Chapter 9: The Next Morning
The next morning woke the two sleeping lovers in a bright and happy way, birds singing outside the window, warm rays of sun teasing their flesh, the smell of each other tickling their noses, it was a perfect morning.
Cloud gave a shudder of happiness, and grinned, when he noticed something strange.
"Why am I on the other side of the bed?" He thought, raising a broad hand to scratch his head. When he felt spiky locks instead of long black ones, he gave a cheer filled whoop, and shook Tifa awake.
"Hey! We're normal again! I'm me!" He cried, as Tifa mumbled about sleep, and needing rest. Then as the word took their sweet time to sink into her mind, she realized what he had said.
"We're... normal?" She asked, lifting a hand to see that it was her own.
"WE'RE NORMAL!" She screeched, jumping out of bed and looking at herself in the mirror.
She hugged herself with glee, and then ran back to the bed.
"Let's get dressed! I'm so excited!" She said, running jubilantly to her closet, and pulling out some clothes.
She tugged on her favorite shirt, and a pair of her black shorts, and ran to the bathroom, where Cloud heard her give another squeal of joy.
Tifa came bursting into the room, and said,
"It's all there! Everything! I missed my body! But you left a bruise on my hip... I told you to be careful!" She said, eyeing Cloud with amusement.
"Sorry... I did that when I was chasing after Cid... That bastard can run fast for an older man!" Cloud replied, glad that she didn't come seeking vengeance upon him, his body was still a little worn out from last night.
"Well at least it isn't that big. If this ever happens, be more careful!" She said, waving a finger in his face.
"I hope like hell it doesn't." Cloud replied.
"Your breasts are the worst things I've had to live through, no offence."
Tifa stared at him with utter disbelief.
"You say that after what happened last night?" She said teasingly.
"Uh... Yeah... Those things are just... Never mind." He said, noticing the glare he was receiving.
"That's right! You wont be saying that after I'm though with you!" She said, her eyes narrow, but full of mischief.
"Now? I'm not recovered from the last time!" Cloud cried, his eyes wide.
She smiled, and shook her head.
"No, not now, but soon." She answered, and then she left without another word.
Cloud stared after her, still shocked at what she had said to him.
Then he decided that he should dress and go down stairs, his stomach was grumbling and he wanted to eat.
He dressed quickly, and opened the bedroom door, only to find Yuffie standing there with a smile on her face.
"Congrats Choco-head! How was it last night?" She asked, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
Cloud stared at her, and then at her room, noticing that it WAS awfully close to Tifa's room, and they DID make a lot of noise last night.
"Uh... Good, I guess?" Cloud said, trying to avoid Yuffie's gaze.
"Just good, it sounded like a pack of rabid animals in there! 'Oh Cloud!' and all that!" Yuffie continued, her grin getting broader.
Cloud flushed slightly, and mumbled something about needing to go to the bathroom and fled.
Yuffie just continued to smile, hoping to tease Tifa about it too.
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Down stairs, Tifa was preparing breakfast, when Yuffie came in with a grin on her face.
"Hey Tif! How'd yah sleep last night...? Judging by all the noise I heard, it sounded like it was pretty difficult. What was going on in there? Did you buy a herd of elephant or something? It sure sounded like it." She said in a nonchalant manner.
Tifa dropped the egg she had in her hands on the ground, where it promptly splattered with a satisfying 'Scraplat!'.
"Elephants? It sounded like elephants?" She asked, turning to Yuffie with a look of shock on her face.
"Yeah, and a dying cow that had a thing for Cloud... "Oooooh CLOOOOOOD!" She said giggling at the older woman who was blushing a brilliant red by then.
"You where... Up?" Tifa spluttered, trying to come to grips with what Yuffie was saying.
"Yeah... Unfortunately..." Yuffie said, shaking her head.
Tifa's eye twitched, and she frowned at the young ninja standing before her.
"I'm glad you finally told him how you feel about him... Good going!" Yuffie said with another grin, and then she left the kitchen, and sat at the table waiting for breakfast.
Tifa stood in shock, as the eggs burned, finally catching her attention when they started smoking.
"Oh crud! I burnt them!" She muttered, taking the pan off the stove and dumping the burnt eggs into the sink.
After that little incident, the cooking went fine without any unnecessary interruptions.
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At breakfast the group (everyone came down while she was making her second batch of eggs) watched Tifa and Cloud, wondering if they would do anything strange again.
Finally, Yuffie broke the silence with a giggle, and turned to face Tifa and Cloud.
"So guys, guess what?" She asked the group, grinning with a gleam in her eyes.
"What?" the others said, still watching Tifa and Cloud.
"Cloud and Tifa finally admitted their feelings for each other!" She cried, laughing at the faces that she received from Cloud and Tifa.
The others gasped (except Vincent, who really doesn't seem to get surprised by anything), and Cid clapped.
"That's great guys!" He said, laughing.
Cloud glared at Yuffie, while Tifa smiled.
"That's right guys... We finally told each other." She said, smiling at Cloud.
It was as if the group both expected and didn't expect this to ever happen, they all wore expressions of shock and joy, a combination that left Red looking more like he was either going to kill someone or had to go to the bathroom.
"So yah asked her, finally!" Barret said, cuffing Cloud on the shoulder.
Cloud continued to glare at Yuffie, who was busily eating her breakfast.
"Yeah... I asked." He said, his gaze still on Yuffie, who looked up, noticed him glaring, and gave him a cheerful smile.
"Tha'da boy Cloud!" Barret replied, cuffing him yet again on the shoulder.
"Okay... enough! Lets just eat in silence!" Cloud muttered, glaring around the table now.
The others fell silent, and ate, but they kept glancing at Tifa and him, and grinning.
And that's how the morning went.