Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of Square Enix, Inc. No infringement is intended.
Author's Note: This is a Cloud and Tifa story, just with a dramatic twist due to his absence. They will be happy later.
Another chapter so soon? Due to the nature of this arc, it was necessary. But you'll receive the rest of this arc next month. I really want to thank everyone for their understanding of this story's hiatus and the kind words said to me once it made the comeback. I kinda planted seeds of Tifa's situation a few chapters before this reveal, and I assure you, the two will work it out. Eventually. There are so many guesses of what could possibly happen next and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised while your hearts break a little along the way.
Don't Think Twice will be a long story but the angst is coming to an end at some point before the story officially does. Showing how Cloud and Tifa got into this situation, instead of telling you and rushing to this point would've hurt the story. I'm still really happy to see the positive feedback with this unique arc.
And yes, I'm still being attacked over this story from one troll for the last three years. Five flames in one week since the chapter 21 update, two of which told me to "go fuck yourself" on LOL. I'll keep going no matter what!
Lastly, I want to express my special gratitude to both my beta readers in this Cloud and Tifa reunion arc: Kelleyj17 and mayelisa from Ao3 (you can trust her with her fiery DMs that this story will be a happy ending). She is holding me very accountable when I write Cloti in this fic along with Caramel Van Gogh.
-. Don't Think Twice .-
Chapter XXIII
January 14th, εγλ 0010, 4:09 p.m.
He didn't want to stay for long after dropping off the kids, so for the second time this week, he stayed outside the tavern when he bid them farewell. It was the best way for him to keep his anger in check; he felt like a short fuse that needed to be simmered away when his mind drifted to Tifa. And his mind drifted to his wife a lot.
Cloud was having the hardest time adjusting to this situation lately. He was in love with her, but he couldn't show it to her anymore. Anger, pain, and sadness had consumed him. He couldn't get past the fact that they weren't getting a real second chance. He never expected it to be easy, but he didn't think it would be this hard.
He spotted her working behind the bar counter and the simple glimpse through the door window left him feeling haunted. It's the first real look he's had of her since last week and his eyes conflicted almost immediately. He winced at the sharp pain in his heart, and he felt a tug on his leather jacket by his foster son. Denzel smiled up at him and requested his attendance for dinner that evening.
Cloud wasn't too happy with himself that he lied about work to get out of a meal with the family. He'd do anything for the kids, but to sit at the same table with Tifa right now was impossible. This rage boiling inside him was difficult to keep in check. He would have the kids tomorrow night, and he told Denzel he would take him out then. The young boy nodded while his shoulders dropped, and went inside.
He stuffed his hands back in his pockets, turning to get away from Seventh Heaven as fast as he could. He made it down the steps and a few feet into the snow patched street when a door opened behind him.
"Cloud, wait!"
He paused when he heard her sweet voice, but he couldn't bring himself to face her. It was the first time he had heard her speak since their harsh encounter last week. He let out a puff of air, and watching it evaporate in front of him when a cold wind brisked by. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, feeling her gaze burned into his back.
"What?" He finally asked out loud.
"I don't want you to avoid the children because of me. I can't undo what I have done, but they shouldn't suffer for it," she gently said from behind him.
"Tifa," he turned around to face her. The first thing he noticed was her rosy cheeks on her rounded face and was relieved to see that she was wearing a proper winter coat. She was a few feet away from him, little puffs of air escaped her pink lips. He kept his expression firm even when he was faced with her radiant beauty. "I just need more time to process…this."
"Cloud, right now I'm only talking about the kids!" She snapped, placing her gloved hands on her chest. "I know you don't want anything to do with me anymore, but I don't want the kids to be caught up in our problems is what I'm trying to say."
"All of us having dinner together is supposed to magically make it all better?" He scoffed.
"Marlene is very keen, and she noticed us fighting before. If we—"
"No. Not when I can't stand thinking about you and him and this," Cloud made a gesture to her stomach. He was trying to keep his anger in check, but the way she was pushing him was making it very hard right now. "This isn't making it any easier. So the kids...they'll have to be fine."
