough year, rougher for some of us than for others. But there's always light at the end of the tunnel. Y'all proved that."
"I'll drink to that," Aerith coaxed to the group, lifting her cup in the air. "You see? Everything's alright."
As the others lifted their cups to cheer in agreement, Cloud looked up at Tifa, his eyes meeting hers, sapphire crashing into ruby, their smiles syncing into one.
"I love you," Cloud whispered under his breath.
"I love you more," Tifa instantly responded.
And then she was kissing him, sweeter than any kiss they'd ever shared before, and Cloud felt himself fading away to another time and place where there was everything and nothing but her.
Yeah. Everything's alright.
And it was.
I'm not alone.
FIN