Disclaimer: Square Enix owns mostly all. xD "Joy To The World" ain't mine. (x
Here We Come A-Wassailing
Chapter Four ll Joy To The World
----------
Finally, Christmas Day arrived in a smooth deportment of good behaviour and harmony. The morning was spent merrily watching Denzel and Marlene open their many presents, followed by fun in the crisp snow and lots of photo-taking, and the telling of the Christmas story. Afterward they had a small lunch/afternoon tea before everyone whisked upstairs to get dressed for their much anticipated Christmas dinner. All day there was a lovely warm glow around and within everyone that seemed so exhilarant and natural, even if Yuffie and Cid were acting much more polite and refined than was strictly necessary.
"How do I look?"
Cloud meekly stepped out into her line of vision. He had just struggled into a pair of black pants and a pale blue dress shirt. Tifa surveyed him and smiled indulgently.
"Guess that means like an idiot," he muttered, worst fears confirmed.
She giggled lightly, moving closer and fixing up his collar, "You look very smart and handsome, Cloud, is that what you want to hear?" she teased, glancing up into his eyes.
"If it's true."
"Well, it is," Tifa took her hands off his shirt, her warmth leaving him suddenly. Cloud was slightly disappointed as she took a step back and twirled around in her little black dress.
"Now, how do I look?"
Cloud stopped fidgeting with his cuffs to deliver his judgement. In his opinion, Tifa could never look ugly even if she covered her face with blue eye shadow, but he still had to blink twice as he beheld her stunning appearance.
"You - you look nice, Tifa," he said weakly, making the brunette turn to him with a shy smile. Cloud returned it feebly, suddenly aware of the little velvet box stuck in his pocket. He reached for it tentatively.
Just yesterday he'd finally made up his mind to march into the loathsome jewellery stop, managing his escape from Seventh Heaven for a little while by convincing Red XII he needed a walk. ("I do?" "Certainly. All those extra pounds you've put on...")
Two horribly frenzied hours inside the glittering palace of doom had left Cloud with a gift that he was quite proud of, despite the fact that he'd had to fight tooth and nail to get what he truly wanted, not what the salespeople thought were "daaaarling presents." However, he still hadn't plucked up the courage to give Tifa her present yet. It had been preying on his mind all day, hoping to catch just the right moment to give it to her. Maybe that time had come...
Unfortunately, she spoke again as she moved to the dresser, cutting into his thoughts.
"Do you know if Yuffie and Cid are okay? Cid's been acting eerily silent... he didn't even say anything when he got tackled by that dog this morning, although it looked as though he could have torn it apart. That can't be healthy. And Yuffie's been strange, too... she called me Ms Lockhart when we were outside."
Cloud almost choked, "She did?"
Tifa nodded, frowning a bit, "Yeah."
Cloud swallowed nervously, "Ahh... I'm sure it's nothing." You're taking this a little too far, Yuffie - and Cid, you're allowed to speak, you know. From what Cloud had seen, the blonde pilot was keeping all his emotions bottled up inside of him in an attempt to "behave". If he let a word escape his mouth, there was no knowing what else would come shooting out. This, to echo Tifa, was definitely not healthy. He was a tad bit anxious about how much self-control Cid possessed, especially after being attacked by the neighbour's dog.
"Tifa, Tifa! You look beautiful!" Marlene squealed flatteringly as Tifa and Cloud went downstairs to the laden table. Everybody else was assembled down there already, all dressed in fancy attire.
A red hue appeared on Tifa's cheeks as she beamed, "Thank you, Marlene. You're looking very pretty yourself."
Marlene blithely twirled around in her satin party dress, reminding Cloud of what Tifa had done earlier.
After they took some group photos (Cid grimacing stiffly more than smiling) they took their seats at the table, where all of Tifa's and Shera's wonderfully crafted recipes were laid out in a glory of banquets. Yuffie said a rather prolonged and flowery grace that almost lulled Red XIII to sleep, made everyone's necks ache, sent Cid's eye twitching, and frayed Cloud's already fragile nerves.
