Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of Square Enix, Inc. No infringement is intended.
Author's Note: This is a Cloud and Tifa story, just with a dramatic twist due to his absence. They will be happy later.
Finally, Chapter 24! I was hoping to post this one much sooner with a follow-up to Chapter 25 within a week as a Christmas gift to you all, but I'm afraid that isn't possible. A month ago we all had Covid in our household, but overall, the symptoms and illness were relatively mild. The achy headaches really prevented me from writing Chapter 25 properly, so I had to hold off on that. And with my commitment to Cloti Week 2021 and the Zerith Zine, I had to prioritize my work. I hope to have the next chapter for you in January.
Anyway, I'm all better now, we're all healthy here so I'm back to this story!
Thanks to both my beta readers in this Cloud and Tifa reunion arc: Kelleyj17 and mayelisa from AO3. Without them, this next arc wouldn't have turned out so great. Things about Cloud and Tifa might be turning around soon, with this chapter ending on a spicy note.
-. Don't Think Twice .-
Chapter XXIV
January 17th, εγλ 0010, 5:30 p.m.
It was a well-established restaurant, all the way on the other side of town near the WRO Building. Tifa had taken the kids here twice before—back when it was just the three of them—for special occasions. The hostess greeted them warmly, beckoning them to follow her to their table as Marlene skipped along behind her.
"Tifa can sit next to me!" Marlene bounced on the red cushion seat, patting the spot beside her. Denzel scooted into the booth on the opposite side of the table, making room for Cloud.
"You really didn't have to Cloud, but thank you for taking us out to dinner," Tifa murmured while taking off her charcoal gray winter coat. She took her seat next to her daughter, picking up the menu that laid in front of her.
"But this is nice!" Marlene chimed in. "We haven't done this together in a long time."
"Not since my birthday," Denzel added, flipping over the kids' menu to pick out something to eat.
Cloud's eyes shifted between both of the children. "Do you know what you two are getting?"
"Hmmm," Marlene brought her finger to her lips in thought. After a moment, she tilted her head to the side after reaching a decision. "I like their mac and cheese, and I haven't had that in a few weeks."
"In a few weeks?" Tifa lifted a dark eyebrow at her kid's comment. "What do you mean?"
"Cloud takes us here once a week," Denzel answered her, not lifting his head once from looking over the menu.
"Oh, I see," the brunette nodded.
"I'm still learning to cook…" Cloud stated sheepishly.
"Hey, I like your food," Denzel gave him a side-eyed glance.
"When you're in a growth spurt, you'll eat anything," the blond quipped back, ruffling Denzel's hair.
"Hey, stop it!" Denzel swiped at Cloud's hands.
Tifa giggled. "Well, at least the place he takes you to has plenty of healthy food choices." Her eyes inspected the menu more closely. "Hmm, the salmon dish with asparagus and rice pilaf sounds good."
"Wait, salmon? You're getting…fish?" Cloud asked incredulously, raising a pale eyebrow to empathize with his skepticism.
"Yes, I think I am," Tifa answered, feeling a little entertained that he was worried about her. Certain seafood dishes were actually encouraged once per week, according to her pregnancy book. And she was going to do just that. Seeing his attention was on her still, she mouthed the words 'fish is fine' to ease his anxiety. He was about to reply back, but the waitress arrived at the table, her tiny notepad ready to go.
"Are we ready to order?"
The family placed their meal choices, with Cloud settling on the same burger that Denzel got. The little boy had hope in his eyes when he looked between the two parents. "Do you think we can do this again sometime? Together?"
"I'm no—" Tifa began to say, but was gently cut off.
"I think it's a possibility." His smile at her was casual before he turned his attention to
Marlene bounced in her seat at the news.
Her red eyes widened in surprise and she felt the tempo in her heart quicken. But she quickly reminded herself that Cloud was only doing this for their family. Any hopeful feeling for his kindness was just her hormones messing with her emotions. Of course, she should be happy that he would want to spend time together as a family, but she shouldn't read too much into it. Tifa chewed the inside of her cheek to ground herself before joining in the conversation with her children.
