Disclaimer: Square Enix owns all. (sobs)
Seventh Heaven
The Complete Picture
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Marlene wants to take a sticky photo, and Cloud becomes upset at the Japanese and not-so-Japanese spouting machines.
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"Tifa," Marlene said in a half-whining tone.
"Hmm?"
"I wanna take a photo!" The brown-haired girl pointed at the arcade they were walking past, where several photograph booths were standing. Tifa looked over accordingly and her brow furrowed.
"Oh, Marlene... those machines are for older - and younger - people," she replied slowly, watching several teenage girls emerge from one, giggling excitedly.
"Pleeease, Tifa," Marlene began pleading, tugging at her hand, "Promise to eat my broccoli tonight!" she proclaimed sincerely as they all stood stationary in front of the arcade.
"Yeah, Tifa!" Denzel joined in, his eyes lighting up when he spotted all the car-racing games inside, "Pleeease?"
Both kids were whining now, and Tifa cast a helpless look at Cloud as they pulled on both her hands. He merely smirked back. When she gave him a murderous look, however, he lifted a hand to the back of his head and said sheepishly, "Ah, come on guys... there's ice-cream for dessert tonight!"
Tifa put a hand to her face as Marlene and Denzel ignored him and continued pleading with her. Cloud was hopeless at controlling the kids. Whenever it was his turn to put them in bed they all ended staying up till midnight.
"Hey, hey," Tifa said over the racket, "We've got shopping to do... we'll stop by later if we have time."
"Aww, but Tifa," Marlene protested, and Tifa had to smile. There was something about the dragging emphasis they placed on her name that amused her.
"I wanna take a sticky photo with everyone!"
"Yeah! We haven't had a photo since Christmas," Denzel said earnestly. He immediately turned to Cloud, "Cloud, make Tifa let us take a photo!"
"Uhh..." a startled Cloud looked from the challenging look on Tifa's face to the innocent, expectant expressions on the faces of two people he'd grown very fond of. Smiling, he announced, "Of course Tifa's gonna let us take a photo together."
"Oh, alright," Tifa said yieldingly as the kids cheered and Cloud grinned at having done something right, "But Cloud's paying!"
That wiped the grin off his face, "Wha -?"
Tifa grinned at him.
"Cloud, we need twenty gil," Marlene informed him gravely as they approached an empty machine, where cheerful background music was playing. It was a noisy area, packed with boys playing shooting games and girls squabbling as they decorated their photos. Tifa looked at the advertising poster girls on the machine's exterior and briefly wondered where her own teenage hood had gone.
Cloud's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Twenty gil? Are you serious?" He pulled out his wallet reluctantly.
"It's a good machine!" Denzel reported, appearing underneath the flap, "It's got a seat and you can adjust the camera angles and..."
Marlene, her face shining with glee and a twenty gil note clutched in her hand, ducked in after him.
Tifa and Cloud looked at each other.
"I've never taken one of these. Have you?"
"No," Cloud was now staring at the poster girls, looking extremely apprehensive, "They never did give us one of these at SOLDIER."
Tifa giggled, "Time to make up for our lost teenage years, huh?"
Cloud turned to look at her, a small frown creasing his forehead. "What happened to yours?" he asked curiously.
She looked away bashfully, "You left..."
Before Cloud could fully feel the impact of these words, Denzel's head popped out from beneath the flap. There was a loud tinkling noise and the sound of Marlene's excited squeal was heard.
"C'mon, you two! It's started!"
"What?" both Cloud and Tifa said together. After another quick glance at each other, she rushed inside while he remained planted on the ground. A second later she reached out and dragged him in.
"I am not going to be the only adult in this picture."
The machine was quite spacious, with a plastic sofa at the back that could fit three adults. A dazzling, white light flooded the machine, and at the front was an attached movable camera that displayed their faces in a small square. Underneath was a large touch screen from which Marlene was selecting from.
