Cloudy Tifa
-Chapter 6-
"Reunion
Another week zoomed by before either Cloud or Tifa had a chance to truly grasp it or enjoy it after their reconciliation at the beach. Tifa knew how lucky she was, considering that most adolescent couples often parted ways upon learning of an unwanted pregnancy. Some guys just could not handle taking care of a pregnant girlfriend. In some cases, not even want the child at all. Tifa could not help but count her blessings. Here she had a supportive, trustworthy, and loving boyfriend willing to stand by her side, and aid her in any way despite his own anxieties. A man, that is what he had become seemingly overnight. Cloud had always been a great boyfriend-yet upon resolving their differences, he had become far more attentive and sensitive to her needs.
Almost as if he were compensating for the way he had acted after finding out about her pregnancy. Tifa forgave him naturally. If she the roles had been reversed, she was sure that she would have acted similarly. That was in the past now. Tifa did not want to picture a future without Cloud. Not when it was made clear to her that things would be different now.
Cloud and Tifa were already close. They had always managed to spend most of their free time together in the past whenever possible, and now even that had changed. These days, Cloud stuck to Tifa like glue, he was practically attached to her at the hip. Before each class-Cloud would come to her and kiss her on the cheek and escort her to her next hour despite the risk of a tardy. Cloud must have worked on his cardio over the summer because he always made it to class without getting in any sort of trouble. At lunch Tifa would meet Cloud and he would always have an extra lunch for her, even if she had already bought lunch or had brown bagged it from home.
Tifa found his newfound dedication to her sweet, yet incredibly irritating at the same time.
Cloud's clinginess attracted much unwanted attention. Even from the teachers! It worried Tifa, to the point that had to ask him to tone it down a little. Something Cloud reluctantly agreed too. Tifa hated the look on his face when she had asked him to back of a little, the anguish that showed in his blue eyes nearly broke her in half. She had to consider the fact that he was only trying to be a good boyfriend and father to his unborn child.
"I'm sorry." Cloud apologized with heavy eyes. "I thought that was what you wanted me to do."
His confession sent a pang of guilt straight to her heart.
"Babe, I'm sorry that's not what I meant. It's just you're acting a little too different and everyone is noticing. Let's just scale it back, ok?" she compromised and kissed him full on the lips. Cloud was content. Now understanding what she wanted.
But habits are hard to break.
There was one thing that Tifa had not expected Cloud to do, mainly because he had never done it. Not in the entirety of their relationship had he acted jealous. At least not in public. Unbeknownst to Tifa; Cloud had begun to silently threaten any boy who dared to flirt with her. In the past, Tifa had made it clear to many of her classmates that she and Cloud were steady and that she was not about break up with him anytime soon. Yet boys still hit on her and would often try and persuade her to dump Cloud, which she hated. So, when Cloud began to scare them off, she did not mind until he took things a little too far; one day a boy complimented Tifa on her making the honor roll again, Cloud took it the wrong way and scared him off by using sharp words and his stone-cold blue eyes, that was enough to send the boy running.
The boy had not even bothered to come to school the next day. Tifa later learned from her friend Ellie that he had come to school but had ditched the one class they shared.
"Cloud! He was only being nice! I think you should apologize to him when he comes back to school, that was too harsh!" Tifa scolded Cloud on the phone later that night.
"I know, I know." Cloud groaned, he felt terrible for what he had done to their classmate. He had not intended to scare him out of coming back to class. "I took it the wrong way, I just don't want anyone hitting on my girl."
"You know he wasn't hitting on me." Tifa retorted.
"It looked different from where I was standing, I'm really sorry. I'm just so sick of guys coming up to you and trying to put the moves on you." Cloud confessed. "I don't know, its harder now. With you having my baby it makes me madder that they're trying to steal you away from me we have been dating a year. you'd think those guys would get it by now that we are not breaking up."
"There's no one else for me but you." Tifa said softly, touched by his confession. More so a little delighted that he was laying claim to their child. Securing her that he was sticking around. "Please just apologize to him when you see him."
Cloud did indeed apologize to their classmate. Who was relieved that the muscular blond wasn't going to beat him up anymore. This apology was a welcomed, but it came too little too late as the exchange erupted a flow of new rumors among Cloud and Tifa's peers. Rumors ranging from him being on that drug Mako- to Tifa being unfaithful to him (hence his possessiveness) and that his strange new attitude was the cause of that. What vicious things to say, none of it was true, the rumors had gotten back to Tifa one day and she nearly ran to the girl's restroom to weep in the middle of the day.
