Watercolors & Bonfires

by Somebody's Nightmare

It's Hallow's Eve, and Cloud is reunited with an old childhood friend, a girl he'd made an impassioned promise to before he'd left home. Their day together reignites the flames that had burned between them as children all those years ago into a swirl of passion that they can't control, all of it unfolding under the stars in front of the burn of a bonfire.

Watercolors and Bonfires

---

"Come on," Zack urged at Cloud's side, plugging an elbow into his ribcage. "It'll be a good time. Games, costumes, tons of food, and plenty of beer. No drill sergeants to tell us what to do. And girls , Cloud. Plenty of girls."

Cloud groaned, swiveling away from his best friend and bunkmate on his bed, pretending to occupy himself by picking up the issue of Modern Mechanics he had laying at the side of his bed. The last idea he had on his mind for the night was going to a Hallow's Eve party with a bunch of rambunctious, inebriated SOLDIERs and infantrymen from their units. In fact, Cloud hated parties in general. The last one he'd let Zack convince him to attend, the Officer's Gala in the spring, had been a disaster. Not only had he been miserable and bothered by everyone in attendance the whole night, he'd managed to get so drunk that he threw up on the hood of the Weapon Director's car outside of the venue.

"Girls in costume," Zack added when he turned away as if this would somehow make a difference.

"I'm good," Cloud grumbled, flipping through the pages of the magazine. Shinra had just released a new model of motorbike with a mako-enhanced V-four engine, and Cloud's eyes drifted over the magazine's diagram that outlined the engine's parts and configuration. In the back of his mind, he imagined getting his hands on a piece of machinery like that and putting it together himself.

Zack sighed audibly, then stomped over to Cloud, leaning over his bunk before he swiftly grabbed Cloud's magazine and plucked it out of his hands. He glanced at the pages, then rolled his eyes and slapped the magazine shut.

"Hey," Cloud protested, sitting up on his bed and leaning over one knee.

Zack grinned devilishly, then tossed the magazine back onto Cloud's side table. "Sorry," he apologized with the earnestness of a slum bandit. "But I'm not taking no for an answer this time, Cloud. You've shaded me the last three parties that have come around, and you can't imagine how insufferable hanging out with Genesis and Sephiroth is. You owe me, little buddy."

"Ugh," Cloud couldn't help but puff in annoyance. "You don't need me to have a good time, Zack. "I hate these things."

"You owe me," Zack repeated emphatically, reaching for Cloud's arm and giving it a tug. The force behind Zack's mako-enhanced strength was enough to jolt Cloud, and he found himself pulled to the edge of the bed. "I promise I won't let you deface company property with your vomit this time."

Cloud shook his head at the jarring and unfortunate memory, running his hand down his face.

"Fine," he conceded, pulling away from Zack. "But I'm not wearing any costume."

Zack shrugged, but the look on his face was victorious.

"Where's this party, anyway?" Cloud asked, already dreading it.

"Junon," Zack answered. "Beachside, down by the harbor. It's an outdoor gig, boardwalk rides and haunted funhouses, that sort of thing."

"Junon?" Cloud repeated, blowing past the rest of the details. "That's over an hour's drive from here."

"Which is why we need to get a move on," Zack insisted, slapping Cloud's shoulder. "Besides, I'm really just going for Aerith."

"Who?"

"Aerith," Zack groused. "Remember, the girl I told you I met a few weeks ago who was volunteering in that church? Well, her mom lives here in Midgar, but she goes away to Desert Rose Academy."

Cloud didn't know what the hell Desert Rose Academy was, and so he stared at Zack, waiting for the inevitable other shoe to drop.

Zack sighed. "It's that private girl's academy," he explained. "Look - it doesn't matter. I've been video chatting with Aerith and she invited me to the Hallow's Eve party they're throwing at the Harbor. And like I said - there's gonna be plenty of girls there, Cloud. Maybe you'll find someone who can get you to actually get out and enjoy life instead of sitting around like a recluse reading weird books all day."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "They're not weird," he refuted. "And I'm not interested in chasing tail the way you are, Zack."

To this, Zack just laughed, turning away to the other side of the room where he stripped out of his shirt before disappearing down the hall for the showers.

Cloud, for his part, fell back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling above. What he'd said to Zack was true. He really didn't have any interest in finding female companionship. Not for a lack of want, however.

There was only one girl that Cloud had ever really wanted to spend time with, but she was years and miles away, so far in his distant memory that only the hazy outline of her youthful face still stayed with him.

But whenever his loneliness revisited him, he'd close his eyes and conjure up eyes like rubies and skin like porcelain, all framed by curtains of black silk.

At least he could drink tonight.

---

The ocean breeze left a crisp, salty scent in the night air, and compared to Upper Junon, there was a stark naturalness about it that was slightly colored by the run-off from the mako reactor beneath the nearby sea. Tifa had to admit that she preferred the quaintness and rawness of the fishing village over the polished and sanitized cityscapes of Upper Junon, the military city that was built above the old Republic that was now simply referred to as Lower Junon. It felt more authentic and real, not manufactured to fit the needs of a military and corporate elite that had architected its every facet from its own specific avarice.

It also reminded Tifa so much of home.

It had been seven years since Tifa had left her village of Nibelheim on the other side of the ocean to study at the prestigious Desert Rose Academy for Girls in Upper Junon. Following the death of her mother, Tifa's father had struggled with raising her, and it was no secret that a small village with the traditions that Nibelheim had did not offer much in the way of education or opportunity for young girls. It was just after Tifa's thirteen birthday that he'd decided to send her away for proper schooling, an eight-year educational sprint that would leave her with a useful university degree in the subjects of her choosing.

At first, Tifa had been wary of the idea, of leaving home and her Papa, the only life she'd ever known. But her curiosity prevailed, her desire to see more of the world and learn more than her little mountain village could offer. And at any rate, all of her friends had begun to leave, the boys of Nibelheim all off to find their own prospects at that age, in the bigger cities for schooling or apprenticeships or to conscript in the armed forces.

So she left with a small bag of gil and a promise to write Papa often, off for Shinra's city on the coast. It wasn't quite as large as Midgar, the City of Mako, but it was still a vibrant, wealthy, and industrious part of the world. And it was known for its rigid academic and militaristic institutions that prepared youth for excellent careers and stations within Shinra's organizational hierarchies.

Aside from their mail correspondence and an occasional visit from Papa, she hadn't looked back.

"Isn't it perfect out tonight?" Aerith squealed at her side. "The perfect October weather by the sea. Oh, Tifa, wait until you see the Spookfest Fair that they've set up on the Boardwalk. Once the sun goes down, it's closed off to anyone under the age of sixteen."

Tifa wrinkled her nose, glancing over at her best friend. She'd met Aerith when she first started at the academy seven years ago, both girls new to the school and both motherless. They'd been assigned as roommates that first year, and they'd become inseparable friends ever since.

"Spookfest?" Tifa repeated, tilting her head at Aerith. Her friend had chosen for her Hallow's Eve costume that night a pink retro ensemble that was modeled off of a character from one of Aerith's favorite pop TV shows, complete with a glittering A-line skirt and a cropped, vinyl, boy-cut jacket. Tifa wasn't very familiar with the character that Aerith had chosen to dress as, but she had to admit that she looked pretty cute with her long chestnut-brown hair styled into thick curls.

Tifa herself had opted for simplicity for her costume, simply adding black cat ears and a cat tail to the black pleated skirt and tanktop she had already planned to wear.

"It's just a carnival with spooky attractions," Aerith explained with a wave of her hand. "Don't look so worried. Now, come on. Let's make our way to the boardwalk. Zack is supposed to meet me there."

Aerith quickly looped her arm through Tifa's, and before she could say another word, she found herself being led away from the public transport lift that connected Lower Junon to Upper Junon, where they'd just come from. They ventured deeper through the uneven, narrow roadways of the undercity, no longer surrounded by skyscrapers of brick and glass, but by one and two-story homes built from wood and iron.

Even the noise down here was different. The slap of the ocean grew louder against the shore the closer they drew, and the air was filled with the chatter of the lower village's residents as they congregated and toiled outdoors, even in the evening hours. In Upper Junon, everyone ventured inside the clubs and theaters and fancy restaurants to enjoy evening entertainment, but down here, it seemed that the party was in the streets.

It reminded Tifa of how the grownups in Nibelheim would sit outside their homes and drink until the wee hours of the morning when she was a child, chatting and dancing and singing the night away. It made her feel a little bit of warmth inside; made her long for home.

