Premonitions III

Part II: Strife in High Places

Chapter 6: Valentine's Day

February 11, 0008

I don't believe in gender roles, and you can quote me on that in capital letters. Just look at a picture of me from my Turk days; I'm wearing a suit and tie. The tie part, I'll admit, I was a little uncomfortable with, but I'll definitely take pants over a skirt or a dress any day of the week.

And I work, of course. I certainly don't believe in that housewife shit. The only feminine things I did when I got married was wear a wedding dress and take Tobin's last name, and that was simply because I wanted us to be one. I proposed to Tobin, and I'm one of only two women I know who proposed to their men, the other being Tifa.

And my nickname, Cissnei, actually comes from an ancient word for swan. It basically means I'm beautiful but dangerous. You seriously don't want to mess with a swan; they have drowned people.

Tifa, meanwhile, really, really didn't believe in gender roles. She wore the pants in that marriage, and we all knew it. Whenever someone suggested she engage in something traditionally feminine, she would often blow a raspberry.

When she was seven, her parents tried to sign her up for dance class; she blew a raspberry.

When she was fourteen, someone suggested she try out for cheerleading; she blew a raspberry.

When she was seventeen, someone asked if she would take a cooking class; she blew a raspberry.

When she was twenty, her dad asked her if, now that she was married, she would settle as a housewife.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," she said.

She never owned a doll in her life; she had wanted action figures since she was three.

And her best friend was a boy.

Tifa could cook on the grill, but never on the stove. That would soon change, however.

For anyone following the dates, Valentine's Day was approaching. It was special, as it was Cloud and Tifa's first Valentine's Day married (or even together), and the same applied to Tobin and I as well.

The whole thing started February 11, when I sent her a text offering a double date. I mean, we did marry at the same time, didn't we? Once she accepted, I sent her another text suggesting we both bake our guys giant cookies.

This time, it took her much longer to reply.

"I can't cook," was her eventual response.

"I'll show you," I texted back. "It won't be that hard."

Her next response: "K."

I'll confess I had this naughty, guilty desire for Valentine's Day: an all-nude double date with another couple. If that's TMI, I'm sorry, but just remember that that last couple you passed on the street is probably having sex. Just saying.

The idea is that we would go to a nude beach together, like Costa del Luna or the nude side of Eros Nova. We wouldn't expect anything to go from there, but if it happened, it happened.

Eros Nova's nude side is honestly quite hedonistic, especially toward the western end. They have a few indoor…adult classes with intimacy sans privacy. Couples have even been known to go all the way in the public area with others watching!

This was somewhat inspired by Tobin going to a nude beach with a gal friend of his. It's no big secret; it's in his memoir. What he didn't want to admit to at the time was that they went inside a private nursing room and had sex. They were still platonic at that point, although they did kind of like each other. Unfortunately, she passed away right before she would say 'yes' to being his girlfriend. But you'll never believe what I found when I looked up her obituary: there were quite a few obituaries of girls with the exact same name across hundreds of years, and, the even more bizarre part: their mothers all had the same name as well. If this was a coincidence, it's the most phenomenal one ever.

Needless to say, I didn't bother to ask Cloud and Tifa to an all-nude double date. Tifa would never show off her naked body for anyone other than Cloud. Not to mention that Tifa and Tobin are cousins, which would probably get awkward. So, this year, we kept it SFW.

February 12, 0008

The next day, while Tobin was out, she came over. I walked her through every step of baking the cookie, though she was giving the "yeah-yeah-yeah-let's-get-this-over-with" vibe. I will say her giant cookie turned out okay. It was the first, and probably last, time I ever saw her cook.

After that, I took her clothes shopping. We both got matching red baby tee shirts, along with pairs to dark blue skinny jeans to show our butts off (for our guys, of course). We also got pairs of boots that Tifa found somewhat uncomfortable.

"We'll be sitting most of the time, anyway," I assured her.