Even though Cloud was itching to shout at other classmates for saying such monstrous lies, Zack had advised him against him. Zack told him he had his back, and so did the motor club. It was best to not ignite more flames. Deep down Cloud knew that he was right and followed Zack's example. Cloud knew that he had to keep his calm and keep his focus on school, work and on Tifa. Tifa was grateful to know that they had their friends watching over them, and never once doubted his ability to care for her and the baby.
During all that nonsense. Tifa had learned that Cloud had already found a job!
Tifa had learned that Cloud was working for his neighbor at an Airship parts & motor shop as a delivery boy; and that the job required him to wake up early. Which meant he had to lose out on sleep before school every other day. This had deterred Tifa, she felt terrible for her boyfriend. Cloud got the job because it was supposed to be a punishment for his actions from writing his forgiveness note on the school's baseball field, and she was the reason why he had received it.
"It's fine." Cloud shrugged it off. "I'm glad I have it. Besides you know riding my bike wakes me up."
"Cloud i know your just trying to make me feel better, but you deserve rest." Tifa said quietly one day when they were walking in the park together one day after school.
"Relax." Cloud said calmly "I was planning on finding a job anyway, and the pay is amazing. Can't get pay like that at any regular after-school job"
"But- "
"Really Tifa it's ok" Cloud held her hand gently as they walked, passing by a couple with a new baby in a stroller. Both he and Tifa stared at the family. They both had blushed. "See them, I want to make sure we can buy something like that for our baby. Kids need diapers, food, clothes, toys and beds…maybe I can afford all that and a place to live if we need to find an apartment."
Tifa gasped in surprise, she had not expected Cloud to think this far ahead. In all honesty, she had not even considered any of those things. All she could think about was hiding the pregnancy until it was too late for an abortion so that her papa couldn't talk her into one. She had also not thought about where they would go after the baby was born.
"Cloud…you're right. I'm so scared to think about it." Tifa said weakly.
"Of what were going to do?" Cloud asked quietly.
"Yeah." Tifa said simply "I know my papa won't want you in our house…I don't know if he will even want me there either. Especially since I want to keep the baby."
"I'm hoping my mom will be more understanding." Cloud confessed doubtfully. "My room is small, but it could be enough for the three of us. But if neither of our parents want us to stay with them…I'll be old enough to get us a place in the city."
Tifa knew that Cloud's mother had married in her twenties. Only for Cloud's dad to leave a year into their marriage when Cloud was born. It was possible that his mom would be more sympathetic towards them. But what if Mrs. Strife was not? What if cloud's mother became just as furious as her papa?
Tifa's stomach churned. Cloud wouldn't be eighteen until next august. And she would only be seventeen when the baby came.
"No one will rent to us; we wouldn't be old enough" Tifa said sadly. Which made Cloud sigh in defeat.
"That's true…" Cloud gulped "I'm hoping that if it comes down to it, we can find a landlord who's willing to look the other way. I have a friend who has that arrangement."
"Someone we go to school with?"
"Yup." Cloud nodded.
"Who?" Tifa asked for this had been news to her.
"Billy." Cloud confessed. Tifa was appalled. She had never known that Billy had his own place. "His parents give him the money for it. But the landlord never asked for his mom and dad to sign anything, maybe we could find someone like that. especially since I'll have the money for a place."
Under the table landlords could be found more easily in the city, rather than in edge. Tifa still had to think about Billy's background, he was chocobo Bill's grandson and had a substantial amount of money in his own family. Likely that was why the landlord looked away on formal paperwork.
Tifa thought about that conversation for days. She began calculating expenses in her notebook. Rent, utilities. Food (for Cloud and herself), baby food, clothes, transportation. And good god the hospital bill alone was sickening. She would have to get a car once the baby was born, she knew how to drive already so that was one problem down. Once Tifa had figured out exactly what they would likely pay monthly to live on their own and pay for the necessities', she was racked with guilt. And then there was going to school. Tifa genuinely wanted to continue her education, college or university was her goal.
The tuition alone would murder their credit scores if she couldn't get a scholarship. Tifa knew this was way more than Cloud could afford, that was when she decided, maybe it was best if she found a job of her own now. Especially while she was still able to work. That did sound like a good idea at the time, she did not want Cloud to carry all the burden of earning the money for the baby, or for her education.