"You haven't stopped talking about this Zack since you met him," Tifa commented as they rounded a street corner, venturing down the road that led to the boardwalk and eventually the beach. All that Tifa knew about the mysterious boy that Aerith seemed so enamored by was that she had met him during a recent visit to her adoptive mother in Midgar, and that he was in SOLDIER. For reasons that Tifa hadn't disclosed to even Aerith, that intrigued her.

Tifa knew a boy who'd left for SOLDIER years and years ago, before even she had left the village. That boy had been special to her. But she refused to allow herself to get caught up in thoughts of what could've been.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder if this Zack guy might know him.

"I can't wait for you to meet him," Aerith practically squealed. "I know I've only met him once, but his emails have been so romantic. And I even talked to him on video chat a few times. He's really wonderful, Tifa. I'm so excited to see him again."

Tifa kicked idly at a rock with the toe of her boot as they made their way. She smiled, but she'd only admit to herself that she felt a small pang of jealousy at Aerith's wistful bliss. Since moving to Junon, she'd had her fair share of attention from the opposite sex. But none of them seemed worth her time, none of them setting loose the kinds of feelings that the stories in the books she read told her she should feel, the way a certain boy from Nibelheim once made her feel.

Maybe she was being foolish, she thought. But glancing at the way that Aerith practically grinned against the fading sunrise, she wondered if she wasn't missing out on something, or if it just wasn't in the cards for her.

Little did she know how things were about to change.

---

On motorbike, the ride across the highways towards Junon was swift. It was easy to break the speed limit and get away with it; it was one of the reasons Shinra's line of motorcycles was so popular. Cloud's bike was a used model that was over ten years old, but that didn't stop its engine from packing a powerful punch, especially on the open, unobstructed road. It helped that he spent a lot of his free time maintaining the vehicle and configuring upgrades that kept it operating in tip-top shape.

Cloud and Zack raced their respective bikes, Fenrir and the Hardy Daytona, side by side along the highways with the wind ripping through their hair, past the Chocobo Farms and the Mythril Mines. The sun was still up, but as it was early fall, the days were beginning to grow shorter and dusk would soon be upon them. As Aerith explained, the Hallow's Eve party on the beach included camping at a bonfire overnight, so they wouldn't have to worry about driving back to Midgar in the dark that night. It was an especially good thing since Cloud already suspected neither he nor Zack would be in any condition to drive once this night was over.

They'd just broken the hour mark when the city of Junon came into view, bordered by the bright sparkle of the Western Sea against the slowly sinking sunlight. Zack turned to Cloud with an impish grin as they rounded the final curve of the highway and then pulled their bikes onto the lower city's dusty streets, and the deeper they followed the roads, Cloud could see how different this part of town was from Upper Junon, where Shinra's military installations were.

"Here's a good place to park for the night," Zack announced as he pulled his bike up to a rest station that was just off of the main road, not far from the shoreline below. "Aerith is gonna meet us on the beach."

Cloud groaned, not really enthralled by the idea of sand getting in his clothes and Gaia knows where else. He brought his bike up to a stop beside Zack's, toeing the kickstand before climbing off and pulling away his riding goggles.

"Should be a short walk this way," Zack told him, and Cloud could see the excitement beam through Zack's sloppy grin. Zack never had any trouble finding a date, Cloud knew, but he'd never seen him so puppyishly excited. Shrugging and filing his hands into the pocket of his leather riding jacket, Cloud fell in step beside his best friend as they made their way through Junon's muddy roads, heading towards the shore.

Cloud had been to the lower part of Shinra's coastal city a few times on assignment, but usually, he'd been remanded to work in Upper Junon where the military base was located. Lower Junon was quaint and full of the kind of old-world charm that reminded Cloud of life back in his home village of Nibelheim. The houses were rustic and tightly knit, the streets unpaved, the shops owned and operated by the locals. Everyone, it seemed, knew each other, and there was a pleasant joviality that filled the air, even though it was apparent that folks here lived rather meager lives.

It very much reminded Cloud of his life in Nibelheim.

He kicked that thought to the side, following Zack as they came across a makeshift boardwalk that was fashioned together with long strips of wood. Tiny, niche shops and vendor stands lined its facade, facing the sea that slapped harder against the shore the closer they got. The boardwalk was alive with crowds of people enjoying the fall, beachside weather and the Hallow's Eve festivities that had drawn college students, locals, and even the army boys like Cloud and Zack out to the beach.

"There she is," Zack suddenly trumpeted, nodding towards the beach. Cloud caught sight of people dotted all up and down the beach, sitting on beach chairs and blankets, some with their feet in the water. But right in the center, he could see a girl in pink, waving her hand back and forth in the air.

He followed Zack wordlessly to the beach, grimacing at the way that his boots slid along the tightly packed sand. As they advanced closer, Cloud realized that the beach had been closed off specifically for this party and that almost everyone populating it had a drink of some sort in hand already, even though the sun had only just begun to set.

"Zack!" the girl Cloud could only assume was Aerith squealed as they approached. She was petite with waves of long brown hair around her that practically swallowed the rest of her figure and bright green eyes that caught the waning sunlight. "You made it!"

"Of course, I made it," Zack barked, and Cloud could only raise an eyebrow as he watched Zack rush forward to take Aerith in his arms and lift her up into a tight embrace. From where Cloud was standing, it didn't seem as if Zack and Aerith had only met each other once before, but as if they'd been together for lifetimes.

Awkwardly, Cloud turned away at the public display of affection between them, averting his eyes to look back behind them at the boardwalk. But Zack quickly turned back to him and took him by the shoulder, pulling him in.

"Aerith, this is my buddy Cloud," Zack boasted proudly. "My bunkmate who I've been mentoring since last summer."

Cloud couldn't help but blush at the way that Zack gushed about him, even though it was a painful reminder that he still had not made it into the SOLDIER ranks. He offered Aerith a wan smile. Cloud was not favorable to most social events, which was why the only way he could find his way through situations like parties was to drink as much as he could tolerate. And judging from the way that she leaned in his direction with a bright smile, it certainly seemed like Aerith was the sort of person with an imposing personality, not unlike Zack's.

"Cloud!" she exclaimed. "Zack has told me soooo much about you! He's always wanted a little brother to look after!"

Cloud scowled at this. Yes, he was ranks behind Zack and technically he was his mentee, but he hardly thought little brother was an adequate qualifier. "I'm not -"

"I want you guys to meet my best friend, too!" Aerith cut him off, finally backing out of his personal space. She whirled around, looking up and down the beach. "Now where did she go - Tifa! Tifa, get over here!"

Cloud's eyes widened at the name that Aerith began to hurriedly shout, waving an arm in the air. Cloud was distinctly familiar with the name Tifa . In fact, it was like a siren in his mind.

Tifa was the girl he'd left behind in Nibelheim. The girl who'd captured his heart, the girl who used to make him so nervous whenever he was around her that he'd keep his eyes glued to the ground and stutter and stumble over his own two feet.

The girl he'd made a promise to.

There was no way it could be the same Tifa.

Was there?

Cloud let that thought pin him in place while his insides churned, trying his best to remain cool even as the prospect began to burn him up from the inside. It was unfathomable to him that he'd run into Tifa again so far away from home after so many years, and so he let the thought slip away. Surely Tifa was a common enough name that it was just a jarring coincidence.

But the bubbling feeling that persisted in his belly only multiplied when a dark-haired girl wearing a short black skirt and cat ears ran in their direction, her steps uneven in the bumps in the sand. Her hair was so long that it reached passed her hips, hips that Cloud couldn't help but notice were so very round and full. The sun's gradual descent behind her weaved streaks of gilded highlights across those locks, and as she stopped in front of them and Cloud got a clear look at her face, his heart fluttered and then stopped.

It can't be.

"Tifa," Aerith repeated her name, a name that rang across all of Cloud's senses like a church bell. "This is Zack! And… his friend, Cloud."

Aerith smiled coyly, and Zack laughed in tandem, almost as if he were privy to some conspiracy that only the two of them were on to. But Cloud couldn't turn away from Tifa's face, analyzing and memorizing every detail of it and comparing it to the far younger version he'd stored in his memories.

It was .

"Cloud," Tifa responded at once, completely ignoring Zack. Her voice was breathless, full, pouty lips parted in shock. It was at that exact moment that Cloud knew without a doubt that he'd somehow unwittingly been reunited with his old childhood friend seven years after he'd seen and spoken to her last, the girl he'd once promised he come back for if she ever needed him.

It was sad, but Cloud was now painfully aware of how he'd tucked that promise away deep in the annals of his heart but had been too shy and too insecure to ever act on it.

