Chapter 3: Obsession
Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII
Cloud's POV:
"Would you like to get together this weekend?" Tifa asked shyly, tilting her head adorably to one side, her long chocolate hair spilling over a slender shoulder, a demure, hopeful smile tugging at the corners of her pouty raspberry wine colored lips.
"Huh?"
Lost in thought, the question startled Cloud into an even further stunned silence. All he could do was gape at the object of his affections and blush. Tifa started flustering and fidgeting nervously at his silence, twirling a stray lock of brown between her fingers "Umm… That's alright… Forget it… You don't have to if you don't want to…" Her large, beautifully lashed hazel eyes blinking expectantly, her cheeks rosy.
I wish I could…
I want to…
But…
"I'm sorry…" Cloud replied, lowering his head, camouflaging tormented stormy seas with his golden syrup colored hair. "I've got something on this weekend." He explained shortly before striding quickly out of class deciding that a nice, cool splash of water on his face would do him some good. He had to get away… So that he wouldn't hurt so much inside… So he wouldn't loathe himself so much…
I just can't…
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Aeris's POV:
Clutching her textbooks close to her chest, Aeris kept her head bowed as she quietly weaved through a sea of raging hormones and gurgles of carefree idle chatter, smiling and acknowledging her schoolmates with a soft "Hello…", "I'm fine…" or "Can't sorry… I've got to get some studying done in the library…" The everyday rustics of school life swirling around her.
"Don't try anything funny in school alright? I'll see you after…"
Her breath caught in her throat and turned around just in time to catch Cloud's eyes for a brief moment he strode off, his perfectly smooth tanned face dripping with water, and hands in both pockets in the opposite direction. Her lips twitched into a faint sad smile.
I'm glad…
That you now take the initiative to talk to me…
His steps were slow and steady. His strong back towards her as he made his way back to the classroom, finely spun gold fluttering slightly from the breeze blowing through the open window.
It's a miracle to me…
Because it's something that you would have never done before…
It's… Deeply etched into my heart…
Deeply…
So deeply…
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She leaned back against the wall clutching her books in her arms, her school bag slung across her shoulders, waiting. Expressionless, she raised her slim wrist and saw that it was already six in the evening, Aeris sighed softly and closed her eyes in silent prayer… Hoping that she wouldn't be stood up and that she could somehow survive another day without falling apart under his cold, expressionless gaze.
She stood and waited… 6.10… 6.13…6.21…
Finally, at 6.25… Aeris heard the steady thud of footsteps coming from the classroom. Her heart doing a double take when she finally spied his blonde head bobbing through the small crowd.
He's here!
Instinctively, Aeris quickly ran and hid behind a corner, peeking out meekly behind her wall of safety. Getting more and more nervous as he closed the distance between them with every step he took, her heartbeat beating almost erratically until finally, he was only fifteen feet away…
What do I do?
His eyes…
Are going to meet mine!
Cloud raised his head, large, gorgeously blue eyes flickering slightly in recognition as they settled upon her. He then bowed his head slightly and from the short distance, Aeris saw his lips twitch.
Huh?
The soft yet firm lips she had claimed before with her own were doing something that she'd never thought possible. Almost in slow motion, as Cloud raised his golden head to meet her eyes and his right hand in a small wave, twin endlessly blue depths lit up, his eyes shone, brimming with affection. Yet, that was nothing compared to what his mouth did… Those lips tugged at the edges, breaking into a heart-stopping smile that made his features shine with the brilliance of the sun.
No way…!
Aeris blushed a brilliant beet red and gasped, ducking her face back behind the corner. Her fingers couldn't stop shaking… Her knees knocking so hard she had to lean against the wall lest she collapsed. She was so surprised, she didn't know what to say or do.
I…I…
"What took you so long?" The soft feminine voice came from directly behind her. In a blur of mere seconds, a beautiful, curvy girl materialized in front of her returning the wave with a gentle wave of her slender right hand, long nut colored hair swaying from her movements and cascading down her back to the base of her spine.