So, one day at lunch while they sat alone in a quiet part of the school yard. Tifa blurted out.
"I want to work too."
It had been on a sunny day when lunch had started, and yet it felt like the sky had darkened the minute she uttered her declaration. Cloud had been eating a sandwich at the time and almost choked on a piece. Tifa had to quickly slap him on the back to help him, she offered him her potion spray to help, which Cloud had gulped down in a hurry.
In a flash,he was up on his feet- frantically shaking his head from side to side to show his disapproval.
"Tifa you shouldn't! You should just relax and let me take care of earning money, you need to focus on the baby" Cloud had said "I don't want anything to happen to you, and a job could stress you out and make your blood pressure shoot up." he added sadly.
Despite his sincerity this angered her a little.
"I want to contribute too!" She challenged. "I'm not helpless, ok?! We can't afford everything with just you working!"
"Maybe we can!" Cloud replied "I'm working overtime, and I can earn money from racing! You know I'm good at that."
Although that was true, it still wasn't enough.
"I want to do this Cloud; I can't let you take all the responsibility." Tifa pled "We can't raise this baby and make a life for ourselves on a single income!"
"Then wait until after the baby is born." Cloud begged "I just don't want anything to happen to you now. I can't lose you…" he trailed.
It was then. That she understood his fears. It's not that he was prideful. Tifa knew now that Cloud was afraid of what he had done to her. And what could happen to her if things got too heavy for her. things were already difficult with her father, kids at school were always messing with her. Tifa's grade point average was amazing, but she did stress often when she studied. A job right now would muddle things for her. Tifa knew that Cloud feared it could potentially hurt her. in what form she had a hunch. But could not bring herself to say it out loud.
They hugged immediately after this argument. Reaching an understanding. Tifa would get a job after they were in the clear. After things were a little less complicated.
That had been two days ago. Things began to loosen up with them. They were happier after they had aired out their grievances.
It was now Friday and Tifa was on her way to school. It was freezing outside, so Tifa had snatched a sweater from the downstairs closet as she went out the front door. After closing the large gate to her front lawn, Tifa made her way to the curve, where she began her daily route to school. She was not but one minute into her walk when she heard a familiar motor behind her.
And there was Cloud; riding proudly on his fenrir as he pulled over to where she stood, the engine rumbled as he stopped the bike but kept the engine running.
"Cloud what are you doing here?" Tifa asked in astonishment, she figured that he would still be on his deliveries.
"I finished my route early today, and since my last drop off was nearby; I figured that I could drive you to school today." Cloud paused and reached into his pocket and took out a second pair of black racing goggles "I bought a new pair so that you could ride without worrying about the wind" Cloud smiled as he handed over the goggles, Tifa returned his affection with a smile of her own.
"Just don't drive too fast, I wouldn't want Cloud Jr. to get scared" Tifa joked, Cloud scratched the back of his ear as he began to blush.
"Don't you mean Lil Tifa?" Cloud quipped and Tifa laughed as she climbed onto the back, Cloud revved the engine.
"It has a nice ring to it, but don't you like the sound of Cloud Jr?" Tifa said while putting on her pair of riding goggles, Cloud paused.
"It's alright" Cloud murmured, waiting for her to settle into the new pair before riding off to school. He knew that she was ready to go when Tifa wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands were shivering, and she was very cold.
"Cloud Jr says what?" Tifa said suddenly.
"What?" Cloud reflexed and mentally slapped himself when he realized the joke, Tifa started laughing hysterically; the fact that she caught him off guard only enhanced her giggles making Cloud blush. Tifa Stopped laughing and kissed him on the cheek, Cloud took it as a silent apology and accepted it.
Twenty-five minutes and eighteen second later, Cloud and Tifa were in the motor club parking lot making the short two-minute walk up to the main hall. Tifa's book bag was heavy so Cloud stopped her and asked if she wanted him to carry it for her-and gently took the bag from her grasp to sling it over his own shoulder. A collective sound of 'awes' echoed in the background as this scene took place, it came from a group of girls who were in the motor club.
Cloud and Tifa both flushed with discomfort and the two quickly ran into the school building away from the group of cooing girls.