"Tifa," he answered her, his voice breaking, his face flushed with heat.

Aerith and Zack exchanged glances, and while Zack scratched his head, Aerith began to grin. Tifa held eyes with Cloud for a moment - and just as he remembered them, they were dark, shining red jewels - before she hastily looked away and her cheeks began to faintly glow.

"Do you - you guys know each other?" Aerith asked incredulously. She turned to Zack, shoving him playfully in the shoulder. "You knew all about this, didn't you?"

Zack threw his hands up in the air. "I swear I didn't!" he insisted. "Cloud, why didn't you say anything?"

But Cloud wasn't paying attention to Zack. He was too transfixed on Tifa, watching as her thick, dark lashes flutter every time she nervously blinked.

"Cloud," she repeated his name, sending a pleasant chill over his spine. "It's… been so long."

She was finally looking up at him again, and Cloud realized how she had both arms shyly clasped behind her back as she stared at him. Her mouth was still open as if she wanted to say more, but she hesitated, holding whatever it was back.

Cloud swallowed thickly, trying his damnedest to come up with a coherent response. But all of his thoughts were haywire in his head, and the more he tried, the more they scrambled.

"This calls for a drink!" Aerith announced, breaking the awkward silence that developed. She tugged at Zack's arm, pulling him towards the blankets and chairs that were set up on the beach not far away. "Come on, Zack… let's break out the beers to celebrate."

Aerith and Zack were instantly arm-in-arm, filling the air with their sonorous laughter. It was as great an out as any for Cloud to break away from this increasingly tense staring match he found himself in with Tifa Lockhart.

But he found that he couldn't look away.

---

Cloud Strife.

Cloud Strife was standing in front of her.

As hard as it was for Tifa to believe, there was no way for her to deny the sight in front of her. It may have been years since she'd seen him last, years since she'd heard his voice, but that didn't change the fact that as soon as she's seen him, she'd instantly been reacquainted with her memories.

After all - it hadn't even been hours since she'd thought of him last.

Her throat felt dry, and no matter how many times she swallowed, she couldn't properly lubricate it. Cloud Strife from Nibelheim was standing in front of her, and he was no longer that short, lanky boy with ruddy cheeks and a broody, almost rude countenance that she'd remembered from her hometown. He'd shot up several inches since she'd seen him last so that he was not half a head taller than she was, and he'd packed on a layer of muscle that suited his physique perfectly under his tailored jeans and riding jacket. His boyish face had sharpened, his jaw sturdier and his lips a little fuller in a way that made her feel warm inside. Even his hair was different, the blond rattail he'd kept at the nape of his neck gone and trimmed short while the rest of it floated in messy spikes around his crown.

But there was one thing that hadn't changed at all, and it was the one thing that captivated Tifa more than anything.

His eyes.

They were still a deep, royal blue - the color Tifa'd remembered them to be when they were little children, when they'd shared their promise, when she'd watched him leave the village gates for what turned out to be good.

When Aerith pulled Zack away to grab drinks, Tifa swallowed again and nodded at Cloud, who was alternating between staring at her with those intense ultramarine eyes before turning away awkwardly. Her friend was giggling and clearly happy to be in the company of Zack, who Tifa realized belatedly that she'd barely greeted. She'd been so distracted by Cloud's sudden appearance that she had hardly noticed the taller SOLDIER.

"A drink sounds nice, doesn't it?" Tifa said to him, managing to break through the thick tension that was swarming the air between them.

She was itching to say something further - to ask him a dozen questions about his life in the last seven years, to ask him if he was happy to see her, if he wanted to catch up - but she left it at that. Cloud simply shrugged in agreement with her, returning his hands to his pockets, and he wordlessly followed behind her where they joined the others sitting campfire-style on the beach.

When she'd arrived with Aerith in Lower Junon just a little while ago, the first thing they'd done was find a quiet but comfortable spot on the beach to set up their blankets and chairs, clustered with other girls from the Academy and the boys they had invited into town. Tifa had packed sandwiches and some liquor from the bar she worked at on the weekends, everything set up comfortably not far from where a couple of girls were building the beginnings of a bonfire.

Tifa hadn't expected when she set out that night to have any male company, and certainly not any that she might actually enjoy. But Cloud Strife was at her heels, and her heart thumped with every step that she took. She couldn't imagine what she might say to him, how they might recover the years that had spread apart so thin between them. But despite the hesitation that fluttered inside of her, she couldn't ignore the thrill that had been ignited inside of her at seeing him again, imagining the possibilities.

Aerith got to her knees on one of the large blankets that were spread out on the sand, reaching into one of their coolers for the beer they'd picked up on their way in. She handed a bottle to Zack, who took the opportunity to settle at Aerith's side without a second's thought. He stretched out happily beside her, popping the bottle cap off with his thumb.

Aerith grinned devilishly at Tifa and Cloud. "Beer?"

Cloud shrugged, looking haplessly at Tifa for approval. The feelings that were stirring inside of Tifa that began with shock and began to spin away into curiosity and interest were blossoming, and she offered him a diffident smile before waving him over to her own blanket that was across from Aerith's.

"I've got something even better for you to try," she told him, leaning over the cooler and plucking two red, glass bottle from it. She handed one to Cloud, then sat cross-legged on her blanket, carefully brushing excess sand from her bare feet.

Cloud looked down at her and the open space beside her on the blanket as if he weren't sure he could really sit next to her. Tifa heard Aerith giggle across from them, but she simply smiled until Cloud crouched down and sat beside her, keeping his boots off of her blanket and a respectful distance between them.

"What is this?" he asked, holding the red bottle up to her.

Tifa opened her own bottle, willing the mad pace of her heart to slow. She tapped her bottle against Cloud's.

"It's a Cosmo Canyon," she informed him. "Try it."

Cloud popped the cap off the bottle with his teeth, then pulled back a sip. He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, then glance back at Tifa, the corner of his mouth turning up ever so slightly.

"It's good," he affirmed.

For whatever reason, that little bit of praise made Tifa warm all over. She found herself smiling back at him, her cheeks rising in temperature with the rest of her body.

"Thanks," she replied. "I mix and bottle them at the bar I work at in Upper Junon on the weekends."

Cloud's eyebrow went up. "You bartend?"

He sounded so surprised that Tifa couldn't help but giggle in response. "Yeah, just to make some gil of my own to pay for things I need while I'm in school. I hate asking Papa for money, you know?"

Cloud nodded as if he understood, but Tifa could see that the intrigue hadn't left his face. "School? He repeated. "How long have you been living in Junon?"

Tifa opened her mouth to reply, smitten by the prospect of catching up with Cloud on the missing time in their lives that they'd spent apart. For the next few minutes, she shared with Cloud what her life had been like since they'd separated, how she'd come to attend school here in Junon and what she was studying. Cloud listened attentively, clearly interested in what she had to say. She wanted to ask him about himself, but before she could get the chance, Aerith was at her feet again her shrill voice filling the air.

"Grimstone Manor is open!" Aerith announced, both arms high in the air. "The next tour starts in ten minutes. Come on, guys, we don't want to miss it!"

Aerith picked up her boots where they lay in the sand, and before Tifa could blink, she and Zack were arm in arm, heading back in the direction of the boardwalk with their drinks in hand. Zack tipped a salute and a wink in Cloud's direction before he turned, following Aerith like a lost puppy.

In the distance ahead, Tifa could see the outline of Grimstone Manor, an old home on the coast that had once, a long, long time ago, belonged to one of the Republic of Junon's wealthy solicitors. Now, though, it had been abandoned and repurposed by the local tourist commission into a funhouse as part of Lower Junon's boardwalk attractions.

Tifa chewed the inside of her lip. Aerith had been anticipating the haunted house visit all week, but Tifa admitted that she felt rather tepid about it. In fact, she hated ghosts and anything that gave too much of a fright. She avoided horror films and thumbed her nose at the supernatural. She hated to admit it, but ever since her mother had died, it all made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

She was glossing over these thoughts when, to her surprise, Cloud was suddenly hovering over her with a hand outstretched. She hadn't even noticed him get to his feet, but he was standing there offering to help her up, his cheeks faintly stained with color.

"You want to check it out?" he asked her softly.

Tifa glanced back at the manor, then back at Cloud.

She placed her hand in his, a smile pulling at her lips again.

---

Grimstone Manor was a two-story manor just off of the coast, following a stretch of boardwalk that was filled with boutiques and eateries and fishing depots, a herald of Lower Junon's small but thriving beachside economy. From the outside, it appeared to be an ordinary old, decrepit home that had deteriorated from abandonment and misuse, but the brightly-lit sign that announced GRIMSTONE MANOR - SEEK THE THRILLS THAT AWAIT YOU! made it clear that the local amusement industry had procured it for its use as part of the boardwalk's attractions.