"Um," Tifa said uncertainly when it was finally over, glancing around the table, "...I hope everyone enjoys it."
"It looks wonderful, Tifa," Cait Sith commented and they all nodded, picking up their knives and forks.
Cloud's eyes scanned the room as they commenced eating. A smug Yuffie was sitting, posture perfect and expression serene, acting exactly as a young lady should be expected to.
In, perhaps, the Medieval Ages.
"...basically, the socioeconomic status must be reviewed in due time if Godo wants to rebuild Wutai back to its strong structure..."
A slightly phased Vincent and Barret were listening to her as she spoke sophisticatedly, trying her best to cut her turkey neatly. Vincent caught Cloud's faintly stupefied look and gave a tiny shrug. Across the table, he saw Cid shoot Yuffie a malevolent sort of look and knew that her act of superiority was only adding to his frustration.
If things continued this way, Cid would probably combust.
Cloud swallowed anxiously as the others spoke frankly to one another; everyone had behaved very nicely since their deal, but something in his perfect plan had gone askew. He hadn't meant for Yuffie to become a middle-aged politician, nor had he expected Cid to be so moody and sullen in such a discreet and silent way. It was unnerving and nobody else knew how to act around them, least of all Tifa who had no clue what was going on.
A slurp instantly made Cloud look up as well as others. Yuffie still hadn't broken the habit of slurping her soup. The children giggled, oblivious to the tense atmosphere around them. Tifa looked slightly relieved, while Cid's head snapped toward the offending girl and his eyes narrowed.
Everybody but Tifa noticed this dangerous sight and Barret quickly spoke up.
"This tastes great, Teef," he said heartily, lifting his forkful of stir-fry vegetable noodle. They all nodded eagerly.
"You can thank Cid for the recipe," Tifa glanced over at the blonde pilot and beamed, "He concocted it himself."
Barret's eyebrows raised, "You cook too?"
Cid stuffed in another mouthful of chick peas, grunting in reply without looking up. Tifa's smile faltered and the others exchanged worried looks, except for Yuffie who continued talking airily. Shera hastened to start a conversation with Tifa, much to Cloud's relief, which seemed to break a bit of the ice.
If this is how they act when I tell them to behave then I'm probably better off having them normal, Cloud thought blightlessly, lifting his fork to his mouth. So much for a peaceful Christmas evening.
An extra loud slurp made Cid's eye twitch.
"...so it's goodbye to resort, good-for-nothing Wutai, and hello to powerful - "
Thump, thump!
Yuffie was cut off suddenly and she looked rather affronted, "Who dares interrupt me?" she demanded.
"Why don't I go check?" Cloud volunteered, stopping himself just in time from adding "your highness" to the end of his sentence. Keen to make his escape, he quickly left the room and went to front door of the house. Cloud turned the knob, pulled the door toward him and yelped when a figure crashed into his arms.
"What the - ?"
The person jolted upright sheepishly as Cloud pushed them back, "Err - hey Cloud, yo!"
A flabbergasted Cloud stared at the forms of Reno and Rude in his doorway, "Err - hey." He scratched the back of his head incomprehensibly, "What - what are you guys doing here?"
Reno's eyes widened in shock, "WHAT a question to ask, Cloud, my buddy! We just swung by to wish you a Happy Christmas, y'know, seein' as we're so - we're so - do I smell liquor on you?"
"...No."
The redhead was evidently in some kind of tipsy stupor as he peered behind Cloud, wobbling dangerously, "Oooh... nice warm place you got here, huh?"
Cloud was still too bewildered to stop Reno from stumbling inside and turned instead to the other Turk.
"He's a bit tipsy," Rude supplied unnecessarily, himself upright and professional as always, "Your bar's not open, so we just came around to see if anyone was in here."
"Oh, yeah," the spiky blonde turned back from seeing Reno gawking at their tree, "It's been closed for the last few weeks for Christmas..." he realised something and raised an eyebrow, "You guys are still looking for a bar when he's already been drinking?"
A faint smile flickered across Rude's face, "Well - we left our party after he was slapped by Elena," here he lowered his voice confidentially, "He's being brave now, but he's pretty upset. Wants to drink all his pain away."
