Through clouds eyes

Chapter 3

When I opened the door there she was, right there!  Tifa Lockheart.  I couldn't believe it.  After all these years, after Nebrihem, and after Sephiroth\.  I wanted to rush to her and hug her but it was so, the wrong time.  She had changed so much over the years.  But how was she here, stop why or how doesn't matter right know.  Say something.

"Welcome home Cloud!  Did you fight with Barret?".  Um lets see in the strictest sense no but in the way she means it yes but why be so literal.  "No, Tifa, I… how?"  "Don't worry about it, you're here now".  Her voice was beautiful; I had liked her ever since I was young.  I thought back, farther than Sephiroth\ farther than Shinra farther than Solder.  It was when times were simple but ever since I left that town it's been nothing but death and destruction for me and I had seen too much of it already.  Although I was here know it seemed to me that I was destined to see more of it throughout my life.  I was like that train that Barret was talking about.  "This train cant go anywhere its rails don't take it" I was the train and the track behind me had missing pieces and the track in front of me was uncertain.  The only person I thought I could trust was Tifa, and I didn't know why.  "Daddy"!  Once malre saw that I was here and not her daddy she ran to the back of the bar, red with embarrassment.  Tifa went back and talked with her for a minuet and then saw me.  "A flower?  For me?"  I had all but forgotten the flower but know that she had asked about it I was glad I had one, I was so glad to see her.  I handed her the flower and she blushed, I smiled and we stood there like goons for a couple of seconds.  Thank good the others were too busy eating or drinking to notice.  After a moment Tifa turned around and said, "Maybe I should fill this whole bar with flowers.  You never see them in the slums."  I could tell that she was slightly embarrassed; I wanted to go over and give her a hug but A.  It was so the wrong place and B.  What if she rejected me in front of all these people?  So I stayed put, then Barret burst in and malre jumped up on his shoulders.  He said something about down stairs, and then we were left alone again.   She was standing behind the bar and I thought now I could finally get out what I wanted to say, as I approached her I tried to summon up all my courage and talk to her.  "Sit down" I did and I thought that now I would never get up the courage.  "Would you like a drink"  "sure" I said, I wanted a drink then too, drinking was about the only time that I could not be hurt by my memories, by Sephiroth\ by… damn I gota stop thinking of my past there are too many un-answerable questions. By know I had taken a few drinks and I knew that I would reach safety soon.  I know it was probably just me trying to escape but sometimes the place I escaped to was one whole hell of a lot better than where I was know, a prisoner of my own memories.  "Cloud, are you ok?"  Tifa brought me out of my thoughts so fast that I said the first thing on my mind "Yeah Tifa I'm fine, what's with you all of the sudden?  This wasn't even a hard job!"  "No… I.. I guess not".  Tifa looked down and I knew I had screwed up big time.  "You better go down to the meeting".  I walked over to the lift and went down.  I wanted to say something but I couldn't.  God!! Why did I do that?  I am just an idiot, I just yelled at a person that I haven't really seen in 7 years.  Just then Barrets voice brought me back to reality.  "yo Cloud I been meaning to ask you about something.  Where there any guys from solder there?"  "No" I said and I had now idea why he asked.  Maybe to gather intelligence or something.  "You sound pretty sure".  "If there were anyone there we wouldn't be standing here"  "yo don't go thinking you all bad jes cuz you were in solder!  Yeah your strong, probably all you guys are".  This was starting to get ridiculous.  Just then I saw him actually punch someone.  I think it was wedge.  Then I heard the lift come down.  "Look you asked a question and I answered it, that's all"!!!  Tifa grabbed my arm and looked at me.  She smiled at me and I was finally starting to relax but then Barret had to but in.  "No let him go Tifa, he must still miss the shinra".  That was it he just had to piss me off I turned to him and said, "I don't care about Shinra or SOLDER!  But don't get me wrong I don't care about AVELANCHE or the planet for that matter!!!  I'm goin up to talk about my money"!  I stomped over to the lift and it was all I could do not to punch Barret.  What I said down there I meant the only thing or one I really cared about was Tifa.  Just as I was heading out the door I heard the lift, it was Tifa.  "So you're really leaving.  You're just going to walk out on your childhood friend".   I was so angry at Barret but that didn't mean that I had to be mean to Tifa.  "What?"  "So you forgot the promise to.  Don't you remember"?  I could tell that this was really important to her so I forced myself back to the time when we were kids.  "Oh yeah, back then."  We both relived the experience.  Just as we were finishing Barret must have heard us.  "I'm sorry Tifa I'm not famous, I cant keep the promise"  "yes but you did get to live your dream you got to join solder".  Tifa really wanted me to stay, just then Barret made him visible, "Here Cloud, a promise is a promise".  He threw me a bag of gill and it appeared to be about 1500 gill.  In an instant I made my decision.  "This is my pay?  Don't make me laugh".  Tifa's face was a reward all in itself.  "So, you're staying?"  "I hope you got the next job lined up for me because ill do it for 3000.  Another present was seeing Barret almost having 4 simultaneous heart attacks.  He sputtered and spewed gibberish for about 5 minuets, then Tifa calmed him down and all he said to me was an angry "2000"!  Tifa smiled at me.  "You foos better get to bed because we have another operation tomorrow".  Then Barret went down stairs on the lift.  Tifa and I stared at each other forever it seemed like, I was getting tiered though so I asked Tifa,  "Hey is there a place where a guy could get a shower around here"?  She showed me to the room and I took a shower.  The water hitting my body felt great.  The job today wasn't very tough but I still felt those few burses from the guards cheep shots though.  When I got out I put on some of my clothes and went down stairs where Tifa was still sitting up and apparently waiting for me.  "Hi Tifa how are you? Is there a pillow around here"?  She had one for me right next to her "Man you would think beret's snoring would wake the dead not to mention himself, maybe we should hold his nose".  Tifa just about burst out laughing and I smiled.  "Do you really want to mess with a guy with a gun on his arm"?  I was considering it and winked at her then said "We could always blame it on wedge!  But then again no probably not".  Tifa was really happy and I was glad that she was but I still didn't know what to make of the pillow situation.  "So do you let your hair go natural or do you use 4 tons of moose"?  "Eh for me I go o' natural".  I made up my mind that I would just ask her but by the time I got over there my plan was showing massive pit holes!  So I just lay down and asked, "err is this um blanket big enough for both"?  "Of course"! I pulled some over me and then wrapped my arms around Tifa, hoping she wouldn't reject me.  She didn't and we stayed like that till morning with our bodies intertwined.  I loved her and I didn't know if she loved me? Perhaps I was just a little side action or perhaps… well just be happy with what you have now and I was happy I had wanted to hug her ever since I saw her behind the bar.  I loved her and I just hoped she felt the same way.  I finally fell asleep and for once I didn't dream of those horrible things.  Sephiroth\, Nebrihem, fire, for once I had a peaceful sleep.  I didn't know whether it was the small amount of booze or Tifa but I liked the idea of it being Tifa and not just another escape.  The next thing I knew it was morning, so I got up and went up stairs.  "hi Cloud how did you sleep"? That was Tifa's happy voice; I didn't want to embarrass her so I just made fun of Barret instead.  "Aw Barrets snoring woke me up".  We both smiled, knowing what really went on last night.  "Listen up fools the next target is the no 6 reactor.  Oh and Cloud I noticed you found some materia and I was wondering… if you could…teach me"?  Well at least that's what I got out of his stutter.  I think he was really embarrassed that he didn't know how to use materia.  I showed him and me Tifa and Barret walked out to the sector 6 reactor.