A/N: Big thanks to ATK1734 and Lumina for your kind reviews (and for appreciating Lightning with me!) Today's chapter is going to be mostly slow in terms of action, but I hope you can still enjoy it. Cheers!
CHAPTER XI.
Almost Girlfriend
Cloud
Zack and I made our way to the parking lot where we were supposed to see off the girls for the night. The other guys were already gathered there.
I spotted Lightning from a distance, chatting with Tifa as they came into view. That pink hair really stood out. As Zack and I approached the two girls, I couldn't help but look over Lightning. Both her black pants and sweater hugged her form tightly, baring her toned abs and delicate waist curve. And those large, big black boots. I really liked the way this girl dressed, and I can't say that for any of the other girls I had met before.
Trying to distract myself from how appealing she looked, I moved my eyes over to Tifa. I immediately tensed and Tifa seemed to have noticed, because she now looked at me with worry. "You're going out wearing that?" I couldn't help but say.
Tifa glanced nervously between Zack and I. "Yeah, well…" She said in a voice that wasn't very convincing. I was worried she would run into trouble in that city. She had a history of getting caught up in bad situations, especially in that place. And even though she could handle herself, I didn't know how much the girls were planning on drinking tonight.
"Well, be careful out there, call me." I offered out of genuine concern, but Tifa waved me off dismissively.
"Come on Cloud, you know how much ass I can kick," she said quickly, putting her fists up in front of her with her usual 'Tifa smile'. Then out of nowhere, Tifa started glaring at me through her smile.
This was confusing. Was I missing something?
Tifa jerked her head in Lightning's direction, mouthing 'say something to her, you doofus!'
A wave of embarrassment hit me, and I cleared my throat awkwardly. Our eyes met and Lightning's lips parted to say something, but then she fell silent. I studied her lips, as flashbacks of our kiss came flooding back. I found myself unable to say anything. My eyes left hers, traveled down her form and finally fell on her shoes.
I was at a complete loss at what I should do.
Lightning blushed, maybe she felt uncomfortable under my stare. I know I had been very obvious in checking her out. It took all my strength to control myself so I didn't kiss her right here and now, in front of everyone. But a hug should be fine...right? I wondered. I noticed Zack rolling his eyes at me, before mouthing 'like this'.
"See ya, my dude. Don't break any hearts out there tonight, girls included," Zack had joked in true Zack Fair style. Then, he opened his arms, adding a "come here" casually. Lightning let out a loud chuckle and hugged him easily, no hesitation. He returned the hug, turning over to look at me and mouthing 'your turn!'
My internal monologue had resumed. I had just seen Zack do it, but I didn't want to ask Lightning for a hug in the exact same way. I had never asked a girl for a hug my entire life. The only time I hugged a girl out of my own volition was to comfort them when they were crying. Zack had executed this little interaction so naturally that I started pondering over my own inability. Was I missing something as a human being?
I must have thought over it for too long, because everyone had started wrapping up their farewells. I heard Fang's voice calling out to the others, "Let's get going~ Our ride is here!"
I gulped, finally pushing myself into action. I took a hold of Lightning's hand. It was soft. I wanted to hold it longer. I wanted to be closer to her. There was too much physical distance between us. I took a step towards her, trying to close some of it. She blushed, timidly looking at me.
"Stay hydrated," I blurted out as Lightning gave me a look of surprise, or disappointment - I could not tell. Then she withdrew her hand from my grasp quickly, mumbling, "Yeah, thanks. See ya."
Within a moment, she was gone as she had started walking over to Fang.
When she was out of earshot, Tifa smacked my arm. "Well done, idiot!" She chastised and I groaned in protest. "Please do something about him, Zack!" She instructed the dark blue haired male next to me, who just nodded with a look of exasperation.
When the girls' car drove away, I couldn't help but worry about Lighting. I wondered how her talk would go with the girls, what she would say. From what I knew, women rivalries could be quite vicious. I had seen one too many. But Lightning will probably be fine, I told myself.
