Chapter 6 "Emotions"
"Aeris? Aeris, where are you!?" Cloud yelled as he ran in the familiar area where he first saw her. Her gentle fingers stroked his shoulder from behind. He slightly tipped his head to note she was wearing her normal clothes, and the white materia was still in her ribbon.
"Cloud... Be happy... Despite was Sephiroth has done, I'll always be here."
Cloud nodded his head and hugged her gently, taking in her familiar scent.
"And tell Tifa how you feel," Her face suddenly lit up, "You guys look so cute together!"
Cloud smiled and waved good-bye as Aeris faded away, as did the dream...
* * *
Cloud blinked slowly, the room was a haze. Finally, he made out his surroundings. Barret and Cait Sith stood at the end of the bed while the rest were on his right side; except Tifa, who was on the other. "Hey, Cloud!" Cait Sith cheered, "How're you feeling!?" Cloud examined himself shortly, the wound in his leg had started to heal due to healing magic, his shoulder was healing a little better and his fever was nearly gone. "I feel... Fine... Actually..."
Everyone smiled widely, even Barret! Looking out the window across from him, Cloud could see that the snow was all gone; not a drop was on the green grass. "Whoa! How long was I out!" Cloud jumped, falling off the bed. His weak leg caused him to fall to the floor, the group quickly rushed to his side and helped him up. As soon as he settled into his bed, Cid told him he was out for a week and a half. Since he fell into the ice-cold water, it was no wonder that he got sicker. Barret mentioned that since the storm came in fast, the group was forced to come back. They camped in the ship for three days and waited for the snow to die down, when it did, they headed back. When they got here they found Cloud and Tifa unconscious on the floor, both with fevers. Tifa wasn't as bad as Cloud though; she was just unconscious from being in the water too long.
Cloud then remembered the fight with Sephiroth and his last discussion with Aeris. Although, he thought this time it was the real Aeris for sure. Cloud politely asked the group to leave so he could sleep except for Tifa, saying he needed to talk to her about something. As everyone exited, Cloud sat up and moved over a bit on the bed to let Tifa sit beside him.
"What's up?" She asked, putting her head on his shoulder.
She seemed like her casual self, not showing any sign that she was sick. "I'm sorry... For causing trouble..." He blushed; Tifa put her hand on his shoulder and made him turn to look at her. "You're not trouble, and don't worry about it. You're Ok now and that's what matters."
His hand trailed up her arm and into her hair, lightly stroking the long strands as she sat closer to him. "Tifa..." His voice was light and sensual, his blue Mako eyes gazed at her lips. "Before anything else happens, I just want to say..." He then hesitated as another blush crept across his face like a bug. "Umm," He stuttered, "For quite a while now, I've..."
Tifa began to blush as well and looked up at his face, barely a inch apart from one another.
"I love you... I always have..." He whispered as he looked into her eyes.
Tifa felt so many things at once, happiness, bliss, surprise, but most of all; the same way. She got nervous as a lump caught in her throat, her hand began to tremble. "I... I love... You too." His hand held hers as he gently pulled her head towards his and kissed her.
"Oy!" Barret yelled, "What're they talkin' about?" Yuffie hushed Barret as she put her ear back to the door. After a few minutes, she finally gave up and walked down the stairs to the rest of them. "Well?" Red XII asked. Yuffie had a huge grin on her face, "We better get something to eat!" She declared, "They're going to be a while!"
The hours flew by and Tifa fell asleep on Cloud's shoulder, he carefully slipped under the covers with her and drifted off to sleep himself.
Aeris... Thank you... For helping me realize who I truly care for... I'll never forget you.
The End
* * * * * *
Well, that's it! Sorry, Aeris fans! I just can't picture those two together. I've always been a CloudxTifa fan, so cute together! ^_^ Well, thanks for reading this far. This is my very first story so please review. For those of you who are CloudxAeris fans a 'alternate ending' is in the making. Oh well, R and R anyway
Arigatou! Sayonara!