"He got slapped by Elena?" Cloud repeated incredulously, "What did he do?"
"Made a move on her under the mistletoe."
"...Oh."
They both stood there in an awkward silence, broken by Reno yelling, "Hey, Rude, what's taking so long - whoa!" he almost tripped over a teddy bear, "...I'm good!"
"Uh... listen, can I use your bathroom?" Rude asked hastily, his face sweaty. A small frown creased Cloud's brow at the strange question, but he nodded, "It's upstairs on the right."
"Thanks... just - just let Reno join you guys for a bit, okay? He needs some lovin'."
"What?" Cloud gasped, eyes wide as Rude hurried up the stairs. He exhaled a long sigh, reluctantly turning to the redhead, "So..."
"Hey, Cloud, you have a mole on your face."
"What?"
Reno doubled over in hysterical laughter, "Hahaha, just kiddin', Choco-head. Hehe, you're fun to tease, we should hang out more often!"
"Oh no we won't," Cloud said quickly, grabbing his arm and steering him to the dining room, "Just get in here, Reno. We're eating dinner."
Everybody look up as they came in. Reno took it into his own hands to announce his entrance, "Sup, everyone! I got kicked out of my party, yo, so I came to join you." He flashed his pearly whites at them, making the children grin and cheer, "Yay, it's the godfather!" The first time they'd met Reno he had them convinced that he was the 'godfather', and Rude, Elena, Tseng and Rufus were his mafia.
"You didn't get kicked out, you got slapped by Elena," a nonplussed Cloud said in perplexity.
Reno immediately scowled, "Just 'cos she wished it was wonderful, darling Tseng under that stupid mistletoe..."
Silence met his bitter words and they all glanced at each other hesitantly before looking intently at Cloud. Then Barret asked irritably, "Look, can you stop the kids from callin' you the godfather? It's creepy."
"No-can-do, it's their nickname for me."
Tifa stood up from her spot, seemingly making the best of the situation, "I'll go get a place set up for you, Reno..."
"And get one for Rude, too!" Reno called jauntily. He plopped himself between Shera and Cid, grinning charmingly around the table, "So... good Christmas, everyone?" Cid's eye twitching increased tenfold at the redhead's close proximity.
"I'm headin' to the john," Barret announced, standing up.
"You can't, Rude's already in there."
Barret looked at Cloud fretfully and then sat back down, heaving a sigh.
"Hey, Reno, I've been meaning to ask," Yuffie inquired pertly from across the table, diverting all attention to her, "Do you think the W.R.O would accede granting a modest quota of its current revenue to the new regime Wutai has taken up?"
Reno stared blankly at her. He was not the only one.
"...what did she say?" Vincent murmured to Red XIII.
"Hey, I remember you!" Reno squinted at Yuffie without the slightest intention of answering her question, "You're that little Wutain ninja. Heh, not so little now, are you? You've grown up, pretty nicely, too..." A sly grin unfurled across his face and her expression changed at lightning speed. All regard for etiquette crumbling, Yuffie jabbed her spoon in his direction.
"Don't even think about it, jerk!"
"Reno," Cloud warned as she slurped her soup furiously, "Elena, remember?"
"Given up on her," the Turk muttered unhappily, putting either hand on Shera's and Cid's chairs to lean back on his own, "There's plenty of fish out in the sea for Reno!"
Barret let out a snort of laughter and Cloud put his hands to his face.
"No wonder your partner always wears shades," muttered Vincent, Reno either ignoring his comment or not hearing it at all.
Marlene and Denzel were giggling at Reno, Red XIII and Cait Sith looking as though they were about to cave in at any moment. The good stuff of the dinner was already gone, leaving unsatisfying salads and boiled vegetables. They'd stopped eating to watch their new entertainment. Even Yuffie had stopped speaking and was eating her soup. Cid, on the other hand, was vehemently chewing on some carrots, growing steadily crimson.
"Whoa, you're pretty hot, too." Reno let his chair legs fall back onto the ground as he ogled at an embarrassed Shera, "Never seen you 'round before. What's your name, dollface?"