"Will they?" she shot back hard. Her face no longer held a hint of understanding. "Denzel has pointed out that you have been distant since you came back from your trip. They don't know what's going on, but they can feel the rift between us when they shouldn't."
"I can't be around you right now. Not even for the kids."
"What do you want me to do, Cloud?"
"There's nothing you can do since you were so careless!" He shouted back, his voice faltering after the words left his mouth. He could see the hurt expression on her face, and his lips pressed into a straight line. This is why he wanted to keep a distance from her. He could feel the weight of his regret bury itself into the pit of his stomach, and he reached out to her to try and console her. "Tifa—"
"You should go." She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, her red eyes glinting with fury. Tifa stared him down for a moment before hastily turning on her heel to go inside.
"Fine," he said, watching her go up the steps. He brought his hand back down to his side, clenching it up into a fist. He was enraged with her, but he didn't want to fight with her like this. Cloud couldn't say anything else to her now, and he closed his eyes as he watched Tifa slam the door shut. He ran a hand through his hair quickly before he began to trek down the street.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
January 7th, εγλ 0010, 2:16 p.m.
"Then get rid of it. I don't want a fucking kid."
She scrambled through the entrance of the coffee shop, her tear-stained face freezing from the cold air whipping around on her walk to meet Yuffie. Tifa did not expect her breakup with Jace to go the way it did, and she was in a full-blown panic about her predicament. She took another deep breath again to calm herself, but her shoulders shook, and she broke down again.
Yuffie ran over to meet her near the entrance, reaching her hands out to grip her biceps to steady her. "Tifa! Are you okay?"
The brunette shook her head, unable to speak. Her vision was blurry from crying, but she had never seen her friend look so pissed off and overprotective before. It felt nice in this moment, to have someone care about her like this when she had nothing left. She was pregnant with no help.
"I'm gonna kill him for making you cry about this. This is his baby too," her gray eyes grew enraged. "What the hell did he say to you?!"
Tifa let out a shaky breath. "Yuffie, it's too much!" She felt the tears well up in her eyes again. "He used manipulation materia in our past fights, I know it's why I gave up my ring now. I was only a bet to him. Our relationship was a bet with his buddies, and he won."
"That asshole used materia on you? Then maybe I'll use Firaga on his ass!"
"Yuffie," Tifa objected.
"What about Thundaga? Just, y'know, give him a little jolt?"
"Yuffie, don't!"
"Oh, right. Fiiiiine. He's still the daddy, so he needs to be alive to be somewhat useful to you," Yuffie flippantly added, her voice very tense with aggression.
She solemnly shook her head. "Jace wants nothing to do with the baby. He told me to get rid of it," her voice broke into a panic. "I'm scared, Yuffie. I'm really doing this by myself."
"No, you won't have to!" The raven-haired girl tried to reassure. Her hands smoothed over the wool of Tifa's coat along her arms to comfort her, giving her a smile. "I'll be there to help, I promise."
"You don't have to, but thank you."
January 15th, εγλ 0010, 11:55 a.m.
Cloud rapidly typed out the reports on his computer screen, his half-eaten sandwich sitting in a wrapper beside his keyboard. He had to get these client files sorted by the end of the day in preparation for the team meeting tomorrow. Work was a welcome distraction from his personal problems, and he didn't mind having his lunch at his desk to power through it; especially since a ghostly visitor hung out in the corner of his office since he returned. Zack never pressured him to talk, but he knew that was why he stuck around.
There was a tap at the door as it opened, and Yuffie stuck her head in. "Hey, you got a pen?"
"Not for you," Cloud said quickly. He saw her name on the calendar and figured she wouldn't be able to help herself to drop in for a chat.
"I'm just asking for a pen." She pushed the door further open, then sat down in the chair in front of his desk. "I want to get this boring paperwork over with."
His blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at the ninja. She could easily get a pen from the front desk, but chose to bother him for a reason, and he wasn't in the mood to talk. He plucked a pen from the cup on his desk and held it out for her. "Quietly," he firmly informed her.
"You're awfully moody today, just like every day this week," Zack commented when he leaned against the wall behind Yuffie, crossing his arms. "Well…..more moody than your usual self."
"I have work to do." His eyes fell on his fallen friend, who just smiled back at him.
