Good Kitty
It's Tifa's first birthday since the world almost ended.
She almost forgets that it's her birthday. For her, after everything that has happened, waking up on May 3rd is like waking up on any other day. There's work to be done and people to be helped. It's been about four months since Meteorfall and since they defeated Sephiroth, but the world is still in a sorry state of affairs. Midgar is nearly in ruins and people live in refugee camps and tent cities that have sprung up all along the metropolis' borders, parts of the slums ironically having become safer than the plate where most of the damage has been wrought. It's only recently that these efforts have coalesced into a real attempt at designing a more permanent settlement, Rufus Shinra and the WRO directing Midgar's waste to be hauled east of Sectors Three and Four to set up a camp that was literally being referred to by the displaced as 'Edge'. It is where they've started to rebuild Seventh Heaven.
It's Marlene who reminds Tifa of her birthday, pulling on her skirt when they sit down for breakfast inside the trailer the four of them have been sharing in the encampment near the dilapidated Sector Four. Tifa's eyes had widened when the little girl brought it up, and she glanced at the makeshift calendar she'd pinned to the wall above the freezer box. Embarrassed, she flushed, shaking her head at Marlene as she realized that she was now twenty-one years old.
"Today's your birthday?" Cloud had said, overhearing their conversation.
He'd been standing behind her, already dressed and ready to go out for the day. Barret was already on the road, heading into Midgar to find materials to bring into Edge.
"I guess that it is," Tifa heard herself say, trying not to look too deeply into his caustic, deep blue stare. Cloud had simply wished her a happy birthday before nodding at her, and he followed Barret to make his way into the city to work on the bar while Tifa stayed back with Marlene.
That had been this morning, but now it is late and Tifa has pushed thoughts of her birthday far from her mind. She and Marlene spent the day in Sector Four, volunteering at a pop-up orphanage that had been established by a local monastery after so many parentless children had been found wandering the outskirts or left alone in the rubble of destroyed homes following Meteorfall. Tifa tries to help out here once or twice a week, finding the work fulfilling when she's not with Cloud and Barret working on the plans for the new bar. They return when the sun is just beginning its descent, the sky still bright but forming streaks of pink when they make it back to their trailer.
Tifa goes through the motions of washing up that evening and making dinner for them all, her birthday completely forgotten. She's seen too many sad reminders of their harsh reality that day to worry much about herself, and since Nibelheim burned down, birthdays have lost their luster for her. She's pushed it completely from her mind when Barret arrives home, and Tifa raises an eyebrow in curiosity when he arrives alone.
"Where's Cloud?" she asks right away.
Barret unloads a rucksack of supplies he collected during the day by the front door. "Said he had to take care of some business," he answers. "By the way. Happy Birthday, Tifa."
She thanks him with a smile but brushes it off, busying herself with setting out the beef stew she prepared so he and Marlene can help themselves to dinner. She leaves them alone, deciding to sit and wait outside for Cloud, to enjoy the fresh night air, and to let her mind settle itself comfortably in her own daydreams.
She sits on the broken wooden front steps of their trailer and hugs her knees to her chest, staring up at the sky. It continues to darken, wisps of violet and orange seeping like watercolors in a runny line along the horizon. From where she sits, she can see the outline of Midgar in the distance, the broken spires of the Shinra Tower still looming above the ruins, the deadened turbines of the mako reactors still shining from their extant power reserves. Sparkles of light shine beyond, emergency flares and the glow from WRO vehicles that still work ceaselessly through every day and night, and Tifa watches them come and go.
She blows out a sigh and checks the time on her PHS. It is almost nine, and Barret is very likely putting Marlene to bed before he retires in his room with a drink in hand. Tifa wonders where Cloud is and why he is so late. She remembers again that it's her birthday, and she tries again to forget. It really isn't important, even though, deep inside, she really wishes she could spend it with him.