"Umm..."
But apparently Cid had had enough.
Boiling a furious scarlet, he grabbed Reno's collar and spat (carrot bits flying everywhere), "That's my wife, you moron, and if I have to kick you in the arse to make it stick in your head then get down on all fours already!" Then he turned murderously to Yuffie, "And stop slurping that friggin' soup!"
"Hey, I'll slurp my soup any way, any time."
"You do that and I'll shove that spoon where the sun don't shine!" he growled, having the decency to wipe his mouth before rising to his feet.
"Cid!" Shera exclaimed fretfully.
"Oh, yeah?" a smirking Yuffie started lapping her soup at an alarming speed and in an especially loud way. Cid's temple was throbbing now and fireballs seemed to shoot out of his flashing eyes. Cait Sith smartly took cover.
"Dang!" Barret pounded the table in frustration, making them all jump, "How long does a man need to take in the bathroom?"
"Geez, you scared the heck outta me!"
"Don't start pickin' fights with Barret, lady, you've still got me to answer to!"
"What, can't stand this?" Yuffie threw the spoon away, lifted the bowl to her lips and drank like a tap gurgling. Red XIII looked faintly ill and Barret roared, "D'ya mind, Yuffie? I NEED TO GO TO THE TOILET!"
"Please... don't yell," Cloud said weakly as the strain in the room finally snapped.
"Whoa, tough crowd," Reno remarked serenely to himself. Tifa set down a plate and a glass in front of him and he grinned lazily at her, "Thanks, Tifa. Mind joinin' me for a drink later?"
"Reno!" growled Cloud, unexplainably vindictive.
Perhaps it was rubbing off on him.
Or he could be jealous.
...No, it was definitely just rubbing off on him.
But Tifa was most certainly not joining Reno in a drink later. Not if Cloud could help it.
Tifa was looking aghast, "What's going on here?" She gaped from Cid, who was trying to strangle Yuffie, to Vincent and Shera, who were trying to pry them apart, to Barret, looking thoroughly bad-tempered, to Red XIII and Cait Sith, aiding Vincent and Shera, to the children, flicking their peas at one another in all the commotion.
"Hey, Tifa, got any booze to drink my sorrows away?"
"What - here," she dragged the bowl of fruit punch in front of Reno, "Drink this."
He looked at it apprehensively, then shrugged in a carefree way, "Meh. Good enough."
"Can't catch me, you can't catch me," sang Yuffie tauntingly on the other side of the room, poking her tongue out at Cid.
"Why, you little - "
Plates were upturned and glasses knocked over as Cid attempted to lunge over the table. Shera gave a muffled scream and Yuffie's smirk disappeared as she ducked, "Aiiiii! What are you doing, you crazy man?"
"Oi, I'm trying to fill my glass here," Reno said snappishly as some of his punch spilt over, "Stop shaking the table!"
"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
"Cid - Cid!" Tifa called helplessly as he and Yuffie zoomed into the living room, knocking things over and crashing into walls. Tifa and Shera glanced exasperatedly at one another before following them, "You two, calm down!"
"That's it, if that Turk doesn't bust his arse outta that toilet in the next five seconds, I'm gonna bust the door down," Barret vowed ominously back at the table, jittering in his seat.
"Just go in the bushes," Vincent suggested in a surprisingly calm way.
Barret stared at him, "In this weather? What are ya, kiddin' man? I'd rather wait."
"You'll be waitin' for awhile, my man," Reno said genially, pouring himself another glass of punch, "Rude's got stomach problems."
Barret's face darkened, "...What?"
"You know - diarrhoea," the redhead said slowly as if talking to a thick person.
"I KNEW WHAT YOU MEANT!"
Cloud sat miserably in his seat, vaguely aware of how his Christmas was turning out. He looked hopelessly to the end of the table and saw Marlene and Denzel staring back at him innocently, covered in their dinner.
"You guys don't want to eat anymore, do you?" he said heavily. They shook their heads, grinning, and with a sigh Cloud went to the kitchen, beckoning for them to follow. He pulled down a plate and piled it with cookies and two cupcakes, "Take these down to the playroom and stay there, okay?"