Tifa caught a glimpse of herself in the camera and gasped. Very hurriedly she gabbled, "I don't like this. Let's not take a photo. Cloud can buy you car games at the other machines."
"What?"
"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. You look beautiful."
Cloud and Tifa froze, the happy, tuneful music still playing in an annoyingly upbeat way. The machine had been spouting out Japanese in a hyperactive and high-pitched voice seconds ago and had resumed so now. But it had not been a high-pitched voice nor had it been in Japanese that had made that remark.
The ex-SOLDIER cast a suspicious eye at the machine. Tifa, on the other hand, smiled contentedly, not at all perturbed. Marlene and Denzel did not appear to have noticed anything. Both were crouched at the front, pressing on the screen as options came up.
"Okay, everyone!" Marlene announced bossily as she and Denzel bounded back to the sofa, "PO-O-O-OSE!"
"What, already - ?"
SNAP.
Tifa's jaw dropped open, "I wasn't ready for that!" Cloud was checking himself in the camera, apparently quite dazed. Marlene and Denzel were laughing at the adults.
"Get ready to pose, superstars! San..."
"Another position!" Marlene shouted gleefully; there was a scuffle and an, "Oof - be careful, Marlene," as the children pushed a bewildered Cloud and Tifa onto the sofa. They both climbed onto their laps; Marlene on Tifa's and Denzel on Cloud's.
"Hey, your elbow's in my ear - "
"You're tickling me!"
"What kinda pose is this?"
"Cloud, you have uncomfortable knees!"
"SHH!" Marlene hissed from Tifa's lap, pointing at the camera, "It's going to take it!"
"...Ni..."
A hush of silence immediately fell upon the four as they grinned up towards the camera, picture perfect.
"...Ichi!"
SNAP.
Marlene collapsed back onto Tifa and let out a string of giggles after the photo was taken. Denzel was less open; he grinned ruefully and his eyes twinkled mischievously.
"What's so funny?" Cloud asked, confused.
"Your hair," the same, enigmatic voice of the machine replied dryly, "It's a bag of jokes."
Cloud's eyes widened and he whirled around to Tifa. "Did you hear that?" he demanded in shock. For strange and unexplainable things he had seen many in his life, but this was just plain creepy. To his indignance, however, Tifa was struggling to conceal her giggles.
"It's not funny!" he told her hopelessly.
"Oh, I assure you it is," the machine answered him, "It looks absolutely ridiculous."
Cloud had never been more insulted his life, nor so utterly paranoid. A photo machine was making fun of him. That statement ran through his head a couple of times, trying to make sense.
The children were too busy thinking of poses. Tifa was laughing heartily at the stunned expression on his face.
Did no one else find it SCARY?
"Okay, okay, third shot," the voice, it seemed, was set to stay as it continued to speak, "Pose! Aww... what a sweet-looking family. Too bad that idiot on the right ruins it. Three, two, one!"
SNAP.
"Who's he calling an idiot?" a highly affronted Cloud wanted to know, losing his smile as soon as it had appeared, "What kinda Jap booth is this, it's rigged..."
"Cloud," Tifa said as seriously as she could; as unnatural as it was that the machine literally had a personality of its own, she could not help seeing the hilarity of it, "Don't worry about it. It's just a machine. Maybe it's designed to make wisecracks. You know... as a joke."
"That does not explain how it answered me before," Cloud said stubbornly.
"Well... yeah... that is a little creepy. But," she looked at him sharply with her dark eyes, "Don't fret on it! You're the one who paid for this. You could at least smile for the photo."
"I do smile," he muttered under his breath, dragging his mako-blue eyes to the camera, "And what's wrong with my hair?"
The spiky blonde acted upon Tifa's advice though and did his best in ignoring the sly, cunning voice he had come to detest. As they went through the rest of the shots, in several different poses according to Marlene's instructions, it complimented everyone (particularly Tifa), except Cloud. In fact, it continued to make snide remarks about him and his hair, until he concluded that it had some sort of grudge against him.
"You're all so cute!" Marlene giggled at this, "Ready... three... two... one..."