January 20th, εγλ 0010, 1:39 p.m.
Tifa stood in line patiently while she awaited her prescription-based prenatal vitamins. She got the call earlier that morning that the pills finally came in. The hospital gave her extra samples just in case they had a delay with the pharmacy, and she still had a week's supply back home. After the pharmacist finished up with the customer at the desk, the black-haired woman waved Tifa to come over. "Next." When she approached the desk, the young pharmacist smiled at her and asked her, "Name?"
"Tifa Lockhart."
"Date of birth?"
"May 3rd, 1987."
The woman in the lab coat turned around and headed over to the shelf with the 'L' label above it. After sifting through a few white paper bags, she picked out the one she needed. "All right, here it is." and she scanned the barcode, waiting for the total to appear on the screen. "And your co-pay today is 50 gil."
Tifa raised an eyebrow at the woman. "A co-pay that's 50 gil?" That didn't sound right to her. "I don't have insurance or a prescription plan. I said that up front when I called it in and I was told it was to be 750 gil."
"Oh, I'm sorry," the pharmacist apologized. "Our system connects to the local database and your name came back with an attached list of benefits."
The brunette shook her head. "That has to be a mistake. There has to be another Tifa Lockhart then."
The woman placed the prescription bag down and pulled the keyboard and mouse closer to look through the computer files. A few clicks later she asked while keeping her eyes on the screen, "You said your birthday is May 3rd, 1987, correct?"
"That is correct."
"Married to Cloud Strife, the policy holder?"
"Wait…policy holder?" Tifa blinked, feeling shocked, and placing her palm against the counter. She wasn't able to see the screen with how it was angled but she wanted to know how this was even possible. Why would Cloud be in her records for the local database? Neither of them had a joint health care plan before since they were private business owners until late last year.
Then it hit her. He wouldn't…."Do you mean a policy with the WRO?"
"That's what it looks like here," the lady tapped her screen to confirm the information she read. "Your husband didn't show you the benefits packet when he was hired on?"
He would. But why? They were separated by the point he got that job. It wasn't making any sense to her; why would he get her health insurance and pay for it when they were split up? "No...he didn't," Tifa answered. She was perplexed but also touched by his sentiment to take care of her still.
"They have great maternity care! Lucky you!"
"Yes...lucky me," she replied with a controlled tone. Even if it was sweet, it felt wrong about the insurance. He wasn't the father of this baby and he shouldn't have to help with health coverage. She was perfectly capable of self-responsibility and she would have a talk with Cloud later to get to the bottom of it.
January 20th, εγλ 0010, 3:05 p.m.
The city was on weather alert for frigid temperatures that week. The snow kept piling up on the streets and the wind chill created a glacial effect outside. With how the whirling wind was carrying the speckled dust around it reminded Cloud of the time they trekked through the Great Glacier way up north. The weather wasn't harsh enough to prevent the schools from opening, but it was still too frigid for students to walk home or play outside.
He wasn't sure how he was going to pick up the children straight from school that day. It was difficult to have both kids on Fenrir even in the best weather conditions. Thankfully, his coworker Bartholomew informed him he could sign out a company car to use; he just had to fill out the paperwork and take care of the refilling the gas tank before he returned it. Cloud wasn't fond of the idea to use the company vehicle, but he had no other choice. Both Marlene and Denzel were ecstatic when they saw him waiting next to the black SUV in front of the school.
"Wow, is this yours?" Denzel widened his eyes as he admired the new car.
"Just until the weather calms down," Cloud responded, opening the door. "You two get in the back."
Marlene wasted no time climbing in, visibly shaking when a gust of wind tugged at her scarf. Denzel followed suit and both kids hastily buckled their seatbelts while Cloud settled in the driver's seat. He swiftly pulled into the alleyway next to the tavern, placed the gear into park and both kids quickly exited the vehicle to seek refuge inside from the arctic weather. On days like this, Tifa usually had hot cocoa waiting for them at the kitchen table.