Tifa!
Dismayed, Aeris watched as Cloud blushed furiously and scratched his head evidently embarrassed. "I had to stay back for tuition classes…" He explained sheepishly, still smiling… His eyes gazing affectionately into Tifa's gentle melted chocolate eyes. Tifa giggled and held his eyes, smiling shyly back. Both the person she loved and her best friend completely oblivious to her presence… It was as if she was not even there.
He smiled…
Blushing hard out of both embarrassment and hurt, Aeris just turned away from the scene and ran. She didn't know why… She just did.
Cloud looked in my direction and smiled…
She ran blindly, not knowing where she was going. Flying across the hall, bolting through the school gates, breaking into a full sprint across the roads and zipping past street after street after street. Her muscles were screaming for oxygen, aching from the exertions, so close to cramping up, her pace starting to slow and stumble. Sweat dripped off her brow, she was breathing hard, panting… Her throat screamed for fluids, yet she kept running.
Though it was barely for only two seconds…
She ran so hard; she didn't see notice a section of uneven road and stumbled, losing her balance in mid step and fell hard on her hands and knees. Her books spilling out her arms and spreading across the road like fallen leaves. She lay there for a while, panting hard, trembling hard as she tried to catch her breath and regain her composure.
But I…
"Oww…" Aeris groaned and pushed herself up into kneeling position, her knees stinging slightly from the prior impact. The image of Cloud's deep blue eyes lit up with laughter… Of his soft lips upturned in a warm smile still fresh in her mind's eye. She knew the smile was meant for Tifa… Yet, she couldn't stop herself from smiling… From laughing softly, deliriously to herself.
Am already the happiest girl in the world…
Yet…
Despite her laughter, she could feel a warmth building up behind her eyes, a lump forming in her throat… Her laughter dissolving like salt in water into her throat and melting away into a lonely silence.
That smile…
There will never be a day…
When that smile…
She placed her palms on the road to support herself, a warm wetness splashing onto the back of her hands as tears spilled over the edges of her watery eyes falling in steady rhythm to her heart-wrenchingly choking sobs. She was happy yet she found herself crying… She was sad yet she found herself laughing…
Is meant for me.
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Cloud's POV:
"You sure you don't need me to send you back? It's getting late…" Cloud offered a second time, looking pointedly at the night tainted sky. "It's alright… Really! My house is just a stone's throw away from here." Tifa laughed. At that he sighed defeatedly and gave her a warm smile. "Be careful on your way…"
"Bye bye!" Tifa chirped prettily before jogging away. See you tomorrow… Cloud thought silently as he watched her as her figure got smaller and smaller, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Watched Tifa as her long chestnut hair bounced with each step, as she turned to wave goodbye, pink tinting her cheeks. She gradually kept shrinking into the distance until she rounded a corner and vanished completely behind a dusty green ivy covered wall.
Bowing golden locks with a wary sigh, Cloud readjusted his school bag slung on his shoulder and headed left from the cross junction he stood. As he turned right at the second street, a flutter of dull red caught his eye. His eyes widening in surprise as they took in the school uniform he knew so well. The same shade of dark red edged with chrome outline… The same uniform that Tifa wore… That every girl in his school wore. The short pleated skirt showed off long shapely legs, skin that was goosebumped and pale from the spring chill.
The girl's back was turned towards him unaware of his presence; long hair tumbled down her shoulders and cascading down her back in a waterfall of maple syrup colored curls. Stray locks caught onto the breeze and danced to an unsung symphony. Her steps were slow, cautious… As if she was afraid to walk… Her head bowed low, her bangs obscuring her face… As if she was afraid to look up.
Why?
Cloud sighed inwardly to himself and averted his eyes to one side, away from the girl for a brief second before striding quickly to catch up with her.
Why does she exude such helplessness?
Such sorrow?
And why?