"I can't do quiet." Yuffie yanked the pen from his hand and started to jot down on the paper attached to the clipboard that was propped up on her knees. "It'll make the boring paperwork more boring."
"She has a point..." The raven-haired man shrugged, looking delighted there was some lively company for a change.
"But the work gets done so much faster that way," he retorted, sarcasm coloring his words as he directed his comment to both visitors. He was relieved when a silence settled in his small office after that. The girl in charge of espionage stuck out her tongue in the corner of her mouth as she wrote along the lines of her paperwork, and the apparition against the wall just stared back at him. The blond didn't let the scrutiny of his friend's gaze trouble him as he was used to it at this point, and he busied himself by clicking away on his keyboard.
"Cloud?" Yuffie asked, putting the pen and clipboard on his desk and crossing her legs. It was only a matter of time before she interrupted him again.
"Yuffie?" He sighed heavily as he leaned back. He propped his arm up to rub on the arm on his leather chair to rub his temple.
"Zack!" the black haired soldier exclaimed.
Cloud looked at the man pointedly.
"I wanted to be included after your doom and gloom," the ghost stood up and flipped a hand, taking a step forward to place the other on the back of Yuffie's chair. Then he pointed down to the girl. "She's a more entertaining host than you are."
His cobalt eyes clashed with violet, simply unamused by his friend's antics. The young girl's visit was just an excuse to get him to talk, and Zack was mining perfectly for the opportunity when he didn't want to discuss his issues with anyone.
"Cloud, I'm here to talk if you need me," Zack offered.
He shook his head. "I don't want to. What's done is done."
"Being mad all the time for things you can't control isn't exactly good for you."
He clenched his fist, thinking back to how he snapped at Tifa the other day. All of this anger wasn't good for him, but he didn't know what to do with it.
"Did you feel any better after yelling at her?"
"No…" Cloud felt worse.
"Don't you want to do something about that?"
He stared back at Zack. "No, I don't."
"Cloud! Ya listening?!" Yuffie waved her hand around to get his attention. Her gray eyes were annoyed with him for blanking out.
"Uh, sorry," he apologized, straightening up in his chair. His arms were crossed when he propped them up on his desk, feeling weary from his troubles.
She rolled her eyes at his apology, then placed her palm on his desk, and leaned forward. "I was tryin' tell ya that there are some things you don't know about what happened between Jace and Tifa."
"I really don't want to know, or talk about Tifa," he tried to deflect the topic, then adjusted his keyboard to focus on his work.
"Well, maybe I want to know?" Zack chimed in, tilting his head to the side.
"I'm not talking about the baby!" She slapped her hand against the edge of the desk. "I'm talking about how he used the manipulation materia on her!"
"That bastard did what?"
"Aerith is gonna freak," Zack's amethyst eyes widened.
"When you came back, he was afraid of losing her, so he used the materia to keep her from leaving him a few times! He got mighty jealous of you all the time, and made her take off the Fenrir ring with it."
He did that to Tifa?! Cloud's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed dangerously and his hand curled into a fist. "I'm going to kill him."
"I want to kill him too, use some of my own materia on him," she raised a fist for a moment, then released the tension in her hand while shrugging. "But I promised Tifa with her big pregnancy eyes I wouldn't. Anyway, I thought you should know about it."
"Oh, so that I can kill him?" Cloud pointed to himself, raising an eyebrow.
Yuffie laughed. "No, but that wouldn't be a loss to the Planet, now would it?"
"I'll take care of him in the afterlife," Zack added, punching his fist into his palm.
"Cloud, you've been distant and kinda mean around her since you found out," her ashen eyes washed over with sympathy. "Ease up on her, will ya? If Jace didn't use the materia, she would've been with you much sooner."
"And not…" His azure eyes casted downward to his desk.
"Knocked up? Yeah, pretty much."
"She still should've been careful," he said before he could stop himself. Cloud had been guilt-ridden with how he was handling his anger with Tifa. It wasn't going to make the situation better, but there were times lately he couldn't help but be upset. He loved her...he just couldn't be with her anymore.
