Sun and Shadow
By Sephiroth 4000
Chapter 1: Bloom
Sunlight filtered through the broken rafters, gilding the blonde hair of the young man who stood in the shadows. It had been a long time since he had returned here; more then year actually. He simply let his eyes drink in the greenery which had swallowed up the long row of pews, unwilling to look ahead.
Because somehow this place didn't seem right without her. . .
It felt the same, though. The flowers still bloomed, scattering their light etheral scent, and the sun still gently shone down on their upturned faces. Everything was the same, even that feeling of peace that made him straigten his shoulders, feeling his muscles subtly relax. . .because somehow he was safe here, and he didn't need to be constantly vigilant. Because in a very special way, here he wasn't important.
Here, where he had met her for the second time.
Reluctantly, azure eyes turned their way to where he had fallen, on the flowerbed. The blossums still flowered there in profusion, pink, white, yellow and green merging together in a kaleidascope of colour from behind the tears that momentarily clouded sky blue eyes. And to his surprise, as he looked, he saw her, a lovely brunette; not dressed in her customary pink, but in purest white.
"Cloud?"
He hastily wiped his eyes with a swift swipe of one black clad hand. His vision cleared, and he focused on her, fair complexion tinted with rose, brown hair flowing to below her waist, his welcome smiled on her lips, shining from her burgundy red eyes.
"Tifa?"
She looked at him questioningly, and then her smile widened. "Well, since you're here, you can help me with the flowers."
He nodded, brows slowly drawing together, as he sensed. . .well, not that something was wrong precisely, but there was something not. . .right. . .even as she knelt down, a trowel held loosely in one ungloved hand, water can close by. He picked it up, and began trickling a thin stream of water on the dry areas of earth.
"You come here often?"
She nodded, absently brushing back a lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes. "Yes. . .it didn't seem right to let this place fall into ruins like everywhere else you know?"
He nodded, and even though she had her back to him, knew she had seen. A nagging thought troubled him. . .
Tifa had never been here. None of AVALANCHE had come here except for himself and Aeris. So. . .how had the young woman patiently weeding beside him known about this place? He hadn't remembered mentioning it. . .
They worked in a comfortable silence. The sun shifted, and eventually they were left in shadow.
Cloud clambered to his feet with a small groan; it felt like he had been bent double for a week not for mere hours. Tifa grinned in amusement, but let it pass, climbing uncharacteristically slowly to her feet. He looked at her oddly, darkness flashing briefly over sapphire orbs, but did not comment.
"C'mon," was all he said, offering his arm with a wry smile. "Let's go home."
To be continued. . .
By Sephiroth 4000
Chapter 1: Bloom
Sunlight filtered through the broken rafters, gilding the blonde hair of the young man who stood in the shadows. It had been a long time since he had returned here; more then year actually. He simply let his eyes drink in the greenery which had swallowed up the long row of pews, unwilling to look ahead.
Because somehow this place didn't seem right without her. . .
It felt the same, though. The flowers still bloomed, scattering their light etheral scent, and the sun still gently shone down on their upturned faces. Everything was the same, even that feeling of peace that made him straigten his shoulders, feeling his muscles subtly relax. . .because somehow he was safe here, and he didn't need to be constantly vigilant. Because in a very special way, here he wasn't important.
Here, where he had met her for the second time.
Reluctantly, azure eyes turned their way to where he had fallen, on the flowerbed. The blossums still flowered there in profusion, pink, white, yellow and green merging together in a kaleidascope of colour from behind the tears that momentarily clouded sky blue eyes. And to his surprise, as he looked, he saw her, a lovely brunette; not dressed in her customary pink, but in purest white.
"Cloud?"
He hastily wiped his eyes with a swift swipe of one black clad hand. His vision cleared, and he focused on her, fair complexion tinted with rose, brown hair flowing to below her waist, his welcome smiled on her lips, shining from her burgundy red eyes.
"Tifa?"
She looked at him questioningly, and then her smile widened. "Well, since you're here, you can help me with the flowers."
He nodded, brows slowly drawing together, as he sensed. . .well, not that something was wrong precisely, but there was something not. . .right. . .even as she knelt down, a trowel held loosely in one ungloved hand, water can close by. He picked it up, and began trickling a thin stream of water on the dry areas of earth.
"You come here often?"
She nodded, absently brushing back a lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes. "Yes. . .it didn't seem right to let this place fall into ruins like everywhere else you know?"
He nodded, and even though she had her back to him, knew she had seen. A nagging thought troubled him. . .
Tifa had never been here. None of AVALANCHE had come here except for himself and Aeris. So. . .how had the young woman patiently weeding beside him known about this place? He hadn't remembered mentioning it. . .
They worked in a comfortable silence. The sun shifted, and eventually they were left in shadow.
Cloud clambered to his feet with a small groan; it felt like he had been bent double for a week not for mere hours. Tifa grinned in amusement, but let it pass, climbing uncharacteristically slowly to her feet. He looked at her oddly, darkness flashing briefly over sapphire orbs, but did not comment.
"C'mon," was all he said, offering his arm with a wry smile. "Let's go home."
To be continued. . .