Chapter 2 - Consolation
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Tifa Lockheart was getting her nightclub, Starlit Heaven, ready for this Friday night's rush. She knew it would be busy; therefore she was cleaning off the tables, and serving the people already in the club at seven-o- clock. She stayed behind the bar normally, but at the moment it was quiet.
She sat at a table with a large can of Strongbow Cider and sighed. She was sick of her life. Her boyfriend wasn't the one for her. They had mutually split the week before, not that anyone knew; but she was feeling the pain of yet another failed relationship. To be honest, she reasoned, there's not much point having relationships. You know just whom you want.
She sighed again, getting strange looks from the group of men at the next table. She still wanted Cloud. She knew he loved Aeris, she couldn't hold grudges either; he had to follow his heart, just like she had to. If Cloud was meant to be with Aeris, so be it. She would have a person she was meant to be with too. But... Tifa knew their relationship was under strain. Aeris had been acting strangely, and although Cloud hadn't actually told her, she had seen it in his eyes that all wasn't well. She knew Cloud too well. She also knew Aeris too well to not notice her behaviour was changing. She was moody with everyone, and seemed to have itchy feet. She wanted to be somewhere else. This unnerved Tifa. Aeris had been her best friend, but now she wouldn't even acknowledge her if she saw her on the street. Vincent and Yuffie had commented on it as well. Something wasn't right.
~*~
At half nine, Starlit Heaven was packed to the brim with partyers. Since Meteor, people had decided to enjoy themselves more; and Starlit Heaven was the top club in Landersun. Tifa had put on the dance music; the dancefloor was full and her bar staff were rushed off their feet. Tifa helped them out until she saw a familiar person enter the club out of the corner of her eye. Was that Cloud?
Tifa moved quickly from behind the bar and towards Cloud. He had been crying, she could instantly tell, and he had what was going to become a bruised jaw. Had he been in a fight? No, Cloud wouldn't have been in a fistfight, everyone knew and liked him now. Plus why would he be crying? He turned towards her and, seeing her coming towards him, walked up to her. His eyes locked with hers, and she instantly knew that something was terribly wrong. She took his hand and led him to one of the quieter tables towards the back of the club.
Cloud sat next to Tifa in the booth. She looked at his face, concerned. She may have been in love with him; but he was still her very best friend in the world. "What happened?"
Cloud told her everything. After he had finished, Tifa stood up and flexed her hands, stretching. Cloud looked at her, puzzled. "What, you're gonna kick my ass now too?" he asked her, with a hint of a smile on his lips. Tifa didn't smile back.
"She's gonna get what's coming to her, bitch! How dare she?"
Cloud stood up, worried now, because he could see how serious she was. "Teef, leave it. There's no point..." Tifa gave him a withering look. "What? What would be the point though? She's my fiancée, it's between me and her..."
Tifa silenced him with a finger to his lips. "She's your fiancée. That's exactly the point." With that she jumped over Cloud and jogged towards the door. Cloud ran after her. "Tifa!" She whirled around and smiled at him. "Look after that bar Cloud!" She waved as she ran off, and for some strange reason, Cloud didn't run after her, as much as he knew he should.
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Tifa ran up to the house Cloud and Aeris shared. The door was locked. She banged on it many times, but no response, although she could hear Aeris inside, talking on the phone it sounded like. She yelled through the letterbox, "AERIS!! Let me in!" but Aeris didn't answer. As Tifa finally gave up, she saw the dining room light go on. Silently, she hopped over the back fence and ran around to the dining room window, where she saw Aeris leaving the room. ("Damn!") She went back to the front door. Still no answer.
Tifa was about to give up when she saw the bedroom light go on and Aeris looked down at her, staring with an angry look on her face. She gave Tifa the finger and shut the curtains. Tifa managed to stop herself climbing the drainpipe and strangling her. As she finally started going back to the club, she heard strange laughter coming from the bedroom. "Weird bitch..." She realised she had better get back to the club. She had left Cloud alone too long.
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Cloud was sat at the same table that they had been at before, with a half empty bottle of Bacardi in his hand. He looked so depressed and sad. He looked up at Tifa with a cute hangdog expression, making the urge to cuddle him too great for Tifa to withstand. She pried the bottle out of his hand. "Its not good for you, hun..." He kept his arms around her and buried his head in her shoulder.
She realised he was already half drunk, but she didn't care; it was better to get these feelings out in the open than to bottle them up. She had learnt that from looking at Cloud all those months ago, when he finally admitted he loved Aeris too much to let her go. Now look at him. Tifa could kill her, in all seriousness, for what she was putting him through. Didn't she know he had gone through so much? He had lost her once she couldn't put him through that again. Tifa wouldn't let her.