They beamed at him, "Thanks, Cloud!"
With the children out of harm's way, Cloud reluctantly went back to the near-empty table to find Reno making extravagant toasts by himself. Vincent was gone and Barret had his head slumped on the table. Red XIII and Cait Sith were also missing.
"To world peace, to future Christmases, to Tseng's head rolling on the ground! Heh... kidding... kinda."
With a spiteful, unsteady laugh, Reno threw the drink into his mouth and fell backward off his chair. "Owww."
Oh, man... Shaking his head, Cloud took a step over to the other man in need, "Barret? ...Hey Barret, are you okay?"
His body shifted.
"Don't - talk - to - me."
"He said that to me, too," Reno said mournfully from the floor when Cloud's gaze ran over him. Sighing, Cloud made his way to the living room and yelped when he trod on something furry and hard in the doorway.
"AHH! Cait Sith, that's the second time!"
"Sorry, Cloud, just watching the scene."
Irritated and mystified at the toy cat's reply, Cloud swung around to see Yuffie perched on top of their bookshelf. At the bottom Tifa was pleading for the girl to come down.
"Yuffie, please, come down from there!"
"Sorry, Teef, not until that monster gets rid of his claws," Yuffie replied haughtily, shooting a look to something in the corner. It was Cid and Shera, talking quietly to each other. Shera had a very serious, "no-nonsense" look on her face and Cloud was relieved to see Cid more relaxed and calm than he had been mere minutes ago. Perhaps Shera had mellowed him out. A little grudgingly, Cid stood up and joined Tifa at the bottom of the shelf. Yuffie curled up warily.
"I ain't gonna skin you alive, if that's what you're fussed about. Now get your arse down here!" Cid barked.
"I don't trust you," she yelled back fearfully.
"If you don't get down from there that shelf is gonna collapse!"
"Are you calling me fat?" the girl demanded heatedly from her safe vantage spot. There were a few bangs and they all whipped around when they heard tragic singing; Reno was lumbering into the living room with one glass of fruit punch in his hand.
"Elena... why...?"
Ignoring him, they focused back on Yuffie, still adamantly rooted on the bookshelf, her head skimming the ceiling, "I'm not coming down, I'm not coming down," she sung in an annoying tune.
"Yuffie, please. Come down to the ground," came a new voice, a low, calm, tranquil one. All other noise ceased at once, leaving only Reno's murmuring in the background. Vincent had appeared out of nowhere and he took a step toward the shelf, looking up at the stubborn girl solemnly, "It's dangerous."
"Why should I, Vinnie? I could get slain," she protested, though more innocent than defiant.
"Because," Vincent fixed his scarlet eyes on her, "You owe me."
Cloud held his breath as Vincent spoke; the ex-Turk's deep voice always cast an unspeakable hush over them, as if they were inside a church. It seemed irreverent to speak or even not be attentive to what he was saying.
Finally, after a long pause, Yuffie shifted from her spot and gingerly climbed down the shelf. Tifa let out a deep breath and Shera cracked a relieved smile. Cid, on the other hand, picked up a cushion and whacked Yuffie across the head.
"Ow!" she cried, rubbing her head, "What was that for?"
"For keeping us waiting, for slurping your dang soup, for throwing a saucepan at me, for acting like an uptight little princess - don't ever do that again!" Cid listed off threateningly, his blue eyes glinting. He turned to the side and every feature of his face seemed to sag with exhaustion as he sighed, "Geez, it's gonna take one good cup of tea to fix me up now."
"What are we gonna do about him?" Yuffie asked curiously, jerking her head toward Reno as he crooned pathetically.
Cloud shook his head vigorously, taking control of the situation, "You don't need to worry about that - and no tea at this moment!" he added to Cid, "You two start clearing up the table and washing the dishes. Go!" He pointed toward the kitchen sternly and the two shuffled off, mumbling ominously about "housework" and "slave labour."
"Vincent, can you help them?" Cloud appealed to the dark-haired man, who nodded and went in after them, "And Shera, you can - you can just rest, if you like."