SNAP.
"Picture perfect, you three!" it gushed, and it did not take a genius to figure out who it was referring to.
"Is it just me, or did the machine change its voice?" Denzel whispered to Cloud, who grimaced in reply.
"Aaaand... pose! Whoo, what a pretty lass you are!"
SNAP.
"Marlene," Cloud, who was ready to attack the stupid machine if it made one more paedophile-worthy remark about the girls, said through clenched teeth, "How many shots are there?"
"Eight."
He groaned, his eyes meeting Tifa's still amused but now slightly sympathetic gaze. She smiled at him gracefully, reaching out to pull him closer towards her.
"Sucks when a machine doesn't like anything about you," she said lightly.
"Mmm..." Cloud murmured, her grin and mocking comment making him feel better, "Especially when it's so outspoken!" He suddenly scooped Marlene, who squealed in delight, up in his arms, and Denzel did a war-whoop and jumped onto the sofa beside Tifa, settling against her.
SNAP.
"Friend, I think you should get a haircut," the machine said serenely, "Everyone else looks gorgeous..."
"Hey!" Denzel said defensively, unsure who he was talking to and compromising by staring at the camera, "You leave Cloud's hair alone!"
"Alright, alright... three, two, one..."
SNAP!
"C'mon Denzel," Marlene said enthusiastically, breaking away from Cloud and sitting on the ground at Tifa's feet, "It's the final pose!" A grinning Denzel joined her, which left the mini couch relatively empty. Cloud sat down beside Tifa.
"Only one more shot to go..." he reassured himself. Tifa chuckled at him as the machine made a comment about Marlene and Denzel.
"Glad these weren't around when we were younger?" she asked as if she really didn't know.
Cloud looked at her and gave a half-shrug, "Could've done with a few more solid memories." And as he glanced down at the two cross-legged kids at their feet and his heart soared at the wide grin Tifa had on her face, Cloud summoned the courage to put his arm around her, drawing the surprised girl closer to him.
Everyone grinned, and the machine had nothing to say.
SNAP.
"Your photos are now being processed!" the hyperactive Japanese voice was suddenly back and the lights dimmed a little, "Please go to the back to decorate. Arrigato!"
"Yaaay! Decorating!" Marlene and Denzel both ran out of the machine energetically, yelling at the top of their lungs. This left Tifa and Cloud still sitting in their last pose, staring at the screen which now flashed the words, "PLEASE PAY 20 GIL."
"Are you sure those two haven't been sneaking out to take sticker photos?"
"Yes," Tifa replied slightly quizzically, looking at him oddly, "Why?"
Cloud paused, "They seem to know far too much about taking these. I mean, I never knew you could decorate photos."
The raven-haired beauty smiled broadly. She loved it when he said little things like that; things that showed a real sense of humour and happiness about him.
"You're getting old, Cloud," was her consoling answer, and she laughed merrily when his eyebrows shot up in shock. Before he had the chance to say something, though, Tifa bounced to her feet, suggesting that they go join the kids.
The two little artists were perched on a small bench on the side of the machine, bent over in concentration as they decorated their photos on a touch screen. Tifa paused on their way over to them and smiled affectionately.
"Doesn't it make you wish you had a camera?" she said wistfully.
Cloud looked up and saw the two children.
"I can go and rip one out of the machine if you like."
She shot him a look as they walked towards them, "You know what I mean! Hey, you two. How's the designing going?"
"Good!" chirped Marlene, lifting her head so they could see her creativity on the screen. She grinned, "You can change your hair colour, look!" She pressed a button on the screen, then touched the photo. Cloud's hair went green.
Beside Tifa, he choked.
"Don't worry, you can change it back," Marlene said matter-of-factly; beside her, Denzel was working diligently. She touched another button and Cloud's original hair colour was restored.
"Thanks, Marlene," he said, visibly relieved, "You and Denzel work hard, alright? I'm going with Tifa."
Denzel looked up, "Where are you going?"