Cloud raised his head again, and she realised he had been crying into her shoulder. He sniffed, trying not to cry any more. "She's gonna leave me now, Teef, she doesn't love me. She told me so herself..." Cloud didn't seem to be too upset now, only angry. "I can't believe her... I loved her so much, and now..."
Tifa told him about the visit to the house. He seemed confused. "But... I have my PHS here, and we don't have another phone..." Tifa looked at him. "You don't think..." Cloud lowered his head to the floor.
"Tifa, I wouldn't put it past her to have another guy, she's been changing so much..." Cloud let out another sob and fell back into Tifa's arms, nuzzling her neck with his face. Tifa's heart ached for him so much - he had had his heart broken before, when Aeris died; now it had been broken again. She yearned for the chance to mend his heart, but knew it wouldn't happen. She must concentrate on being a best friend to him now - that was the best way she could help him. She whispered comforts into his ear for what seemed like forever.
Tifa realised that it was gone 2am, and the club was winding down. Cloud was still cuddled into her; taking a closer look she saw that he had fallen asleep. He had a sweet little-boy look on his face that took her back to their days in Nibelheim. She loved him so much... but she could live without him as her lover if she could only have him like this, as a friend. She gently shook him, and he sleepily opened his eyes.
"Huh?... Teef. Did I fall asleep? Sorry..." He stretched his arms and got out of Tifa's lap. She smiled at him, an understanding, caring smile; then got up as well. Cloud turned to her. "You know Teef, I was thinking... you were right."
Tifa frowned. "What about, hun?" Cloud smiled back at her puzzled face, took one of her hands in his and squeezed it. "I should have got over her..."
They both smiled and leant in for a hug as they walked across the front of the bar. Tifa kept hold of his hand. He laid his head on her shoulder, not letting go of the hug for a long long time. When they finally broke apart, Tifa led him to the back of the bar. "You can stay here tonight, there's a spare bed... It's in my room, but I don't guess you'll mind..." She gave him an innocent smile. ("Don't worry, I'm not going to jump on you, as much as I want to...") She giggled softly at her thoughts, but Cloud didn't notice.
Cloud smiled at her. "Thanks, I don't really wanna go back there tonight..." They shut the door to Tifa's flat behind them as they went up the stairs.
Tifa's expression changed as soon as Cloud couldn't see it, and she frowned as she walked behind Cloud. Was that Zack she just saw behind them? And was that Aeris he was dancing with???
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Tifa Lockheart was getting her nightclub, Starlit Heaven, ready for this Friday night's rush. She knew it would be busy; therefore she was cleaning off the tables, and serving the people already in the club at seven-o- clock. She stayed behind the bar normally, but at the moment it was quiet.
She sat at a table with a large can of Strongbow Cider and sighed. She was sick of her life. Her boyfriend wasn't the one for her. They had mutually split the week before, not that anyone knew; but she was feeling the pain of yet another failed relationship. To be honest, she reasoned, there's not much point having relationships. You know just whom you want.
She sighed again, getting strange looks from the group of men at the next table. She still wanted Cloud. She knew he loved Aeris, she couldn't hold grudges either; he had to follow his heart, just like she had to. If Cloud was meant to be with Aeris, so be it. She would have a person she was meant to be with too. But... Tifa knew their relationship was under strain. Aeris had been acting strangely, and although Cloud hadn't actually told her, she had seen it in his eyes that all wasn't well. She knew Cloud too well. She also knew Aeris too well to not notice her behaviour was changing. She was moody with everyone, and seemed to have itchy feet. She wanted to be somewhere else. This unnerved Tifa. Aeris had been her best friend, but now she wouldn't even acknowledge her if she saw her on the street. Vincent and Yuffie had commented on it as well. Something wasn't right.
~*~
At half nine, Starlit Heaven was packed to the brim with partyers. Since Meteor, people had decided to enjoy themselves more; and Starlit Heaven was the top club in Landersun. Tifa had put on the dance music; the dancefloor was full and her bar staff were rushed off their feet. Tifa helped them out until she saw a familiar person enter the club out of the corner of her eye. Was that Cloud?
Tifa moved quickly from behind the bar and towards Cloud. He had been crying, she could instantly tell, and he had what was going to become a bruised jaw. Had he been in a fight? No, Cloud wouldn't have been in a fistfight, everyone knew and liked him now. Plus why would he be crying? He turned towards her and, seeing her coming towards him, walked up to her. His eyes locked with hers, and she instantly knew that something was terribly wrong. She took his hand and led him to one of the quieter tables towards the back of the club.
Cloud sat next to Tifa in the booth. She looked at his face, concerned. She may have been in love with him; but he was still her very best friend in the world. "What happened?"