She hums lightly to herself and it is impossible to keep her thoughts from drifting despite the way that she tries. She and Cloud have been with each other in a nameless way since they wordlessly confessed their feelings to one another before that last battle, and they express it in quiet, tentative ways. They sit close to each other when they take meals, they hold hands when they go for walks along the city's borders, and Cloud holds her in his lap or his arms when they fall asleep together in the tiny room that they share.
And - if they can find time to be alone with one another, given these less than accommodating living conditions - they make love.
Tifa closes her eyes and thinks about it, unable to push the image from her mind once it encroaches. There is nothing quite like making love with Cloud, nothing like being close to him and wrapped up in his arms, feeling his lips pressed to her skin and traveling, setting loose flames to every part of her that she can feel. There is nothing quite like looking into those aquamarine eyes, nothing like hearing the soft, low cadence of his voice that is meant only for her, words like honey running over her shoulders when he leans in. And there is nothing like being beneath him and trembling, every nerve ending alight, her vision whiting out while he throbs inside of her and they both breathe in time with the last of their shared release.
She nearly trembles at the memory of it, shaking her head and covering her face with her hands. They make out and pet one another whenever they can, but real lovemaking is so hard to come by. There are very few comfortable, safe places that they can sneak off to without running the risk of someone hearing them, and their days are so long and full of labor that it is often pushed to the side in favor of priorities like eating and sleeping. Tifa can count on two hands the number of times they've made love, and every single time is burned to her memory, a photograph of moments she can never forget.
How she would love to spend her birthday with him that way, she despairs to think. But as much as she fantasizes, she can't help kick the idea out of her mind. It is already late and Cloud isn't even back yet, and with Barret and Marlene both home in their tiny trailer for the rest of the night, she knows it is out of the question.
Still, she wishes that Cloud would hurry back. She would like to at least spend the last few hours of her birthday with him, even if all they can do is cuddle and talk.
She looks up at the sky again and watches the stars as they slowly begin to emerge with the approaching darkness, the back of her mind playing film reels of their previous lovemaking for her private indulgence while she waits for him to return. It gets later, drifting close to ten, and Tifa is yawning when she hears the crunch of boots in the gravel up ahead, followed by a soft mewl.
She looks up and sees Cloud approaching, at last, his arms wrapped around a thick bundle, a supply sack over his shoulder. Tifa squints to get a better look at him as he approaches in the darkness, and when he is but a few feet in front of her, she catches the harassed look on his face.
"Cloud!" she greets as he approaches. "You're finally home. I was starting to get worried."
At that, his expression softens. Tifa gives him a tiny smile as he stops in front of her, then looks down at his arms, seeing his bundle moving.
"Hey, Tifa."
"Cloud?" she queries. "What is -"
Cloud clears his throat rather loudly, and at the sound of Tifa's voice, the bundle jumps. Tifa widens her eyes when she sees the furry white head of a kitten poke out from under the burlap, another bright meow this time directed right at her as it bares its fangs.
"A cat," Tifa states the obvious, now catching the subtle red scratches on the tops of Cloud's forearms above his gloves. She knows from experience that Cloud does not particularly fancy these animals, so she is stunned to see that he is carrying one in his arms. "What are you doing with that cat, Cloud?"
Cloud smirks, even though Tifa can still read the annoyance in his expression. He lets the cat crawl its way out from under the blankets, and then, abruptly, he shoves it in her direction.
"Here," he says hastily. "Happy Birthday, Tifa."
Tifa blinks and then looks down at the gift he is thrusting at her. The kitten meows again, a bright little sound, its ears flickering to and fro. Tifa thinks it must be just a few months old, but not a fresh whelp.
"You bought me a cat?"
"Just take it, Tifa."
Awkwardly, she reaches out with both arms to take the feline from Cloud. The cat seems to calm in her arms, curling up against her chest, turning its head to one side to rub the top of its nose against her bosom. Tifa carefully lifts the cat's leg to investigate, then turns back to Cloud.