"To buy Chupa Chups!" Cloud blurted out, ignoring the incredulous look Tifa was giving him, "You guys behave. We'll be back soon."
"Get me a strawberries-and-cream one!"
"What was that?" Tifa demanded as he dragged her to a newsagency not too far from the arcade.
"Well... they're decorating our photos for us, aren't they?" Cloud tried sheepishly, "We should reward their efforts," he added wisely.
Tifa raised an eyebrow at him as he twirled the rack of lollipops, "Alright, but you're paying again."
A minute later a girlishly happy Tifa was sucking on a lollipop while an agitated Cloud struggled to pull the wrapper off his own. By the time they got back to the arcade Marlene and Denzel had just bounced up from a crouching position, the little girl waving something in the air.
"Look, our photos just printed!" she squealed, holding the film up to them, "Cloud, did you get my lollipop?"
"I sure did, and Denzel's too."
"Aww, thanks, Cloud!"
Meanwhile, Tifa looked at the printed photos with an unconscious smile on her face. Out of the eight shots four had been selected, then decorated accordingly. The children, especially Denzel, were quite the artists, she realised. The colour co-ordination was good and they had added frames and little pictures that, as a whole, was pleasing to the eye.
The first picture was the one with Cloud and Tifa sitting on the sofa, and Marlene and Denzel on their laps. It looked like a professional shot as they were all smiling nicely, and a simple, sophisticated border had been used.
Cloud came up behind to look. "Wow," he remarked, "That first one looks really... good."
"I did that!" This said proudly.
"You did basically all of them, Denzel."
"Hehe..."
The second photo was a muck-up one; the kids sitting between their caretakers with their tongues sticking out, Tifa laughing, her eyes shut, and Cloud staring up at the camera as though lost.
"I can't believe you guys chose this!" Tifa exclaimed in consternation, a grin threatening to come out the longer she looked at the picture, "It's awful."
Cloud stared at it as the children laughed uproariously, high-fiving each other. "Hey," he said defensively, "That shot caught me unawares."
Shaking her head indulgently, Tifa's eyes traveled to the next shot. Her grin widened when she saw herself and Denzel leaning against each other, and Cloud with his arms around Marlene, both of them standing. The most wonderful thing about the photo was that they were all laughing. The picture had captured a truly magical moment between the four, the joy and happiness glowing on their faces reflecting their love for one another.
Denzel had written "HAPPINESS" in block letters across the bottom, and Marlene had drawn several smiley faces surrounding them. Cloud smiled as he looked at the childish drawings, not knowing anything else that could have expressed the picture any clearer.
But the last picture was Tifa's favourite; she felt her heart surge with emotion and pride as she gazed at it, and tears almost formed in her wine-tinted brown eyes.
Marlene and Denzel were sitting cross-legged, grinning cheerfully up at the camera like two misbehaving children. Behind them, Tifa and Cloud sat like proud parents, his arm around her protectively, and her head slightly leaning on his shoulder for comfort. A shy but sure smile was on her face, her eyes sparkling, and he too gave a sheepish grin.
The word family was written across the bottom.
It made Tifa feel so happy and overjoyed, as though floating on cloud nine. She often thought of these three people as her family, but sometimes insecurities and problems tossed her out into a sea of doubt. But now this was hard proof; Cloud, Denzel and Marlene were the people she held dearest to her heart, the ones she could call a family, and she belonged to it. Tifa could not remember feeling so elated and proud at the same time.
"I like that photo," Marlene's chirpy, carefree voice broke into Tifa's thoughts, "Even better than our Christmas one! Maybe because Denzel didn't make rabbit ears behind my head." She looked pointedly at the brown-haired boy who chuckled cheekily through his lollipop.
"Sorry, Marlene. Hehehe..."
Cloud gently eased the photos from Tifa, his blue eyes carefully sliding over the colourful pictures. He looked at the last one and had to smile.
Family. What a word.