Cloud stopped just shy of the manor's front gates, a small crowd of other curious guests around him. Just ahead of him, Zack stood with both hands on his hips, Aerith fawning over him and fluttering jade green eyes in his direction. Cloud had been watching Zack since they'd arrived, and it was beyond obvious that his best friend was doing everything in his power to show off for this girl. Cloud simply rolled his eyes and tried to ignore it.

But just to his left was Tifa. Tifa Lockhart . More than anything, this reality had been distracting him all night, and right now was no exception. It had been less than an hour since he'd reunited with her, but it felt like he'd never left her side all those years ago. There was something easygoing about Tifa in that way, that just being in her presence felt like being home.

It was for that reason that Cloud was rueing the excitement their friends harbored over this haunted house visit. He'd much rather stay on the beach with Tifa and continue to get caught up with her, to spend time alone with her and find out what her life had been like over the last seven years. There was so much he still wanted to ask her.

He was admittedly embarrassed that he hadn't made it into SOLDIER, though, and he was pondering internally how he would gloss this painful truth over when she finally got around to asking about it. There'd be no point in lying, he knew - Zack would expose him, and Cloud was a terrible liar, anyway - and besides, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle the guilt he'd feel in being dishonest with someone who meant as much to him as Tifa always had.

So he pushed it from his mind, for now, following behind Zack and Aerith and the other locals who'd gathered on the beach for the Hallow's Eve festivities, pushing inside the main foyer of the manor where they were greeted by attendants who ushered them to stand in rows as the room filled.

When there were about twenty or so other guests present, the front doors were closed, and the chatter died to a close as a screen dropped from the ceiling projecting the black-and-white image of a man with slicked-back hair and a dark suit. He stared ahead at the audience, and the chandeliers above dimmed, smoke filtering from hidden traps in the floorboards.

"Welcome to Grimstone Manor. I'm your host, Rafael Pearlman," the man greeted them. "Before you proceed, I caution you that this attraction is not suitable for children under the age of seven, those not in good health or with high blood pressure, heart, back, or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride. Please also be advised that this is an unguided tour. Therefore, you will be expected to find your way through Grimstone Manor on your own."

Cloud couldn't help but notice the way that Tifa slightly shivered at his side, reaching both of her arms up and wrapping them around her midsection.

"But first," Pearlman began again, "I must tell you the tale of Grimstone Manor. Over one hundred years ago, this Manor was owned and inhabited by the Grimstone family, one of the wealthiest families in the Republic of Junon. Junon, in those days, was a commercial fishing, seafood, and marine-dependent economy, and the Grimstones owned the largest fleet of commercial fishing ships in the local gulf.

But one day, all of the Grimstones were found murdered in cold blood, right in their beds. Their murderers were never found, but Grimstone's business rival - J.R.R. Wentworth - somehow mysteriously acquired what was left of the Grimstone fishing empire. Of course, that is all years in the past, as we now know that Shinra monopolizes all of these local industries.

But the question remains - what happened to the Grimstones? Was Wentworth responsible? Find out just beyond these doors… at your own risk!"

The screen went black, and Cloud felt Tifa jump slightly at his side. He wondered if she were the type to easily scare. Cloud watched plenty of horror films, and he had to admit that while he found them mildly entertaining, they really didn't have much effect on him.

He thought it was kind of cute that Tifa might be scared.

The screen retreated into the ceiling and up ahead, a curtain lifted to reveal the extension of the foyer. It opened up into two spiraling staircases that led to separate wings of the manor, with another corridor heading straight down the center.

The lights were still dim, but Cloud's vision had adjusted to the semi-darkness and so he could see when Aerith turned back to him and Tifa with bright eyes.

"We should split up," she declared. "Whichever couple makes it out of the manor first wins!"

"What's the prize, babe?" Zack asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Aerith tapped a finger against her chin. "The best seat in front of the bonfire, on the secluded side of the beach!"

"Hey," Tifa protested. "I already claimed that spot!"

Couple ? That was all Cloud could think of throughout all of this.

Zack laughed, and before either he or Tifa could say anything further, both of their friends disappeared up the staircase to the left. The other guests began to file off in groups, chattering amongst themselves as they began to explore the manor.

Cloud turned to Tifa again, realizing he was soon standing alone with her. He could see the way that she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, and the sight of it struck Cloud somewhere between his ribs.

"Tifa?" he queried quietly. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. We can go somewhere else -"

"No," Tifa interjected defiantly. "I'm not going to let Aerith beat me. I picked out that spot by the bonfire fair and square!"

And with that, she turned on her heel and marched straight down the center corridor.

So much for finding time to catch up with Tifa alone.

---

Grimstone Manor was cold, and Tifa couldn't help but wrap her arms around herself as they ventured deeper through the mansion's corridors. Cloud was just a pace behind her, his boots leaving light thuds on the creaky wooden floorboards.

Tifa could still feel the flush of heat in her cheeks that had erupted when Aerith had run off with Zack, leaving her alone with Cloud. Tifa wanted so badly to spend time with him, but now that she had the opportunity, she had no idea what to do with it.

And being in this haunted house wasn't helping matters in the least. Even though Tifa knew that none of this was real, she still couldn't help the way she flinched at the distant howls that drifted through the overhead speakers or the way that her skin bubbled with goosebumps as the airy drafts passed overhead. Fake mice skittered by on the floor by their feet, maneuvered by invisible controllers, and every time, Tifa jumped.

"You sure you okay?" Cloud asked her as they entered the mansion's parlor.

Tifa glanced back at him, and the soft tenor of his voice had her instantly melting. It had been so long since she'd seen Cloud, but it hadn't stopped her from imagining what he might be like all grown up over those years. But nothing could have prepared for the way that Cloud had changed into a man, the way that his voice had deepened into a note that struck the perfect chord inside of her.

"I'm fine," she insisted. She didn't want Cloud to think she was weak or easily frightened, and she definitely didn't want Aerith and Zack to beat them in getting out of this mansion. She'd found the perfect spot by the bonfire earlier that evening herself, and she wasn't giving it up that easily.

Especially now that there was a chance that she might be able to share it with Cloud.

Cloud shrugged, and Tifa looked around the parlor. The walls were lined with windows and bookcases, and everything was faded and dark. A piano sat in one corner of the room, covered in cobwebs. And to Tifa's horror, there was a massive bloodstain, vivid as if fresh, right in the center of the carpet.

"Oh, my g-"

Before she could finish her statement, the door they'd just passed through slammed shut. Cloud turned, frowning deeply before trying the knob. The door was locked, and he turned back to Tifa and shook his head.

"Think we're stuck in here," he told her. "Gotta find another way out."

There was a creak and a howl inside the room, and Tifa whirled around trying to identify where it came from. Mechanical laughter poured from the walls, further adding to the creepy ambiance. Her heart beginning to pound, Tifa started to back up towards the piano, and when the backs of her knees hit the bench, the piano's lid flew open with a bang.

Murderer, murderer, murderer, it was you!

The voices poured out of unseen speakers, but the effect was so frighteningly real that Tifa nearly leaped out of her skin. She launched herself away from the piano, and in the process, she lost her footing and twisted her ankle on a knot in the carpet. Flailing her arms, she tried to keep her balance but found herself on her way to crashing to the floor.

Until he caught her.

To her great surprise, Tifa soon found herself wrapped in Cloud's arms, the front of her body pressed to his. They were so suddenly close that she could feel all of him, his distinct body heat and the firmness of his muscles, the curve of his bicep, and the flat of his palm against her back. His eyes were wide with concern as he stared down at her, his lips slightly parted so that Tifa could catch sight of his pink tongue.

If her heart hadn't stopped before, surely it had now.

"Tifa," he breathed her name softly. "You okay?"

There it was again, that gentleness that was sending her to ruin. It had only been a few hours and already, Tifa's feelings for the boy who left home all those years ago had grown from a quiet girlhood crush into something vivid and unimaginable. It was sealed by the way that Cloud held her and the softness in his tone, but especially, it was in that gentle, loving look that he gave her, buried so, so deep in those aquamarine eyes.

"I'm okay," she finally managed. "I just - lost my footing."

Cloud nodded, then finally tore his eyes away from her, blushing as he helped her right herself on her own two feet. When she was finally standing on her own again, he glanced back at her, keeping a hand on the small of her back.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, gesturing to her foot.

Tifa could feel a deep throb in her ankle, but she ignored it. It would go away on its own in a matter of minutes, she was sure. She shook her head.