"A boy," she says.
Cloud shrugs disinterestedly. "He reminded me of Maru," he says. "I know how much you like these animals, so…"
He drifts off, and Tifa is amazed to see that he is blushing. But she is even more amazed that he remembered her childhood cat, Maru. She had loved that cat so, so much, but after Nibelheim burned…
She dashes that thought away quickly and squeezes her new kitten to her chest. "Th-thank you, Cloud," she tells him, and the sentiment is sincere. She hadn't been expecting any gifts from anyone on this particular birthday, not after they all had lost so much. But this gift had taken a level of thoughtfulness that is beyond compare, and as Tifa brushes her fingers through the kitten's soft fur, she can't help but look up at Cloud and feel tears burn at the corners of her eyes. "This is… really thoughtful."
He shrugs again but his cheeks grow brighter and the sight of it makes Tifa's heart release light beams. He quickly changes the subject though, lifting up the bag that he shoulders.
"Sorry I'm late," he told her. "I spent all afternoon trying to hunt down a stray that would let me catch it… anyway, I got you some supplies. Blankets and a litter pan. The street vendor told me that should be enough to start with. He said cats eat meat."
"They do," Tifa replies, unable to avoid giggling at how positively adorable he is.
Cloud catches her laughter and he shakes his head, turning away and rubbing the back of his neck. Cradling the kitten closer, Tifa nuzzles it, then steps up to Cloud and presses a soft, wet kiss to his cheek.
"Thank you," she tells him again. "This is the best gift ever."
"What are you gonna name him?" Cloud asks.
Tifa glances down at the cat again, thinking about it for a moment. She remembers Sector Seven, the last time she had seen Cloud try to interact with a cat, and it brings back happy and sad memories alike.
"I think I'll name him Wedge," she says. "I think…that would have made Wedge happy."
Cloud nods. "I think so, too."
The air gets unnecessarily heavy and Tifa shakes her head to dispel it, not wanting to get caught up in threads of the past. "Anyway, come on, let's get inside and I'll fix your dinner. It's getting late."
"Uh, Tifa. Wait."
She's already making her way up the steps, but his voice turns her around. She sees him staring up at her, his cheeks still stained with warmth and his eyes bright, a sheepish expression on his face. She cocks her head to the side as she finds his eyes.
"Yes?"
"Um… it's your birthday."
"I know?"
"…"
"Cloud, spit it out."
"I… I want to spend time with you."
He's blushing severely now and Tifa is beginning to take the hint, her own cheeks taking on color. She looks away from him, distracting herself by focusing her attention on her new pet.
"Oh…" she murmurs, unable to stop herself from grinning at the wild thoughts that enter her brain.
Cloud notices her flustered state, because he smirks and steps right up to her, his hand curling around her waist, his lips suddenly skirting dangerously close to her ear.
"Maybe I just want to play with your kitty tonight," he whispers.
Tifa nearly bursts into flames. "Cloud!"
Wedge hisses.
Cloud laughs lightly and steps back, shaking his head at his own boldness.
"Come on," Cloud says. "I found a place for us to stay tonight, alone. You can bring the cat with you."
At this, Tifa's kitten yawns and rolls in her arms, looking up at her with translucent green eyes.
"Okay," Tifa agrees.
Before they leave, Cloud and Tifa pack up a few blankets, some of the stew Tifa cooked, and a bottle of the whiskey they've kept stashed next to their bedrolls for late nightcaps that they share with Barret sometimes after Marlene has fallen asleep. Cloud carries their wares while Tifa carries their cat, chittering quietly to the animal as they make their down the dirt roads that lead farther and farther away from their trailer park and the outskirts of Sector Four.
It is a long walk, and as the minutes stretch on in companionable silence, Tifa turns to Cloud.
"Where are you taking me?" she asks him.
But Cloud just shrugs.
"We're almost there."