They sat down on a nearby bench, sucking their Chupa Chups and passing the photos back and forth. Denzel's eyes and ears were alert as he watched some teenagers play an intense car-racing game that sent the seats flying as they drove. His face was positively shining with awe.
"These aren't bad," Tifa said fairly, once again examining their pictures. She mentally reminded herself to send copies to the other members of AVALANCHE, and see if she could enlargen them and have it framed.
"Twenty gil, Tifa..."
She grinned.
Marlene was watching the photo booths attentively, her lollipop stick jutting out of her mouth. A couple came out of one presently, laughing and holding hands.
"Cloud," she said boldly, turning her wide eyes to the young adult sitting beside her, "Why don't you and Tifa take a couple photo?"
Tifa was sure she blushed. Cloud looked taken-aback, then awkward and uncomfortable. Even Denzel tore his eyes away to see what was going on.
"Uh..." Cloud scratched the back of his head nervously, contemplating how to approach this extremely awkward question, "Well, you see - "
"We've got shopping to do!" Tifa came to his aid, getting to her feet so the kids had to look up at her, "Come on, you two, we've stopped for long enough..."
"But you and Cloud have to take a picture!" Marlene insisted earnestly, as if it were against nature if they didn't. She'd gotten to her feet too, "See?" She pointed at the poster girl and boy, locked into an embrace.
Tifa was speechless, not to mention embarrassed. Sure, she and Cloud were close, and she sure wouldn't mind him holding her like that, but...
Marlene jumped up, "I know! If Denzel and I take one, will you and Cloud take one as well?" She clearly thought this was a foolproof solution as she looked persistently with wide brown eyes.
The small desire to take another set, and the need to finish her shopping today were battling it out. Tifa felt helpless and glanced at Cloud like she had earlier before. His face was mingled with amusement and bashfulness as he gave her a half-shrug, indicating that he was neutral.
"Marlene..." Tifa began with no real idea of what to say next, "We can't just - "
"Got it!" Denzel cried euphorically, darting out from behind Cloud and running to Marlene's side.
"Hey, what the - ?" Cloud spun around, feeling his back pocket, "He took my wallet!"
A grinning Denzel took out a twenty gil note before tossing the wallet back to the stunned Cloud. Marlene giggled, grabbing her partner-in-crime's wrist. "Denzel and I will take a photo, and you two better take one as well!" she warned as the two ran off to an empty machine with their prize.
Once again, Cloud and Tifa were left alone, slightly flabbergasted at the orphans' tactics.
There was a pause.
Cloud took out another twenty gil note, "We can play Initial D if you like," he suggested humbly.
The brunette beside him turned to him with a wistful smile, "I want to take another photo," she said a little shyly, "They're fun."
Cloud looked dubious, "Are you serious? Well, as long as it's not in that machine..."
"Still not over that, are you?"
"It insulted me!" he said indignantly.
Tifa gave a wry smile as she checked around, "Well, it looks like you have no choice." She looked up, her eyes dancing with humour, "Everywhere else is full."
"Figures..." Cloud moaned, "C'mon, I'll verse you in Initial D. You may be Queen of the Mountain but I know how to drift."
She spared him a look of disdain, "Cloud. I am not playing a car-racing game." When he opened his mouth to protest, Tifa grabbed his hand (it did feel nice and comforting to have her small hand holding his) and looked him squarely in the eye.
"Who was the one who said they could've done with a few more memories?" she asked in a soft, considerate tone, flecked with a roguish quality.
Cloud couldn't help his face twitching in spite of himself as he looked down into her appraising face. He was suddenly reminded of the innocent, sweet girl he'd harboured a crush on back at Nibelheim.
"Alright," he muttered, reaching out with his free hand to push back the curtain flap and walking into the dreadfully familiar machine, "We'll take one."
Cloud had hoped that the voice had gone away, and his inside plummeted in dread as it greeted them upon swallowing up their twenty gil.
"Back again, are we? Still looking fabulous, darling," it added in a flattering tone as Tifa checked her reflection. She chuckled. Cloud scowled.