The kids ran up the front porch, rushing past Tifa as she stepped outside wrapped in her gray wool coat. It wasn't like her to come outside immediately upon his arrival. He rolled down the window as she strolled up to the driver's side of the car. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah," She nodded, her arms firmly tucked under each other. "There's just something I need to talk to you about in private."
"Get inside," Cloud motioned with his head in the direction of the passenger door. He rolled the window back up while she walked around the SUV, and he leaned over the console to pull the handle of the passenger door for her. Tifa climbed inside the high seat to get out of the bitter cold. He kept one hand resting on the steering wheel. "What's up?"
"You didn't trade in Fenrir for this, did you?" Tifa settled into the passenger seat, her body angled toward him.
"Never," he chuckled. "I leased this from work temporarily."
"Oh, okay. This is a nice vehicle though," she commented, her red eyes dodging all over the console to avoid him. "This is so hard for me to say, since it may seem silly to you that I would bring it up."
That caught his attention. "Tifa, what's going on?"
He watched her take a deep breath, seeing her scrape her teeth along her bottom lip before finally meeting his gaze. He could tell she was overthinking this, whatever it was. But he kept his eyes connected with her fiery crimson orbs.
"You can talk to me about anything you need to," he gently urged her.
"I know, it's just….," she straightened herself up and met his gaze like she was mentally preparing herself for a fight. "Were you ever planning on telling me that I was on the insurance plan with the WRO?"
"How did you find out?" He blinked, feeling blindsided by her apparent frustration. Cloud signed her up for insurance over four months ago, along with Denzel, and he had completely forgotten he had put her on the plan. He never had the chance to tell her about it, and regardless of if they were together or not, it was a way to take care of her. The mother of his kids. Tifa was still family to him despite the separation.
"Today, when I got my prescription filled out," she huffed out, sounding slightly annoyed about the secret health coverage. "I didn't understand why I had some reimbursement checks from two different doctors last week, but after the pharmacist told me I was on the database, it all made sense." The brunette shook her head. "I wish you would've told me sooner instead of surprising me with pity insurance."
Pity insurance? Is she being serious?
"The cost of the plan is the same amount no matter how many people I claim on it," he reasoned. He knew she would have an issue with it, but she had to understand that it wasn't out of pity. "I'm not taking you off the plan."
"I'd figured you say that," she muttered while digging into her coat pocket. Tifa pulled out a wad of gil and held it up by his face. "Here. For my share."
"I don't want your money," he narrowed his eyes at her, shaking his head.
"Cloud, I can't be your burden anymore," she asserted her point by placing the money in his hand. "I can't have you financially helping like this."
"I don't see what the problem is when it doesn't cost me any extra."
"It doesn't feel right. This baby is not your responsibility!"
"Tifa, I didn't anticipate...this exact scenario," Cloud explained, turning his body to her while gesturing between them. "But it is what it is, and it's not a problem to have you on insurance to get the best care for you and the baby. We're still a family Tifa, even if we're not together."
"Cloud...you don't have to do this," Tifa shook her head again.
"I know, but like I said, it's just paperwork. I don't want anything happening to you again with the baby." He paused, taking in the sight of those beautiful maroon eyes. She was a strong and capable woman, but he wasn't going to let any family of his endure any hardships again. "Just take care of your copays. Sound fair?"
"Alright," she nodded. "That sounds fair."
January 21st, εγλ 0010, 12:11 a.m.
"Tifa, the house is cold," Denzel whined when he shook her awake.
It had been a long time since the children had woken her up in the middle of the night - whether it be from nightmares or illness - but never to the house freezing. Both of them were in her room with a blanket wrapped around themselves when she opened her eyes. As she made her way through the rooms upstairs, she realized there was no heat coming from the vents.
It had been forever since she had even been in the basement, which was the only unfinished space the house. Tifa sighed when she went down the stairs, the children trailing close behind her. There were a few wall frames up with no drywall, and she had almost forgotten about the wooden floor planks she picked out over a year ago. Right now, there was just lighting and concrete. It was the last of the house projects, but they never got around to it once Cloud brought Denzel home.