I didn't feel uncomfortable changing in front of Tifa, but Tifa was…Tifa, and asked me to wait outside the fitting room, resulting in constant trips in and out when she asked my opinion on what fit her.

That's the thing about Tifa; she was a very private person. Nobody had ever seen her naked, or even in her underwear, except, as she would word it, her behind closed doors. The only exception would be Cloud, and that would not happen until their wedding night.

Anyway, I was proud of that afternoon, because I got Tifa to "woman up," if you will. I never thought I would be the one to tap into her femininity.

Two days later was the big day. We met Cloud and Tifa at their house in Nibelheim. We first went to dinner. They had just built a more upscale restaurant across from the Shinra Mansion, and we all went there for dinner and what started out as small talk. But, halfway through, the conversation brought up something that would change the course of history.

"They finally got around to burying the poor Continental Governor," Cloud mentioned.

"I wonder who will succeed her," Tifa added.

"We're starting over," I explained to them. "They just amended the constitution. Instead of a new Continental Governor to run the show for life, the Western Continent is going to be a democratic republic. With a president."

"That's a step in the right direction," Tobin said.

"Sort of," I clarified. "So far, nobody's running."

"It's a dangerous job," Tifa pointed out. "Just ask me. I'm a presidential assassin."

"It would be great to see a Strife as president," I then suggested.

"I'll pass," Cloud dismissed.

I fully understood, too. Cloud, as much as I love him, has some serious psychological flaws. For one, he's been known to be deluded; he once mistook Zack Fair's past for his own. He was also manipulated by Sephiroth, causing him to do things he would be less than proud of. In short, he didn't trust himself, and I completely understand.

We finished dinner, where both us ladies paid for our boys. Again, neither of us believed in gender roles.

We then went to a movie in Rocket Town, where we parked and encountered our other memorable event of the night.

Outside the theatre stood none other than Dirk Downing and a couple of his sons, protesting.

I knew exactly why he was there.

The movie we were seeing, The Four Seasons of Fritz the Guardian, was a big controversy in conservative circles. The long and short of it was that the comedy was declared suitable for kids six and up, but the female lead gets involved in one steamy scene. It wasn't that bad, but it shows her butt, and that was enough to make Dirk Downing howl.

And, apparently, so were my jeans.

"You there!" he called.

I tried to ignore him; I knew he also had a problem with Tobin's hand on the small of my back.

"Keep your affection discreet!" he continued.

"We're married!" I retorted as I flaunted my wedding band.

"Those jeans are way too tight, missy," Dirk continued. "What's wrong with a modest skirt?"

"That's right," Tifa added. "You think it's inappropriate for women to wear pants, don't you?"

"I know it is," Dirk corrected.

"Well, don't worry," Tifa assured him. "I won't be wearing any when I'm home with my husband tonight."

With that, we began to walk into the theater.

"Hey!" exclaimed Dirk.

In response, Tifa turned to Dirk and extended her middle finger.

"See, this is what happens when men can't control their wives," Dirk groaned.

We said no more after that. I was half expecting Tifa to beat the crap out of him, but she restrained herself.

The movie was over at ten. When we got out, we were relieved to see that Dirk Downing and his backward views were gone. We hugged each other goodbye and parted ways.

It was Tobin who drove us home; I held his hand the whole time and smiled at him. We both know what was coming next; I was starting to get horny on the ride home, and I could tell he was as well, since, when we got to Cosmo Canyon, he parked kind of crookedly, and practically dragged me inside the building.

Both of our shirts came off on the stairwell.

My bra came off in the hallway; looking back, I can't believe nobody saw us.

I managed to yank his pants down as he was working the key into the lock.

Once we were inside, off came my pants and panties before the door even shut completely.

Still in his boxers, he carried naked me to the bedroom to make love, with our lips, and tongues, locked the entire time.

An hour later, I found myself in the bathtub, relaxed in Tobin's arms. My bare back was against his strong chest. His arms were wrapped around my midriff. My hands were rested on his. My hair was up. Our clothes were well away from us. Candles were lit all around us. Suds floated at the top.