His remorse vanished quickly, however, when Tifa pulled him down abruptly to the plastic sofa, linking her arm through his. He looked at her, mouth slightly open, but her eyes were up toward the camera, "C'mon Cloud, smile!"
She really loves this... Marlene's got her hooked... he thought with reluctant amusement.
SNAP.
"You simply outshine everyone else, sweetheart!" the machine was certainly generous in compliments to everyone but Cloud, "That photo was breathtaking."
"Alright, Tifa, we have got to get out of here," Cloud said resolutely, standing up, "This thing is coming onto you."
"Don't be silly," Tifa exclaimed, truly thinking he was overreacting.
"Yeah, don't be silly," the voice backed up rather snidely, making the hairs on the back of Cloud's neck stand, "Though if I had my way that pretty lady wouldn't be with you."
He absolutely could not believe it had just said that. Cloud looked like he had been slapped in the face and the colour began to rise in his cheeks, a testament to his humiliation and budding anger.
An embarrassed-looking Tifa touched his arm lightly, bringing him back to his senses.
"Ignore it," she told him soothingly, "It's just being a jerk."
"But it's a machine..." Cloud half-mumbled, but Tifa had succeeded in calming him down. She always did when he got riled up about something, and there was something about that girl that brought to his heart peace and contentment just by looking at her.
Since she'd been the one (under Marlene's orders) who wanted to take another set of pictures, he decided to make the most of it. The two smiled and chortled and placed their arms about each other hesitantly, though both longed for the other's touch, in different poses. In all honesty Cloud felt like a bit of an idiot, but it was all worth it to hear Tifa's musical, joyful laughter.
Unfortunately, none of this escaped comment from the horrible, cynical machine, which seemed to find everything about Cloud to be an offence. This he could bar his teeth and bear, but anything about Tifa made his blood boil.
After several shots, Cloud was suddenly aware how close she was standing to him. He felt himself blush uncomfortably, almost in the same, shy, boyish way he did back when he'd given her a single flower from his garden on Valentine's Day. The pretty little girl had accepted it graciously with such a smile that had overwhelmed the young Cloud to exalt up into seventh heaven.
He didn't even know he was smiling at the memory until his eyes focused on Tifa looking at him curiously.
"What are you thinking about, Cloud?" she asked with the glimmerings of an affectionate smile.
"Probably undressing you with his eyes," the unwelcomed machine voice intervened placatory. Tifa sighed in annoyance. She was getting sick of the crude commentary the photo booth was spouting. She supposed she probably should be more paranoid and worried than anything else, but to her the voice was just a harmless, cynical, depressed little thing with no other form of entertainment.
She looked back round at Cloud, whose expression was stony. A flicker of panic flashed in his blue eyes when her eyes met his.
"I wasn't," he blurted out quickly, as if afraid she would consider otherwise.
Tifa giggled, putting a hand to her mouth. Really, he could be so naive and innocent sometimes. She half-wished he wouldn't. It made her only all the more fond of him.
"I know you weren't," she said trustingly. As the machine announced their second-last shot, Tifa leant back on him gently. Heart pounding faster than usual, Cloud uncertainly put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She rested her head back and he breathed in her heavenly scent. The embrace had come naturally, and both felt perfectly content and safe, secretly enjoying the closeness.
"Three... two... one..."
SNAP.
Tifa and Cloud stayed quiet, him still holding her. It felt... right. Nothing could bruise this precious moment of peace and feeling. Nothing at all, except -
"Honey, you should really find yourself a new partner."
Cloud immediately glared up at the camera. The stupid, stupid thing just had to open its big fat mouth, didn't it? It was custom-made to torture him and ruin all good moments for him. And since when the heck had he become Tifa's partner?
"He's not even that good-looking - look at his hair! It's like a Chocobo!"
Tifa tensed up, feeling him stay rigid in self-restraint.
"And his clothing style is so depressing - "
In all his suppressed frustration, Cloud looked down, faintly mystified. What was wrong with his clothes?