I needed to have my own talk with Zack. I didn't care about the opinions of the other guys but Zack was like a brother to me. "Broody, wanna go to Cocoon?" Zack asked and I only nodded absentmindedly in response. It would be nice to get away and have a talk between the two of us.
"Did someone say Cocoon? I am coming!" The tallest of our group, Snow, jogged over to us. The other guys decided to come along too.
We ordered our drinks. I got black coffee and Zack got a milkshake.
"You guys aren't gonna drink?" Snow asked as he took a sip of his beer.
"Nope. Just in case the girls need a driver," Zack explained as he drank some of his milkshake. "Aw man, you can never go wrong with choco-banana!" He looked ecstatic as he consumed the diabetes inducing drink. Zack pretended to be happy-go-lucky in front of everyone but I had seen what he was actually like...what he was capable of. When we got into this university, he made me promise to help keep his past a secret and I did just that. Sometimes I still wonder if the darkness in Zack I once feared was still lingering somewhere in a deep place inside him, or if he was actually, genuinely happy now. I could never tell with him...
I drank my coffee, watching the curious gaze of the silver haired boy called 'Hope' burn through my face. I gave him a cold 'what's-your-problem' stare, and his eyes narrowed at me in a way very similar to the pink haired girl.
Finally unable to control himself, he asked me what the others were also dying to hear, from their expressions at least.
"You're dating Light now?" His tone was accusatory and I felt tense. None of your business, I thought, but decided to answer anyway. I had seen how he looked at Lightning, and I knew he was interested in her too.
"Yeah," I lied, quickly recovering from the spell of anger as I cleared my throat, pausing. "Well, no, but almost." I ended up saying. Zack raised an eyebrow as he turned to face me, the straw dangling between his lips.
"Seriously though? Almost? How? What is almost even?" He asked this with so much surprise that it made me feel worse about my whole situation with Lightning. I crossed my arms and leaned back.
"I am going to ask her to date me, properly. Soon."
"Humph." I heard Hope say as he asked for another drink. Was this kid trying to pick a fight with me?
"Got a problem?" I glared at him as Zack placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Easy now," he was using his brotherly voice on me but it wasn't helpful right now.
Hope looked away and drank silently, before meeting my gaze with a serious expression. "Until she agrees to be your girlfriend, she's fair game."
I knew this guy was into her.
"She's mine." The words escaped my mouth too fast, without any reluctance. I was taken aback by them, more so how they had just come out of me.
"Not unless she says so," Hope was not wrong when he said that. Ultimately Lightning had to decide if she wanted to be with me or not. But I couldn't subside the anger stirring inside me. I hated the thought of this guy, or that Reno guy, any guy hitting on Lightning.
"She will," I smirked arrogantly, taking a sip of my coffee as Hope's cheeks turned red. Another 'humph' escaped him and he began chatting with Snow about something.
"Highly unlikely though, after your, um, what was it? Oh yeah, 'stay hydrated'" Zack whispered to me teasingly and Vincent let out a silent chuckle in agreement as I groaned in frustration. Zack was rubbing it in but he was right. I don't know why I said that.
"A man of practical advice, Cloud Strife," Vincent joked and I sank back, holding my now empty cup of coffee and staring into it.
Yeah, good job. Laugh at my expense.
The conversation I wanted to have with Zack in private didn't come to pass, but it was nice being out, keeping myself distracted like this.
A few hours passed and I noticed Vincent smiling to himself. It was a small smile, but noticeable enough to pique my interest. I nudged him and he turned his phone to show me a picture of the girls Fang had sent to him an hour ago.
The girls were in some sort of bar with a lot of mirrors. I remembered being here but couldn't recall the name. Fang stood in the middle, one arm around Vanille and the other around Serah. Vanille and Serah were both holding up peace signs. Tifa was leaning against Serah with a big, warm smile. And next to Tifa was Lightning, her elbow resting on Tifa's shoulder, head tilted sideways, the smallest smile imaginable gracing her otherwise sharp features.
So they were having a good time. Lightning had worked things out with the girls, it seemed. Maybe Zack and I were worrying for nothing.
I am glad she's having a good time.