"FOOD FIGHT!"
Shera smiled a bit wanly, "I'll go look after them."
After she had left to join Yuffie and the others, the attention came back to Reno. Tifa came up beside Cloud, "Yuffie's right; what should be done with him?"
They looked at the defeated man. He was sprawled on some beanbags, mumbling softly to himself, " 'Lena... you stupid little girl... rookie... pathetic newbie..."
Tifa bit her lip, "Makes you feel kinda sorry for him, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, he's just lonely," Cloud mumbled, much to her amusement, "Hey, Reno, get up." The doorbell rang and Tifa went to answer it. Cloud prodded Reno with his foot, "C'mon, Reno, show some backbone. You said you were over Elena, right?"
"Right," he sprung to his feet suddenly, startling Cloud. His sharp aqua blue eyes shone with renewed vigor, "I'm over that 'lil rookie! To bullocks with her! I'm gonna live a new life without - "
"Reno!"
The redhead lowered his glass and whitened, "...Laney?"
Elena rushed toward him, looking harassed and exasperated. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the cold and she had a beanie pulled over her blonde hair. Behind her, a meek and confused-looking Tifa shut the front door.
"Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you and Rude?" Elena cried up at him, "Why don't you answer your phone?"
"You've been looking for me?" Reno looked stunned.
"Yes!" she exploded, "You guys just took off like that, what was I supposed to do, just leave you alone?"
"Why not?" Reno reverted back to his haughtiness, shrugging his shoulders, "You don't care about me, 'Lena. I bet you just came 'round here 'cos honey-bunny Tseng asked you to - "
"Don't call him that!" Elena screeched, looking ready to slap him again. Cloud flinched, but Reno was admirably unconcerned.
"It's true, ain't it, Laney?" he taunted her, seemingly enjoying the way she was going steadily red, "Just admit it. This isn't about me or Rude, it's about yourself and darling Tseng. Well, I toast you two!" Sounding bitter and spiteful, Reno drained the rest of his glass and proceeded to pass out. Elena shrieked as he collapsed onto her.
"How much has he had to drink here?" she fretted as Tifa and Cloud rushed over to revive him.
"Nothing! It's only fruit punch."
---
"You really came for us?" Reno asked in a subdued voice, studying her intently.
It was getting late; the group had finished cleaning up the kitchen and Tifa had gone upstairs to tuck the children into bed. Rude had finally relinquished the bathroom, emerging as a much happier man, while Barret almost cried as he barreled up the stairs and crashed into his new domain. The three Turks were still sitting in the quiet living room, the tantrums and chaos that had taken place earlier still echoing slightly in Cloud's ears.
"Yes," Elena said scathingly, "But you can choose to believe I did it under Tseng's orders."
There was a brief silence before Reno smiled at her sheepishly, "...Sorry about all that stuff with 'honey-bunny Tseng', then."
"You should be," she said stiffly. Reno glanced at Rude who shrugged unhelpfully.
Elena uncrossed her arms and sighed, looking at them piteously, "I mean, after all we've been through together, you guys still don't think I care about you."
"We know you care, Laney," Rude assured her.
"And we care about you," Reno said in a voice that was much softer than usual. Elena looked at him warily and he gently squeezed her hand, "Why else d'you think I ran out of the party after you slapped me? I wouldn't bat an eyelash if it was somebody else."
Aware of the little intimate moment the two were having, Rude turned away respectfully and an embarrassed Cloud retreated to the kitchen.
Elena chuckled slightly, "Yeah... I'm sorry about that." She leant forward and grazed her lips over his cheek in an apologetic manner. It was a brief but sweet kiss. "Hope it didn't hurt too much." Reno found himself staring wildly at her as she stood up, her hand still enclosed in his.
"C'mon, let's go back. Tseng and Rufus are pretty worried, too."
Reno nodded slowly as he got to his feet, looking thoughtful. And then slyly, he had bent down and kissed her softly on her lips before pulling away, grinning flippantly. Rude hid a smile as Elena blushed.
