Hellooooooo!!!!!! Thanks for the reviews! Um. .. I haven't really
decided whether this will be a Cloti or Cloris yet. . . but I do know there
will be at least a few moments of both Cloud x Tifa and Cloud x Aeris in
there. I plan for it to go like this-well, Cloud loves Aeris, but he feels
guilty, like it was his fault she died. When she comes back, Cloud still
cant bring himself to tell her either of that and, while he struggles with
his feelings about Aeris, he sorta forgets about Tifa. Well, Tifa loves
Cloud, and she is willing to stick by him on this new journey, even though
she sees how much he loves Aeris and it makes her very very sad. = (
While all this is going on, though, I have another important event planned
to happen, which could make this turn out to be a Cloti fic, and. . .. most
likely will, though I'm not for sure yet. . . But, I'm not going to say
any more about it because it would spoil it and its fun to make you wait.
Mwhahaha! = )
Anyway, I do not own FFVII or any kinda crud like that unfortunately. Here is Chapter Two. No, this doesnt seem like it haas much to do with the plot yet either, but it will soon, I promise! Tomorrow probably!-_-
Chapter 2 A Sad and Rainy Day
Tifa looked over at Cloud, who was sitting at the bar beside her. He was just staring out into space. He hadn't even noticed she had sat down beside him.
It was a dreary sort of day, gray and rainy, the sort of day that could make you feel blue no matter how cheerful you may have been in the morning. That's why Tifa hadn't been surprised when he heard the door swing open and saw Cloud walking into the bar, soaking wet from the rain, long before his shop was supposed to close. And she was kind of happy, too. It had been a really slow day, though it was no wonder there weren't many customers, as hard as the rain was coming down outside. But she was glad for some company. Not even Barret was there.
After the whole Meteor incident as over, Barret, of course, had to go back to Midgar. He had wanted so bad to believe that Marlene would be okay, that she would be there waiting for him. But she wasn't. She was gone, and deep inside him, Barret had known that already. He had gone anyway, searched all over Midgar, calling her name over and over until he finally gave up and just sat down among the ruins to cry. And after that, Barret really didn't have anything left. He went to Nibelhiem, since that was where Tifa and Cloud were, and, not knowing what else to do, opened an items shop. More often than not, however, he could be seen sitting alone in Tifa's bar, quietly sipping a drink, rather than in his shop where he really should be.
That day, though, not even Barret was there, so Tifa was glad when Cloud walked in. It had been one of the most boring days of her life, and she was glad to have somebody to talk to now, figuring that was probably why Cloud had closed up early to come over to the 7th Heaven--he was feeling lonely and bored too.
But Cloud didn't appear as if he wanted to talk. He had just walked in and sat down at the bar, staring out into space with a blank sort of expression. He hadn't even said "Hi," to Tifa, so she walked over.
"Hey Cloud!" she had said smiling at him. He had looked up, startled.
"Oh. . . hey."
"Wanna drink?" she had asked.
"Mm-hmmm," he had said, nodding absently. Then she had turned around and walked off, returning a moment later with his drink. She hadn't even bothered to ask him what he wanted. He didn't seem in the mood to talk much, and he ordered the same thing every time he came in the bar anyway. She had set his drink down in front of him.
"Here you go!" she had said cheerfully.
"Thanks," he mumbled. But he hadn't touched it. He had just sat there staring at it. At this point, Tifa had come out from around the bar and sat down next to him.
So now, there they sat, Cloud staring at his drink, not even noticing Tifa had sat down next to him, and Tifa, watching Cloud, wondering what was wrong.
Sure, the weather was enough to make anyone feel down, but it was more than that, she could tell. Water was still dripping from his spiky blond hair onto the bar in front of him. She wondered if he had even noticed that it was raining.
"Cloud," she said softly. He didn't answer.
"Cloud!" she was louder this time. He looked over, startled at first.
"Oh. . . sorry," he said. He picked up his drink, took a sip, than set it back down.
"Cloud. . what's wrong?" Tifa asked.
"Nothing," he lied.
"Cloud, don't tell me that," she said, softly but sternly. "I know something's the matter. What is it?"
Cloud sighed. "It. . " he hesitated for a second, then he started again. "It's Aeris," he said. "It was today that. . " He stopped. "A year ago. . " He just couldn't bring himself to say it. But Tifa understood.
"Oh. . I didn't realize," she said quietly. "I knew it was somewhere around this time of year, but. . I mean, while we were gone. . I never kept up with exact dates. . . "she trailed off.
"I. . I just cant stop thinking about her," Cloud explained. "I. . I feel so. . guilty. Like. . like there was something I could have done, ya know. . . "
"Cloud. . It wasn't your fault. Maybe. . Maybe it was meant to be. Like destiny, ya know? And. . well. . even if it wasn't. . . there was nothing you could've done. It was over before we even knew what was happening."
"Maybe. . " Cloud knew she was right. There wasn't anything any of them could have done. But it didn't help. He still felt it as his fault, though he didn't really know why.
Tifa didn't know what else to say. It made her feel so bad, to see Cloud so unhappy over something she was sure wasn't even his fault.
"Cloud. . . " Cloud stood up.
"I. . I gotta go," he mumbled. He walked quickly toward the exit.
"Cloud?" Tifa got up and ran after him. "Cloud! loud, where are you going?"
He stopped and looked back.
"I. . The City of Ancients. I think. . . I'm going back there again. . ." he said quietly.
"Well, Cloud. . . let me come with you!" Tifa pleaded. He was silent a moment. Then he answered.
"No."
Tifa was surprised. And a little. . hurt? She opened her mouth to say something, but she shut it again.