"Hey Vince," Zack's tone was so serious that it alarmed me. "Zoom into the background, will ya?" It wasn't a request. Vincent quickly zoomed in without questioning.
"A bit more." Zack insisted. My own eyes searched for whatever he had noticed. A male figure with long silver hair...
"Yazoo," we whispered in unison. Zack instantly reached for his car keys.
I felt my heart sink, the intense pressure in my chest returning. Yazoo being there meant Loz or Kadaj could be there as well.
"Cloud, it's alright," I heard Zack's voice, firm and resolute, as it helped me calm down. "Let's go get them. I'll call Lightning and tell the girls to leave. We'll decide a meeting point and go get-"
Just then, my phone rang. "It's Tifa," I informed the others before answering as fast as I could. "Tifa?"
"C-Cloud, I am so sorry, I messed up," Tifa's voice was shaky. She was clearly panicked about something.
"What's wrong?" I couldn't disguise my own panic.
"Lightning is… she's fighting with Loz!" Tifa told me in a broken voice. She was already crying. I knew Tifa needed comforting, but my brain blanked out. I inhaled sharply, trying to calm myself and focus on the present situation.
"Where are you?"
"P-Pulse!" Tifa replied quickly. "I am so sorry!"
Pulse. That's what that bar was called.
"I'll be there soon." There was no time to waste. I ended the call, throwing on my jacket. I was glad to find the keys to my motorcycle in one of the pockets.
"I'm taking Fenrir."
"I'll take my car." Zack nodded as Vincent stood up as well.
His phone rang and he answered the call, only saying "hmm" a few times in response, finally ending with "I understand. We'll wait for you at the main entrance. I'll tell them." When he flipped his phone shut, we looked over at the two boys.
"Fang, Vanille and Serah are on the way back in a taxi. Let's wait for them. Zack, Cloud, go get the others."
"Hope, stay," I heard Snow saying as the silver-haired boy moved towards us. He sighed, nodding towards Snow before frowning at me. "Bring Light back, Cloud."
I nodded, racing to the parking lot with Zack. Zack jumped into his Jeep and I mounted Fenrir. Our engines roared to life and we were off.
"I'm going ahead!" I shouted as Zack gave me a nod of understanding. Racing in between cars, dodging people, bright lights, horns, and everything else that was thrown in my path, I tried to keep my head clear as I sped through the night.
I knew Lightning was in the military, but I didn't know anything about her fighting capabilities. I knew how Tifa fought, so I should have been relieved. Yazoo got along with Tifa, so he wouldn't hurt her. But Loz? Tifa could keep up with Loz, but not beat him. She had lost to him before and that too, when she was sober. Kadaj was even worse than Loz, but if Yazoo was there he would definitely try to hold Kadaj back, especially when they're out in public.
Loz was the problem…
Loz was the one out of control.
I sighed as the cold wind whipped against my face, the chill was no longer something I could feel. I made it to the city in under 40 minutes, remembering the exact route to Pulse. It came back to me as soon as I saw the city streets. I could recall the layout of this city, mapping my own trajectory in my head. Just then my phone buzzed and Tifa texted me a location not too far from where I was.
When I reached the coordinates she had sent me, I could barely manage to park Fenrir. My stress level was through the roof. I jumped off, hearing the last roar of my motorcycle before it fell silent.
As I walked towards them, Tifa stood up and waved at me. They were sitting by a fountain. Tifa looked messed up but the girl next to her was...bloodied.
I froze in my steps, unable to process the sight in front of me. The beautiful woman I had seen off hours ago now sat clutching her head. She recognized me, standing tiredly as she looked straight into my eyes. I could feel her magnetic pull and I found my feet moving forward towards her.
I couldn't say anything. My hand reached for her cheek. She didn't shrug me off. "I am fine," She said, trying to dispel my worry. As if that was possible.
"I am so sorry Cloud, it's my fault…" Tifa began but I shook my head.
No, they were my brothers. I roped them into this. This was my fault.
