Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square, and Square's affiliations.
Only the pure content of this story belongs to me.
A/N: Okay. Here's another memory. This takes place right before the Temple of the Ancients.
Interrupted by Fireworks by KyuuketsukiShounen
Remembering the Great Adventure, Part 1: Campfire
The forest was dark and fairly quiet. The wind hurried through the trees, shaking the leaves, making them rustle. A few leaves were shaken loose, and they floated about helplessly in the wind, landing in a small clearing. The clearing was a campsite, and the grass had stopped growing from the merciless trampling of travelers.
It was a new moon, and only a tiny fire, burning and crackling in the center of that gave off any light. The area was strewn with armor and weapons; no materia, though. That was kept hidden, due to previous mishaps with wandering hands.
Sleeping bodies lay about, offering their deep rhythmic breathing to the ambience of the scene. The party was large - nine members, so far. Seven of them laid with closed eyes, in a different world. Two sat up with open eyes that glanced at each other from across the fire every now and then. One had long, dark brown hair and the other had bright spiky blonde hair.
She ran her fingers through the heavy curtain of hair. She played with it, twirling it on her fingers, braiding it then unbraiding it. He sat there, polishing his new-bought sword. They both sat there, looking very concentrated; and they both sat there completely faking it.
"It's been pretty crazy, hasn't it?" Tifa marveled, trying to ignite a conversation. She sat with her legs stretched forward, leaning back on her hands.
"It has," Cloud agreed. He shifted, bringing up his knees, hugging them to his chest, making Tifa smile at the childish pose. "Can you believe how far we've gone? We must have traveled enough for a dozen lifetimes." He stared into the fire as he talked.
Tifa nodded. "But it's not like this is a leisure trip. We all have a mission," she reminded Cloud with a slightly scolding tone.
"Yeah, yeah," Cloud said, "save the Planet. But I can't say that it's been so bad." He looked up from the fire with a tiny smile, timidly waiting for Tifa's reaction.
"Cloud!" She rebuked. "How can you say that? Do you realize how many people have died? How close we were to dying? How-" Her voice broke when she noticed how he winced at her attacks.
His eyes dropped and he sat there, staring at his shoes. "Sorry, Tifa."
Watching him almost made her heart break, and in that instant she would have died to make him feel better. She shook her head, bemused. How was he able to do that to her? Nevertheless, she stood up and plopped herself next to Cloud with a sigh.
"Cloud..."
There was a long pause in the conversation. They both stared into the fire, not really knowing what to say.
Cloud broke the silence, "Do you remember..."
"What, Cloud?" Tifa turned her head to him.
"...when you found me at the train station?"
"Mmm." She laid down to watch the stars.
"I know we were never that close back in Nibelheim, and..." His voice faded out, sadly.
Tifa furrowed her eyebrows, putting her eyes on Cloud.
Cloud continued, regaining himself, "And I was sure you just gave me that first job with AVALANCHE because of pity, but... but..."
"Oh, Cloud..." Tifa sat up, eyes still trained on him. She scooted herself closer, until there was nothing but their clothes between them. Her face took on a cherry hue. She felt so warm next to him.
"But I still hoped you had given me the job because you were glad to see me." He stared harder into the fire. "I know I was glad to see you."
"Cloud, I... I... " She choked on her words, not sure what was safe to say. Her words kept jumping forward and leaping back. She held back, unsure of the outcome if she poured herself out. " I can't imagine what would have happened if I didn't find you. We've already been through so much together... and I..." She couldn't bring herself to finish.
This adventure had left the entire group feeling so tired and wrung out. It was all building up and it would have to come out, sooner or later.
"Cloud... I... I..." But she still couldn't do it. Her face burned crimson, and she hid her face in Cloud's chest. First he sat there shocked, but soon found his arms wrapped around her, head rested on hers.
He patted her back good-naturedly, "I can never understand you, Tifa."
She only sighed in reply as she settled herself further into him. She was so close. As he held her tighter, she could feel his heart, beating fast. They sat there, holding on to each other, afraid to let go, and afraid to go further. It was dangerous ground to be on.
