The poem Cloud writes is not of my own composition. It is the beginning of the lyrics to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls, and I in no way whatsoever own it. Same goes for the characters from Final Fantasy 7. I often forget to include disclaimers. This one goes for all my FF7 stories.
Cloud gulped as Aeris began speaking. He didn't know what to feel about this. He was relieved he would know what was going to happen with them, but there was that doubt in the back of his mind that he would be chosen. It was hard for him to convince himself that he was good enough for her. Red was a lot deeper and more sensitive than him. Aeris had always seemed to like that. He had something Red would never have, though--he was a human. The words went in one ear and out the other until she said she had come to her decision.
"I have decided that I want to be with Red. This isn't marriage or anything, of course, and we are all still friends. This doesn't mean I'm rejecting you, Cloud. It just means that I don't want a relationship with you right now. I would like to ask all of you to please respect my decision, even though Red and I are very different."
Cloud didn't know what to say. Those words penetrated deep into his heart like a sword. He wanted to be alone, to think about all of this. Being with several other people, especially Aeris and Red, bothered him too much. He pushed past everyone and ran upstairs.
"Wait, Cloud!" He ignored the call and slammed his door behind him.
"What's he got that I don't have? He isn't even human! And he can't feel for her what I feel!" He grabbed a notebook he kept secretly of poetry and thoughts. He began scrawling down a poem.
And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't wanna go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
And sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
After he finished, he ripped out the piece of paper and crumpled it, throwing it at the door. He laid down on his bed and began what he knew would be a very long nap.
The group quickly dispersed off on their own ways, except for Tifa, Aeris and Red. Tifa approached Aeris and softly said, "Look, I know everyone is upset over this. But I support you no matter what everyone else says. It'll just take a little getting used to for them. Good luck, Aeris. I'm gonna go see how Cloud's holding up. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine."
"Thank you." It was all Aeris could think of to say as Tifa left. She looked down at Red and smiled. "You haven't said anything. How are you doing?"
"I'm much better this morning, thank you for asking...if you don't mind my asking, why did you choose me?"
"There is just something about you that feels...right. A relationship with Cloud wouldn't work. We are too emotionally different. But you and I have a lot of common ground inside." She gestured at her heart and sighed. "Let's go for a walk."
"Are you sure that would be a wise decision? You know how people have reacted so far."
"Don't worry about it. It'll give everyone a chance to accept my choice. Anyway, I borrowed a gun from Barret's stash. We'll be fine." She decided to leave out that she had absolutely no experience with fire arms, and that she would probably be more likely to shoot a fence than whatever they could be faced by.
"Sounds good to me, then."
Tifa knocked on Cloud's door. There was no answer, and she became very concerned for his well-being. He had been known to go to extremes when he was upset. She also wanted to see him again. He was very vulnerable, and she knew she could use that to her advantage. She had feelings for him since they were teenagers, and now he was definitely single. She opened the door and saw him laying on his bed asleep. She smiled. He looked so angelic and peaceful. A crumpled piece of paper on the floor caught her eye. She picked it up and read it. It was a poem, obviously about the way he felt about Aeris. A stray tear fell down her eye. 'He really does love her. And I was going to come in here to seduce him.' Guilt overcame her, and she started to leave.
"Tifa?" Cloud asked groggily from the bed.
"I'm here. Sorry for waking you. Are you all right?"
"I guess."
"I'll leave you to take your nap."
"No. Stay." He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Are you sure?" She wondered why she was questioning his request, when she wanted nothing more than to stay with him.
"Yes. Come sit on the bed. I could really use the company."
She nodded and sat on the bed beside him. "I'm really sorry things didn't work out for you."
"Don't be. It's not your fault. This isn't going to last forever. In the meantime, I can explore other possibilities." He looked deep into Tifa's eyes and kissed her.
'This can't be what he really wants,' she thought. 'This is probably him just getting revenge on Aeris for hurting him. There is no way he could be back to normal this quickly.' Desire won out over logic as she kissed him back. The kisses became increasingly passionate, and all of her mental capabilities were scorched by the fire of her emotions.
Red and Aeris had ended up back at Aeris's house again. They sat on the couch discussing their relationship, trying to work out the obvious and not so obvious problems that were coming up.
"Have you ever been in a relationship before, Nanaki?"
"No. But I've observed many relationship amongest my friends and acquaintances."
"What makes them all end?"
"Lack of communication, usually. Sometimes because one of the partners doesn't want to make it work. Emotions are complex things. They change, and most are incapable of dealing with it."
"I don't want this to end."
"Nor do I. But something that hasn't really began can't end. We can't show our relationship publically, which eliminates the possiblity of dates."
"No it doesn't. We could have a date watching a movie here. Or I could fix us dinner and we could spend the evening together. Our dates will be a lot more romantic and better than everyone else's."
"I hadn't thought about that."