Cloud told her everything. After he had finished, Tifa stood up and flexed her hands, stretching. Cloud looked at her, puzzled. "What, you're gonna kick my ass now too?" he asked her, with a hint of a smile on his lips. Tifa didn't smile back.
"She's gonna get what's coming to her, bitch! How dare she?"
Cloud stood up, worried now, because he could see how serious she was. "Teef, leave it. There's no point..." Tifa gave him a withering look. "What? What would be the point though? She's my fiancée, it's between me and her..."
Tifa silenced him with a finger to his lips. "She's your fiancée. That's exactly the point." With that she jumped over Cloud and jogged towards the door. Cloud ran after her. "Tifa!" She whirled around and smiled at him. "Look after that bar Cloud!" She waved as she ran off, and for some strange reason, Cloud didn't run after her, as much as he knew he should.
~*~
Tifa ran up to the house Cloud and Aeris shared. The door was locked. She banged on it many times, but no response, although she could hear Aeris inside, talking on the phone it sounded like. She yelled through the letterbox, "AERIS!! Let me in!" but Aeris didn't answer. As Tifa finally gave up, she saw the dining room light go on. Silently, she hopped over the back fence and ran around to the dining room window, where she saw Aeris leaving the room. ("Damn!") She went back to the front door. Still no answer.
Tifa was about to give up when she saw the bedroom light go on and Aeris looked down at her, staring with an angry look on her face. She gave Tifa the finger and shut the curtains. Tifa managed to stop herself climbing the drainpipe and strangling her. As she finally started going back to the club, she heard strange laughter coming from the bedroom. "Weird bitch..." She realised she had better get back to the club. She had left Cloud alone too long.
~*~
Cloud was sat at the same table that they had been at before, with a half empty bottle of Bacardi in his hand. He looked so depressed and sad. He looked up at Tifa with a cute hangdog expression, making the urge to cuddle him too great for Tifa to withstand. She pried the bottle out of his hand. "Its not good for you, hun..." He kept his arms around her and buried his head in her shoulder.
She realised he was already half drunk, but she didn't care; it was better to get these feelings out in the open than to bottle them up. She had learnt that from looking at Cloud all those months ago, when he finally admitted he loved Aeris too much to let her go. Now look at him. Tifa could kill her, in all seriousness, for what she was putting him through. Didn't she know he had gone through so much? He had lost her once she couldn't put him through that again. Tifa wouldn't let her.
Cloud raised his head again, and she realised he had been crying into her shoulder. He sniffed, trying not to cry any more. "She's gonna leave me now, Teef, she doesn't love me. She told me so herself..." Cloud didn't seem to be too upset now, only angry. "I can't believe her... I loved her so much, and now..."
Tifa told him about the visit to the house. He seemed confused. "But... I have my PHS here, and we don't have another phone..." Tifa looked at him. "You don't think..." Cloud lowered his head to the floor.
"Tifa, I wouldn't put it past her to have another guy, she's been changing so much..." Cloud let out another sob and fell back into Tifa's arms, nuzzling her neck with his face. Tifa's heart ached for him so much - he had had his heart broken before, when Aeris died; now it had been broken again. She yearned for the chance to mend his heart, but knew it wouldn't happen. She must concentrate on being a best friend to him now - that was the best way she could help him. She whispered comforts into his ear for what seemed like forever.
Tifa realised that it was gone 2am, and the club was winding down. Cloud was still cuddled into her; taking a closer look she saw that he had fallen asleep. He had a sweet little-boy look on his face that took her back to their days in Nibelheim. She loved him so much... but she could live without him as her lover if she could only have him like this, as a friend. She gently shook him, and he sleepily opened his eyes.
"Huh?... Teef. Did I fall asleep? Sorry..." He stretched his arms and got out of Tifa's lap. She smiled at him, an understanding, caring smile; then got up as well. Cloud turned to her. "You know Teef, I was thinking... you were right."
Tifa frowned. "What about, hun?" Cloud smiled back at her puzzled face, took one of her hands in his and squeezed it. "I should have got over her..."
They both smiled and leant in for a hug as they walked across the front of the bar. Tifa kept hold of his hand. He laid his head on her shoulder, not letting go of the hug for a long long time. When they finally broke apart, Tifa led him to the back of the bar. "You can stay here tonight, there's a spare bed... It's in my room, but I don't guess you'll mind..." She gave him an innocent smile. ("Don't worry, I'm not going to jump on you, as much as I want to...") She giggled softly at her thoughts, but Cloud didn't notice.
Cloud smiled at her. "Thanks, I don't really wanna go back there tonight..." They shut the door to Tifa's flat behind them as they went up the stairs.
Tifa's expression changed as soon as Cloud couldn't see it, and she frowned as she walked behind Cloud. Was that Zack she just saw behind them? And was that Aeris he was dancing with???
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