But an unknowing friend helped it move on. A cough and grumble in Cid's sleep caused the two snap to attention, fearing someone was awake. They broke apart, lest they be seen and assumptions made. But then again, any assumption made would have at least some truth behind it, no?
Once more, they sat side to side, staring into the fire. A stagnant silence pounded its way into the conversation and jarred the air and hurt their ears.
Cloud finally spoke, trying to talk over the clatter of the silence, "Tifa, do you remember that night at the Gold Saucer?"
"Mmm," Tifa hummed in agreement. "Of course I do. Why?"
"I hope I don't sound stupid, but," he paused, unsure of what to say, "I really liked it. I didn't want that night to end."
"Cloud..."
Memories danced before them, before one leaped into the front of Cloud's mind.
"Tifa... what were you going to tell me?"
Tifa jolted to reality. Taken aback by the question. "What do you mean, Cloud?"
"On the gondola, you were saying something?"
Tifa faltered. She had forgotten that. "I, er, was saying..." She jumped up and grabbed a branch. She began poking the fire with it. "Hey, Cloud, don't you think the fire is looking a little weak?"
She looked at him from across the fire, hoping to divert the topic. She was unfortunate, however. Cloud ignored her desperate pleas.
"No, it looks fine Tifa. What were you going to tell me?" He smiled a timid smile at her. It held a mixture of embarrassment and hope and something else Tifa couldn't identify all mixed into one.
"I-It's n-nothing."
"Oh," Cloud sighed. He seemed... disappointed?
"Cloud, what's wrong?"
Pause.
"Nothing."
"Oh."
Slowly, Tifa began playing with her hair, twirling it on her finger. Slowly, Cloud began polishing his new sword. And slowly the contact between them dissolved. Only two pairs of eyes, glancing at each other every now and then.
-------
A/N: Yay. I'm proud of this chapter. It took me by surprise, how much ease it had been to write this. It took me a bit of time to construct the frame for this chapter, and I had to tweak bits and pieces everywhere, just as usual. But I feel that this chapter was a bit more inspired. Thoughts or comments? You know what to do.
A/N: Okay. Here's another memory. This takes place right before the Temple of the Ancients.
Interrupted by Fireworks by KyuuketsukiShounen
Remembering the Great Adventure, Part 1: Campfire
The forest was dark and fairly quiet. The wind hurried through the trees, shaking the leaves, making them rustle. A few leaves were shaken loose, and they floated about helplessly in the wind, landing in a small clearing. The clearing was a campsite, and the grass had stopped growing from the merciless trampling of travelers.
It was a new moon, and only a tiny fire, burning and crackling in the center of that gave off any light. The area was strewn with armor and weapons; no materia, though. That was kept hidden, due to previous mishaps with wandering hands.
Sleeping bodies lay about, offering their deep rhythmic breathing to the ambience of the scene. The party was large - nine members, so far. Seven of them laid with closed eyes, in a different world. Two sat up with open eyes that glanced at each other from across the fire every now and then. One had long, dark brown hair and the other had bright spiky blonde hair.
She ran her fingers through the heavy curtain of hair. She played with it, twirling it on her fingers, braiding it then unbraiding it. He sat there, polishing his new-bought sword. They both sat there, looking very concentrated; and they both sat there completely faking it.
"It's been pretty crazy, hasn't it?" Tifa marveled, trying to ignite a conversation. She sat with her legs stretched forward, leaning back on her hands.
"It has," Cloud agreed. He shifted, bringing up his knees, hugging them to his chest, making Tifa smile at the childish pose. "Can you believe how far we've gone? We must have traveled enough for a dozen lifetimes." He stared into the fire as he talked.
Tifa nodded. "But it's not like this is a leisure trip. We all have a mission," she reminded Cloud with a slightly scolding tone.
"Yeah, yeah," Cloud said, "save the Planet. But I can't say that it's been so bad." He looked up from the fire with a tiny smile, timidly waiting for Tifa's reaction.
"Cloud!" She rebuked. "How can you say that? Do you realize how many people have died? How close we were to dying? How-" Her voice broke when she noticed how he winced at her attacks.
