iv. theme #3 "depth perception"
In another life, where there is no Crisis of the Planet, where there is no Meteor, where Aeris does not die, where Cloud never names himself ex-SOLDIER...
In another life, where people fight for good and evil but have friends anyway, where decisions are made and destinies are sealed, where love, not power, is the force that enthralls everything...
In another life, where they do not have to save the planet, where they can carry their swords without regrets, where Cloud's eyes are not blue because of Mako...
In another life, where the name of Tifa's bar is not ironic, where she does not have to compete with memories and the past, where here knuckles are battered because of training, not war.
In another life, where Cloud can smile without sadness and laugh freely, where the shadow of Sephiroth has set him free, where he does not need a number, where he can save everyone he loves.
In another life, where the Turks still assassinate and kill and destroy, where Elena and Tseng do not have to hide their relationship, where Reno can say he likes Tifa without Rude laughing at his face (he chokes instead and can not laugh even if he wanted to).
In a life, where Cloud works as a mercenary and comes to Tifa every time he finishes a mission, tells her how he does not know how to feel about killing for money, how he can not get rid of the stench of blood, and how he is not jealous of Zack.
In a life, where Reno laughs mockingly and treats Rude carelessly ("Dammit, can you stop breaking my glasses already!"), where he does not take his job seriously and lets Elena do it for him, where he meets Tifa in her bar.
In a life, where Tifa saves Cloud and now fights alongside him, where she works as a guide and a martial arts teacher, where she understands Cloud and his past, where Reno, to her, is attractive, yes, but arrogant and therefore unable to make her like him.
Where Cloud's kisses are hesitant and wary, where he does not quite know how to not hurt her.
Where Tifa finds herself, one day, in her bar alone with Reno, his hands gripping the front of her shirt to keep her still as his lips are pressed firmly on hers.
Where Cloud walks in and understands that his darkness may be too much for her and that she needs some light, too, and embraces her as she splutters and coughs and stares at Reno, her red eyes wide with surprise.
Where Reno and Cloud look hard at each other and promise silently not to make life difficult, where they might never like each other, but share one thing in common, nevertheless.
Where Tifa finds it easier to keep saving Cloud if she herself gets saved once in a while, too, even if the saving is not done in the way she does it.
Where Tifa looks at Cloud as they sleep, his arm on her waist, Reno breathing in her neck as he rests his hand on her thigh, where they have somehow found an unlikely but pleasant way of coexisting and life has indeed not become difficult.
There, Reno lets the other two take care of the emotionality. He enjoys their company, sure, but that does not mean that he would willingly let them peer into his personal life – no, he has Rude for that.
There, Cloud tells Tifa how beautiful she is, how lovely she is, where he whispers to her that she is everything he needs.
There, Tifa closes her eyes but still knows which hand is whose, and supports Cloud and his disasters and does not pry into Reno's life, but understands that all relationships do not need saving.
There, they reach a higher level of depth and learn how to fly.