Cloud seen the gaze, again, from his foe. It smiled at him, causing him to
shiver. The silver hair streaming down his face, his blade in hand. The
creature he feared stood before him, raising his hand. Cloud could feel his
hands follow that of his adversary, gripping the swords hilt.
He could feel the intense heat that radiated around him, then a sudden coldness. The coldness increased as the scenery around him flashed to that of the crater, but the silver haired maniacal stayed, laughing as out of the snow came the figure, cloaked the same way as before.
He seen the long barreled gun raise, he heard the sound of him as he laughed and mumbled a few things. Cloud actually heard the shrouded form say "Sorry it had to be this way", but he could barely work the rest out.
Again, he seen the fingers slow movement back firing the gun.
The flash broke his concentration, and he awoke sitting up, Tifa holding him.
"Its Ok Cloud, it's only a dream, nothing more."
"No tiff, it's not only a dream. I seen him, I seen him, alive as he used to be."
"That's impossible Cloudy, We were both there, he is dead, there is nothing else to it. He couldn't have survived it." She replied, perplexed by Clouds antics.
"I know, I know. But he did survive it, he not only survived it but he's stronger, stronger than he was before. Only he's not after meteor, he's after me." He motioned, grabbing Tifa by the arm.
"Cloud, I think you need a cup of coffee." She said as she stood up outside of the tent, pulling Cloud out by the hand.
Cloud followed the female as he went over to the fire and sat down, watching Tifa rummage through the bag. He was grateful that Tifa would do this for him, but she didn't believe him.
He looked along the horizon, Catching Vincent, back turned to them, staring towards the swamp where the Zolom lay. Cloud walked over to him and set on hand on his shoulder as he stood beside him.
"Why aren't you in bed?" he said as Vincent turned his head to him.
"I guess I got my sleep. What are you doing up?"
"I had the dream again, except it was more vivid." He answered as he turned his head to look at Tifa who was boiling the kettle over the fire then turning to him and smiling. "Cloud" Vincent said, after staring at Tifa too. "How do you know if someone likes you?"
"Huh? Well, you don't, I guess. You could ask." He replied, wondering where this conversation was heading.
"She likes you, it's clear. Everyone knows, your jus' to blind to see it."
"Tifa? We're jus' childhood friends, nothing more. I think."
"Cloud, the coffee's ready. Vince, would you like a cup.?" Tifa called over.
"That would be great, thanks." Vincent replied, head turning back to the swamp for a moment.
"Vincent, you seem to be have problems running through you head. Relax."
"Your right Cloud." Vincent answered, heading over to the camp. Vincent couldn't stop thinking about various things, Chaos was the lost side of him, and even he feared him.
He always hated turning into that demented freak, he feared he would hurt his friends. Friends, Vincent barely knew the word friend, he always traveled alone. After being released from his fate, he agreed to follow the group to the defeat of Sephiroth. But after that, he felt close to the group, they didn't treat him like a freak, they were the only one in years to make him feel welcomed.
Cloud took a seat beside Tifa, taking the cup she offered him from her hands. Vincent, opposite Cloud.
"Why are you up Vince. You should be resting, you had a hard day." Tifa said, looking at him, by the way he looked you wouldn't believe the person in front of her was tormented by demons that lurked inside him, feeding on his anger.
"I already slept. Besides, Yuffie's creeping me out. I woke up and found her lying beside me. I'm jus' not that use to physical contact, unless it hurts." He replied, taking a sip from his cup, daring not to raise an eye.
"Maybe she likes you, a girl like her needs someone to look up to, to love and cherish."
"Another feeling I'm not use to. Are you talking about the way you looked up at Cloud, your knight in shining armor as you put it."
"Uhh, sorta, not the same way exactly." She muttered, staring at Cloud for a breath second. "Look, you're stronger than her, you barely know fear. She looks at you when she's scared."
Vincent looked away. He acted so fearless, but to be truthful, he feared feelings most. He never wanted to feel love, not again, not after Lucrecia.