There was no power outage and after grabbing her coat to check the furnace in the basement utility room. She checked for any possible malfunction but couldn't figure it out on her own. After much pressure from Denzel, she gave in and called Cloud for help. He had answered on the third ring and was at her house in record time. Both kids were huddled by the door while Tifa held up the flashlight for Cloud to work inside the furnace panel. When she called him, he must've been sleeping based on his appearance; his hair was messier than usual and she recognized the cargo pants he was wearing from whenever he was working on Fenrir in their garage in the past.
Tifa liked that he had been willing to come over just to help her out. It had been a long time since she had seen him with bed head, but she kept the sweet call of nostalgia to herself.
"Damn it, there isn't anything else I can do to get it started," the blond cursed, dropping
the screwdriver back in the toolbox that laid at his feet.
"So what now?" Marlene asked, rubbing her arms to get warmer.
"Both you and Denzel go pack up for the night," Cloud bent over to flip the toolbox lid closed. "You'll be staying with me tonight." Without needing any further instruction, both kids scrambled up the stairs to their rooms.
"It's that bad, huh?" Tifa clicked off the flashlight, feeling defeated.
"Looks like the motor to the blower fan is fried and the heating coil is starting to crack." Cloud picked up the toolbox to carry it back upstairs and she wasn't too far behind him. "There's nothing I can do to fix them and the temperature is already in the fifties inside. It'll just keep dropping in this weather."
"If you take the kids, I can get a hotel room for a night or two," she informed him. "Depending on how long this fix takes, at least."
Cloud abruptly stopped on the stairs and turned to face her, looking irritated at her plan. She almost bumped into him with his sudden turnabout. "Tifa, I don't want you anywhere near the Leville Hotel. For your safety and his safety."
"You know about that?" Her ruby eyes widened at his eyes. The way he referred to Jace just now…he had to have known.
"About the materia he used on you? Yeah, I do," he replied, his blue eyes appeared to be swirling in a storm of fury. His grip visibly tightened on the toolbox handle. "Jace is lucky I haven't killed him yet, but the piece of shit isn't worth going out of my way."
"Cloud…" She apprehensively said his name, recalling the look on his face a few times before. She was scared by the look in his eyes but if she were being honest, she was a little happy about his anger toward her ex. He was still so protective of her, even though she wasn't physically harmed by the manipulation materia. The only damage was to her heart and mind. It was the reason she hadn't told him about it herself, but she'd never made Yuffie keep it from him either. She decided to calm him instead. "I don't even think he's there anymore. Besides, I threw that materia out the window and punched him in the face once I found out what he did to me."
Cloud cracked a smile, his posture relaxing. "You did?"
"Yeah, I did," she replied smugly with a nod, going up one step to get closer to him. "Knocked him clear across the floor too."
Cloud chuckled at that and his eyes softened. He moved the strands of her hair behind her ear, surprising her a little with the intimate gesture. "Teef, you don't have to stay in a hotel during this. Just stay with me and the kids. I'll take the couch and you can have my bed."
"Okay," she smiled back up at him. Tifa rationalized that he was just looking out for her like family since it was important to both of them, but couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach. How could she say no to him?
January 21st, εγλ 0010, 7:21 a.m.
He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palms as he sat up on the couch. It had been a late-night getting the kids and Tifa situated at his place since he must've woken up later than he usually did with the amount of sun streaks in the apartment. The aroma of freshly cooked breakfast filled the apartment and summoned him to get up. His stomach growled, reminding him that it had been a long time since he'd had a good meal so early in the day. Cloud stretched his arms as he stood up while she approached him. "Tifa, you didn't have to make breakfast."
"And you didn't have to let us crash during this furnace problem, but you did," she offered a cup of coffee for him. "Are you sure the couch is comfortable enough to sleep on?"