Pieces of glass stuck into Lightning's skin. Blood poured out from her hairline, down the side of her face. Some of it was frozen over her skin. Fresh blood still oozed out. She had a few bruises on her arms, but overall she looked like she had really held her own against Loz.
"Zack's on his way. I'll tell him where you are," I managed to say as I tore my hand away from the girl in front of me. I turned to leave but Lightning gripped my hand. I paused, taking a deep breath before facing her. "What?"
"Where are you going?" She asked in a stern tone. My eyes narrowed at her.
"Where do you think I am going?" I said sarcastically, trying to pull my hand away but she only held onto it tighter.
"Strife, I want to go home." She said loud and clear. I grit my teeth as I exhaled sharply.
"Then go." I told her, the anger that had been boiling inside me now rising to the surface, ready to burn everything in my path.
"With you," She added in a voice so soft, yet so powerful that I was instantly affixed where I stood. "Take me home." Her hand now pulled me closer as she commanded me and I found myself nodding, one of my hands reaching for her shoulder and gently pulling her in for a hug. Her own grip tightened around my other hand.
How Lightning had managed to calm me this fast was beyond me. I am sure it shocked Tifa as well. All this while, when I was in my rage I made sure no one could reach me. I built solid walls that no one could break, no matter what weapon or trick they had up their sleeve.
But Lightning was the first to find the door and just walk in.
She had somehow helped me see what was important, right here and right now.
Zack's Jeep thundered before coming to a stop as he dashed out.
"Tifa! Lightning! Are you okay?" He asked as he ran over to us. Tifa smiled, waving.
"Yeah, we are fine. Can't say the same about Loz. Light really roughed him up." Relief washed over my best friend as he gave Tifa a friendly hug. "Glad you're in one piece."
He turned towards Lightning and I released her from my hug. Zack moved towards her, addressing her in his usual friendly tone.
"My dude, look at you. Halloween's already over, didn't you get the memo?" He wiped some of the blood off of her forehead as he smiled, the concern evident in his blue eyes. Lightning just smirked as she gave him a hug, squeezing him tightly.
"Thanks for coming out here, Zack."
Zack.
I felt the irrational jealousy rushing back.
'Cloud'. I wanted her to call me by my name, too.
"Ride with me," I didn't wait around to listen to anyone's protests. Dragging Lighting over to Fenrir, I climbed on, turning the keys. The bike roared to life loudly. Lightning got on, trying to sit up straight.
"Put your arms around me," I directed and I could tell from her reflection in the side mirror that she had turned slightly red. I sighed. "It's not- It's for safety. I drive very fast," I warned her and she nodded, before sliding closer to me.
Lightning's body pressed against mine, her arms slowly snaking around my stomach. She gripped me tightly and I inhaled sharply, leaning forward and kicking my bike off the ground.
And off we went.
The ride was completely silent. I drove a little slower than before so Zack and Tifa would not be left too far behind. I could hear Lightning's breathing and occasional grunts of pain. The feeling of wanting to hurt Loz returned, but Lightning's words also replayed in my head.
"Take me home."
How could her voice have so much control over me?
When we reached the campus, the others were all camping out in the parking lot, waiting for us.
"Cl-Lightning!" Serah screamed as she ran straight for her sister, throwing her arms around her neck. Lightning lost her balance, but regained it quickly, patting Serah's head with gentleness that she never showed anyone else. "Y-You're bleeding! We need to take you to the hospital!" She broke the hug and worriedly glanced all over the elder Farron sister.
Lightning just shrugged, pulling Serah into another hug.
"It's fine, I am fine. There's no need," her words cast a calming spell on Serah and it made me realize that Lightning had this power over someone else, too.
I waited until she had said her goodbyes to the others, before taking her hand to get her attention. "Come with me," I had already started walking towards our dorms. Leading her up to my room, I waited until she kicked off her boots at the entrance.
"Sit here," I led her to the beanbag we used for playing video games in the room. She settled in and I plopped next to her with a tweezer and a mini tray. "The doctor will do a better job…" I gave the disclaimer up front, but Lightning shook her head stubbornly.
