A/N: This could easily take place in Diaries' universe…hee

Waffle Wuv
Prompt: Unwanted dog…or is it wanted?
For: Le Pecore Nere

It was for certain that Cloud Strife had changed drastically over the few years he had been living outside the containments of Hojo's lab. It was for certain that he was stronger in some aspects, weaker in others, braver, harder, emotionless, sentimental, etc. etc.. However, throughout all the changes that Mr. Strife went through, after all of his experiences, trials and errors, gains and losses, one thing remained the same; irrefutably the same; undeniably the same.

Cloud Strife detested dogs with a passion. He had had one of those 'bad experiences', and was the only thing he could relay to the two small children before him.

"Bad experience?" Denzel asked, baffled.

"Please, Cloud! Come on!" Marlene held out the monster towards him.

He flinched and stepped back slowly.

"No."

What was a monster to Cloud was merely a small puppy, spilling out of the arms of Marlene. It was a honey brown color, with a big white patch over its right eye; eyes that were a big, expressive brown that could melt the coldest hearts—

Except for that of Cloud Strife's.

"Just hold 'im, Cloud…you'll love him."

"No, Marlene—

But she thrust the puppy into his unwilling arms. Cloud froze as the thing stared up at him, its ears perked in curiosity in a fashion considered cute to most people.

Then again, this wasn't 'most people'.

"Why is it…staring at me…?"

"Cause he loves you Cloud!" Marlene cooed.

He found it doubtful that this demon spawn could possibly love him.

The puppy stared up at Cloud, its eyes wide, before finally letting out a small, but adorable, 'woof'.

Cloud flinched again.

"Hey Cloud! Is that Denzel and Marlene?" Tifa's voice floated down the stairs.

Cloud jumped; quickly turning towards the stairs, looking down at the puppy then up at the steps Tifa was descending, before holding the puppy behind his back in a rather sad attempt to hide him.

Tifa smiled as she hopped down onto the last step, "What're you guys doing?"

"Nothing." Cloud replied quickly, holding the squirming puppy precariously.

Marlene shook her head, looking at Tifa, "We wanted to ask—

"Nothing," Cloud repeated, a curt edge to his voice.

Tifa narrowed her eyes, "You're hiding something."

"Am not."

"Are too," she said walking over, "What is it, Strife?"

"Nothing," Cloud said.

Denzel grinned wickedly, nudging Marlene, "We have a surprise for you, Tifa."

"Yeah, go on and give it to her, Cloud, might as well," Marlene added wisely.

Trapped…damn.

The problem was, while Cloud hated dogs, he loved Tifa.

Cloud fought from sighing, and slowly held out the small puppy towards Tifa.

There was an immediate reaction, "Awwwwwww! Puppy!" Tifa was an avid lover of dogs.

She took him into her arms, and scratched him behind his ears, "You are so cute," she held him up to her face, "I shall have to name you…I shall call you Waffles."

She cooed and ahhed over 'Waffles' for a minute more before turning to Cloud, a concerned look across her face, "Are you sure this okay, Cloud? I mean, after what happened…"

"It's…fine," he forced out, trying to smile, which only made him grimace.

"What happened?" Denzel asked, hoping for an elaboration on Cloud's 'bad experience'.

"Oh nothing much—

"Tifa…" Cloud said slowly.

"Back in our hometown, when we were kids—

"Tifa!"

"There was this chocobo wrangling dog that one of our neighbors had. He saw the back of Cloud's head one day over the fence and went crazy—

"Tifa please…"

"Did the dog go after Cloud?" Marlene asked.

"Yup, mistook him for a rogue chocobo. Cloud's hated dogs ever since," Tifa scratched Waffles' stomach.

"What happened? Did he bite you Cloud? Did you get away?" Denzel asked.

"It isn't import—

"Sure did…bit him so hard it still haunts him fifteen years later. He's still got the scar on his butt to prove it, too."

A/N: MUHAHAHA. definatey Diaries worthy. Hope you enjoyed it Le Pecore Nere! I'm gonna thank everyone for actually giving me themes! THANK YOU! I'll get to work on the other ones ASAP. Searches for blunt object to toss in Cal's general direction...it wans't that fluffy! hee, j/k Mistakenxsilence do you mind if yours is AU? To anyone, if you AU or anything specific, don't be afraid to let me know! Thanks for the reviews!