"Yeah, it's comfortable." He took the cup from her hand. "Just had a late night, that's all. It won't take me long to get ready anyway." He took a slow sip, feeling the heat of the brew with its robust flavor. It was perfect. "Hmm, that's good coffee."
Tifa placed her hands behind her back. "Today I'll call an HVAC contractor, get a quote and hopefully be out of your hair soon."
"If it takes time, it takes time," he shrugged, taking another sip while making his way over to the table. There was a plate of pancakes and bacon waiting for him and the kids were just finishing up their share. "I don't even think the parts you need are readily available."
"Oh… It won't take too long to get it, right?" She sounded worried. "I've never closed the bar for an extended period before."
"You'll have it open by the weekend," he reassured her with a smile from his seat, then grabbed a fork to start to dig in. Tifa had already buttered the pancakes and there was just the right amount of syrup on top. She didn't have to cook breakfast, but after that first bite, he was so glad that she did.
Denzel set down his empty glass after chugging his milk. "I only packed for one night."
"When I stop by the house, I'll pack us all a few more things," Tifa informed both kids while packing up their empty plates and glasses. They were running a little behind getting ready.
"Can we do french toast tomorrow?" Marlene asked earnestly.
"We sure can!" Tifa called over her shoulder, placing the dishes in the kitchen sink filled with soapy water.
"Good! I like having breakfast together. It's almost like we're a real family again," the little girl commented while she pushed in her chair.
"We're always a family," Cloud corrected her before taking a sip of his coffee. He didn't like the negative connotation of her words, whether she knew it or not.
"Yeah, but…this is better," Denzel replied, pushing out his chair to finish his morning routine.
Tifa still had her back to him while focusing on the dishes in the sink, washing each piece so quietly. But he had to wonder if she thought the same thing: that this was better, being together under one roof.
Not wanting to add to the awkwardness of the situation, Cloud got up from his chair to get the two youngsters moving. "I need to get ready so I can get you kids off to school." He picked up his plate and transferred it over to the sink.
"Thank you," Tifa kept her eyes on her work.
"You're welcome."
January 21st, εγλ 0010, 6:25 p.m.
After his assessment on the furnace, the contractor gave her the bad news: he couldn't get the parts needed to fix the heater until Friday morning. Tifa had never closed down the bar for this long before, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Old furnaces that were scavenged from Midgar were breaking down with the record low temperatures hitting Edge. Until the parts were shipped in, she'd have to stay at Cloud's apartment for the time being.
She managed to get everything she needed out of the house without much trouble at all. A sign hung on the front door that Seventh Heaven would be closed until Saturday, and clothes were packed for both her and the children for the remainder of their anticipated stay. Tifa also collected some fresh groceries from the fridge so they wouldn't go to waste. She had two dinners planned for the week and when she texted Cloud earlier that day to ask what he would prefer, he told her to hold off on dinner plans since tonight was Wutaian night. She inquired more from the children when they arrived home from school.
"Whenever it's our first night with Cloud, we go get food from Da-Chao's Grill," Marlene perked up the information.
"Oh? I haven't heard of this place before," Tifa commented. As a tavern operator, she thought she was up to date on the latest restaurants.
"It's a new place that opened up near the apartment last month. It's kind of our tradition to go there," Denzel explained and handed her the menu to order from.
Tifa took a few moments looking over the menu before deciding on the teriyaki chicken hibachi dinner; her mouth salivating. Out of all the places Avalanche traveled to, her favorite cuisine was from the far western island. There hadn't been a Wutaian restaurant around here since Meteor fell, and she was surprised it had taken so long for a new place to open up. Every once in a while she would make a meal from recipes she had gathered, but to her, it wasn't the same.
They placed their order over the phone and Cloud ventured out into the cold to grab it. Both kids greeted him at the door upon his return where Denzel snatched one of the paper bags to open. The boy took a whiff of the steam that floated from the top. "Hmmm….I love their fresh pork buns!"
"They have pork buns at this place?!" Tifa didn't mean to get so excited, but it was one of her favorite snacks during their travels and she didn't see it on the menu earlier.