I could not have been more content.

I made sure my breasts were visible, to give Tobin some eye candy and to give myself some vulnerability.

Some people have asked if it bothers me that I'm three years older than Tobin. Far from it; he's my soulmate. Less than a month before, not only were we just friends, but he was presumed dead. I never thought I would ever see him again. And now we're married, sealed forever. It made me realize why Tifa had proposed to Cloud right after Aerith died. It was to seal them together so they would never be apart again. I also know why Cloud accepted. It was so he would never be alone again.

We stayed the way we were for an hour, with Tobin holding me and kissing me on the cheek from behind. We then drained the water and made love in the tub.

It was a perfect end to a perfect day.

As for the cookie, we both completely forgot about it; we ended up eating it for breakfast the next morning.

MEANWHILE…

Cloud and Tifa duly returned to Nibelheim. They parked in front of their home and went inside.

"I have a surprise for you," she announced lovingly as she took his hand and led him up the stairs.

As they entered their bedroom, Cloud saw what she meant.

The cookie was on the bed.

"That's humongous!" Cloud exclaimed. "Where did you get it?"

"I made it," Tifa replied with a smile as she stroked his back through his shirt.

"I didn't know you baked!" Cloud admitted. "I thought you didn't like to bake because it was too…girly."

"I can make an exception for the man I love," she said in a somewhat seductive tone of voice before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

An hour later, they were eating the cookie.

They were, of course, eating it on the bed. Tifa still had her red shirt on, but was stripped of clothing from the waist down. Cloud was naked. Needless to say, they had done what married couples do.

"I think our first Valentine's Day married was a success," Tifa observed as she took a drink from her water bottle, thirsty from their lovemaking.

"I'll agree," Cloud replied.

Tifa laughed for a moment and kissed him. Then she fell silent.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I've been thinking about what Cissnei said tonight," she admitted.

"You're half naked and you're thinking about your cousin-in-law?" he playfully asked.

I'm honored

"Not that way!" she laughed in response. "It's what she said about running for president. How it would be great to have a Strife as president."

"You're not serious, are you?" he asked, half-playful, half-serious.

"Well," she replied as she took his hands in hers, "I was going to save this for later, but, yes, I'm dead serious."

Cloud sighed.

"I don't think so," he dismissed. "Leading AVALANCHE was one thing. But leading the whole Western Continent is another. I don't think I have the people skills to be president."

It was then that Tifa displayed a smirk on her face.

"What about first gentleman?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, unsure of what she meant.

"You're not going to run for president," she explained. "I am."

There was a long silence. Cloud was practically speechless.

Did I hear what I think I heard? he thought to himself.

"Surprised?" Tifa asked.

"Kind of," Cloud admitted. "I didn't see that coming."

"I don't think anyone will," she laughed.

"What made you decide to run?" he asked.

"I don't think our work is done," she replied honestly. "We still have corruption in high places. The late Bismarck proved that. If it's allowed to keep going, everything will all be in vain."

Cloud had goosebumps all over his naked body.

"Are you okay?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "Just cold."

That was a lie; he was very wary about Tifa running for president.

"Your robe's in the closet," she announced as she pointed her finger. "Go get it."

Cloud got up, went to the closet, and put his robe on.

"Cloud," Tifa began, "do I have your support?"

He turned to view his wife.

She was still sitting on the bed wearing nothing but her red shirt. She was looking directly at him, giving him a small, hopeful smile.

Being human, he first gazed at the side of her exposed butt, which he found extremely sexy.

Then, he slowly moved up to her loving, longing face.

It wasn't that he didn't trust her with the job; he was worried about her safety. She would make enemies for sure, some of which would want her blood.

Then he realized that it was nothing she didn't know. It was a risk she was willing to take. It was something she seriously wanted.

He slowly walked back over to the bed and sat down next to his wife. He clasped her hand and looked into her chestnut eyes.

"You have it," he assured her.