"That's not fair to say to or about her when she was being careful," Yuffie empathized, getting frustrated. "When Tifa got sick, her birth control became less effective with the other meds."
Cloud sighed heavily. This information did ease up his anger with his wife since he knew she was always diligent about her medication, but it didn't make him feel any different about the circumstances they were in. "What is it exactly that you want me to do, Yuffie?"
"Don't yell at her anymore!" She threw her hands up. "This situation sucks enough as it is, but you being pissed off isn't helping anyone," she called out, then pointed her finger at him. "Including yourself!"
"Well, this sounds familiar," Zack commented.
"Yuffie...it's not...it's not easy. I'm trying, but it's just—"
"Cloud, I'm not here to make you get back together with her, I feel bad for ya too. I just couldn't let the animosity continue without you knowing all the facts, okay? Tifa is six weeks along and this stress isn't good for her or the baby," Yuffie tilted her head to the side. "I've been worried about you too, ya know. I can't imagine what you've been feeling."
His eyes softened at her empathy. She was always a friend to both Tifa and himself, sometimes a little sister, and in this moment, he felt that after a week of anger. He leaned back in his chair and the tension in his shoulders began to diminish. Ever since he found out, he felt cornered on what to do when he simply had no idea. Zack was always there, but it was nice to hear another voice to show a little compassion for him.
"Thanks," he replied to Yuffie, then glanced at Zack to send him the same gratitude. The cellphone in his pocket vibrated, and he began to dig for it.
"Anytime, man," the raven-haired man pointed a finger-gun gesture to him.
Denzel: I left my essay at home. I tried calling Tifa but she isn't answering her phone. Can you get it for me?
His brow furrowed when he read the message on the small screen. Tifa always picked up the phone. That's so unlike her not to. "Yuffie, I gotta go. Denzel left his homework at Tifa's place," he said while still staring at the screen to type out a message.
Cloud: Yes. Be there soon.
"Oh, alright. Mind if I use your desk while you're gone?" Yuffie requested. "Reeve makes me do so much damn paperwork just because I don't have a desk job for some transparency thing for the WRO board. Ugh, he's gonna be so pissy with how the last few missions went for me!"
"You're not going to get fired now, are you?" he asked with concern.
She briefly waved a hand in front of her face. "Nah! He loves the work I do so much. There were a few more explosions than usual, but it's not like I do these expeditions solo. The big booms had to happen! So...can I use your desk?"
"Yeah, just make yourself at home. I'll be back later."
March 2nd, εγλ 0008, 9:57 p.m.
From dawn until dusk, Tifa, Cloud, and Barret spent their time helping the people of Midgar establish a new settlement on the east rim. It wasn't their first choice for a new home, but after their visits to Corel and Nibelheim, returning here felt like the right choice. Small camps were scattered amongst the city wreckage for families to rest at night. During the day, scavengers would go through the fallen metropolis to find materials to build a new city. Homes and businesses were slowly being erected in Edge.
The Avalanche trio were putting others first in this effort as they were still undecided on what to do for their own family. Marlene stuck close by, handing tools to Barret and Cloud whenever needed. If there was any scavenging done, one of them would stay behind to watch the little girl. They all agreed it was rather unsafe for her to help gather materials and she didn't put up much of a fight when told she couldn't; she was just happy to be with her family again.
It hadn't even been two months since she and Cloud eloped in Wutai. There wasn't much time for them to spend time together; instead, they focused on the greater good to get society moving again. It was quite tiring, being on the constant move to help everyone else that was looking up to them for guidance. Finding supplies, and connecting people to get the town built. Tifa just wanted to breathe for a moment, but it was Barret's turn to stay behind with Marlene that day.
The brunette walked side-by-side with Cloud until he reached out to gently grab her bicep and pulled her into a small alcove. "Tifa, are you alright?"
"Hmm?"
"It's not like you to get so weighed down," her husband told her, caressing her luscious brown hair between his fingers before tucking it behind her ear.
"Well, it is now," she meekly stated back, shrugging her shoulders. The burden was heavy and there wasn't much she could do about it.
"No," he shook his head at her, propping her chin up under his fingers. "You're stronger than that. And if you've forgotten how to be strong, I'll just have to remind you."
