Chapter 2: Deception
Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII
Cloud's POV:
"I'm a disgrace to humanity…" Cloud mumbled to himself, resting his head against the cool wood surface of his desk. Waking up that morning had been a confusing and disorientating experience for the high school senior. To wake up feeling an unexpected warmth beside him, to have his blues eyes adjusting to the sunlight only to find his arms wrapped around a bare feminine figure with long shimmering golden brown hair cloaking her naked form. Loose, spiral curls framing that heart shaped face, long, dark lashes grazing rosy cheeks. Cheeks that showed dried up rivers of tears…
Cloud had backed away in horror completely wide awake, appalled at what had been done. The fluffy quilted futon blanket slipped off his muscled shoulders revealing his worst fears. He was naked as well, not a scrap of cloth on his tan muscled skin. Cloud had in record time thrown on his school uniform and bolted out the front door, running and running, causing a few near collisions until he reached Midgar High.
I can't believe I slept with Tifa's best friend…
"Tifa… I'm sorry… So sorry…" Cloud whispered guiltily, just saying her name made him shiver all the way down to his toes, yet when he closed his eyes, all he saw was another's face… Not Tifa's wide, perfect smile… Not Tifa's pretty oval face… Not Tifa's large reddish golden brown eyes that were speckled with bronze flecks and always lit up with laughter… Not Tifa's curvy cherry lips… Not Tifa… Only large emerald green doe eyes… Expressive eyes fringed by long lashes… Pouty bow-shaped lips the pale pink colour of strawberry stains, a delicate heart shaped face framed by golden brown spiral curls…
Those same lips he had claimed… Pale skin he had savored… Eyes that had smoldered with passionate fire… Eyes that had teared… Eyes that had cried so silently. Those eyes…
Why were her eyes so sad?
"I'm a disgrace…" Cloud mumbled again, burying his face in the crook of his arms, the guilt and shame of his deeds weighing heavily, a yolk on his shoulders. How will I ever live this down? How can I ever face either Tifa or Aeris…? Aeris… Tifa… ARGH! I don't know!
"Disgraceful is right… You only scored 13 percent for Math?"
If there was any a time for Cloud to get a cardiac arrest, it would be now. His hand slipped from its position from the shock and his forehead collided the table with a loud "WHAM!" His heart was beating so fast it was on the verge of flying out of his mouth, dance on his desk to 5 minutes of disco fever songs and hopping back into his body to bungee jump to and fro from his chest to the pits of his stomach. He could recognize that sweet voice anytime. Tifa stood before him, a slender hand on her hip and the other dangling his test paper before him like a bone to a puppy dog with a teasing, good-natured smile on her face, snorting slightly as she tried to suppress herself from laughing.
She's so perfect… So beautiful…
Tifa bent forward until the tip of her delicate nose kissed Cloud's and giggled as a scarlet color crept up and wrapped around his neck and face like a scarf. "Hmmm… Looks like you might need some help… Would you like me to be your private tutor? I won't charge a penny!" She offered kindly, a suggestive and hopeful smile tugging and lighting up her features.
Wow… I would love that… Cloud stared at her for a while transfixed before blinking and shaking himself out from his daze, his face flushed with embarrassment. Already, he could feel a tender bump swelling out from the head on collision. "No… No… It's alright. I don't want to get you into trouble with your boyfriend over something as trivial as this…"
Now it was Tifa's turn to blink in surprise, her eyes widening into rounded hazel saucers before she burst out laughing so hard she doubled over and held her sides onto dear life. "What on Titan's green planet are you talking about? I don't have a boyfriend!"
WH… WH…WHAT!
There was an audible gasp, a sharp intake of breath to his right. Cloud directed his gaze dully to the source; to a pair of frightened eyes the colour of nature's green, to a face drained of blood, incriminating evidence that she had heard everything, including her exposed deceit. A face that he now knew almost as well as his own… And looked away.
Aeris's POV:
15th August
It's so cold…
His gaze is so icy cold…
Cloud is looking at me now…
Not Tifa…
I…
I've caught his eye at last…
But…
I think it was better to have him not notice me than to have him look at me this way…
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"What's going on?"
Aeris could feel Cloud's eyes boring into the back of her head, yet his voice held no animosity. He hadn't uttered a sound when she walked into class that morning… Or throughout the entire day for that matter… He had waited for the final bell… After all their classmates – including Tifa - had left, before confronting her. Right now, Cloud simply stood there, with his hands in his uniform pants pockets, waiting patiently, wanting an explanation.
Because…
"I…" Aeris stammered as she turned around to face Cloud and flinched under the power of the sad, betrayed look in Cloud's blue eyes. The brilliant blue had darkened to almost an empty glacial black.
… Like you… Love you.
I've had enough… Of waiting… For you to notice me… To acknowledge me.
Always stupidly waiting…
I've had enough…
The words she wanted to say somehow lodged themselves and stuck in her throat. Aeris stayed silent as she stared longingly into his eyes defiantly and found herself reaching towards him.