"You owed me," was Reno's amiable rejoinder at her shocked look. Before she had the chance to reprimand him, he was bouncing along jovially, tugging her hand, "Off we go. Hey, Cloud, thanks for your hospitality! Merry Christmas!"
"Say thank you to Tifa for me, Cloud. Reno - wait!"
"Oh... bye."
Somewhat relieved, Cloud closed the door as the three of them finally left, Elena lightly hitting Reno on the shoulder but still holding firmly onto his hand as she did so. He smiled waspishly to himself as he faced the empty, still room. Then he heaved a sigh that seemed to exhale forth from the very tips of his toes. It was finally over.
Cloud ambled over to the staircase, pausing at the bottom when he saw Tifa descending. She stopped at the third last step and sat down on it, leaning her head against the railing and closing her eyes in exhaustion.
He had to smile. Even with everything that had unfolded that night, she still looked as pretty as ever in her black dress.
"Have they left?" she asked quietly, her eyes fluttering open.
Cloud nodded, "Yeah. Elena said thanks." There was a brief pause, and he asked, "The kids asleep?"
Tifa also nodded and they fell into a nice, harmonious lull. Cloud supposed they were both grateful for this moment of peace, when the house was still and silent. It made them feel in control of their hectic lives.
"I know I was looking forward to Christmas," Tifa spoke up, looking a little amused at herself, "But I'm kinda glad it's over now."
Cloud smiled impishly, "I know how you feel." He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "You did a great job, Tifa. The meal was delicious."
She smiled gratefully at him. "We're definitely having a family-only Christmas next year," she said meditatively, shutting her eyes again. With one hand she reached up to hold onto his and she laid her head against it.
Cloud looked at her tenderly, shifting his hand slightly so that he could stroke her soft hair. As he did so, his other hand somehow found its way into his pocket to absently brush over the velvet box still in there. His heart skipped a beat when he realised what it was.
"Tifa..." She lifted her head as he regretfully removed her hand from her shoulder. A little bashfully, Cloud scratched the back of his head and didn't meet her eyes, "...There's something I was supposed to give you earlier today."
A sweet smile flit across Tifa's face as she watched him nervously take out a maroon box covered in velvet. Then her eyes widened in surprise and she glanced up at him, unsure of what laid inside. He chuckled feebly as he opened it in front of her, "Merry Christmas, Tifa."
It was a simple, delicate golden chain, twisted together wonderfully and craftily, looping through a heart-shaped locket. There were little ruby and diamond stones embedded in the gold heart, and another golden frame of the shape inside the larger one. Cloud nervously scratched his head again, watching her as she gazed at it reverently. The locket was simple, but so beautiful, and not cluttered with complicated designs or many jewels. That was what he'd like about it. It seemed perfect for Tifa.
And so it was. The brunette lifted her gaze up to him, her mouth slightly parted in awe and reverence. Cloud half-smiled, "I - I hope you like it. Here, let me put it on."
He took the necklace from the box and stooped to put his arms around Tifa's neck, aware of how close they were. His skin flushed horribly and he had to tell his hands to stop shaking as he fiddled with the chain, trying to connect them. Finally, the task was done and he leant back to look at her, half-wondering why she hadn't said anything.
Tifa was looking at him with her ruby-brown eyes, glistening with what seemed like a thousand emotions at once. She couldn't believe he'd gone and bought her something as beautiful as this and the very fact that he had struck her speechless. With strong affection exploding like stars inside of her, she was pleasantly and magnificently reminded why she loved the blonde warrior so much. She couldn't say anything; she was too overwhelmed by her own feelings and the close presence of his warm body, his bright blue eyes and familiar face.
Cloud didn't pause to think. Her captivating, vulnerable eyes somehow banished all thoughts from his head and, before either of them knew it, his lips were on hers in a gentle, sweet, loving kiss.
When his common sense kicked in about a split second later, Cloud pulled away, his face burning. His mouth was already half-open to apologise when he caught sight of her eyes again, the very windows to her soul, and somehow he just knew that he didn't have to.