"I'm fine," she told him again. "Thank you."

Cloud nodded, though he eyed her somewhat suspiciously. Then he looked around.

"Gonna be a lot more of that as long as we stick around here," he informed her.

Tifa glanced around the room, her eyes resting on the piano and then the fake blotch of blood in the center of the floor. She thought about Zack and Aerith, who were likely running throughout the manor, having the time of their lives with these manufactured thrills. But for Tifa, all it was doing was giving her anxiety.

"I really don't like ghosts," she finally admitted. "I - I'm not really into this kind of thing."

Cloud's expression softened, and he nodded, taking another glance around the room. He didn't laugh or say anything in judgment the way that Tifa thought he might, or the way that she knew Aerith or some of her other friends certainly would have. Instead, he offered her a small smile and cocked his head to one side.

"I think I can find us a faster way out of here," he told her. "And you'll still get to keep your spot by the bonfire."

Intrigued, Tifa couldn't help but match his smile, watching as he pulled away from her to approach one of the windows on the opposite side of the room. They sat above a row of plush, antiquated couches, and Cloud climbed on top of one of them, reaching up to shove the curtains out of the way and open the latch on the window, pushing it open and inviting the night air in.

"Simple as that," he told her, gesturing to the open air.

"But Cloud," she said. "That's cheating!"

Cloud smirked, tossing his head to one side in an indication for her to join him.

"I won't tell if you don't."

Tifa tried to remember if the Cloud she'd grown up with as a child had had this playful, mischievous side. She remembered that Cloud to be quiet and introverted, but she did know that he often got into trouble in town. Something about seeing it manifest this way in him as an adult gave her a tiny thrill, and without thinking about it, she followed him to the window, ignoring the pain in her ankle.

And without any hesitation, she let Cloud take her hand, helping her to climb out of the window and onto the soft, sandy grass behind the mansion.

---

Cloud and Tifa narrowly missed being caught by one of the amusement workers when they snuck out of the back window, both giggling when they realized how close they were to getting into trouble. Cloud's heart puddled away inside of him at the way that Tifa gripped onto his arm and held his hand as they crept through the sandy grass, and he found himself surprisingly saddened when she let go of him as they approached the boardwalk out front again.

It had only been an evening they'd spent together, but Cloud felt like he and Tifa had been together for years and years, as if their friendship had never been put on hold all those years ago. He was desperate to spend more time with her, to deepen the bond that they'd rebuilt tonight, years after he'd turned away from her. But the one thing that Cloud didn't want to confront was his failure in the big city, and he was dreading her asking about it.

Still, he'd made a promise to her, and he wasn't about to let that go, either. So when he realized she was limping slightly as they walked back to the beach, he stopped her.

"Tifa," he said. "You're limping."

He glanced down at her, his hand resting on her forearm. He didn't even realize how easy it was for him to touch her, but he found he couldn't stop himself. Tifa blushed severely, glancing back up at him under her lashes.

"It's really not that bad," she began. "I'll be -"

Cloud knew she was lying. He wasn't sure how, but he knew it, and he wasn't about to allow her to hurt herself. And so he cut her off by scooping his arms under her legs, picking her up, and cradling her in his arms.

He couldn't stop himself once he started. It was embarrassing. But here he was. And the burn in his cheeks only intensified when he realized they'd turned a few heads on the boardwalk.

Cloud glanced down at Tifa's face, catching her carmine eyes wide with surprise. By now, the sun had gone down fully, and he could catch the twinkle of the moonlight against her eyes. It made his heart race even faster, but it was as if he were tethered to her with a chain. He was unable to look away from that pouty, doe-eyed face, no matter how hard he tried.

"I'll bring you back to the beach," he told her as nonchalantly as he could. He didn't want to betray to her how much this arrangement was affecting him. He was simply trying to help, the way any decent person would.

Right?

Tifa nodded, and Cloud thought he would explode when she looped an arm around his neck and then snuggled up against his chest. Blushing furiously, he did as he promised, making his way towards the sand and along the beach, heading back towards where they'd set up earlier.

"Over there," Tifa pointed. "The bonfire is going already, and I want to get my spot before the others get back."

She gestured to a shaded hill of sand just beyond in the distance. Cloud could see the bonfire raging, its pillars of flames reaching high into the sky. It was cordoned off by blocks of wood, and already, young couples and small groups of friends had found comfortable seats around it.

Cloud brought Tifa to the spot she'd indicated, and he had to admit that it was a great find. It was shaded, quiet, and secluded, but still had a magnificent view of the ocean and the bonfire, pulling in its warmth. As gently as he possibly could, he set Tifa back down on her feet and then made sure she was steady with a hand on her elbow.

"Can you stand?" he asked, unable to keep his voice from creaking with worry.

"I'm fine," Tifa insisted. "But Cloud, could you get my blankets and stuff from over there? Some of the Cosmos, and a few sandwiches?"

Cloud would do anything that Tifa asked at this point. He nodded, then headed back in the direction of the original spot on the beach where the girls had set up camp earlier. He found Tifa's piles of blue and purple blankets, and he shook them free of sand before grabbing one of the coolers of sandwiches and drinks. He made haste, not wanting to leave Tifa alone for too long.

When he got back to her, music had begun to play somewhere further down the beach, loudly enough that they could hear its slow and romantic melody. Cloud could make out the lyrics, and he tried to ignore them, his face enflamed by how intimate this all was beginning to feel.

He spread out the blankets first, then carefully helped Tifa to sit. As soon as she did, she leaned forward to unlace her boots, but Cloud stopped her.

"Here," he found himself saying. "Let me help."

Tifa paused, her mouth opening up in surprised, but she didn't stop him as he leaned in an carefully helped her out of her boots. He made certain to handle her injured ankle with care, and after he'd pulled her socks away, he rubbed his palm over the swollen flesh.

"That hurt?" he asked her, his voice as soft as the clouds.

Tifa gave him that pouty look again, nodding her head, and Cloud thought his entire body was liquifying from the inside out.

"A little," she told him.

"It's swollen," Cloud informed her. Reluctantly, he reached into one of his pockets, revealing a small bead of Cure materia. Typically, only SOLDIERs were issued materia, but Zack had given him this broken piece and it had proved useful to Cloud on more than one occasion.

"Is that materia?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah," Cloud nodded, not really sure why he was blushing again. "It should alleviate the sprain. Just… close your eyes and stay still okay?"

Tifa did as he asked obediently, straightening her legs out in front of her. Carefully, Cloud leaned forward, trying desperately to avoid admiring the shapely length of Tifa's legs and the way her thigh-high stocking wrapped around them.

"Uh, Tifa," he said. "You need to take your stocking off for this."

Tifa stared down at him, and she offered him a small smile. Leaning back on both hands, she stretched her leg out to him.

"Go ahead," she instructed.

Cloud stared at her. She couldn't possibly be serious, could she? Was she offering to let him roll her whole stocking down? From her thigh?

She closed her eyes again, still smiling, ignoring him and his burning hot dilemma now. Swallowing a lump of coal in his throat, Cloud thought he was either dying or on the verge of bursting into flames.

Blinking to clear the fog from his brain, he reached for the stretchy cuff of her stocking, his fingers trembling as they curled under its hem. Far more slowly than was necessary, he began to roll the stocking down, trying desperately not to touch the soft fleshiness of her skin as he went but unable to feel electrified when he accidentally did. He lowered the stretchy fabric for her ankle and held the materia in one hand, quietly casting the cure spell.

Green light floated in gentle waves from the materia, wrapping its tethers around Tifa's ankle. The swollen, discolored skin there began to heal right in front of his eyes, and Cloud watched as the swelling went down and her flesh began to return to normal.

Cloud returned the materia to his pocket, handing Tifa back her stocking with a small smile. She blushed and accepted it, then leaned forward and pulled it back on over her leg.

"Did you learn how to use materia in SOLDIER?"

Cloud felt his heartbeat percolate at her sudden question, and all of his previous anxiety began to return. His palms felt clammy and his chest was tight, and he wondered just how much he should actually tell her.

The truth was scary. It frightened him. He'd only just found Tifa again, and losing her by being honest with her was terrifying.

But lying to her just didn't seem right, either. He'd hate himself if he lied to her.

Instead, he was quiet for long moments, looking down at his boots as he pulled a knee into his chest. He leaned over it, staring out at the ocean and watching the waves lap gently at the shore, its dark surface glittering under the moonlight.

Tifa cocked her head at him, tucking her hair behind her ear as she waited for him to answer. His heart still pounding, Cloud sighed, keeping his eyes averted from her.