It isn't long before they come upon a small lodge off of the road. Tifa's feet are beginning to hurt, and the kitten has fallen asleep in her arms. They are at least two miles from Midgar, veering off of the highway that leads to Kalm, and as they venture away from the Wastelands, the soil becomes rich again and trees and grass color their surroundings. Tifa looks around and realizes that they are not far from where they had shared their first night together, under the hum of the Highwind's rotors.
"Whose cabin is this?" Tifa asks as they approach; the property looks well-cared for, but it appears that no one is here. Cloud stops at the front door and smirks at her.
"Well, for tonight, it's ours," he tells her. "I'm just renting it for us. Come on."
She follows him inside, her heart beginning to pound as she looks around. It is a one-room cottage built from wood, a bed in one corner and a wood-burning stove in the other. The only furniture is a simple table and an icebox, and there is a hearth where a fire is already quietly burning. There are no mako lights here, nothing but candelabras embedded into the walls. It is a tiny but cozy space, and Tifa swallows, knowing that finally, she and Cloud will have the kind of alone time that she has been craving now for weeks.
Wedge the cat is now snoring and hearing the sound, Cloud begins to unpack their supplies, laying out a few blankets in one corner. He glances up at Tifa and nods, and she smiles before she gently sets Wedge down on the blankets, where he curls into a tighter ball as he continues to doze.
Cloud gets back to his feet and stands in front of Tifa. "What do you think?"
Tifa takes another look around. "This is really sweet, Cloud." She can't help the way that she blushes, especially when he takes both her wrists in hand and pulls her in close. "I… I really wasn't expecting anything for my birthday. I… just…"
She trails off, not looking at him and not sure what else to say. But Cloud lets go of her wrists and brings his arms around her shoulders instead, pulling her in close for a hug.
"Weren't expecting anything?" he repeats, his tone incredulous. "You deserve the world."
Tifa isn't sure how to reply but she never gets the chance because he is soon kissing her, and as soon as she feels the heat of his lips, that's all she ever wants in life, ever again. She brings her hands up to his waist, feeling the firm wall of his muscles under his fatigues, and she gaps her lips for him, letting his tongue explore hers.
She can't help the way that she nips and bites at his mouth, but Cloud abruptly pulls away, his hands now on her hips and his fingers digging into the soft leather of her skirt. His eyes are hooded when she looks back up at him, biting into her own lip.
"Fuck dinner," he grunts crassly. "All I want to eat is you."
Tifa starts to protest - he's had a long day and she knows how he'll let himself go days without a proper meal if she doesn't stay on top of him. But he's grabbing her, scooping her up with his arms under her ass. She yelps, holding him by the shoulders as he carries her across the room to the bed and drops her right in the center of it.
She falls on her bottom, leaning up on her shoulders to look up at him as he crawls over her. In the next instant, the firm heat of his body is above hers, pressing her back into the mattress. Tifa gasps in delight at the feel of it, especially when Cloud kisses her again, slowly moving his mouth away from hers to attack her jaw and then her throat with kisses and bites.
"You taste really good, Tifa," Cloud says to her, his voice a rumbly vibration against her throat. "I can't wait to get my mouth on your pussy."
"Cloud!" Tifa exclaims. His vulgarity is nothing new to her, but he usually doesn't talk with this kind of dirtiness. She doesn't think she's ever heard him use that word before, at least not in this context. Her face nearly melts right off.
"What?" he says, his lips still wet with her saliva as he leans back and frantically begins to tear at her clothes, shoving her suspenders down and working her tank top over her head. "It's been two weeks since I've had my mouth on you, what do you want from me?"
"I know," Tifa whines in reply, watching her bra disappear before she leans forward and starts to tug his sweater out of his pants, both of them practically fighting each other by now.