"Our relationship will be really special...I have something to admit to you, though. Something that I don't even understand myself yet. I haven't told anyone, and I only want you to know about it."
Cloud gulped as Aeris began speaking. He didn't know what to feel about this. He was relieved he would know what was going to happen with them, but there was that doubt in the back of his mind that he would be chosen. It was hard for him to convince himself that he was good enough for her. Red was a lot deeper and more sensitive than him. Aeris had always seemed to like that. He had something Red would never have, though--he was a human. The words went in one ear and out the other until she said she had come to her decision.
"I have decided that I want to be with Red. This isn't marriage or anything, of course, and we are all still friends. This doesn't mean I'm rejecting you, Cloud. It just means that I don't want a relationship with you right now. I would like to ask all of you to please respect my decision, even though Red and I are very different."
Cloud didn't know what to say. Those words penetrated deep into his heart like a sword. He wanted to be alone, to think about all of this. Being with several other people, especially Aeris and Red, bothered him too much. He pushed past everyone and ran upstairs.
"Wait, Cloud!" He ignored the call and slammed his door behind him.
"What's he got that I don't have? He isn't even human! And he can't feel for her what I feel!" He grabbed a notebook he kept secretly of poetry and thoughts. He began scrawling down a poem.
And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't wanna go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
And sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
After he finished, he ripped out the piece of paper and crumpled it, throwing it at the door. He laid down on his bed and began what he knew would be a very long nap.
The group quickly dispersed off on their own ways, except for Tifa, Aeris and Red. Tifa approached Aeris and softly said, "Look, I know everyone is upset over this. But I support you no matter what everyone else says. It'll just take a little getting used to for them. Good luck, Aeris. I'm gonna go see how Cloud's holding up. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine."
"Thank you." It was all Aeris could think of to say as Tifa left. She looked down at Red and smiled. "You haven't said anything. How are you doing?"
"I'm much better this morning, thank you for asking...if you don't mind my asking, why did you choose me?"
"There is just something about you that feels...right. A relationship with Cloud wouldn't work. We are too emotionally different. But you and I have a lot of common ground inside." She gestured at her heart and sighed. "Let's go for a walk."
"Are you sure that would be a wise decision? You know how people have reacted so far."
"Don't worry about it. It'll give everyone a chance to accept my choice. Anyway, I borrowed a gun from Barret's stash. We'll be fine." She decided to leave out that she had absolutely no experience with fire arms, and that she would probably be more likely to shoot a fence than whatever they could be faced by.
"Sounds good to me, then."
Tifa knocked on Cloud's door. There was no answer, and she became very concerned for his well-being. He had been known to go to extremes when he was upset. She also wanted to see him again. He was very vulnerable, and she knew she could use that to her advantage. She had feelings for him since they were teenagers, and now he was definitely single. She opened the door and saw him laying on his bed asleep. She smiled. He looked so angelic and peaceful. A crumpled piece of paper on the floor caught her eye. She picked it up and read it. It was a poem, obviously about the way he felt about Aeris. A stray tear fell down her eye. 'He really does love her. And I was going to come in here to seduce him.' Guilt overcame her, and she started to leave.
"Tifa?" Cloud asked groggily from the bed.
"I'm here. Sorry for waking you. Are you all right?"
"I guess."
"I'll leave you to take your nap."
"No. Stay." He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Are you sure?" She wondered why she was questioning his request, when she wanted nothing more than to stay with him.
"Yes. Come sit on the bed. I could really use the company."
She nodded and sat on the bed beside him. "I'm really sorry things didn't work out for you."
"Don't be. It's not your fault. This isn't going to last forever. In the meantime, I can explore other possibilities." He looked deep into Tifa's eyes and kissed her.
'This can't be what he really wants,' she thought. 'This is probably him just getting revenge on Aeris for hurting him. There is no way he could be back to normal this quickly.' Desire won out over logic as she kissed him back. The kisses became increasingly passionate, and all of her mental capabilities were scorched by the fire of her emotions.
Red and Aeris had ended up back at Aeris's house again. They sat on the couch discussing their relationship, trying to work out the obvious and not so obvious problems that were coming up.
"Have you ever been in a relationship before, Nanaki?"
"No. But I've observed many relationship amongest my friends and acquaintances."
"What makes them all end?"
"Lack of communication, usually. Sometimes because one of the partners doesn't want to make it work. Emotions are complex things. They change, and most are incapable of dealing with it."
"I don't want this to end."
"Nor do I. But something that hasn't really began can't end. We can't show our relationship publically, which eliminates the possiblity of dates."
"No it doesn't. We could have a date watching a movie here. Or I could fix us dinner and we could spend the evening together. Our dates will be a lot more romantic and better than everyone else's."
"I hadn't thought about that."
"Our relationship will be really special...I have something to admit to you, though. Something that I don't even understand myself yet. I haven't told anyone, and I only want you to know about it."