" - you know what, sweetheart? I think he only feels lust for you, nothing else. Now you don't deserve that, go ditch him and - "
"UGH!"
Cloud did not remember releasing Tifa and storming forward. All he knew was that he desperately wanted to thump the machine, and kick its arse up to Costa del Sol and back.
Without his Buster Sword around, he used the only weapon available - his fists. With one, two, badly-aimed blows at the touch screen that sent the whole foundation shaking, Cloud withdrew, only to kick at the delicate booth bad-temperedly, like an angry little boy.
For a second, nothing happened. Then almost in slow-motion, a low, failing noise sounded, as though the system was shutting itself down, and the lights in the machine blacked out.
Abrupt silence.
"Oh, my goodness, Cloud," came Tifa's resigned voice from somewhere in the darkness, "What have you done?"
---
Tifa smiled peaceably. Marlene and Denzel just had to be the sweetest kids ever. In her palm she was holding a strip of colourful photos, where the two kids were little stars. In one they beamed up at her, their eyes scrunched up happily. In another they'd written "BEST FRIENDS" and still another, "Brother & Sister." One that would have made Barret proud was Marlene pulling a face and Denzel making an even more frightening one - "MONSTERS".
She continued to look intently, her smile vanished. Now why couldn't she and Cloud properly take a set together? Everything seemed to come between them.
Beside her sat the silent warrior, his arms crossed and complexion rigid as he stared at the carpet. Tifa glanced over, shook her head slightly in despair, and resumed waiting in the manager's office.
Cloud himself was now feeling a deep sense of satisfaction, though admittedly it was now mingled with shame and humiliation. Every time he remembered what the blasted machine had said, however, a powerful, fierce rush of hot anger and indignation flooded his chest. What right did the stupid, supposed-to-be-inanimate box have to tell Tifa to "ditch" him? What right did it possess to make the bloody assumption that he only stayed because he lusted for her?
He growled inwardly. It was absurd! Absolutely absurd! Everyone knew he stayed with Tifa and the kids because he lo -
...loved her cooking. Yeah. Tifa could cook well.
Cloud shifted anxiously in his seat, feeling the heat creep up to his face. Perhaps he should just stop thinking for now. He was confusing himself.
The door opened and the flustered manager walked in, holding something in his hand. He was a busy man, always attending to problems that arose in his popular arcade. Tifa sat up straighter at once as he settled into his chair.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," he apologised, scratching the back of his head, "Well, we checked the machine... there seems to be no harm done... nothing out of the ordinary... temporary power failure, maybe..."
"We're terribly sorry," Tifa said earnestly, glancing at Cloud, "We'll be willing to pay for any damage we may have caused...
"Oh, no, no, no, no!" the man said hastily, looking rather alarmed at the offer, "But thank you - we're very much obliged - but there's been no harm done. Really."
He reassured them with a smile and Tifa smiled back gratefully. The manager leafed through some papers on his desk as he spoke again, "Actually, we've had a few mishaps with that machine before... although nothing ever as bizarre as this..." he paused to shake his head as if clearing it.
"Perhaps it's time we replaced it. Anyway," he got to his feet; Cloud and Tifa stood up too, "I really should be getting back out now, if you have no questions...?"
"Oh," Tifa said cheerfully, "Of course! Sorry to have kept you."
"Not to worry, not to worry," the stout, middle-aged man said in a speedy but amiable way, "Oh, and don't forget these..."
Tifa took the small sheet of paper he passed to her. A quick glance revealed they were photos, but there was too much bright colour on them to be theirs. She and Cloud hadn't even finished taking their shots, let alone had the chance to decorate them.
"Oh, these can't be ours..."
The manager took it back and looked at it closely, tweaking his eyeglasses. He looked up with an amused smile, "Well, these people sure look like you two."
A faintly mystified Tifa reached out and accepted the photos again. This time, she looked at it carefully, and to her amazement, saw herself and Cloud.
