Seaside

Here is a little secret: Cloud actually liked the sea. It filled him with a sort of peace to just look out at the wide, open horizon and the occasional waves. Always did, even as a kid, when the townsfolk would travel to the cliff side beach near Nibelheim. It gave him time to think. Of course back then his thoughts weren't always happy. But now he could appreciate it in ways that he couldn't back then.

Like spending a relaxing day at the beach together with his family, something he could have never imagined back in the day.

He looked over to the others while lounging on his beach towel. Marlene was standing near the water but not going in herself as she watched Denzel standing hip deep inside, a pair of diving goggles with attached snorkel resting on his head.

"Come on, I'll teach you!" Denzel called out to her, a wide grin on his face, his hair plastered against his skin. He was a very good swimmer, a fact that the boy was very proud of. Marlene on the other hand couldn't swim at all, never having had the time to learn it in the slums of Midgar or in the years after Meteorfall, and her father, being the mining man that he was, also wasn't the best at swimming. Said man was currently busy blowing up a pair of floaties so that Marlene could still enjoy the water, while the little girl was starting to look a bit impatient.

Cloud laughed to himself. "Need some help?" he called towards Barret "You aren't getting any younger after all."

The only answer that he got from the older man was a discrete flipping of the bird, when Marlene wasn't looking. Shaking his head he leaned back onto his elbows. Looking around, he spied Tifa walking towards him, a can of soda in each hand and looking absolutely striking.

Suddenly he was reminded of the other reason he had liked the beach as a kid; because she would also be there. So whenever he wasn't busy brooding over how he could be worthy of his crush, he was usually staring at her as she jumped around the water in a frilly, navy blue bikini. Puberty had been really rough on him.

Years later he still couldn't get himself to look away. The cute girl that had made his boyish heart beat wildly in his chest was now a beautiful woman. And while she had exchanged the frilly two piece with a more conservative black halter neck one-piece, that covered her entire front, the way that it hugged against her body, as well as the amount of back that it revealed, made her no less an eye turner, and he found himself frowning when he noticed a few guys staring at her as she walked by.

Tifa herself seemed to be oblivious to her good looks, which also reminded him of their childhood, where she never seemed to realize the effect that she had on all the boys in their age group. Except for Bryan, who never paid her much mind, and Cloud was pretty sure that he had been sweet on Timothy.

While he lamented that random piece of childhood memory he felt Tifa sit down next to him on their shared towel, making him look at her.

"Gil for your thought?" she asked, handing him his drink and pushing her shades up to rest on her head. He took the offered drink, opened the can and took a long sip of the refreshing beverage.

"Guys were staring at you," he said quickly and took another sip. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Tifa tilting her head.

"They did?" she asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Mhm," he grumbled slightly. To his surprise Tifa started to laugh, making him turn fully towards her.

"You're jealous?" she asked him, leaning against him as she shook with laughter. He just frowned. He didn't find it very funny at all. "Sorry, it's just -haha- just the other day I was all jealous about some woman giving you her number and it was you reassuring me that I'm the only one you need."

He did, didn't he? Now he just felt silly. And like a hypocrite. Which just made it worse right now, as he felt his face and ears heat up from embarrassment.

Way to go. Cloud Strife's an idiot. More news at 11, he thought to himself, looking away from her and towards the sea once more.

He felt her arm circle around his back as she placed her head on his shoulder. "We're both pretty silly, aren't we?"

Well, Cloud wasn't so sure about the both part but he felt plenty silly right now. Exhaling through his nose, he pulled her even closer to him, letting her closeness calm him down.

"Here we are, getting jealous, when it's them that should be jealous," she said, making his head turn to look at her. "Because we got each other and they don't."

A small smile crept onto his face, and he saw her mirror his expression before leaning in and nuzzling the side of his face. "And for your information: You're the only one I need. Who cares about some beach dudes giving me looks or girls in skimpy bikinis peeling those shorts off you with their eyes?"

"Mhm." he nodded, then furrowed his brows in confusion. Bikini girls? "Wait, what?"

He was about to further inquire what she meant when another voice interrupted him.

"Don't let me stop ya two lovebirds," Cloud heard Barret say, followed by a laugh by the older man as Tifa and him jumped apart a little. Heat was rushing into his face once more as he watched Barret pick up his shades before walking back towards the shore, giving Cloud a shit eating grin the entire time. Despite his feeling of embarrassment, Cloud kept his arm around Tifa's waist and discretely flipped off Barret, making him laugh even more.

Next to him Tifa opened her can of soda, using it hide her own blush as she drank from it. His gaze moved to the water where Marlene had finally joined Denzel. The boy was making good on his promise to teach Marlene how to swim under the watchful eye of her father. "By the time we're going back to Edge, Marlene will be hooked and ask us to come here all the time."

Tifa nodded in agreement. "I guess this has to become a regular thing then, hm?"

"Yeah. I think it should." He smiled, pulling her once more closer so that she was snug against him. He closed his eyes as he felt Tifa rest her head on his shoulder again, mulling over what she had said to him just now.

Yeah, it was silly and he shouldn't be jealous. Because this woman, the girl of his childhood dreams, loved him despite his faults. Their shared experiences in the Lifestream and beyond had created a bond that wasn't so easily severed, even when he had pushed her away in the past. So really; who cares about some guys, and apparently girls, giving them looks on the beach?

"..."

Girls were giving him looks, though?

Opening his eyes, Cloud started to move them around, trying not to be too obvious while scanning the beach. When Tifa started to shake in subdued laughter it told him he didn't succeed, or that she just knew him too well. He preferred the latter.

"On your ten, soldier boy," she said, not taking her eyes of the kids and covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Ah." He discreetly moved his head and spied two women about their age, with sun tanned skin and, indeed, wearing rather skimpy beach apparel. One of them was still looking their way, though her gaze was now focused on the woman in his arms in a subtle glare. He would be lying if he said they weren't attractive but—

"Lookin' good?" Tifa asked him after managing not to laugh.

"Not as good as you." —he wasn't interested in the slightest.

"Mhm, you're looking handsome too, from where I'm sitting," she said and he felt himself blush at her compliment. Today was one of those blushing days, wasn't it?

They remained like this for a while, just basking in the peacefulness of the moment, before Tifa pulled away from him. He watched as she rose to her feet and held out her hand towards him.

"Come on, time to join me for a swim instead of sitting around and looking at the sea like when we were kids." A teasing smile formed on her lips as she said that. For a brief moment he was a young boy again, and she the girl in the frilly bikini on that beach near Nibelheim. With a smile of his own, Cloud took her hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. She didn't let got of his hand, instead lacing their fingers together as she led him to the shore.

Yeah, he definitely wouldn't mind if this became a regular thing.

Cloud's a special kind of dumb potato, isn't he? Doesn't even realize how hot he is, despite being able to fool Corneo.