Cloud looked at the reaction of his friend "Vince, Yuffie likes you; you can't do anything about that. You could break her heart if you still hold feelings for Lucrecia, she's dead, there isn't anything you can do about that. If you could then don't you think I would have tried to bring Aeris back." Tifa was startled by the mention of Aeris, it's not like she didn't like her or anything, it's just that it came from Cloud. She thought Cloud was over her by now.
"Aeris has been dead over a year now, there's nothing anyone can do about that, not even you Cloud. There is no need to think about her anymore." She blurted out, hoping to reassure Cloud.
"I know that, but her death is on my hands."
"No, her death is on Sephiroth's hands, not yours. And Sephiroth is dead n..."
"No he isn't!" Cloud shouted at her, not meaning to upset her. "I told you, he's alive."
Vincent had no clue what was going on, he looked over at Cloud and then Tifa, Cloud was looking at his feet, Tifa was looking at Cloud, eyes watery.
"It's Ok Cloud." She said, moving up the bench towards Cloud and resting her hands around his waist.
"I think, I need some time to think. Excuse me." he whispered, getting up on his feet, then walking towards the spot where Vincent stood the moment before. He looked up at the stars, mind wandering off again, then down at his mug. He drank the cup in one, then set it down on the ground.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know I offended you." Was the sound from behind him, the sound of Tifa's sweet voice.
"You didn't, I'm jus' edgy."
She sat down beside him. "I, I want you to like me, it hurts when I do something stupid like this." She said, tear running down her face. There was a breath moment of silence.
"I do like you, I jus' got carried away." He said with his most sincere voice as he moved over to her and embraced her, her cheek up against his.
"Thanks Cloud," holding on to his hands, "You are my Knight in shining armor."
She turned round to face him and put her lips on his cheek. Cloud's stomach fluttered as she held her affectionate skin up to him, her body heat sending sensations to his brain, he didn't want her to stop, then she turned back round to look at the stars, Cloud followed her movement too, silence saying more than words.
Vincent had watched them for a moment and then thought about Yuffie, for some reason he could see himself doing the same with her. he liked the feeling of love, sure, everybody does, but it's the feeling of heartbreak that he hated. A feeling that you could only avoid by not falling in love. He finished his coffee, then, setting the cup down on the bench, headed back to the tent.
He could feel the intense heat that radiated around him, then a sudden coldness. The coldness increased as the scenery around him flashed to that of the crater, but the silver haired maniacal stayed, laughing as out of the snow came the figure, cloaked the same way as before.
He seen the long barreled gun raise, he heard the sound of him as he laughed and mumbled a few things. Cloud actually heard the shrouded form say "Sorry it had to be this way", but he could barely work the rest out.
Again, he seen the fingers slow movement back firing the gun.
The flash broke his concentration, and he awoke sitting up, Tifa holding him.
"Its Ok Cloud, it's only a dream, nothing more."
"No tiff, it's not only a dream. I seen him, I seen him, alive as he used to be."
"That's impossible Cloudy, We were both there, he is dead, there is nothing else to it. He couldn't have survived it." She replied, perplexed by Clouds antics.
"I know, I know. But he did survive it, he not only survived it but he's stronger, stronger than he was before. Only he's not after meteor, he's after me." He motioned, grabbing Tifa by the arm.
"Cloud, I think you need a cup of coffee." She said as she stood up outside of the tent, pulling Cloud out by the hand.
Cloud followed the female as he went over to the fire and sat down, watching Tifa rummage through the bag. He was grateful that Tifa would do this for him, but she didn't believe him.
He looked along the horizon, Catching Vincent, back turned to them, staring towards the swamp where the Zolom lay. Cloud walked over to him and set on hand on his shoulder as he stood beside him.
"Why aren't you in bed?" he said as Vincent turned his head to him.
"I guess I got my sleep. What are you doing up?"
"I had the dream again, except it was more vivid." He answered as he turned his head to look at Tifa who was boiling the kettle over the fire then turning to him and smiling. "Cloud" Vincent said, after staring at Tifa too. "How do you know if someone likes you?"
"Huh? Well, you don't, I guess. You could ask." He replied, wondering where this conversation was heading.