"You will, will you?" Tifa tried to hold back a smile as she looked up at him.
"If I can," he managed, suddenly blushing.
She wasn't sure as to what was making him so shy, but he soon got over it when he cupped her cheeks and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. His mouth was warm and tender against hers and she steadied her palms on his chest to keep herself from melting away. And at least for a little while, she could forget the rest of the world.
January 15th, εγλ 0010, 12:43 p.m.
A few knocks on the door went unanswered before he walked around to the back alley to see the family car there. He then remembered that she rarely used the vehicle as she would rather walk through the snow for errands with a smile on her face. But there were no fresh snow prints in the ground other than his. He went back to the front door and found the door to be unlocked. "Tifa?" Cloud was halfway through the dim-lit tavern when he called out her name.
"Tifa?" He called out her name again. He clenched his leather clad fists before moving further into the house. This wasn't like her, to not answer anyone. Cloud walked behind the bar to reach the private kitchen as his luminescent eyes scanned the countertop. It was quiet in the house. Too quiet for his liking.
Pulling open the pocket door, he felt his heart twist before stopping, sunk with nerves when his eyes caught sight of her denimcovered legs on the wooden floor. "Tifa?!" He hurriedly pushed forward, his eyes wide since his fear was true. Her body laid motionless below him, onto her side with one arm draped over her plum-colored sweater she wore and the other arm was by her head. There was a mug not too far from her and the porcelain handle was broken off with remnants of her drink surrounding it.
"Tifa?!" He crouched down to her side while he scooped his arm under to lift her up and used his free hand to turn her face to him.
Her body laid on the steel ground of the reactor inside a pool of blood. Her blood. He was too late. He had promised to come and save her when she needed him the most and he was too late to save her. Cloud panicked and threw off his Shinra helmet before he sank to his knees to cradle her body in his arms. His hand brushed across her face and he could see signs of life.
Maybe he wasn't too late…
Cloud tried to jolt her awake with a shake. One hand tightened on her shoulder in desperation while the other feathered through her dark hair. Why did he have to relive this nightmare of his? Finding Tifa like this? He didn't see any marks on her head and his eyes checked her pelvis for the worst possibility in her condition. He was relieved to see no sign of pregnancy loss but it didn't stop the cold sweat that overcame him.
"Tifa, wake up!"
"Tifa?" he panicked, holding his wife in his arms in the church's flower bed. Her pretty face was dusted with dirt and he would've been more in awe of how her beauty still affected him after all this time if she wasn't injured. Cloud hadn't seen her in so long in order to protect her and the children from his hallucinations and yet…
"Tifa?!" his voice broke.
"You're late…"
"Hold on, Teef." Cloud held his cell to his ear while she was still propped up in his lap, his arm still cradled underneath her motionless body.
"Edge Crisis Service. What is your emergency?" a female attendant asked him.
"My wife is pregnant and passed out on the floor," he explained, his voice thick with distress. Fear wrangled his mind and he wasn't certain as to why he just referred to her as his wife to a stranger. It just slipped out. "We're at Seventh Heaven tavern."
"An ambulance is on the way."
January 15th, εγλ 0010, 5:31 p.m.
He sat in the corner of the blanched sterile room, leaning over his knees with his hands clasped together while listening to the machine beep rhythmically. Cloud didn't like seeing Tifa like this, in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV and heart monitor. The ER doctor's assessment after the workup was that she fainted due to low blood sugar and whatever prenatal vitamins she was taking was not enough to keep up with the baby's needs.
The blond then excused himself to make a call when they did the vaginal ultrasound to ensure the baby's health and strong heartbeat, making an excuse that he had to arrange for someone to get the kids from school before walking away. Cloud was anxious about Tifa, but he didn't feel right to be there for that. He wasn't the father even if the staff assumed he was. He called Yuffie to explain what happened and solicited her help for Marlene and Denzel that night.
She readily volunteered, just like he expected her to, and asked half a dozen questions about Tifa's wellbeing. Everything should be fine once she has made the switch to a prescription prenatal and she would leave the hospital with some samples of it once she woke up. For now, they just wanted him to wait while Tifa rested.
"If it's too much for you—"
"No, I need to be here when she wakes up."