"If you will," she said coolly, closing her eyes as I tried to remove small glass shards from her head with extreme care. When I was finished, I pulled out an ice pack from the freezer. After wrapping it in a towel, I passed it onto Lightning who placed it on her head without a word.
We didn't speak for a while.
After she had finished icing, she stared down at the white towel, which was now painted red with her blood.
"Sorry about your towel-" She started but I didn't let her finish, taking it from her hand and walking over to the bathroom. I rinsed the towel off before throwing it in the laundry basket, washing the ice pack and returning it to the fridge.
When I came back, Lightning was at the entrance. I called out to her with an urgency, making her stop in her tracks.
"Wait!"
Lightning now faced me, looking at me curiously. "Strife, you've done all that you could-"
"Stay with me tonight." I didn't care about choosing the right words, or explaining myself. All I knew was that she was hurt and I wanted to be next to her right now.
Lightning looked away shyly, nodding. I was surprised she had accepted my sudden request.
"I don't have my clothes here…" She mentioned it like it was an afterthought, not a real problem. I pulled out my phone and texted Zack.
"I'm asking Zack to pick up your clothes from your room."
"Thanks," Lightning mumbled as she looked around the room. "Can I, um-"
I nodded, handing her a fresh towel. "Go ahead."
Words were scarce between us, but it was also because we were so attentive, so conscious of each other. Lightning stepped into the shower and I closed the door. I heard the sound of water running and decided to clean up around the room in the meantime.
There was a knock on the door after some time had passed.
"Hey, got your SOS." Zack chuckled as he handed me a paper bag. "Lightning's stuff, her phone charger is in here too. I picked up some food and painkillers." Zack handed me a plastic bag. "Well, good night," he smirked and I found myself feeling awkward all of a sudden.
"Wait, what? Where are you going?" I almost wished Zack wouldn't leave us alone.
"I am going over to Aerith's. Can't interrupt whatever's gonna happen here tonight," he teased and I glared at him in response.
"Nothing is happening here."
"You might wanna close the curtains unless you want spectators." Zack pulled out a water bottle from his bag. "I bought some extra for 'hydration'."
Zack was a lost cause right now. I gave up, groaning as I saw him walk to the elevator. Waving him goodbye, I placed the plastic bag on my desk. I knocked softly so I didn't alarm the pink haired girl.
"Farron, I got your clothes. I am leaving them outside the door." After leaving the paper bag there, I moved towards my own bed, faced away from the door and waited.
The waiting was killing me.
After a while, I heard the hair dryer go off. Silence returned and Lightning came out of the bathroom, silently closing the door behind her. Her sweatshirt was loose, hanging loosely over one of her shoulders, baring her skin. She wore matching shorts underneath. This was the first time I had seen her legs.
Cloud, this is no time to check out her legs.
I cleared my throat as Lightning walked over and stood near my bed, unsure of what to do. I stood up and walked over to her. "Thanks for staying with me," I said, pushing back her hair to reveal her neck.
"Thanks for taking me home," Lightning replied, her eyes fluttering over to mine, before landing on my lips. We both inhaled sharply as the tension between us returned and we both quickly looked away to calm ourselves.
I rested my hand on her shoulder, facing her again as I observed the clear fingerprints around her neck.
"You're so easy to read," her deep voice reverberated in the quiet. I looked at her, confused.
Everyone in my life told me I was too complicated, impossible to understand. Everyone told me that I never let anyone in, that I wouldn't let anyone see me.
But here she was.
"If you're feeling sorry for me, don't. I beat the crap out of your brother." Lightning smirked, her hand cupping my cheek this time. "If you're feeling responsible, don't. You're only responsible for your actions so… treat me well." The last part was added with such authority that I smiled out of pure respect.
"And if you're feeling like you could have changed the outcome if you were there, don't. It's easy to go down the dreaded 'what if' route, but whatever happened, happened. It's already in the past. And there's only tomorrow to look forward to."
I felt in awe of this girl. She enchanted me with her charisma and power, her determination, her leadership. Everything. I struggled to keep my feelings in, but I couldn't hold them back.