"I hate it," Cloud complains, his mouth on her collarbone as his hands work maniacally at the buckle at the front of her skirt. "I need you all the time, baby. As soon as that bar is finished and we have our own place, I promise you I'm going to fuck you so good all the time, you'll think every day is your fucking birthday."
"Cloud!" Tifa cries again, feeling herself grow impossibly slick at his words and his tone. "You need to behave yourself!"
"Nope," Cloud disagrees, now tugging her skirt down her hips. He's getting rough and Tifa really doesn't want him ruining any of her clothes; she barely has enough to get through a week as it is, so she lifts her hips to help him. "You're mine and I want you, Tifa. I'm gonna take good care of you and your kitty cat tonight, baby."
Tifa can't be bothered to scold him again because he is rubbing one hand over her panties and forcing her legs apart with the other, and she is instantly purring, the sound eliciting a dark laugh from Cloud's throat. He touches her gently but with just enough pressure on her clit that leaves it throbbing, and she can't help the way that she looks up at him with her lips parted and her face twisted in desire.
He is the biggest dork she has ever met in her life, but she loves everything about him and she would do anything at all for him, she wants him so bad.
Mercifully, Cloud doesn't seem intent on keeping her waiting, because he flicks her clit a few more times and then throws her skirt across the room. As Tifa watches it fly, he settles himself between her thighs, pushing them all the way back before he slides her panties to the side and spreads her lower lips with the fingers of both hands.
Tifa gasps, her voice catching in her throat when Cloud presses his tongue to her clit. He looks up at her in the fiery dimness of the room, the mako in his eyes verdant and wild. The sight of his piercing stare only furthers the burn in her core, and Tifa squirms her hips as he laps at her, trying to twist away.
He locks his arms tightly around her thighs and holds her down, open and wide. "Stay still," he demands, his voice several octaves lower, crushed under gravel. He drops his tongue from her clit and begins to massage her folds instead, laving them with long, sloppy licks. Tifa whines and twists at the feeling; it is so so good and so, so soothing, but not enough to send her close to the edge, and she strains.
Cloud sucks and laps and nips at her, his mouth all over the wet heat of her womanhood, dipping inside of her and kissing the space of skin just against her inner thighs. When he finally returns his affections to the soreness of her clit, Tifa nearly howls at the pleasure that screams up and down her nerves. She fists the sheets in her hands, and her mouth is hanging open for so long with her moans so of pleasure that she doesn't even realize she is drooling straight down to her chin.
He keeps up a gentle, rhythmic sucking that has her grinding her hips against his face, and when she feels herself growing close, Cloud suddenly is sliding two fingers inside of her. Tifa moans as he begins to knead his fingers inside of her, scraping away at her spot, working her to the point that she is nearly in tears when she finally feels her orgasm melt her brain into mush in her skull.
"Cloud, oh, oh….!" Tifa cries, and Cloud looks back up at her again, catching her stare with his. His blue eyes are devilish and he grins at her and doesn't let up until she is stamping her feet against the mattress.
She cries his name again and he finally relents, slowing down and gently pulling the pressure away. He backs away from her, sitting up over her on his knees while she heaves and sighs, her chest nearly collapsing from the effort it takes to breathe. Cloud laughs again, smiling happily as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, his cheeks bright.
"You okay?" he asks her.
Tifa can't even respond, she is so dizzy with bliss. For some reason, this just makes him laugh again. After a moment, he holds her thigh against his shoulder and drops one hand between her thighs, this time gently stroking her folds and being careful not to tap her oversensitive clit.
"Good kitty," Cloud says, giving Tifa a wink.
The euphoria in her brain collides with the dopamine that her laughter releases at his ridiculous words, and she covers her face with her arm while Cloud trails kiss all over the inside of her ankle and the inside of her calf. He lets a moment pass while she recovers, and then, he places both of her ankles over his shoulders and crawls over her.