"Sir, there's something wrong with the DDR machine!" a nasal, panicked voice called from the ajar office door. The manager jumped up, looking flustered again, moving quickly out to the noisy arcade.
"Very nice meeting you both, if I could just ask you to shut the door when you leave..."
He disappeared, leaving silence in his wake.
Cloud moved his feet unsurely. He glanced towards Tifa and opened his mouth, intending to apologise, but no words came out. Cloud shut it again, feeling foolish.
Tifa was staring at the photos, apparently transfixed in bewilderment, disbelief and slight embarrassment. She must've sensed his eyes on her, as she looked up at him. Cloud tried not to look as though he'd been staring at her by quickly averting his eyes, so was forced to look back at her. To his relief there was no anger or resentment present in those beautiful, soulful eyes. Maybe he didn't need to apologise after all.
He walked over to her, feeling curious. Peering over her shoulder, she wordlessly held the photos up higher so he could see.
Cloud was perplexed to see a piece of smelly dung placed on his head while Tifa was bearing a tiara. Likewise, the word "LOSER" was blaring on the side with an arrow directed at him. He'd had to bear so much insult already that Cloud felt mildly grim instead of flamed with indignance. In the other two shots he had red and blue hair, and Tifa had different coloured eyes. The decorating was quite horrible.
The last photo looked like it had been done by a completely different person. It was the shot with Cloud holding Tifa around the waist.
She looks so pretty, he thought absently, gazing at her smiling face for a bit longer than intended.
It was a very nice, couple-like photo (that should surely please Marlene), bordered with a flowing heart frame. Cloud's eyes traveled down to the single word in beautiful, cursive, silver lettering, and immediately understood why Tifa looked so embarrassed.
Lovers.
He blinked, feeling as though he'd been pulled out of a pleasant dream abruptly. Was he seeing right? Did that word have two meanings? Was that even how you spelt lovers?
Cloud just stared at the photo, remembering the warm, complete feeling that had enveloped him as he held her...
Lovers... it didn't sound too bad.
"Um," Tifa spoke up feebly, breaking the silence. Cloud came out of his reverie and lifted a hand to the back of his head awkwardly, suddenly unable to remember how to act around her. Tifa caught a glimpse of this and smiled shyly at the young man she'd come to love over the years.
"We should go get the kids," she said timidly.
Cloud nodded slowly, his eyes still on a certain picture. Then he glanced up searchingly and, as his eyes fell upon her, he suddenly remembered what she'd said earlier.
"You left..."
If there was one thing he'd realised that day (and this included his depressing fashion sense), it was that he'd never leave her side again. And to never let her go.
Reaching out with a thudding heart, Cloud took her hand into his. Tifa inhaled sharply in surprise at the contact. She looked down at their touching hands, her brown eyes wide.
"Yeah," Cloud agreed in a low voice, looking rather abashed, "Let's go before they spend all my gil on Grand Theft Auto."
There was a radiant, glowing happiness on her face that even her wide smile couldn't fully express. Tifa squeezed his hand and shifted it slightly so that their fingers were entwined. Cloud smiled at her blushingly, and together they walked out of the manager's office, hand-in-hand.
---
"See? Nothing like a gentle push from a caring friend to get Cloud to come to his senses."
"Gentle? You made him beat up a machine, Zack! It was a rather brutal plan."
"...You loved it. Admit it, Aerith."
"I did not."
"Did too. I saw that look of pure joy on your pretty face when you decorated that photo."
"Wasn't that photo sweet? Hey, let's go take one together!"
"Okay. At least I can be sure no annoying voice will try to take you from me."
"Zack, you can be such a brute."
"You love me for it."
"Unfortunately..."
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A/N: Wow, this became quite long, didn't it? Hehe. I was just thinking about all the fun times I took photos with my friends and somehow Cloud and Tifa entered my realm of thoughts. xD Thank you everyone who read and reviewed This Dance. Cloud/Tifa is just soo much fun to write. x) - msq.