"I shouldn't have let you out of my sight."
The words were unexpected, and I awkwardly looked away after realizing what I had said. I was worried I had said something patronizing. Lightning had an immense amount of pride, and to be with her meant accepting that as a part of her. There's no way I would ever be able to ask her to 'watch from the sidelines.'
It just wasn't possible with her.
After a good minute, my eyes finally moved towards her. Her face was fully flushed. Lightning was at a loss for words. Somehow I had been agonizing here in my head when I should have been just….
My hand found its way to her waist, pulling her against me. It moved up her spine and she shuddered, not breaking eye contact. My fingers found their way in her luscious hair again as I boldly brought my other hand to hold her waist. I moved forward until her body fully pressed against mine.
Lightning inhaled sharply as I leaned in close to her lips. Our eyes never wavered once. The blush only deepened and before our lips could meet…
Her stomach grumbled loudly.
I snapped out of her spell, releasing her at once. Lightning coughed awkwardly, looking away as she covered her lips with her fist.
"You're hungry?" I just had to ask the stupid question. I mean I had heard her stomach loud and clear.
"Uh, I only had coffee today." She admitted and I… was speechless.
"Strife, are you okay?" Her voice was one of concern. My expression must have worried her. But my brain was just… not able to process this information.
"How much did you drink?" I asked, astounded.
"I don't know. A lot of vodka and half a bottle of champagne, why?" She appeared to be lost, not following the math I was doing in my head.
She only had coffee.
Then she drank on an empty stomach.
And still, she beat Loz to a pulp.
"Zack brought you food, actually." I remembered as I reached for the plastic bag. "I don't know what's in it but…"
Lightning excitedly took the bag from me and peered inside. "It'll do nicely," she smiled. Her smile was contagious and I found myself doing the same.
"Can I eat here-" she couldn't finish as she caught me smiling. Both of us felt embarrassed now.
"Er, go ahead," I said as I tried to escape from this situation.
Yep, too many emotions for one damn night.
"I am going to take a shower so, eat, drink, make yourself at home." Lightning nodded silently as I quickly got into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I took a long hot shower, trying to relax. It happened again. I had almost kissed her. Again. But Tifa had said I was supposed to ask her out first.
She would probably be asleep when I finished, so I decided I'll do it tomorrow.
After I finished drying my hair, I changed into my pajama pants and was surprised to find Lightning still awake. She was over by my desk, going through my notes. She heard me approach her, but did not turn to look at me, engrossed in her reading.
"Wow, these are so detailed… they're easier to understand than the texts, too…"
I had never really cared much for studying, but somehow I was glad I took these notes right now as Lightning praised me.
"You can have them anytime you want," I said quickly. "Want to sleep?"
Lightning nodded as she returned them to their place before turning her head towards me.
"STRIFE!" Her shouting almost made me jump.
"What?!" I shouted back, wondering what had prompted this response.
"Don't you own a shirt?!" Her voice cracked as she looked away.
"I sleep like this," I shrugged.
"It's winter!" She fought back as I sighed in defeat.
"I'll throw something on." I finally said as she continued to look away. I pulled out a random t-shirt from my wardrobe and slipped into it. "Happy?" I asked in an annoyed tone as Lightning nodded.
"Much better," she said, looking at the other empty bed. "When's Zack coming back?"
Oh yeah. I forgot to tell her Zack wasn't coming back. Apparently to give us 'privacy'.
"He's staying with Aerith."
There was tension in the air as Lightning understood the meaning of my words. Spending a night alone with me, that's what it came down to.
"I'll take Zack's-" I started but couldn't finish. Lightning looked over to me curiously. "Let's sleep together, I won't do anything." I promised. I didn't want to be away from her. I tried to show my sincerity to her in silence and it seemed to have gotten through.
"Fine." She replied as I got into bed first, leaving half of the space for her.
Lightning climbed in awkwardly, facing me as she lay sideways. I opened my arms, inviting her soundlessly into my embrace. She hesitated for a while, before moving close to me. I wrapped my arms firmly around her, resting my chin on top of her pink head.
This felt right.