Cloud stopped in front of the girl, into her line of vision, meeting shocked forest pools that resembled those of a frightened deer with ocean orbs that shed no emotion, with a face that showed no expression. He held out a strong, long fingered tanned hand and whispered two words… So soft yet so clear… Silent yet inexplicably loud.
"Let's go."
Why…?
Do I always find myself drawn back to her side?
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Aeris POV:
Aeris reached out only her forefinger to hook fingers with Cloud, not daring to take the hand that she felt he had so generously offered… Seeing him suddenly standing before her… The rays of the setting sun illuminating a halo around Cloud making his hair glow with brilliance and eyes shimmer like water… Aeris thought that she was looking upon what she believed to be a walking God.
"Let's go."
Aeris nodded and began to lead the way… She knew that those two words were charged with hidden meaning… As they walked together, forefingers hooked, her bones still trembling from the timbre of Cloud's voice and the warmth radiating from his finger… As the sun tucked itself in for the night with the horizon… As they rounded corners and crossed roads… As her apartment loomed closer with every step… As her door unlocked before her and locked behind her… Aeris knew… Exactly what he meant.
Yes… Let's go…
To where both dreams and nightmares come alive…
To our prison.
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Poor Aeris… Poor Cloudie… We see the two getting more entangled in this web of deceit…Their 'relationship' as you guys can see have changed slightly… Cloud has somewhat morphed into her… Err… 'Slave boy'? I swear! I didn't expect it to turn out this way:P
Ok… So maybe I did. :p
Hmmm… Not sure how to continue… Actually, I do… Just have several versions in which I cannot make up my mind for nuts… So… VOTE TIME! What do YOU think should happen next?
1 Cloud starts to see Aeris in a way he never expected to see… This is open to interpretation!
2 Aeris realizes what she is doing is wrong and decides to push Cloud away.
3 Aeris tells Tifa and they fall out… How bad? Also open to interpretation…
4 YOU give me a suggestion… Very open to interpretation:p
Moment of truth:
Yes, this story is based on a real event. Actually, parts of it were what happened to me during the last 9 months when I went through a whole roller coaster of relationship problems…
I'm good now though… Still stings occasionally when I think about it though… C'est la vie…Work the night shift now… Get really exhausted these few days…
Will be uploading this story chapter by chapter, I'll try to take 2 weeks max per chapter upload from now on! So keep your eyes peeled for updates ya? And do visit my homepage ya? Just click on my profile and click on homepage! It's directed to my blog so do leave a tag too! Will be uploading the cosplay pictures there so do take a peek!
In the mean time, do take a read over at my other 2 fanfics too yeah:P
Mako Dreams (Currently at Chap 7)
Silver & Silent (Currently at Chap 2)
Cheerio for now!
Shouts To:
Joel: Thanks for your compliments… I have to admit, writing Aeris's POV is challenging cause as you said, sometimes humans are just plain illogical when it comes to matters of the heart. So in a way, it was fun, interesting yet scarily depressing for me to show an alternate, more vulnerable and less 'goody-two-shoes' side to one of my favourite characters in FF7.
Ghost in the Mirror: Ah… Understood. Some things are better left unsaid… pats pats your back Don't worry, I'm sure that he'll see the wonderful person you are one day! which I believe you are Things always have their own funny little ways of working out don't you find: Take things easy k?
Stormless: blushes Wow… I mean that… WOW… Thanks… That was a huge compliment…. I'll do my best to write out the chapters as fast as I can…
samuraix: Hi hi! Nice to see you again! I'm going I'm going:P
Beeria: Ah HAH! Well, that's a bit hard to say… I mean I can't spoil the story for you yeah:p But yup, Aeris isn't a bitch by nature… She's actually a really kind and gentle soul driven into desperation. So yuppers, she won't be a bitch forever… Wow… You really update your stories fast…
asga: It'll be ok… I think? Hmmm… I honestly don't know… Actually I do. I just can't spoil the ending… :P
LastCetra: Yeah… It's really killing her inside in more ways than one. Guilt + Desire + Love + Betrayal… Poor Aeris… gives her a Cloudie plushie