Story Title: After the Rain
Rating: K
Genre: Romance and Drama
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters appearing in this fanfiction.
A/N: Another FF7 character appears in this chapter. Be surprised, be very surprised!

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Chapter 12
I'd rather not do it if it were the same

How long had it been… since Cloud had last seen Tifa's face? It felt like an eternity to Cloud. Occasionally, Zack would send him pictures of everyone through their cell phones. Cloud kept them all of course. When he would feel homesick, he'd look through them. Zack had teased him once when they were talking on the phone. He said, "Are you going to put up Tifa's picture as your cell phone background?" Cloud repeatedly said, "No." But even he wasn't too sure about it himself. In the end, he chose a group picture of Zack, Aerith, and Tifa.

"How are things there?" Zack asked Cloud one day when they were on the phone.

"Good. The apartment I live in was better than expected, and my job pays well."

"And, are you getting the most out of college?"

"Of course."

"That's my boy." Zack said proudly.

"Right…" Cloud wandered around his apartment room while they talked. He soon settled in his comfortable red sofa and flipped on the TV. He was listening to everything Zack said and nothing the TV was blurting. "How is Tifa's dad?" Cloud asked, interrupting Zack. "He's doing better now, right?"

"Oh, yeah! He's doing great! Last time I saw him, he was screaming about how good it felt to be back on his own two feet."

Cloud laughed. "That's good to hear."

"Anyhow, made any new friends yet?"

"No… I don't need any, do I?"

Zack exaggerated a gasp. "You're possibly going to live there for the rest of your life and you say you don't need friends?"

"That's not what I meant…" Cloud sighed. He felt that as long as Zack and the others were still in contact with him, he didn't need anything else. They were his only friends, and that's all he wanted. He was about to explain this to Zack, but Zack asked, "Sheesh, don't you at least know anyone there?"

Cloud thought for a moment. "Well… the only one I'm familiar with is the bartender in town."

"You've been drinking?"

"That's not the point here."

"How is this bartender guy anyway?"

"He's… eccentric, I guess. Not the most polite or patient person, but he's not bad."

"Hmm, you seem to be doing good there." Zack said. He sounded a bit lonely.

"Thanks. I hope you guys are doing good too." After a few words of farewell, they both hung up. He wondered how Tifa was doing, and felt like an idiot for not asking Zack. It should've been the first thing he would've asked, but he didn't. He hit his head against the wall a few times before leaving his apartment room. The chilly breeze greeted him, and he responded by pulling the black scarf Tifa had given him tighter around his neck. He was headed for the bar that was only two blocks down.

When he entered, a woman with brown hair tied in a ponytail greeted him. She smiled warmly, "Hello again, Cloud."

"Hey." Cloud replied. He took his seat at the counter as Shera took out a clipboard.

"Having the usual again?" she asked.

"Not today… just something warm." Cloud said, before depressingly placing his head on the counter. Shera smiled and went away to retrieve whatever the "something warm" was. After a minute, Cloud felt someone him in the back of the head. He groaned and looked upward to see who it was that could be interrupting his moment of mourning. It was Cid, the owner of the bar. He was holding a wrapped up newspaper in one hand, the object he had used to whack the back of Cloud's head with. Like Cloud, Cid had the same pure blue eyes as Cloud's and also the same bright blonde hair, but it didn't stick up into spikes.

"If all you're gonna do is sleep, get going somewhere else!" Cid yelled, sounding annoyed as he always did. Cloud rubbed his face. "Sorry, Cid. But I'm not in the mood for this."

"I'm never in the mood for anything! But I can't help it, can I?" Cid smacked the newspaper down on the counter. "Ever since you walked your little spiky head into my bar all I ever get are complaints from you."

"Well, ever since I walked my "spiky head" into your bar all I hear are complaints from you…"

"Come now, no need to argue." Shera said, appearing from the kitchen holding a tray of cups. She placed it on the counter and handed a jug to Cloud. It was really warm, but suggesting by the steam rising from the liquid it must've been quite hot. Inside were tiny marshmallows, floating at the surface.

"Hot chocolate?" Cloud said allowed.

"I know it's not winter, but it does warm the heart, right?" Shera smiled.

"Thanks." Cloud blew into his cup, hoping to cool it down. As he was occupied with his cup of hot chocolate, Shera and Cid began talking to one another as if Cloud wasn't there. He peeked at them from the corner of his eyes. Cid's attitude changed whenever he spoke to Shera, his tone was soft and his eyes were gentle. He seemed like a shy person, and rarely ever showed any physical affection other than lovingly stroking her hair from her face. Shera wasn't so shy about it, but she respected Cid and never pushed him for anything. Cloud guessed that was what it must be like to be in love with someone who loves you too.

Once Shera walked off with her tray of cups, Cid returned to Cloud, his arrogant attitude suddenly returning. "Anyhow, what's got you all upset and tired this morning?" asked Cid, though he sounded like he could care less. But Cloud answered, "Homesick, I guess."

"Bah! Homesickness is just a phase. It'll pass." Cid began cleaning a glass cup with a handkerchief. When Cloud made no effort to reply, Cid's face softened for a moment, and he asked, "Got a girl back home?"

"Something like that…"

"What? Are you saying you left her waitin' for you?"

"Yeah…" After hearing how Cid put it, Cloud felt terrible. He wanted to cover his ears so he wouldn't hear anymore of Cid's blabbering.

"I won't ask you for the reason you left, since it probably won't be very interesting." Cid grunted. "But I gotta say, it's not good to keep a lady waitin. Believe me, I know." Cid looked off into the distance at Shera. She was happily attending to customers, smiling brightly. Cid said quietly, "I was lucky. Damn, I was lucky."

Cloud took what Cid said into consideration, but he had no idea how to make amends for it. He had already left, and he didn't like the idea of going back because he made a mistake. Maybe accepting things as they were wasn't as easy as he had made it out to be. He asked Cid, "If I had stayed, do you think I would've been able to do anything different?"

Cid scoffed. "Probably not."

Cloud was afraid of that. He placed his head on the counter once more, ignoring his warm drink. Cid continued, "If it wasn't because of you leaving, then you and your girl probably wouldn't have taken that big step. Not that I know anything."

"Yeah, but," Cloud sighed. "One day or another… I probably would've done something different if I had stayed."

"Life is full of obstacles, so you're probably right." Cid placed the cup he was cleaning back on the shelf.

"You and Shera… were there any obstacles in your path?" Cloud didn't mean to pry, but he was curious. Cid was the type of person who, even though reluctant, may answer any honest question.

"Humph, yeah." Cid chuckled. "Lots of things happened, and the results are what you see right now."

Cloud smiled, and said jokingly, "Do you have the tape of when you two got married?"

Cid flushed with embarrassment. "Why would you wanna see that? There's no way in hell I'm gonna let you see it! Now shut up and drink your damn chocolate!" Cloud laughed and obeyed as Cid took off to find someone else to bully. As the bar filled up with more and more people, Cloud thought about what Cid had said earlier. About the different choices he probably would have made if he didn't leave, how different things would've been if he wasn't leaving, and whether he would've taken that big step. It was difficult for him to wonder about such things, and a greater vain to try and bother since it was all in the past.

When Cloud finished drinking his hot chocolate, he looked around for Shera or Cid. Shera was busy tending to someone and Cid was simply nowhere to be seen. He was probably in the back, ordering his workers to hurry it up with the orders. Since everyone seemed so preoccupied, Cloud decided it was time for him to go. He made sure to leave an extra big tip for Cid and Shera before leaving.