If I don't do anything…
You will belong to Tifa… And you'll be even further beyond my reach.
She pressed her lips urgently against his in a deep kiss, plunging her tongue sensuously in the warmth of his mouth, trembling visibly at the contact. Cloud stumbled back a little, stunned. His hands shaking as his long fingers inched gently into her soft hair, massaging her scalp and drawing her closer. In a split second, as if suddenly realizing what he was doing, Cloud pried Aeris away from him and before he could stop himself, before Aeris could grasp what was going on, fire exploded behind her eyes as he flung a palm across her face HARD and sent her swaying to one side.
"STOP IT!"
Aeris gingerly cupped her left cheek as she steadied herself and winced at the tenderness, the delicate skin already swollen from the impact and bit down on her bottom lip, tasting metal trying not to cry. "I…" Cloud started his breathing hard and uneven, his heart pounding, his fingers trembling as he looked at his palm, staring at it as if it didn't belong to him. "I…" He lifted sorrowful azure eyes brimming with confusion and started to gently reach out towards her apologetically but stopped and slowly pulled back his hand as Aeris's lips parted.
"What… What do you think Tifa would say? If she knew what went on between us last night?" Aeris pronounced each syllable carefully injecting as much fury and venom as she could, fixing the hardest, most glacial gaze she could muster, trembling as she tried not to waver under the eyes of the boy she loved.
Cloud paled. "You… You're not thinking of… Telling her… Are you?"
Aeris's eyes flickered with emotion and turned her back to Cloud obscuring tear filled eyes that threatened to spill over. It hurt her to hurt him so much. To see him drowning in such desperation before her… Over somebody else. Taking a few deep breaths, she shouldered her school bag, walked slowly to the classroom door and paused just outside; her hand on the knob. She turned her head slightly to face him, making sure that her long bangs shrouded her betraying eyes. "Tonight… I'll be expecting you tonight…" She whispered softly.
"And if I refuse?"
Aeris stilled but did not give him a second look and quietly shut the door behind her. She closed her eyes, finally spilling the warm tears over and sighed to herself.
Are you...
Thinking about me now?
Aeris tilted her head to the plain hallway ceiling decorated only by a fluorescent tube and cracked paint and struggled to stop the raindrops dripping from her eyes, wiping them away as they welled up with salty liquid. It's better this way... She convinced herself as she slowly made her down the hall and towards the stairs, her footsteps echoing in the empty halls.
I'm not merely her shadow anymore.
Compared to being invisible in your eyes...
Aeris rounded the corner and descended down the stairs, the school gate a few more meters away. Another 20 more minutes to safety… To home.
…I think it's a little better to be hated.
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There was a soft knock on the door.
Aeris pulled herself to her feet from her study table and padded over the tatami mats and down a single step before releasing the latch. She didn't have to look through the peephole to know who it was.
The heavy wooden door creaked open to reveal a tall blonde boy in a pair of scruffy black jeans and a comfortable fitting navy blue shirt that read in white "Zenogais" standing in her doorway, his blonde hair in its usual disarray of spikes. Cerulean blue orbs staring straight ahead completely void of all emotion, not quite seeing her as Aeris surrounded herself in the warmth of his arms. Slowly, his arms circled around her waist and held Aeris close. Gently, Cloud guided her back inside her house and locked the door behind him.
They moved together at the same time, tumbling in a tangled heap onto the futon. Lips connecting, fingers tugging and pulling away at fabric. Scorching tanned muscled flesh gliding on fair skin. Cloud ran long tanned fingers along her spine, as if to brand Aeris with his touch, inciting a soft gasp from the young girl, his expression cold and unreadable, his thoughts unfathomable.
Cloud's warm touch…
Is something that I've always wanted…
Something that I've always yearned for…
Something that I always thought dreams were made out of…
But… Why?
Aeris arched her bare back blissfully against the soft sheets, the coolness of the night air soothing her fevered flesh. A shudder ricocheting throughout her being as their bodies joined, a cry escaping her lips.
Why do I feel so unsatisfied?
… So empty?
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She's so BAD…
Heck, I even feel bad for making her act this way… :P I didn't want to turn this into one of those lemon fics so ya… Chop chop:P
Phew… At least I haven't gotten any hate mail from the Aeris/Aerith fans. Oh my goodness! Reviews! tears and starts sniffling I'm just so happy! Thank you so much everyone!
Shouts To:
Blob Man 316: Oh dear! So sorry! Hope I didn't bring any bad memories up…
Stormless: In one go? Wow… I'm honoured!
samuraix: Yeah… Fate can be really cruel sometimes. Is this fast enough for you:p
asga: Hey hey! Long time no see! How have you been these few months?
LastCetra: Ha ha…. Whoops… Think I type too fast until I forgot to space:p Wa… But such a nice nice surprise to see you dropping by in this fic too! glomps you THANK YOU! kisses you furiously
Beeria: Heh heh… Keep your fingers crossed!
Ghost in the Mirror: OooOOoOo… Scandalous! XD So how did it turn out in the end? Good I hope…