He stared at the light gray linoleum beneath his ebony boots thinking about his predicament with Tifa. She meant the world to him but he couldn't get past the idea of her having someone else's baby. That asshole may be out of the picture but it's too hard on him to be with her. Despite the circumstances they are in, she was far too important to him. Cloud was tired of being angry with her. Even though the doctor assured him stress wouldn't have caused her to faint, the guilt still weighed on him.
Getting up from his seat, he pushed on his rolled-up sleeves on his way over to her bed. He felt stifled in his WRO blazer after one hour of waiting. The hospital mattress dipped down where he sat on the edge on the right side of her, watching her sleep peacefully. His eyes were drawn to her hand, noticing the Fenrir ring on her finger. Cloud couldn't help himself and took her hand in his. The pad of his thumb rubbed over the cool metal of the wolf's face and he remembered what Yuffie told him earlier. How that bastard used the manipulation materia to keep Tifa to himself and forced his ring off of her.
To keep her from her real family.
He swallowed hard when his heart skipped a beat. Was this why Tifa was wearing it again? To show me she wants to be family…even if we can't be together?
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
The corner of his lip turned up from recognition, but he didn't turn away from Tifa. "Not at all, Aerith."
"Tifa has always been so pretty in her sleep, but you already knew that," the jade-eyed girl came up beside him, brushing aside Tifa's silky bangs. "I've been worried about her."
"So it's not always me?"
"I've visited her far more often than I have you this past year, but I only let her know I was there a few times," she explained, then turned to pat him on his shoulder. "But don't get jealous! I've been worried about you too, Cloud."
"So it is me," he sighed. "I've been angry lately...and I don't want to be anymore." He looked at Tifa's stomach before looking up at Aerith. "At least...I want to try not being so angry."
"I'm glad to hear that. We can't be mad about things we can't control, can we?" she smiled at him, tilting her head to the side.
"I think I heard that from someone already. You might know him."
"Maybe," she gave him a knowing smirk while her viridian eyes sparkled back at him. "Tifa's going to wake up soon, so I need to make this quick. Letting go of your anger isn't enough, Cloud. You shouldn't be afraid of being happy. Holding yourself back isn't good for you either."
He raised a pale eyebrow at her and had a feeling where this was going. "Meaning?"
"Whatever you want it to be. What would make you happy?"
I miss my family.
But Tifa and I…
He loved her, but the possibility of them was now a closed door.
"It's not always so simple, Cloud, but I know you'll do what's right for you," the chestnut-haired girl pointed out and squeezed his shoulder.
He felt a twitch in his hand, the one holding onto Tifa's, turning his attention back to her. Her mouth parted open to let out a small sigh, her head lolled to the side of the pillow while her forehead crinkled. She was coming to.
"Well, that's my cue," Aerith said while beginning to walk away.
Slowly, the dark brunette woke up, her vermillion eyes fluttering open. "Cloud?"
"Tifa…" he leaned over her by propping one hand up by her pillow while still holding onto hers with the other. "You've been out for a while now."
Tifa glanced around at her surroundings, confusion evident on her porcelain features until the realization of where she is hit her. "The baby?" She panicked.
"The baby is fine."
She sighed with relief. "What happened? I went to the kitchen to have tea and everything went black."
"Your blood sugar got too low, but they got you some stronger prenatal vitamins to help with that. You'll have to follow up with your doctor in the next week," Cloud related the information to her.
"Thank you for staying. But you didn't have to." The corners of her lips turned up into a slight smile as her eyes met their joined hands.
At this moment, it didn't matter what was going on between them, he felt warmed by her beautiful and genuine smile at him. Cloud reassured her with a squeeze. "I know I didn't have to, Tifa. I...I wanted to stay."
"W-why?" Her cheeks were stained pink by his words.
"Tifa…just because we're not together, doesn't mean we're not family."
A few tears escaped her eyes, rolling down her flushed face. "I-I'm sorry," Tifa choked out, wiping her cheeks with her free hand. "It's these stupid hormones! Any ounce of happiness I experience makes me cry now."
"Waking up in the hospital makes you happy?" He joked with her to cheer her up.