"She likes you, it's clear. Everyone knows, your jus' to blind to see it."
"Tifa? We're jus' childhood friends, nothing more. I think."
"Cloud, the coffee's ready. Vince, would you like a cup.?" Tifa called over.
"That would be great, thanks." Vincent replied, head turning back to the swamp for a moment.
"Vincent, you seem to be have problems running through you head. Relax."
"Your right Cloud." Vincent answered, heading over to the camp. Vincent couldn't stop thinking about various things, Chaos was the lost side of him, and even he feared him.
He always hated turning into that demented freak, he feared he would hurt his friends. Friends, Vincent barely knew the word friend, he always traveled alone. After being released from his fate, he agreed to follow the group to the defeat of Sephiroth. But after that, he felt close to the group, they didn't treat him like a freak, they were the only one in years to make him feel welcomed.
Cloud took a seat beside Tifa, taking the cup she offered him from her hands. Vincent, opposite Cloud.
"Why are you up Vince. You should be resting, you had a hard day." Tifa said, looking at him, by the way he looked you wouldn't believe the person in front of her was tormented by demons that lurked inside him, feeding on his anger.
"I already slept. Besides, Yuffie's creeping me out. I woke up and found her lying beside me. I'm jus' not that use to physical contact, unless it hurts." He replied, taking a sip from his cup, daring not to raise an eye.
"Maybe she likes you, a girl like her needs someone to look up to, to love and cherish."
"Another feeling I'm not use to. Are you talking about the way you looked up at Cloud, your knight in shining armor as you put it."
"Uhh, sorta, not the same way exactly." She muttered, staring at Cloud for a breath second. "Look, you're stronger than her, you barely know fear. She looks at you when she's scared."
Vincent looked away. He acted so fearless, but to be truthful, he feared feelings most. He never wanted to feel love, not again, not after Lucrecia.
Cloud looked at the reaction of his friend "Vince, Yuffie likes you; you can't do anything about that. You could break her heart if you still hold feelings for Lucrecia, she's dead, there isn't anything you can do about that. If you could then don't you think I would have tried to bring Aeris back." Tifa was startled by the mention of Aeris, it's not like she didn't like her or anything, it's just that it came from Cloud. She thought Cloud was over her by now.
"Aeris has been dead over a year now, there's nothing anyone can do about that, not even you Cloud. There is no need to think about her anymore." She blurted out, hoping to reassure Cloud.
"I know that, but her death is on my hands."
"No, her death is on Sephiroth's hands, not yours. And Sephiroth is dead n..."
"No he isn't!" Cloud shouted at her, not meaning to upset her. "I told you, he's alive."
Vincent had no clue what was going on, he looked over at Cloud and then Tifa, Cloud was looking at his feet, Tifa was looking at Cloud, eyes watery.
"It's Ok Cloud." She said, moving up the bench towards Cloud and resting her hands around his waist.
"I think, I need some time to think. Excuse me." he whispered, getting up on his feet, then walking towards the spot where Vincent stood the moment before. He looked up at the stars, mind wandering off again, then down at his mug. He drank the cup in one, then set it down on the ground.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know I offended you." Was the sound from behind him, the sound of Tifa's sweet voice.
"You didn't, I'm jus' edgy."
She sat down beside him. "I, I want you to like me, it hurts when I do something stupid like this." She said, tear running down her face. There was a breath moment of silence.
"I do like you, I jus' got carried away." He said with his most sincere voice as he moved over to her and embraced her, her cheek up against his.
"Thanks Cloud," holding on to his hands, "You are my Knight in shining armor."
She turned round to face him and put her lips on his cheek. Cloud's stomach fluttered as she held her affectionate skin up to him, her body heat sending sensations to his brain, he didn't want her to stop, then she turned back round to look at the stars, Cloud followed her movement too, silence saying more than words.
Vincent had watched them for a moment and then thought about Yuffie, for some reason he could see himself doing the same with her. he liked the feeling of love, sure, everybody does, but it's the feeling of heartbreak that he hated. A feeling that you could only avoid by not falling in love. He finished his coffee, then, setting the cup down on the bench, headed back to the tent.