"I just. . need to be alone," he explained softly. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered. He opened the door, and stepped quickly out into the pouring rain, closing the door behind him. Tifa just stood there, staring at the closed door where Cloud had been only a moment before. She almost started to cry, standing right there. The last time he had left Nibelheim, she hadn't thought she would ever see him again, and still, it had been five years, seven it seemed to her, for she hadn't known he was there in Nibelheim five years ago.
"Please be careful, Cloud," she whispered to the closed door before her. She didn't think she could bear it if she lost him.
Anyway, I do not own FFVII or any kinda crud like that unfortunately. Here is Chapter Two. No, this doesnt seem like it haas much to do with the plot yet either, but it will soon, I promise! Tomorrow probably!-_-
Chapter 2 A Sad and Rainy Day
Tifa looked over at Cloud, who was sitting at the bar beside her. He was just staring out into space. He hadn't even noticed she had sat down beside him.
It was a dreary sort of day, gray and rainy, the sort of day that could make you feel blue no matter how cheerful you may have been in the morning. That's why Tifa hadn't been surprised when he heard the door swing open and saw Cloud walking into the bar, soaking wet from the rain, long before his shop was supposed to close. And she was kind of happy, too. It had been a really slow day, though it was no wonder there weren't many customers, as hard as the rain was coming down outside. But she was glad for some company. Not even Barret was there.
After the whole Meteor incident as over, Barret, of course, had to go back to Midgar. He had wanted so bad to believe that Marlene would be okay, that she would be there waiting for him. But she wasn't. She was gone, and deep inside him, Barret had known that already. He had gone anyway, searched all over Midgar, calling her name over and over until he finally gave up and just sat down among the ruins to cry. And after that, Barret really didn't have anything left. He went to Nibelhiem, since that was where Tifa and Cloud were, and, not knowing what else to do, opened an items shop. More often than not, however, he could be seen sitting alone in Tifa's bar, quietly sipping a drink, rather than in his shop where he really should be.
That day, though, not even Barret was there, so Tifa was glad when Cloud walked in. It had been one of the most boring days of her life, and she was glad to have somebody to talk to now, figuring that was probably why Cloud had closed up early to come over to the 7th Heaven--he was feeling lonely and bored too.
But Cloud didn't appear as if he wanted to talk. He had just walked in and sat down at the bar, staring out into space with a blank sort of expression. He hadn't even said "Hi," to Tifa, so she walked over.
"Hey Cloud!" she had said smiling at him. He had looked up, startled.
"Oh. . . hey."
"Wanna drink?" she had asked.
"Mm-hmmm," he had said, nodding absently. Then she had turned around and walked off, returning a moment later with his drink. She hadn't even bothered to ask him what he wanted. He didn't seem in the mood to talk much, and he ordered the same thing every time he came in the bar anyway. She had set his drink down in front of him.
"Here you go!" she had said cheerfully.
"Thanks," he mumbled. But he hadn't touched it. He had just sat there staring at it. At this point, Tifa had come out from around the bar and sat down next to him.
So now, there they sat, Cloud staring at his drink, not even noticing Tifa had sat down next to him, and Tifa, watching Cloud, wondering what was wrong.
Sure, the weather was enough to make anyone feel down, but it was more than that, she could tell. Water was still dripping from his spiky blond hair onto the bar in front of him. She wondered if he had even noticed that it was raining.
"Cloud," she said softly. He didn't answer.
"Cloud!" she was louder this time. He looked over, startled at first.
"Oh. . . sorry," he said. He picked up his drink, took a sip, than set it back down.
"Cloud. . what's wrong?" Tifa asked.
"Nothing," he lied.
"Cloud, don't tell me that," she said, softly but sternly. "I know something's the matter. What is it?"
Cloud sighed. "It. . " he hesitated for a second, then he started again. "It's Aeris," he said. "It was today that. . " He stopped. "A year ago. . " He just couldn't bring himself to say it. But Tifa understood.
"Oh. . I didn't realize," she said quietly. "I knew it was somewhere around this time of year, but. . I mean, while we were gone. . I never kept up with exact dates. . . "she trailed off.
"I. . I just cant stop thinking about her," Cloud explained. "I. . I feel so. . guilty. Like. . like there was something I could have done, ya know. . . "
"Cloud. . It wasn't your fault. Maybe. . Maybe it was meant to be. Like destiny, ya know? And. . well. . even if it wasn't. . . there was nothing you could've done. It was over before we even knew what was happening."
"Maybe. . " Cloud knew she was right. There wasn't anything any of them could have done. But it didn't help. He still felt it as his fault, though he didn't really know why.
Tifa didn't know what else to say. It made her feel so bad, to see Cloud so unhappy over something she was sure wasn't even his fault.
"Cloud. . . " Cloud stood up.
"I. . I gotta go," he mumbled. He walked quickly toward the exit.
"Cloud?" Tifa got up and ran after him. "Cloud! loud, where are you going?"
He stopped and looked back.
"I. . The City of Ancients. I think. . . I'm going back there again. . ." he said quietly.
"Well, Cloud. . . let me come with you!" Tifa pleaded. He was silent a moment. Then he answered.
"No."
Tifa was surprised. And a little. . hurt? She opened her mouth to say something, but she shut it again.
"I just. . need to be alone," he explained softly. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered. He opened the door, and stepped quickly out into the pouring rain, closing the door behind him. Tifa just stood there, staring at the closed door where Cloud had been only a moment before. She almost started to cry, standing right there. The last time he had left Nibelheim, she hadn't thought she would ever see him again, and still, it had been five years, seven it seemed to her, for she hadn't known he was there in Nibelheim five years ago.
"Please be careful, Cloud," she whispered to the closed door before her. She didn't think she could bear it if she lost him.