Cloud nodded in return. "And they have that Wutain chicken noodle soup you love."
Her mouth dropped open for a moment. "Now I'm kinda mad you didn't tell me about this place sooner. I haven't eaten Wutaian food like this since—"
"Since Wutai?" He chuckled and he put the bag of their dinner on the kitchen table.
"Yes!" Tifa shouted, digging into the packages to look for her food. She spotted the few containers of soup and carefully took each one out, placing each one out in front of the family.
"Cloud says the food is pretty much the same," Denzel stated while taking his seat next to Marlene. "I wanna go to Cosmo Canyon one day for the observatory, but I also want to visit Wutai for the food."
"Don't grow up too fast on me, there is still plenty of time for you to be a kid," she chided.
"I'm already 10 years old," he reminded her.
"And you are already making plans to travel the world." She found a container that was labeled steak and shrimp hibachi and handed it over to Cloud. "This one looks like yours."
"Thank you," he grabbed his food from her as they both sat down. Neither one really noticed that they were sitting down next to each other until they settled into their chairs, which was probably schemed by the children again, but neither adult said anything about it. After all, it was just a nice family dinner. Cloud decided to make small talk after a few bites of his fried rice. "Out of all the places we've been to, Wutai was one of my favorites."
"Didn't Aunt Yuffie steal your materia over there? Papa was so mad when that happened," Marlene brought up in between her sips of soup.
Both Cloud and Tifa laughed in unison at the memory. Getting their materia back was a huge pain to the whole party, but now it was one of the carefree moments they can recall amidst such a stressful time. They didn't realize they were getting carried away until Marlene was looking back and forth between the two of them.
Cloud cleared his throat. "The summon materia was pretty valuable and they were all at the mastered level. Your dad always had Bahamut on him and was a little too sour once it went missing."
"Shiva and Phoenix were the ones I favored. It was kind of a pain to figure out which ones were which since Yuffie didn't return them in the right order," Tifa recalled.
"Hey, didn't she get kidnapped too?" Denzel asked.
"Yeah, both her and Elena were. I'm just glad no one was hurt," she answered him back.
"No one important, at least," the blond remarked disdainfully. He scowled at the memory of Don Corneo.
Tifa giggled in her seat next to Cloud. She wasn't going to share the other rescue mission to save her which had the blond all dolled up in a dress, but his instantaneous loathing at the mention of the crime lord amused her so much.
"Who was the bad guy that got punished?" their son asked.
"Some ass from Wall Market. Now let's eat!" Cloud quickly changed the unfavorable subject.
"But you didn't explain why Wutai was one of your favorite places."
Cloud glanced over at Tifa before looking away shyly. She couldn't see his cheeks too well, but she noticed the top of his ears heated up. "I just have some fond memories from there. Now let's eat before this food gets cold."
January 21st, εγλ 0010, 11:15 p.m.
The kids were off to bed in their own rooms for their second night in Cloud's apartment. He took the couch again with no complaints and although she felt guilty about taking his bed, trying to push the issue with Cloud wouldn't make him budge once he made up his mind already. But as she was lying in his bed and bound down by his blankets, she wished that she did push it to avoid being wrapped up in his scent. Last night, she was so exhausted upon entering his apartment that she immediately passed out when her head hit the pillow, but now…she couldn't help herself from getting caught up in the aroma of his sheets.
Tifa couldn't stop thinking about what he said at dinner either. His fond memories of Wutai that she knew were exclusively about her with the way his face reddened. She bundled the soft fabric closer to her chest, thinking about their time in Wutai. She knew exactly what he was referring to and it confused her immensely.
Wutai was where they got eloped and had their wedding night, so why did he start blushing when they were supposed to be getting divorced?
Tifa rolled over onto her side, getting a waft of his scent again when she sunk into his pillow. She really wished she had taken the couch, but now that he slept out there for one night, his scent was probably infused there too.
Only a couple more nights here.