"No!" She playfully pushed on his shoulder and he couldn't help but laugh at her cute face scowling up at him. "You not being mad at me forever makes me happy."
"I know." He nodded and his royal blue eyes connected with scarlet red. The mistiness of her eyes glistened under the lights and in defiance to what he was feeling about her, he found it to be quite alluring. However, he kept it to himself how she was affecting him right now. He was to care about her like family, nothing more. "It's just been a lot to process."
"I know that too…I just didn't want to lose you entirely," she went on, placing her other palm over their joined hands. "For a while, I thought I did again."
"I'm still processing, but I think the anger part is mostly over," Cloud solemnly admitted.
"That's good to hear," Tifa responded, her face breaking into a radiantly full smile.
"Come on," he gently urged her. "Let's get you ready to go home."
January 17th, εγλ 0010, 4:23 p.m.
He took his time getting the kids home that afternoon. Denzel's grades were picking up and had been consistent on turning his homework in, so Cloud decided to treat them with ice cream. The kids had scurried up the stairs to their rooms to pack necessities for their weekend with him. There was no sign of Tifa on the first level of the house and the familiar sting of anxiety attacked his senses again. Up the stairs and outside her bedroom door, he knocked and knocked.
"Tifa?" He called out anxiously, knocking again. The fear from what happened two days ago looped in his mind. He had been checking on her whenever he dropped the children off. Taking matters into his own hands, he let himself into her room. He immediately sighed when he found that she was on her bed on her side, stirring herself awake while still wearing her periwinkle pajamas. An opened book was on the floor, one that possibly fell from her nap.
"Cloud?" she rubbed at her eyes, sounding a bit groggy when she said his name. "What're you doing here?"
"I thought you passed out again," he walked further into the room, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.
"I meant in the middle of the day." She adjusted herself upright, bringing her bare feet to the wooden floor while running a hand through her tangled dark brown locks. Even with bedhead, he couldn't help but notice how great she looked. "Shouldn't you be at work?"
"Tifa, it's the afternoon. School is out...and the kids are home."
"What? No, that's impossible," she furrowed her brow at him, looking confused. "I-I was just reading a book..." Tifa looked over to the clock on her nightstand before her face fell. "Oh no. I really did sleep for six hours…"
"Six hours?!" Cloud raised his voice. He didn't mean to and after catching himself, he lowered his voice before he continued. "Are you taking the new vitamins?"
"Yes," the brunette nodded. "But they don't prevent fatigue. I was told some symptoms by the doctor, I just couldn't imagine it was at this level," she went on, then her eyes closed in defeat. "Damn it, I didn't go to the store."
"And?" He raised a golden eyebrow at her.
"And there is barely any food in the house," she waved her hands at nothing in particular as she stood up. "I kept pushing it off to rest more. So unless you have a recipe for pasta and peanut butter that the kids would like, I'll have to order a pizza."
"Pizza?" He asked pointedly. Seriously, she's going to get a pizza after what happened two days ago? "You have to eat better food for––"
"I know, and I have been," Tifa cut him off, sounding annoyed with his continued attitude. Her hands were now balanced on her hips. "Nothing bad has happened since I got home from the hospital. All my produce, eggs, and whole grains are gone to prove that. A little pizza is fine for me to eat."
Her flammeous eyes narrowed at him and while standing there with disheveled chocolate hair and her wrinkled pajamas, looking irritated at him, his chest filled with exhilaration. Her pink lips were perfectly pouty and her curves were evident under the light blue material she wore. He bit his lower lip, trying to suppress the urge to have his eyes rove over her body.
Why does she do this to him? He's not supposed to be feeling this way. Everything was in the past now, but her beauty emboldened fond memories within him.
"Go and get dressed." Cloud gave her a determined look before turning away to the door.
"Why?" She softly questioned him.
"We're going out."
Author's Note Continued: This chapter ends on a somewhat hopeful note for them, but we all know, in the end, Cloud loves Tifa no matter what and can't help himself around her.
Chapter 24 and 25 will be posted next month and my next story update will be for Be My Last for Cloti Week 2021. Keep an eye out for that!
Can't wait to hear back from you guys on this update!