"Aeris? Aeris, where are you!?" Cloud yelled as he ran in the familiar area where he first saw her. Her gentle fingers stroked his shoulder from behind. He slightly tipped his head to note she was wearing her normal clothes, and the white materia was still in her ribbon.
"Cloud... Be happy... Despite was Sephiroth has done, I'll always be here."
Cloud nodded his head and hugged her gently, taking in her familiar scent.
"And tell Tifa how you feel," Her face suddenly lit up, "You guys look so cute together!"
Cloud smiled and waved good-bye as Aeris faded away, as did the dream...
* * *
Cloud blinked slowly, the room was a haze. Finally, he made out his surroundings. Barret and Cait Sith stood at the end of the bed while the rest were on his right side; except Tifa, who was on the other. "Hey, Cloud!" Cait Sith cheered, "How're you feeling!?" Cloud examined himself shortly, the wound in his leg had started to heal due to healing magic, his shoulder was healing a little better and his fever was nearly gone. "I feel... Fine... Actually..."
Everyone smiled widely, even Barret! Looking out the window across from him, Cloud could see that the snow was all gone; not a drop was on the green grass. "Whoa! How long was I out!" Cloud jumped, falling off the bed. His weak leg caused him to fall to the floor, the group quickly rushed to his side and helped him up. As soon as he settled into his bed, Cid told him he was out for a week and a half. Since he fell into the ice-cold water, it was no wonder that he got sicker. Barret mentioned that since the storm came in fast, the group was forced to come back. They camped in the ship for three days and waited for the snow to die down, when it did, they headed back. When they got here they found Cloud and Tifa unconscious on the floor, both with fevers. Tifa wasn't as bad as Cloud though; she was just unconscious from being in the water too long.
Cloud then remembered the fight with Sephiroth and his last discussion with Aeris. Although, he thought this time it was the real Aeris for sure. Cloud politely asked the group to leave so he could sleep except for Tifa, saying he needed to talk to her about something. As everyone exited, Cloud sat up and moved over a bit on the bed to let Tifa sit beside him.
"What's up?" She asked, putting her head on his shoulder.
She seemed like her casual self, not showing any sign that she was sick. "I'm sorry... For causing trouble..." He blushed; Tifa put her hand on his shoulder and made him turn to look at her. "You're not trouble, and don't worry about it. You're Ok now and that's what matters."
His hand trailed up her arm and into her hair, lightly stroking the long strands as she sat closer to him. "Tifa..." His voice was light and sensual, his blue Mako eyes gazed at her lips. "Before anything else happens, I just want to say..." He then hesitated as another blush crept across his face like a bug. "Umm," He stuttered, "For quite a while now, I've..."
Tifa began to blush as well and looked up at his face, barely a inch apart from one another.
"I love you... I always have..." He whispered as he looked into her eyes.
Tifa felt so many things at once, happiness, bliss, surprise, but most of all; the same way. She got nervous as a lump caught in her throat, her hand began to tremble. "I... I love... You too." His hand held hers as he gently pulled her head towards his and kissed her.
"Oy!" Barret yelled, "What're they talkin' about?" Yuffie hushed Barret as she put her ear back to the door. After a few minutes, she finally gave up and walked down the stairs to the rest of them. "Well?" Red XII asked. Yuffie had a huge grin on her face, "We better get something to eat!" She declared, "They're going to be a while!"
The hours flew by and Tifa fell asleep on Cloud's shoulder, he carefully slipped under the covers with her and drifted off to sleep himself.
Aeris... Thank you... For helping me realize who I truly care for... I'll never forget you.
The End
* * * * * *
Well, that's it! Sorry, Aeris fans! I just can't picture those two together. I've always been a CloudxTifa fan, so cute together! ^_^ Well, thanks for reading this far. This is my very first story so please review. For those of you who are CloudxAeris fans a 'alternate ending' is in the making. Oh well, R and R anyway
Arigatou! Sayonara!