For a moment, Tifa gazed back at him.

Then she got up, and stood in front of him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She turned around, revealing her eyes were wet.

"What's wrong?" she echoed. "I can't give you a hug when I'm sitting!"

With that, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"For saying 'yes' when I asked you to be my husband," she clarified.

She then realized there was the mirror right behind her, that she was bent in his direction.

"You're staring at my ass," she playfully reprimanded.

"Is that a problem?" he asked.

"No!" Tifa laughed before kissing him.

MEANWHILE…

It's funny how Valentine's Day plays out differently for different couples.

I never found out what Barret and Jessie did, but it couldn't have been anything too adult, since the former has a four-year-old.

As for Tseng and Elena, I wasn't that close to them, even when I was a Turk. Since they didn't have kids at the time, feel free to speculate.

What I do know is that Cid and Shera stayed in that night. The latter insisted they did.

"We're not doing anything for Valentine's Day?" Cid asked.

"Why?" Shera asked. "It's just there to make us buy things."

Cid was the least romantic of all the guys I knew. He was thinking of one thing, and one thing only.

"If you want coitus," she continued, "we can have it."

They were one of the oddest couples I knew. Shera was what I call a NWV. She always put logic above romance.

Still, she was clearly in love with Cid. She didn't care about their over age gap; she had just turned eighteen, while he was eight days shy of his thirty-third birthday.

"But," she would later continue, "no rings yet. Not for two years. That would be 0010."

Shera was definitely a human being, though she could easily be mistaken for a robot. She was all about technicalities; she waited until literally midnight on her eighteenth birthday for them to have sex, allowing him to undress her at that precise moment.

It was the complete opposite of Yuffie, whose relationship with Zack could have put the latter in jail. And speaking of them….

MEANWHILE….

Cid and Shera's staying in was a damper on the day, but wasn't the worst of it.

That burden came to Zack and Yuffie that day.

It started when they met for the day. They kissed, but Yuffie didn't seem enthusiastic about it. That should have warned Zack that something was up. He initially blew it off, hoping things would improve later on.

They first went mini-golfing, but Yuffie was more focused on the ball than her boyfriend. Zack had tried to make conversation several times, but Yuffie was only responding with one-word answers. She was also avoiding eye-contact.

They then went to dinner, but the same thing happened there, only replace "ball" with "food." She had her cell phone out a lot, and was glancing at it a lot more than Zack would have preferred.

On the walk home, not only did the same thing happen, but Yuffie was holding a purse-like bag in whichever hand was facing Zack, to prevent them from holding hands.

Finally, when they reached Yuffie's door, she refused to kiss him; she simply backed away.

That did it; he had to know what was up.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

And then, the moment came.

In response, she began to cry. She then nodded the affirmative.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I don't think it's going to work," she sobbed as she shook her head.

"What?!" Zack exclaimed in shock. "What did I do wrong?"

"The timing," she sobbed as she buried her head in her hands.

"Timing?" he inquired.

"I'm sixteen, you're twenty-four," she choked. "And I know you're not over her! I feel so secondary!"

"Look," he began, "I spent a whole year in a gulag. A whole bunch of shit happened, and I missed it. It's a lot to take in."

"Don't add defensiveness to your faults!" Yuffie snapped. "Zack, I need this. And I don't think we should be friends, either."

"Yuffie…" he started.

"You're not welcome here!" she sobbed before disappearing into her home and shutting and locking the door.

Zack, defeated, could do nothing but return home and cry softly to himself.

THE STUFF THAT MIGHT HAVE GONE UNNOTICED:

Tifa referring to herself as a presidential assassin is a reference to the original Premonitions, when she accidentally knocked Rufus Shinra out of the elevator and caused him to fall to his death.

The gal friend Cissnei is referring to is, of course, was Gehrig Cline, who appeared (and died) in Premonitions II: Crisis Core. She also appeared in Chrono Trigger: The Novel (survived) and A New Lease on Life (died).