We lay still like that for what seemed an eternity.
"Farron... date me." I said in a low voice as I stroked her long locks. I could hear the rhythm of Lightning's breathing. It was peaceful, but she didn't answer my question even after some time had passed.
"Farron?" I pulled away a little, to witness the beautiful girl in my arms. She had drifted off to sleep. Looking at her closely now, so unguarded and carefree, it was hard to believe she was the same girl who looked so fierce when awake.
Her features appeared softer now. I stroked her cheek with my thumb, wondering when I had started liking her.
"Why did you have to be asleep right now...?" I chuckled in defeat as I gave up, bringing her sleeping form close to me and trying to fall asleep as well.
Lightning
It was still dark outside. My eyes opened automatically at this time. Strong arms were around me, holding me against an incredibly warm body.
Cloud.
Right… I had fallen asleep in his room. In his bed.
I didn't want to wake him up, but I pulled myself away slightly so I could look at him. Cloud's lashes went for miles. His skin was smooth, flawless, and his hair was silky soft to the touch. But the most attractive part of him was his shy, socially awkward, lovable personality.
Cloud was cold? Yeah right. I recalled how he had tended to me last night, how careful and loving he had been. He kept his promise and nothing happened between us. I knew I could trust him, rely on him even.
I couldn't remember the last time I had slept this peacefully. No nightmares, nothing. I felt incredibly well-rested.
I tried to slip out of his grip but it was impossible. Spiky groaned in his sleep as he pulled me tightly against his chest. My heart sped up, losing its regular beat. Blushing, I placed both my arms on his chest and tried to push him off gently again.
No luck.
I managed to turn around as he held me, with my back facing him now. Okay Lightning, you can do this. Just break out gently.
My hands moved up and before I could even try to move his arms, he pulled me into him again. His breath grazed my ear as he nuzzled my neck, groaning again.
I couldn't help how hot I felt. Trying to calm myself down, I started counting in a low voice.
"Nnn…" Cloud stirred, surprising me by leaving a long kiss on my neck.
"Strife?!" I called out in shock, but glanced at him to find that he was still asleep. He was moving around slowly, but it didn't seem like he would be waking up anytime soon.
After a few minutes, his grip on me loosened. "Strife?" I repeated but his eyes remained shut. I took my chance to slip out. I picked up the paper bag with my stuff in it, putting on my boots as I left in a hurry to return to my room.
It was still cold outside and I shivered against the wind.
It was now November and in a month, Christmas would come around. Serah's favorite holiday. This was the first time I'd celebrate Christmas with so many people. I wondered what to get everyone. Maybe I should start spending more time with everyone and get to know them more.
I got back to my room, where my roommate was still asleep. Everyone's going to be hungover this morning, huh? I chuckled, changing into my running clothes and shoes. I set out for a run, getting ready to face the day.
Running was a kind of meditation for me. I just looked straight ahead - and ran. There was no end or destination, but even without the prospect of reward or 'getting somewhere', I could just run. I felt a freedom that invigorated me. It also helped me think.
I had met two of Cloud's brothers, who looked or behaved nothing like him. The one called Loz was dangerous and he fought with brute force. I hadn't seen Yazoo fight, but from the one long look I managed to get, I can guess that he's a long range fighter. I had heard the name Kadaj come up as well when Yazoo was helping us get in. I hadn't seen this brother, but if I counted him then it meant Cloud had three brothers. I really hoped he didn't have a fourth one…
Is this what Reno meant by family 'drama'? I think Loz's behavior last night was quite over the drama line and was straight up violence. I needed to know more about Cloud's brothers so I could be prepared if I ever faced them again. Knowing the enemy is half the battle won, Lieutenant Amodar would say. But how should I bring it up to Cloud?
Cloud… What happened between us last night? We almost kissed again, fell asleep together, and woke up cuddling?!
Feelings of confusion slowed me down to a brisk walk. Should we be dating? Had we signed some sort of unspoken pact and were dating already? If we just kissed without dating, would that make us 'special friends' like Fang and Vincent?