"Tifa…" he began softly. "I'm… I'm not a SOLDIER. I'm in the infantry."

"Oh?" Tifa responded. "Is that where you learned?"

To Cloud's surprise, Tifa didn't seem put off by the fact that he hadn't made it into SOLDIER yet. In fact, she didn't seem to think much of it at all. Her eyes were bright as she stared back at him, waiting for him to answer her.

Cloud rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You - you're not disappointed?" he asked.

Tifa wrinkled her nose at this as if confused. "Disappointed?" She repeated. "Why would I be disappointed?"

The clamminess in Cloud's palms seemed to escalate by a thousand. "I just… I told you I was going to join SOLDIER… I even promised -"

"Hey," Tifa stopped him, resting her hand on his forearm. "As long as you're happy, right? And you kept your promise… thank you for helping me and healing me."

Blushing, Cloud looked back at Tifa finally, and when their eyes met, he couldn't help the way that the burn in his cheeks magnified. He nodded, unable to form a workable response.

"Besides," Tifa went on. "I'm just really glad we ran into each other again."

"Me too," Cloud finally responded, and he meant it.

Tifa turned back to look at the ocean, wrapping her arms around her knees. The late fall wind blew in from the ocean, and she shivered at his side. Cloud glanced at her, watching her as she slowly rocked back and forth at his side.

"Are you cold?" he asked her.

Tifa turned back to him, the wind kicking up the loose, dark tendrils of her hair around the side of her face. "Kinda," she admitted in a quiet voice.

Cloud nodded, and feeling chivalrous, he slid out of his jacket, carefully wrapping it around Tifa's shoulders. She smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you," she said, reaching for the basket of sandwiches. "You hungry?"

---

Wrapped up in the warm inner fleece of Cloud's leather jacket, Tifa couldn't help the grin that stretched her face as she reached into her basket and pulled out a couple of the sandwiches she'd made earlier that day, handing one to Cloud and keeping the other for herself. She opened two new bottles of Cosmo Canyons, toasting Cloud as they quietly began to eat together.

Tifa was feeling somewhat giddy, and it wasn't a result of the alcohol she'd been imbibing. She was more than enamored to be spending time alone with Cloud, but even more than that, she was entrenched in the deep feelings that emerged inside of her from the way that he handled her. He was so gentle and soft, and Tifa could still feel the tingling goosebumps that ran over her skin from the way that he carefully carried her back to the beach, from the way that he'd lowered her stocking and healed her sprained ankle. But even more than that, she was lit up inside at the way that he'd remembered their promise, and even though he wasn't a SOLDIER - Tifa wasn't really sure what difference it made, anyway - he was someone special in her eyes, and they shared something tender and secret that no one else knew about.

They'd been reunited for only one night, but Tifa's feelings were bursting forth with the possibility that the friendship they'd held on to for so very long might bloom into something else.

"The sandwiches are really good, Tifa," Cloud complimented her, washing down his final bite with another swig of his drink.

"Thanks," Tifa responded.

Down a ways on the beach, Zack and Aerith reappeared among a throng of beachgoers who were returning from the boardwalk, arm in arm. It appeared that they had just returned from Grimstone Manor, both of them laughing happily. Aerith spotted them first, and holding her boots in hand, she ran over to them with Zack following behind.

"So I guess you guys won the challenge, huh?!" she quipped. "This spot is even more romantic than I thought. I sure hope you guys take advantage of it!"

Zack folded his arms over his chest. "Would be a shame for such good real estate to go to waste!"

"Zack," Cloud groaned, his cheeks lighting up.

Tifa couldn't help but smile at the way that Cloud grew so bashful at their friends' teasing, and she wondered what brought it on. The truth was, this spot in front of the bonfire was in a secluded part of the beach that felt very romantic. Tifa could only hope that something might come of it if she and Cloud continued to spend time alone here.

As if hearing her thoughts, Aerith clapped her hands together. "Well, enjoy your prize," she goaded, gesturing to their blankets and seating arrangement. "Zack and I are going to go have a bite to eat ourselves."

And with that, Aerith turned away to run back down the beach to where she'd set up earlier, Zack following behind after tossing Cloud a wicked grin.

"They're something else," he muttered to her when they had finally gone away.

Tifa giggled, glancing at the profile of Cloud's face. To say that Cloud was beautiful was an understatement. Tifa got so lost in appreciating his beauty that she didn't realize she was staring until Cloud turned to her with blue eyes wide, his eyebrow quirking upward.

"Tifa?"

She blinked, her cheeks flooding with heat at the way that she'd been caught. She shook her head slightly, looking away from him.

"Sorry," she mumbled nervously. "I didn't-"

"It's okay," Cloud said softly. He scooted closer to her on the blanket. "Hey, you're shivering, though. You still cold?"

Tifa hadn't realized it, but she did feel the way the chills ran through her from the wind, the temperature dropping the later that the night wore on. Glancing shyly up at him, she nodded, already feeling the warmth from the heat of his body.

Understanding, Cloud slowly opened up his arm to her, wrapping it around her shoulders. It brought her closer to him as he gently held her, her body folded into the inside of his. With a smile, Tifa leaned into him, and a new shiver ran through her entire body, although this time for a completely different reason altogether.

"This okay?" Cloud asked.

Tifa thought it was so adorable how careful Cloud was, how he seemed afraid to ask for too much. But it had been too long since they'd seen each other last and now that she finally had him again, Tifa didn't want to miss out on the opportunity.

Now that she had him, she wasn't going to ever let him go again.

"This is perfect," she assured him, snuggling up to his side with one arm holding on to him by his waist.

She heard Cloud gasp slightly as if he were surprised by this, but nonetheless, his hold on her upper body tightened. Tifa didn't dare open her eyes to look up and to see if Cloud was staring down at her or if his eyes had widened in surprise at her boldness. All she could manage to do was to hold onto him tight, his warmth and his strength the only thing that mattered in the world as she stared at the fire that blazed in front of them on the beach, the stars falling and the laughter of the other young couples ringing out around them.

Her eyes heavy with the buzz of the Cosmo Canyons she'd been sipping on, Tifa stared at the fire until she could no longer hold them open, her forehead tipping onto Cloud's chest as she drifted off.

---

It was the middle of the night when Tifa finally stirred.

As soon as she'd rested her head on his shoulder and curled up at his side, Cloud knew that it was all over for him. The scent of Tifa's hair and the softness of her skin was beyond distracting for him as it were, but having her lithe, curvaceous body pressed right up against his was maddening. There was nothing he could do but nervously sit there and let her rest on him, and it was only a few moments later when he realized that she'd quietly dozed off.

For the rest of the evening, Cloud sat with Tifa leaned on him, the inside of her body facing his, her soft breasts pressed against his chest. All around them, the nightlife on the beach began to quiet at partiers settled on their blankets and sleeping bags and cabanas in front of the Hallow's Eve bonfire. From where he sat, Cloud could see that Zack and Aerith had unfurled a tent and crawled inside, giggling as they went.

By now, the beach was totally silent. Cloud had stayed awake and drank while Tifa dozed, and when it was apparent that most of the others on the beach had taken it down for the night, he pulled one of the extra blankets up over them and then carefully cradled Tifa between his legs. She hadn't awoken, but instead settled comfortably in his lap, wrapped up in his arms and clinging to him.

His slight buzz fogging his brain with a pleasant warmth, Cloud tightened his grip around her and held her close, ducking his chin by the crook of her neck as he closed his eyes and caught a couple moments of rest. He snoozed lightly, the wind ruffling his hair and inspiring a chill that had him gripping her even more tightly in his arms, sharing her warmth.

It was a few hours later when he felt Tifa shift in his hold, rousing him from his sleep. He opened his eyes groggily, blinking as he glanced down to find her looking up at him, her fingers curled in the soft knit fabric of his sweater.

"Cloud," she whispered his name softly.

Cloud wasn't sure what to say to that. Her eyes were doeish and wanton, her lips pouty. Something about her expression was solicitous, as if she was trying to ask him for something without words. Her fingers slip up his chest and over his shoulder, getting themselves caught in the soft yellow hair at the nape of his neck.

"Hey, Tifa," he greeted her, offering her a faint smile. "You have a good nap?"

He realized that he was whispering, and he wasn't sure why. Most everyone else who had been celebrating on the beach had fallen asleep or gone inside for the evening. But nonetheless, there was something deeply intimate about this arrangement and he couldn't help the low tenor of his voice.

"How long was I out?" she asked him, rubbing at her eyes with one fist as she shifted in his lap. She realized then how they were wrapped up together, and she blushed again, though she didn't try to rearrange the way they were seated.

