Fear and Courage Chapter 18
Tifa couldn't help but smile as she watched everyone stood in their places, except herself. She went upstairs to stand in her new spot, at the top of
the Highwind 2, on her own. Tifa just wanted some time to think.
Meanwhile, downstairs the others stood talking. Yuffie was heaving, although that wasn't news to anyone. Cid let his new fully-fledged pilot
take over for him while he went and had a chat with Barret, who was
tickling Marlene.
Cloud's mind wandered all over the place. Tifa wouldn't be with them soon. How would he cope? He found it beyond difficult to live without seeing her
beautiful face for the past two years, because he was doing some soul searching and mending the pieces of his broken past. It was Tifa who had helped him in the Lifestream to do this, but there were some things that
needed doing on his own.
The fair-haired man was pulled out of his reflections by a deep and
concerned voice, which came from none other than the handsome ex-Turk,
Vincent. "Is something bothering you, Cloud?"
"Huh?" He looked to find two blood-red eyes gazing at him in worry. "Oh, sorry Vincent. I've just got a lot on my mind. Don't worry about it." Cloud smiled at his dark-haired companion, not wanting him to find out the secret locked in his heart, or anyone else for that matter, especially not
Tifa. Well, not just yet. He started to walk towards Nanaki.
"You should tell Tifa, you know," the gunslinger advised. Cloud spun on his
heel quickly so he faced Vincent's perfect face (that's not what Cloud
thinks by the way! That's what I think...) and raised his eyebrow, like
Vincent does.
"Tell her what?" Cloud lied. Of course he knew what Vincent was talking
about. How did he know? And did anyone else know about this?
"You know what I'm talking about. It's no good keeping it locked up,
especially now we know she's..."
"...Not staying with us long," finished Cloud. "I know. But it's so hard! To
find the right moment, the right words. I really do love her."
"You only fear rejection." Stated Vincent.
"Well, do you blame me?" Cloud shouted, causing everyone on the deck to
look at him for a second, then turn away.
Vincent retaliated, glaring at the swordsman. "If you'd let me finish. If
you tell her, you never know." He started to walk away.
"She may even share the same feelings towards you."
Cloud exhaled. "You think?" "What have you got to lose? Tell her. And make it soon." He paced over to
Cid to start a conversation with him.
Cloud grinned and headed out to where Yuffie was sat, almost green in
colour from her sickness. "Cloud," she called. "You couldn't give me
anything for this, could ya?" She really wasn't well, he could see. Not
even he suffered that badly from motion sickness.
"Here." He handed the ninja a Hi-potion, hoping that was enough to stop it. She added, "Thanks, Spike," just to annoy him. He just assumed it was his official nickname and said, "Welcome." Yuffie grunted because she hadn't
aggravated him like she had intended.
He continued up the flight of stairs until the sunlight hit his eyes
fiercely. He squinted, until his eyes adjusted to the light, to see his raven-haired beauty stood in a flaccid stance, arms resting on the railing.
He couldn't get over how lucky he was to have her as a friend. But if he told her and she didn't return his love, then he would lose this precious
friendship. But she needed to know.
"Tifa," he called. "Can we talk?" She turned to look at him and smiled. "Of
course! You can talk to me about anything. You know that."
"Well, there's something I need to tell you."
Her mind raced. "Could this be it? Is he going to tell me the words I've
always wanted to hear?"
He hesitated. "Well, Teef. We've been friends for a very long time, and
we've been through so much, the two of us. And..."
Before he could press on, a loud, coarse voice shouted through the microphone, pounding through the speakers. "A'right everyone, we're at the
Chocobo Ranch, so get your asses down to the deck. Now!"
Cloud growled as the voice cut through his moment. Tifa rolled her eyes and
walked to go downstairs.
She laughed nervously. "We better go, he means business. You can tell me
later, can't you?"
"Sure, Teef." He grunted. She could see he was agitated.
They walked down to the deck together, Cloud cursing in his head.
"You'll pay for that, Cid. You ruined my moment," he muttered to himself.
"What, Cloud?" Tifa asked.
"Nothing, Teef. It's okay."
"If you say show." She flashed him a bright smile, her teeth gleaming,
which made him smile.