Early January, εγλ 0008
Cloud carried her bridal style into the guest room within the royal chambers of the Mizu Palace. The wedding ceremony was short and sweet out in the garden, only putting up with the photographer after it was over at Yuffie's insistence. It was a momentous occasion and she wanted the two newlyweds to remember it forever. Tifa wasn't sure how much longer they had until the possible end of the world, but she was glad for the wedding pictures.
Inside their private guest room, there was a raised futon covered in a navy blue kakebuton with the gold embroidery of the Wutaian sea goddess, Leviathan, flowing through the sky. The futon bed was against the far wall and while Cloud carried her across the large room, his blue eyes never wavered from hers.
He delicately put her down at the foot of the bed and proceeded to turn around before taking off his gray blazer and ebony tie. Even though they had been together before, Cloud was being a true gentleman by giving her privacy to undress on their wedding night. Tifa stepped out of her white high heels while her husband shook off his dress shirt.
The tips of her fingers brushed against her lips as she watched him take off his shoes. Cloud…is her husband. This is their wedding night. It was all happening so fast, her fantasy becoming a reality.
"Tifa?"
She immediately began to blush. "I…I can't figure out the zipper on my dress."
"Let me," he reassured her, signaling her to turn around with his hand. He was no longer in his slacks or underwear, making her feel flustered.
"Thank you," she pulled her long hair to the side while she turned around for him. She inhaled sharply when his fingers worked to unclasp the hooks and she wet her lips to calm her excitement. Cloud brought down the zipper of her dress slowly and with how close he was to her, his breath tickled the nape of her neck. His fingers trailed up her back gradually before reaching for the sleeves to push them off her shoulders. Tifa could hardly breathe at his tenderness and they had just barely begun. The tips of his fingers grazed along her arms as he removed the dress and she felt the white fabric slip down to pool at her feet.
Pressing his lips to the crook of her neck, he unfastened her bra clasp with quick succession and hastily ripped it off. She closed her eyes as one hand came around to cup her breast while the other skimmed under the hem of her underwear, brushing past her curls with three fingers to reach her slit.
"Oh, Cloud…" she moaned, rolling her head to the side to let the intensity of his mouth wander her skin. He circled across her nipple and began a slow massage between her legs. Encouraging him more through her hums, she grabbed a fistful of his wild hair. Tifa whimpered when his teeth scraped her and his ministrations against her most sensitive parts accelerated.
"Tifa," he huskily whispered her name. She almost didn't hear him through his rough kisses.
"I wanna hear you."
She writhed against his touch. "H-hear me?"
"I like to hear you," he answered in all honesty, grabbing a handful of her breast. "We always have to be so quiet, but now—"
"Now we d—" She gasped when he slipped a finger inside, "don't have to be."
"Yeah," he confirmed into her ear before pumping between her legs. Another finger joined inside her. "We can be free. We can be us."
To be us, she thought dreamily.
Tifa parted her mouth and fluttered her eyes closed, throwing her head back against his shoulder. His skin was so hot against hers while his fingers were so slick with her need. She was flooded with warmth, feeling the heat drip down her inner thigh as he pinched the peak of her breast tighter. Her keens were getting louder which only fed Cloud's frenzy with his hands.
"Come for me, Tifa." He sharply inhaled into the crook of her neck, his voice rough like gravel.
Her hand was still in his wild hair and she shifted her head to the side, capturing his mouth with hers. His tongue breached inside, coaxing hers in desperation to really taste her. Cloud was so wild and greedy with his hands and she could feel his erection against her lower back. Tifa could feel the white flash build up in her lower belly and she widened her legs a little for him. She was just at the crest of her climax before she broke away from their kissing, his breath mingling with hers as she mewled.
"Hmm, Cloud, I'm—"
"I know," he stated and never relented on his strokes, both hard and fast. "You're so gorgeous right now." With that, his fingers curled inside her, making her reach a pinnacle with a piercing cry. The ball of his hand was pinned against her clit, rubbing across her in harsh circles.
"Ah, ah, ahhh!" Tifa shouted through her orgasm. One of her legs began to quake as she came, making her grip his hair tighter. "Ahh, yes!"