His eyes dropped and he sat there, staring at his shoes. "Sorry, Tifa."
Watching him almost made her heart break, and in that instant she would have died to make him feel better. She shook her head, bemused. How was he able to do that to her? Nevertheless, she stood up and plopped herself next to Cloud with a sigh.
"Cloud..."
There was a long pause in the conversation. They both stared into the fire, not really knowing what to say.
Cloud broke the silence, "Do you remember..."
"What, Cloud?" Tifa turned her head to him.
"...when you found me at the train station?"
"Mmm." She laid down to watch the stars.
"I know we were never that close back in Nibelheim, and..." His voice faded out, sadly.
Tifa furrowed her eyebrows, putting her eyes on Cloud.
Cloud continued, regaining himself, "And I was sure you just gave me that first job with AVALANCHE because of pity, but... but..."
"Oh, Cloud..." Tifa sat up, eyes still trained on him. She scooted herself closer, until there was nothing but their clothes between them. Her face took on a cherry hue. She felt so warm next to him.
"But I still hoped you had given me the job because you were glad to see me." He stared harder into the fire. "I know I was glad to see you."
"Cloud, I... I... " She choked on her words, not sure what was safe to say. Her words kept jumping forward and leaping back. She held back, unsure of the outcome if she poured herself out. " I can't imagine what would have happened if I didn't find you. We've already been through so much together... and I..." She couldn't bring herself to finish.
This adventure had left the entire group feeling so tired and wrung out. It was all building up and it would have to come out, sooner or later.
"Cloud... I... I..." But she still couldn't do it. Her face burned crimson, and she hid her face in Cloud's chest. First he sat there shocked, but soon found his arms wrapped around her, head rested on hers.
He patted her back good-naturedly, "I can never understand you, Tifa."
She only sighed in reply as she settled herself further into him. She was so close. As he held her tighter, she could feel his heart, beating fast. They sat there, holding on to each other, afraid to let go, and afraid to go further. It was dangerous ground to be on.
But an unknowing friend helped it move on. A cough and grumble in Cid's sleep caused the two snap to attention, fearing someone was awake. They broke apart, lest they be seen and assumptions made. But then again, any assumption made would have at least some truth behind it, no?
Once more, they sat side to side, staring into the fire. A stagnant silence pounded its way into the conversation and jarred the air and hurt their ears.
Cloud finally spoke, trying to talk over the clatter of the silence, "Tifa, do you remember that night at the Gold Saucer?"
"Mmm," Tifa hummed in agreement. "Of course I do. Why?"
"I hope I don't sound stupid, but," he paused, unsure of what to say, "I really liked it. I didn't want that night to end."
"Cloud..."
Memories danced before them, before one leaped into the front of Cloud's mind.
"Tifa... what were you going to tell me?"
Tifa jolted to reality. Taken aback by the question. "What do you mean, Cloud?"
"On the gondola, you were saying something?"
Tifa faltered. She had forgotten that. "I, er, was saying..." She jumped up and grabbed a branch. She began poking the fire with it. "Hey, Cloud, don't you think the fire is looking a little weak?"
She looked at him from across the fire, hoping to divert the topic. She was unfortunate, however. Cloud ignored her desperate pleas.
"No, it looks fine Tifa. What were you going to tell me?" He smiled a timid smile at her. It held a mixture of embarrassment and hope and something else Tifa couldn't identify all mixed into one.
"I-It's n-nothing."
"Oh," Cloud sighed. He seemed... disappointed?
"Cloud, what's wrong?"
Pause.
"Nothing."
"Oh."
Slowly, Tifa began playing with her hair, twirling it on her finger. Slowly, Cloud began polishing his new sword. And slowly the contact between them dissolved. Only two pairs of eyes, glancing at each other every now and then.
-------
A/N: Yay. I'm proud of this chapter. It took me by surprise, how much ease it had been to write this. It took me a bit of time to construct the frame for this chapter, and I had to tweak bits and pieces everywhere, just as usual. But I feel that this chapter was a bit more inspired. Thoughts or comments? You know what to do.