I'm so sorry it takes so long to update. I'm going to try and make another chapter soon, please don't abandon the story, because I won't. Cheers Sally
xxx
Tifa couldn't help but smile as she watched everyone stood in their places, except herself. She went upstairs to stand in her new spot, at the top of
the Highwind 2, on her own. Tifa just wanted some time to think.
Meanwhile, downstairs the others stood talking. Yuffie was heaving, although that wasn't news to anyone. Cid let his new fully-fledged pilot
take over for him while he went and had a chat with Barret, who was
tickling Marlene.
Cloud's mind wandered all over the place. Tifa wouldn't be with them soon. How would he cope? He found it beyond difficult to live without seeing her
beautiful face for the past two years, because he was doing some soul searching and mending the pieces of his broken past. It was Tifa who had helped him in the Lifestream to do this, but there were some things that
needed doing on his own.
The fair-haired man was pulled out of his reflections by a deep and
concerned voice, which came from none other than the handsome ex-Turk,
Vincent. "Is something bothering you, Cloud?"
"Huh?" He looked to find two blood-red eyes gazing at him in worry. "Oh, sorry Vincent. I've just got a lot on my mind. Don't worry about it." Cloud smiled at his dark-haired companion, not wanting him to find out the secret locked in his heart, or anyone else for that matter, especially not
Tifa. Well, not just yet. He started to walk towards Nanaki.
"You should tell Tifa, you know," the gunslinger advised. Cloud spun on his
heel quickly so he faced Vincent's perfect face (that's not what Cloud
thinks by the way! That's what I think...) and raised his eyebrow, like
Vincent does.
"Tell her what?" Cloud lied. Of course he knew what Vincent was talking
about. How did he know? And did anyone else know about this?
"You know what I'm talking about. It's no good keeping it locked up,
especially now we know she's..."
"...Not staying with us long," finished Cloud. "I know. But it's so hard! To
find the right moment, the right words. I really do love her."
"You only fear rejection." Stated Vincent.
"Well, do you blame me?" Cloud shouted, causing everyone on the deck to
look at him for a second, then turn away.
Vincent retaliated, glaring at the swordsman. "If you'd let me finish. If
you tell her, you never know." He started to walk away.
"She may even share the same feelings towards you."
Cloud exhaled. "You think?" "What have you got to lose? Tell her. And make it soon." He paced over to
Cid to start a conversation with him.
Cloud grinned and headed out to where Yuffie was sat, almost green in
colour from her sickness. "Cloud," she called. "You couldn't give me
anything for this, could ya?" She really wasn't well, he could see. Not
even he suffered that badly from motion sickness.
"Here." He handed the ninja a Hi-potion, hoping that was enough to stop it. She added, "Thanks, Spike," just to annoy him. He just assumed it was his official nickname and said, "Welcome." Yuffie grunted because she hadn't
aggravated him like she had intended.
He continued up the flight of stairs until the sunlight hit his eyes
fiercely. He squinted, until his eyes adjusted to the light, to see his raven-haired beauty stood in a flaccid stance, arms resting on the railing.
He couldn't get over how lucky he was to have her as a friend. But if he told her and she didn't return his love, then he would lose this precious
friendship. But she needed to know.
"Tifa," he called. "Can we talk?" She turned to look at him and smiled. "Of
course! You can talk to me about anything. You know that."
"Well, there's something I need to tell you."
Her mind raced. "Could this be it? Is he going to tell me the words I've
always wanted to hear?"
He hesitated. "Well, Teef. We've been friends for a very long time, and
we've been through so much, the two of us. And..."
Before he could press on, a loud, coarse voice shouted through the microphone, pounding through the speakers. "A'right everyone, we're at the
Chocobo Ranch, so get your asses down to the deck. Now!"
Cloud growled as the voice cut through his moment. Tifa rolled her eyes and
walked to go downstairs.
She laughed nervously. "We better go, he means business. You can tell me
later, can't you?"
"Sure, Teef." He grunted. She could see he was agitated.
They walked down to the deck together, Cloud cursing in his head.
"You'll pay for that, Cid. You ruined my moment," he muttered to himself.
"What, Cloud?" Tifa asked.
"Nothing, Teef. It's okay."
"If you say show." She flashed him a bright smile, her teeth gleaming,
which made him smile.
I'm so sorry it takes so long to update. I'm going to try and make another chapter soon, please don't abandon the story, because I won't. Cheers Sally
xxx