Tifa realizes that he has opened his pants but hasn't even bothered to take them off fully, letting them fall just past his hips. But she doesn't care about that nearly as much as she cares about the sight of his cock, thick and leaky and hard, straining where it now sits against her inner thigh. She blinks at it, and this time, she feels the familiar ache deep in her belly, desperate for him to be inside of her again.
It's been too long.
"Cloud…"
"Shh," Cloud quiets her, leaning over her and pressing another kiss to her lips, this time one that is gentle and sweet, that somehow makes her wilder inside than any of his earlier, messy kisses that evening. The sensation is so welcome that she finds herself wrapping her arms around his shoulders, holding him close as they kiss and kiss.
Cloud breaks away from her mouth so that he can concentrate on the connection of their bodies a little lower. Tifa licks her lips, watching quietly as he slips inside of her, her passage so wet from her first climax that it is a smooth glide. But even so, he stretches her, and Tifa tosses her head back and whines, wanting to wrap her legs around him tight but finding that she can't with the way he holds them back.
"Fuck," Cloud swears again right into her ear, and Tifa finds that she can't help but giggle in response, moaning as he pushes deep against her spot with his first thrust. She has to admit that she loves that she can reduce a man like Cloud to such base reactions.
"You feel so good," Cloud says. "Your pussy feels so good, Tifa…"
"You feel so good inside me," Tifa agrees.
That's all it takes because Cloud finally shuts up and gets to work. He pushes himself up with both hands on either side of her head, staring down at her with eyes ablaze as his hips begin to pump. They pick up a steady but smooth and quick rhythm, the tip of him grinding into Tifa's spot while her walls slide and clench around the thickness of his cock. It feels so good that the sounds of pleasure she hears herself make don't even seem real to her, but they have Cloud grinning down at her like a fool while he himself is moaning her name.
Tifa has to close her eyes when her orgasm builds, feeling the coil of fury deep inside. All she can do is concentrate on the feel of him and the slap of their bodies together, her nails tearing bright red welts into his shoulders. Cloud drops her legs so she can wrap them around his waist, and she is grateful for this, needing to anchor herself to him as tears spring to the corner of her eyes.
"… Tifaaaa …" Cloud is rasping, his fingers finding their way into her hair.
Tifa is certain then that she is losing her voice from the way that she is begging. "Cloud… please … oh…"
She goes on until she can't anymore, and soon, she is coming hard on him, crying right into his ear. Cloud holds her tight and lets her throb right over his final thrusts before he pulls away and loses himself all over her belly and the sheets. They are both moaning and breathing heavily, sweat lining their bodies and sticking Tifa's hair to her skin.
Eventually, Cloud rolls to his side, one arm strewn over Tifa's hip. He wears a happy look of bliss, his eyes already closed. Tifa glances down at him and smiles, still catching her breath, and she can't help reaching over to smooth his spikes of hair that are messy around his head.
" Meow."
Tifa looks up at the sound, finding the kitten Cloud had gifted her now sitting on the bed on his haunches, staring directly at them, blinking as his tail jumps back and forth. He blinks, and Tifa swallows, wondering how long he has been sitting there.
Cloud opens his eyes and looks back up at her.
"Uh…" he stammers, almost nervously.
Tifa chuckles, enamored by his cuteness. "Looks like we put on quite a show," she quips.
Cloud laughs and sits up on his elbows, prompting Wedge to immediately jump back off the bed. He shakes his head, then leans in to press a kiss to Tifa's breast before he looks back up at her.
"Well," Cloud goes on. "I think I might go for some of your stew before round two, Kitten."
" Cloud ," Tifa scolds again.
Cloud sits up fully, then leans in and kisses her forehead this time.
"Happy Birthday, Tifa," he tells her again. "I love you."
She is too stunned to reply, but Cloud's cheeks are red again and he is quickly getting up from the bed.
But feeling the burn of his lips all across her body and watching the firm muscles of his shoulders and back and ass as he crosses the room to clean up, Tifa can only smile.
Happy Birthday to me.