"A couple of hours, I think," Cloud answered. "It's a little past midnight. You sure you're okay? Zack and Aerith got a tent. If you want, we can go inside to one of those inns."

For some reason, as soon as the words left his lips, Cloud found himself blushing. Had he really just suggested that they get a room together?

Tifa's cheeks matched the color of her eyes at his question, but she shook her head. "No, I want to stay out here, under the stars," she insisted. "It reminds me of that night…"

Cloud tipped his head to one side as she drifted off. "That night?" he asked softly.

Tifa smiled, the heated coloring in her cheeks intensifying. "On the water tower," she responded. "When you -"

"Made you the promise," he finished her sentence.

Tifa smiled even more brightly, and she wrapped both arms fully around his neck, shifting in Cloud's lap so that she was facing him completely. She was now so close that Cloud could feel the heat of her breath as she breathed softly, and he found that he couldn't keep from staring at her lips.

"Mhm," she agreed. "That promise meant everything to me, Cloud. I'm really glad you're here with me now."

Cloud swallowed the thick lump that was stored in the center of his throat. He could hardly believe the words he was hearing come from Tifa's mouth, but even more shocking was the way that she was leaning in, closer and closer, her lips slightly parted.

"I-I'm glad too," Cloud stammered in response, right before Tifa kissed him.

Cloud could see the way that she moved in on him in slow motion the entire time that it was happening, but when her lips finally landed on his, he still found himself electrified by the shock and thrill of the moment. Her lips were soft and pillowy, so warm and just slightly wet at the seam. She pressed them against his, her fingers curling tighter in his hair and her eyes shut, and Cloud was certain that his heart was going to break free from his chest.

The kiss lasted what at once felt to be a lifetime and no time at all before Tifa finally pulled away, blushing furiously and refusing to meet eyes with him. Cloud was stunned into silence and could only stare, confused when Tifa began to shake her head vigorously from side to side.

"I'm really sorry," she apologized. "I don't know what came over me, I'm so stupid sometimes -"

Cloud began to panic. Tifa Lockhart had just kissed him under the stars and in front of a bonfire, and now, she was apologizing and trying to backtrack. Never in a million years did Cloud think he'd have the luck to have the girl he'd loved for half his life be bold enough to kiss him, but here they were.

He wasn't about to let this moment be ruined by either of their insecurities.

"Hey, hey," he stopped her mid-sentence, taking her chin in hand. "It's okay, Tifa. I - I liked it. I liked it a lot."

At that, Tifa looked up at him, her eyes wide and hopeful, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Really?"

"Really. Do it again, Tifa."

Her smile spread into a grin, ruby eyes sparkling with the heat of the flames they sat before. And then she leaned in, pressing her lips to his again, her arms tightening in their hold around his neck.

This time, her tongue swiped over his, and Cloud almost blacked out from the scorch of pleasure that surged toward his groin.

---

Tifa was kissing Cloud.

Cloud Strife, the boy who'd stolen her heart with a promise and a plea atop a water tower under the stars. The boy who'd been so elusive and enigmatic when they were growing up, the boy who was at once her closest friend and the one who was so very distant. The boy who had been as beautiful as a star as a child, and whose beauty had now matured into something masculine and dashing that made her heart flutter.

She was kissing him.

The butterflies inside of Tifa's belly were in a full, roaring tumble, and every nerve in her body was electrified, sending tiny sparks and surges to the sensitive button between her thighs. Tifa had felt the power of her attraction to Cloud and the way that it lit up her entire body from the moment that she'd first laid eyes on him again on that boardwalk earlier that day, but it was nothing compared to the vivid sensations she was feeling now that their lips were sealed together and their tongues danced against one another.

Moaning, Tifa pushed up to her knees in the center of Cloud's lap, tightening her arms around his neck as she deepened their kiss. Cloud groaned in response, and this shift in their positions allowed his hands more room to travel her body. They slipped under his jacket that she still wore, first finding her waist and hugging the indent there tightly before they began to roam. His hands were heavy and strong and carried the heat of his body, and Tifa couldn't help the way that she moved in time with his explorations, allowing him to squeeze and caress his way up to the soft hills of her breasts and down to the fullness of her hips and bottom.

"Tifa," Cloud suddenly breathed, trapping her bottom lip between his teeth. His voice was strained, his breathing heavy and uneven. "I can't - I can't do this. We should stop."

Tifa's heart raced, and his words sent loose a chilling anxiety inside of her. "Why?" she demanded, messily ducking her chin so that her frantic kisses could find his throat.

Cloud rumbled aggressively when her lips pressed against the taut, sensitive flesh near his pulse point. "Because," he groused, "I'm not gonna be able to stop."

Tifa huffed a heavy breath out, all heat against his skin. "And?" she managed, laving his throat with her tongue before she leaned up again to recapture his mouth. "What if I don't want to stop?"

Cloud growled then, and the sound had the pulse between Tifa's legs throbbing, her center growing slick. She pressed her body against his as if to signal how she was growing desperate for him, and Cloud reciprocated by kissing her even more passionately, his tongue sliding between her teeth again as he tried to devour her.

"Are you sure?" he puffed. "Out here?"

"Out here is perfect," Tifa insisted.

Encouraged by her response, Cloud took full control, pulling his jacket off of Tifa's shoulders and tossing it to the sand nearby. He looped his arm around her back, lifting her and carefully lowering her to the center of the blankets they'd laid out. He glanced behind him to the bonfire and surrounding beach, but all around them, it was quiet and still.

"We're alone," Tifa whispered, reading his thoughts.

Cloud nodded, and Tifa didn't miss the stain of pink that colored his cheeks as he leaned in to kiss her again, this time lowering his body over hers where she lay on the soft blanket, treating her to all of his body weight. He was so heavy and warm, a welcome feeling that Tifa had never experience. She'd never been with any boy this way before - never so much as kissed one - but being with Cloud like this sent of fireworks in her soul.

She held him tightly as he kissed her, and before she knew it, she realized that Cloud was gently grinding his body against hers, his hips working a slow rhythm over her own. She could feel his thick, hard length against her inner thigh, her skirt riding up as she parted her thighs and let one leg cross over his lower back.

"Tifa," Cloud breathed into their kiss, his hand at her waist and pushing her shirt slowly up her tummy, the soft brush of his fingers leaving goosebumps in their wake.

"Cloud," Tifa replied, the call of each other's names their own, tiny affirmation of feelings. "I need… I need…"

She huffed in frustration, unable to verbalize what she desired. Cloud, though, was so attuned to her that he simply nodded, and he broke their kiss and sat up slightly, hovering over her and looking down at her with flushed, kiss-bruised lips.

Tifa licked her own lips, watching as Cloud returned his hands to her top. Slowly, he pushed the thin fabric over her breasts, revealing the soft fleshy mounds. Her nipples stiffening as soon as the cool night air greeted them, Tifa covered her face with one arm in embarrassment, while Cloud simply smirked and bent his head down, taking one into his mouth.

Tifa moaned brightly when she felt the warmth of his mouth wrap around the sensitive peak, his tongue dragging a slow line over the wrinkled flesh. Sharp sensations of pleasure raced through her as he nimbly suckled, brilliant blue eyes darting up to meet hers and gauge her reactions. Tifa had never felt anything like this before, mind numbing and bright, scorching sensations that raced across every highway of nerves in her body. Cloud nipped lightly at her nipple and then alternated to the other, lavishing it with the same, slow, tortuous affection.

Her back arching up off of the blanket, Cloud stopped and then sidled up beside her, returning his mouth tor hers in a heated and messy kiss. She kissed him back eagerly, so badly wanting all of him and his attention, desperate for him to unleash the fire in her belly that burned brighter than the one on the beach.

"You need what?" he whispered softly, lowering his hand between her thighs, under the flare of her skirt. His fingers walked across the soft flesh of her inner thighs, and Tifa couldn't help the way that she parted them, eager to have him draw that curious touch to her aching core.

"More," she breathed desperately. "You."

He laughed softly, kissing her again in agreement. He drew patterns and lines between her legs, slowly drifting higher and higher until he found the sodden heat of her panties. She'd already soaked them through, and Cloud drew a circle in that spot with his fingertips as he kissed passionately again.

"You're wet," he whispered in her ear.

Tifa shivered. "For you," she insisted again. "Please…"

Knowing what she wanted, Cloud dragged his fingers over her underwear, her breath hitching when he brushed over her clit. Sensing her reaction, he focused his attention there, drawing light circles that sent electrifying tingles throughout her entire body, her back arching again, her heart leveling itself inside her chest. She moaned, the sound loud and unrestrained, and Cloud nuzzled her, letting out a soft moan of his own as he rutted his hardness into her hip.