"Oh yeah, just like that," he murmured against her lips. His mako eyes were radiating with a carnal desire and he flashed her a rakish grin, urging her higher with his vigorous assault. "More. I wanna hear you more, Tifa."
Her breathing was becoming more erratic and when she stared into his glowing eyes, it thrilled her even more. The way his voice resonated and his hands satisfied her needs, it wasn't hard for her to fulfill his request. She was already so close again. Tifa scrunched her face up and her moans became louder, echoing against the walls of the bedroom chamber. The profound ache he pulled her back into was throbbing, inflamed with desire and pure need. Her heart was racing faster, her mind reeling to the euphoric sensation, and her tight walls clenched down around his probing fingers. She was losing her breath, quickly unraveling as he kept pressing into her.
"Ahh, Clo-ouddd!" A strangled cry escaped her, her body shaking as he brought her to bliss again. His hand released her bosom to guide her face back to his lips for a kiss. She mewled into his mouth as he finished down below, carefully twisting her around to face him before he gripped her waist to bring her closer. Tifa raked her hands down his chest, loving the feel of their bodies pressed closely together. His kiss deepened as he moved her towards the raised futon, lowering her down with a gentle push, refusing to break his fervent lips from hers.
Delicately, they moved up the bed together between kisses and his fingers tracked along her stomach to her bosom. "Tifa," he breathed out, anchoring himself up on his hands to overlook her. His electric blue eyes flashed magnificently, meeting her gaze. "I love you, Mrs. Strife."
Her sharp intake of air was deliberate, feeling the need to remind herself she was truly alive and that this was not a dream. That they were really married.
"And I love you, Mr. Strife," Tifa raised her hands to cover up her chest and gave him a smile in return.
Cloud tucked a loose hair behind her ear, planting his mouth over hers when he lowered himself down as she spread her legs. His hips lined up perfectly to hers, inching his way slowly through her wet petals before he released a soft groan into her mouth. His tempo was much different now, his body moving slowly against her bare skin. Tifa hummed encouragingly between his achingly tender kisses, enjoying the change of pace. Every inch of him, every kiss by him, and every touch by him. She loved all of it when they were together like this.
Reaching between them, he tried to move her hands away from her chest but she didn't give in. Their wedding night was supposed to be perfect, and even though the scar on her chest was barely visible, it still existed to her. A small white line of imperfection from her youth. And at this moment, it doesn't matter that he has seen it before.
"Tifa?" he asked softly. He had ceased movement and covered her hands with his. And when her claret eyes met sweet cobalt, she began to let down her barrier.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous about it now," she admitted. He was there and had saved her the night she got her scar, never once flinching when he finally saw it over a month ago. It had only been a few weeks that they'd been together like this. Even though they were married now, the relationship was still fresh. But they'd loved one another for years. Even though she was still shy through their intimacy, his compassion only appeased her.
"Don't be," he smiled down at her, gripping her hand between them. "You look beautiful." Gently, he encouraged her to lower her hands. "Always, you are beautiful to me, Tifa." He brushed her lips with his own with heated intensity.
Cloud was making her feel high on their hope for the future. Their bodies moved together in quick urgency between heavy breathing and loud moans. She couldn't get enough of him as much as he couldn't get enough of her. He was making love to her like the world could be ending and it very well could in the following days. But that wasn't going to stop them from showing one another how they felt with or without words. Whatever time they had left, they would spend it together as husband and wife, with this new beginning for them on their wedding night.
Author's Note Continued: Phew, really steamy flashback to end this chapter with! I hope you'll forgive me if Chapter 25 takes a little while more. Cloud and Tifa are just getting closer and closer together until their feelings burst for one another. Hope you enjoyed the lead way to their reunion soon!
In the mean time, my friend Denebola Leo is rewriting her Cloti/Zerith AU story What is Up To Mortals (REDUX) that is an adventure slow burn romance. It's really popular on biAO3/bi but some hits on . Go check it out!
Merry Christmas!