Cloud cleared his throat embarrassedly, "You - you look pretty, Tifa," he managed to utter as he stared at the necklace, because something had to be said.
A small smile caught Tifa's lips at his comment. Guided and directed by her feelings, she looked up into his eyes tenderly before bringing her hand up to cup the side of his face. Gently caressing his cheek, she leant up and planted a little kiss on the corner of his mouth, before moving over to leave her sweet taste on his lips again.
"Merry Christmas, Cloud," she whispered, eyes shining up toward him.
Cloud could do nothing but grin sloppily like a bit of an idiot. As he gazed at her with all the fondness of his soul, he realised there was a new journey in front of him, a journey he would take on together with Tifa. It made his heart lurch pleasantly.
"You know... I'm still kinda hungry," he admitted meekly.
Tifa also smiled whimsically, "Me, too. But before we go raid the cupboards, I want you to explain this." She pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to him, "I found it in the kids' room."
With a sense of foreboding, Cloud unfolded it and read.
On the condition that the nine persons involved in this contract 'behave' in the days leading to/and on Christmas day, I, Cloud Strife, hereby promise to:
a) buy materia for Yuffie. LOTS of it.
b) go to Rocket Town and help Cid on his new rocket.
c) take Marlene and Denzel to the Gold Saucer.
d) let Barret sleep in my bed until his stay at Seventh Heaven is over.
PS. We DID behave at the dinner! It was Reno's fault, after all. If he hadn't come, we would've been little angels to the end of the day! Oh, and one more thing:
e) never ask the nine persons to behave EVER AGAIN. Especially Yuffie and Cid. It's hard and painful!
His Mako-blue eyes widened fervently at the piece of paper, "I don't believe this. They signed it for me, too!"
Tifa looked at him disdainfully, "Cloud. Why on earth do you owe everyone so much?"
Cloud winced as he lowered the piece of paper to confront her questioning gaze. He'd wanted to keep it a secret from Tifa, but he guessed it was inevitable... after all, he had to go to the Gold Saucer and Rocket Town to please them all.
"Well..." he took a deep breath and looked at her straight in the eye, "There was so much going on in here and I could see you had enough on your plate without having to deal with extra mishaps, so... so I asked them all to behave. Anyway, we had to exchange a kind of deal - though I don't remember anything about a written contract," he frowned at the paper, then continued on forlornly, " - and this is what I 'owe' everyone." Cloud hesitated, feeling guilty all of a sudden, "I'm sorry, Teef. I guess forcing Cid and Yuffie to behave just made things a lot worse..."
Tifa looked at him very much like how she had before; she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"Sometimes you're too sweet for your own good, Cloud."
He was alarmed and surprised, but her comment made a strange sense of pride and happiness rise in him. When she pulled away, she slipped her hand in his and said musically, "I smell some cookies with our names on it."
Cloud smiled broadly at her, making her heart melt, and together they went into the kitchen to spend the last few hours of Christmas solely in the company of each other. At the very top of the stairs in the shadows, Marlene and Denzel were beaming buoyantly.
"Told you they'd kiss!" whispered Denzel.
"I'm gonna be a bridesmaid!" Marlene claimed vivaciously, making him swivel his head at her, frowning. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Cloud and Tifa's wedding, silly," the little girl said smartly, sleepy all of a sudden. She yawned widely, "Mmm... Denzel... can we go back to bed?"
"Yeah," the little boy also yawned and rubbed his eyes, "Let's go..."
And as the two children clambered back into their bedroom, and Tifa and Cloud fell asleep down in the living room two hours later, one legacy stayed true throughout that year and the many years to come: Christmas was truly the most wonderful time of the year.
----------
A/N: Bah, it's over... it didn't really turn out how I wanted it to, but it's over AND THEY KISSED! xD Thank you reading and reviewing, a Christmas CloTi is long overdue, isn't it? Hehe. Ooh, and "Full House" is... kinda on hiatus! I'm really sorry, but I can't wait HP at the moment. The words just don't come out.
Please leave feedback! x) Preeeeeeeeetty please? (puppy dog eyes) Heh, hope 'o7 brings lots of joy to you. (: - msq.