Eagerly, he pushed her panties to the side, his fingers finding the wet heat of her soft folds. They combed their way between them, her breath breaking into something unrecognizable and uneven as he pursued. He circled her sensitive clit again and again, and the more that she moaned, the more he persisted, sending hurricanes of excitement throughout her body. She bit into her bottom lip, the searing pleasure causing her to roll her hips in rhythm with his touch.

"You like that?" he asked against her lips.

"Yes," she begged in response. "Please…"

His fingers dipped inside of her, thumb still attached to her clit as he explored her tender insides, swiping against the tight heat of her walls. The intrusive feeling was oddly welcome, a stretch that had Tifa biting down on her tongue in an effort to keep from crying out. Cloud kissed her to swallow her sounds, gently pumping in and out of her as he rubbed her swollen clit until she felt the coil in her belly nearly reach its breaking point.

"Cloud," she heard herself whine. "I think I'm going to -"

And then, the feeling swept over her, all warmth and electricity, a surge of feelings she'd never felt before. Her orgasm captured her with a bright, explosive wave, sweeping over her from head to toe. Cloud watched her face the entire time, his fingers still rubbing and seeking, his erection digging into her thigh.

Tifa breathed heavily as she came down, and soon, the euphoria passed completely through her. Cloud watched her patiently, slowing the tempo of his touch on her sensitive spots. Carefully, he pulled his fingers away, waiting for her to recover.

"Good?" he asked her.

Tifa licked her lips, staring up at his beautiful, placid blue eyes, at that soft expression that held so much affection and concern for her. Feeling the bliss seep away in her brain, she smiled.

"Mhm," she agreed. "But…Cloud?"

"Hm?"

"Make love to me?"

---

The pain in Cloud's crotch was only magnified by Tifa's sweet, diffident plea, by the way that her eyes sparkled like crimson jewels under the moonlight, the fire dancing colors in her hair.

Make love to her?

Cloud had dreamed about that very thing for as long as such thoughts had danced in his mind, and now, here on this quiet Junon beach with a fire dancing behind them, he was presented with the opportunity. He'd just given Tifa an orgasm with his bare hand, her eyes lit up with unshed tears and her lips parted as the sighs and moans escaped. But now she was asking for more, and Cloud throbbed and dripped inside of his pants, unable to believe she was bestowing him with such a privilege but finding that he was absolutely desperate for it.

"Are you sure?" he asked her again.

She nodded eagerly, her breath heaving her chest. Cloud could hear her heartbeat thundering under those exposed, gorgeous tits, still wet with his own saliva. It was only matched by the sound of his own, pounding away inside of his ribcage with a force that almost seemed life-threatening.

"Okay," he responded, blushing as he considered what he was about to do.

Slowly, Cloud lifted up to his knees in front of her, taking the blanket that was piled up at their feet and pulling it around them both. Staring down at her, he opened his buckles, eager to free his stiff cock from where it was trapped in his pants. Tifa watched his every move with wide, scarlet eyes, licking her lips, her gaze traveling over his form.

"Take your shirt off," she told him, offering him a tiny smile again. "It's only fair we both be topless."

Cloud glanced around the beach, but it was still quiet, not a soul awake or paying them any mind. He turned back to her, and with a slight smirk, he pulled his shirt over his head and off with one hand, tossing it to the side.

"Better?" he asked, not missing the way that Tifa's smile widened and her eyes devoured him, drinking in his muscular appearance.

She nodded happily, and Cloud reached for her hips, pushing her skirt up and out of the way. Her panties were still pushed to one side, showcasing the wet, swollen lips of her pussy. He couldn't help but stare distractedly at the way that she pulsed in anticipation for him, his mouth hanging open for long moments before Tifa awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Cloud?" she called softly. "You're staring…"

Cloud glanced back up at her, the heat returning to his cheeks.

"Sorry," he fumbled.

He concentrated then on sliding her underwear down, past her hips and down her legs, tossing them to the side as she obediently lifted her hips to assist. When the tiny strip of fabric was gone, she parted her thighs, angling them back as she waited for him to take over.

Cloud had never done this before, but he didn't want to ruin what was turning out to be the best night of his life by highlighting his ineptitude to her. He carefully pushed her thighs back, centering himself between them before sliding his pants and underwear down, revealing his cock as he took it in his fist.

"I'll be gentle," he promised her. "Just… tell me if you need anything."

"Okay," Tifa agreed.

Cloud smiled reassuringly at her, then leaned forward, laying his weight on her fully. She pulled him in for an embrace, and their lips found one another again, reinitiating a long, drawn out kiss that had the heat in his belly erupting like a volcanic explosion.

Resting one arm above Tifa's head, Cloud carefully guided the head of his cock between her tender folds, pressing into her tight opening and pulling tiny whimpers from her throat. He brushed her hair from her eyes, kissing her more fervently as he lowered himself inside of her, Tifa gasping with every inch that he took. A sharp cry from her had him meeting eyes with her, breaking their kiss as he checked on her.

"You okay?" he asked her, his voice never softer than it was at that moment.

She winced as he lowered his hips, and then she nodded, looking back at him with a yearnful pout. "I'm okay," she whispered. "You're just… big. I feel really full."

Cloud felt himself jerk inside of her, unable to be controlled at her words. He didn't think he'd ever heard anything hotter than that in his entire life. Nodding and kissing her again, her legs wrapping around his waist, he made sure that the blankets covered them fully as he settled inside of her. Planting his kisses on her jaw and then her throat, Cloud slowly began to rock inside of her, drawing his length out of her to the tip before plunging back inside.

His hips began to find a steady rhythm, and the tight warmth of her walls gripping his cock was enough to have them moving o n their own accord. Cloud found himself growling as he drove into her, Tifa clenching his hardness as he bore down with every thrust. The sensations became so overwhelming that Cloud found himself unwittingly picking up speed, and Tifa's nails dug into his shoulders, leaving bright, crescent-moon-shaped welts.

It felt so good, and Cloud found himself crawling closer and closer toward the edge every time he filled her to the hilt. But he couldn't come before she did; he'd never forgive himself if he left her behind. He reached down with both hands to find her hips, leveraging himself on his knees above her as his hands found the soft fleshiness of her bottom. He gripped her in hand, pulling her to him with every thrust and deepening the way he reached inside of her. It had him slamming into a spongy spot deep inside of her, and Tifa instantly began to cry out in pleasure, her sounds so loud he was afraid that she would awaken the others on the beach, Zack and Aerith included.

But Cloud could hardly care. At this point, he was boiling in a cauldron of pleasure with her, and as Tifa moaned and sobbed, he put everything he had left in him into her. Her final cry was so piercing that Cloud winced, watching a tear slip from her eye as her back arched and lifted from the blanket. He groaned as he felt the wellspring of pleasure in his own body burst, and he came with her, emptying his release right into her tight cavern and filling with wave after wave of it until his spend was leaking in a thick stream out of her.

"Fuck, Tifa," he heard himself swear.

She moaned and sighed, then pulled him back on top of her, dragging him in for a deep and loving kiss. Cloud gladly accepted, hugging Tifa tight in his arms and refusing to pull out, wanting to stay buried inside of her for a lifetime. She giggled and they kissed and hugged, snuggling against each other under the blanket, anchored to one another.

"That was wonderful," Tifa sighed after they'd been laying there in quiet bliss for a while.

"Yeah," Cloud agreed wholeheartedly. "You're amazing, Tifa."

"So are you," Tifa praised him in response. "Do you think anyone heard us?"

Cloud could hardly give a fuck. But he shook his head. "I doubt it."

Tifa laughed again, combing her fingers through his soft hair. "Cloud?"

"Hm?"

"When you… when you go back to Midgar, will you stay in touch with me?"

Cloud was dumbfounded by this question. He'd just made love to her. Did she really think that he would let anything separate them again? Already he was trying to come up with a way to get himself reassigned to Junon Harbor.

"Of course, Tifa," he said. "I've got you now. I'm never letting you go."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

At that, she smiled, snuggling up to him, holding him tight. Cloud helped her to fix her clothing, then adjusted their blankets, leaning back so that she could lay on his chest and fall asleep.

Cloud was not one for parties and he wasn't one for Hallow's Eve, but he had to admit that this one had ended up working out in his favor.

Unfortunately, as they would learn in the morning - Zack and Aerith had heard them, and they endured their teasing for the rest of the day.

It was worth it.