I went to the university nurse's office when they opened at 9 am. Getting my wound disinfected and patched up, I had a big protein shake and hit the gym to train. I was sloppy yesterday when I lost my footing. That was a live or die situation and that man was out for the kill. I trained hard, pushing myself as I thought of my mistakes, replaying the fight again and again in my head. After training I showered, changing into jeans and a baggy hoodie with my usual boots.
Maybe I should go shopping for new clothes today...
The weather wasn't getting any warmer and I was always underdressed and cold. Some part of me knew the girls would complain that I went shopping without them, but god knows what kind of embarrassing clothes they would force me to buy if I asked the whole squad to accompany me.
It was still before noon when I left the west gate area. I walked around for a while before going to an old vintage store. I bought a jacket there, then continued to browse the streets.
Yeah, malls were not my thing.
I noticed a tall male who looked familiar, sitting on one of the benches. He was looking at people passing by, in some sort of trance.
Zack?
I approached him, careful not to alarm him. As I reached for his shoulder, Zack grabbed my wrist and gripped it with so much force that I cried loudly in pain. "Z-Zack!" I shouted his name and he let go at once, apologizing as his eyes regained some of their normal glow.
"Light….sorry." He reached for my hand, rubbing my wrist gently with his thumb to soothe the pain.
"Don't worry about it, are you alright…?" I was genuinely concerned for Zack. It was strange to see him look this...depressed.
"Yeah… of course." He was smiling normally again like nothing had happened. A very painful memory came back to me.
"Zack, listen. If you need to talk, I am a damn good listener. Or at least that's what people say," I tried to joke but Zack had returned to normal 'Zack' behavior.
"Of course. You're my dude for life," he chuckled, spotting the shopping bags. "Tifa's rubbing off on you, huh?"
I felt uneasy somehow… but I didn't have much of a choice except to let it go for now. "Not even close. These are winter essentials." I lifted up the bags and showed him. "Where were you last night?"
"At Aerith's," he answered, slipping his hands in his pockets. "We're a couple so, you know, we have these desires-"
"Please stop talking!" I held my hand up and the tall male just laughed. It was so easygoing, the sound of Zack's laughter.
"Alright, well, are you done or…?" He asked.
"No, I am still looking around," I replied. I still had plenty of time before work. "You're heading back to your room?" I asked and Zack nodded in response.
"Yeah, I am gonna see if broody wants to get coffee." He glanced around us as if he was searching for someone. Zack's weird behavior knew no bounds..."Sorry, well, then, see ya Light." He did a small wave as he started walking away.
"What was that about…?" I thought out loud as I entered another vintage store. No other customers were around and the shop owner was too engrossed in his book to care about me. I liked it this way, with no annoying sales people following me around. I browsed around slowly and ended up buying a few items.
Finally deciding to call it a day, I left the store and decided to get some coffee. Entering a cafe, I spotted Tifa's long hair in the queue ahead of me. She was next to Zack's girlfriend, and I decided against disturbing their conversation. Aerith didn't like me anyway. Barging into their private talk didn't seem right.
Get your coffee and get out, I told myself.
"I only gave up Cloud because of you, but then you let him get taken away," Aerith slapped Tifa's arm playfully. Tifa just laughed.
Gave up Cloud?
"Well, you know, Cloud loved you more anyway. Maybe you should have kept him."
One second. Cloud loved Aerith?
Zack's Aerith?
I turned for the door and was out of it within seconds. Gripping the bags tightly, I thought about it for some time as I leaned against the wall outside the cafe. This information had angered me to the point where I lost the ability to think straight.
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
Okay, Cloud had once loved Aerith. That was fine. I didn't care about that part.
But Zack… Zack was already like a brother to me. Did he know this already? How long ago was this? Is this why he looked depressed earlier? Was he depressed for other reasons?
I knew the best way to get answers would be to confront Cloud. But after overhearing that conversation... I felt like something had caused a rift between us. Something in the past, that neither of us had any control over now.
But I had a feeling that it wasn't going to go away easily...
A/N: Thanks for reading till the end. Until the next update! ^^