The first bell of the day rang an 40 minutes later, and the couple parted ways. Cloud hugged Tifa and whispered in her ear that he would be back to walk her to her next class. Tifa looked forward to it. Tifa planted herself down onto her first hour seat and waited patiently for her teacher to begin the day's lessons.
Tifa's teacher had begun a class project, and almost everyone was finished with their part, so there was nothing left for Tifa to do except sit at her desk with other girls and chat or complete work from her other classes. Tifa wanted the latter but was pulled into a conversation by fifteen-year-old Ellie Juno, a very close friend of hers and a fellow sophomore on the honor roll, Tifa loved Ellie but Ellie did have one quirk- she was thirsty. Ellie was boy crazy and often had weekly crushes on someone new. sometimes those crushes lasted a few weeks, and others a few days.
Cloud had been one of Ellie's crushes,her crush on him lasting an astonishing three weeks! but thankfully Ellie had moved on by the time that Tifa and Cloud had become an item. Tifa liked that Ellie was not one to stick to the past or hold grudges. The two chatted until their teacher instructed Ellie to take the morning attendance down to the office, Ellie had rolled her eyes and left momentarily.
A year ago, Tifa and Ellie had disliked each other. mostly because of rumors that Ellie believed to be true about Rufus Shinra (Tifa's Ex) But thanks to a certain green-eyed brown-haired girl, the two had become best friends. Tifa smiled to herself and thought of Aerith, it had been a long time since she had spoken with her. If her memory served her right, the last time she and her best friend had spoken was about...oh, five weeks ago.
Tifa sure missed her; Tifa wondered when she would see her again. Her question was soon answered, when errand running Ellie came running back into the classing room, the teacher had yelled at Ellie but Ellie had not noticed. Well, it was that or Ellie had completely ignored getting yelled at. Ellie had a gleam in her eye and a look that said, "I know something you don't know!"
"Tifa! Tifa! Guess what!" Ellie said breathlessly while running over to her desk, Tifa was about to say something when Ellie interrupted her excitedly "Aerith! She's back! She's in the office!"
"What?" Tifa said in disbelief and shook her head "Nice joke Ellie, you almost had me there for a second, now sit down before you get yelled at again."
"I'm Serious!" Ellie stomped her foot in protest "Aerith is in the office! Come on!" Ellie grabbed Tifa's arm and lifted her out of her seat, proving that Ellie was not making it up. And before she knew it, Tifa was in the hallway with Ellie running towards the office with their teacher shouting at them to come back to class from the doorway. Poor teacher, never an ounce of respect from his students.
Though respect for the teacher was far from the normally thoughtful brunettes mind. Her thoughts were elsewhere. Aerith? Aerith Gainsborough? Her best friend Aerith? Back from Junon? It sounded too good to be true Ellie had to be mistaken, Ellie must have seen someone who resembled her friend, but...what if it really was her?
If it was Aerith, why hadn't she called her the minute she got into town? It wasn't like Aerith to keep her friends in the dark. Regardless she hoped that it was her; she missed her best friend terribly.
The office was not far from Tifa's first hour, only a corridor away. Bursting through the door, Tifa was first in the room-Ellie was close behind with an excited look on her face. And there she was, all by her lonesome filling out paper after paper with a long pasty white pencil in her graceful hand. Tifa was nearly moved to tears, Aerith looked like an angel in her eyes, an angel with brown hair and bright emerald, green eyes. Call it exaggeration if you will, but this was how Tifa saw her friend, and mind you in a friendly way.
Tifa was frozen in her spot and found it hard to call out to Aerith. But Aerith was the type who could sense when someone was eyeing her, and so the brown-haired girl looked up and spotted Tifa and Ellie. Aerith stood up in a flash her pencil dropped and her paperwork scattered, her green eyes sparkled.
"Tifa!" Aerith exclaimed happily.
"Aerith!" Tifa ran up to her, Aerith met her halfway. The two practically-and purposely crashed into one another and the two hugged while laughing, they jumped up and down like hyperactive second graders.
"Tifa! Oh, my goodness! How have you been?" Aerith asked Tifa as the two pulled away from the hug.
"I've been great" not really "What about you? and why didn't you tell me you were coming back to Edge? Does Zack know you're in town?" Tifa added.
"Of course, Zack knows, Cloud does too...didn't he tell you?" Aerith stopped, her expression turned grim "Oh I forgot, you two are fighting, aren't you? I'm sorry Tifa I figured you two would have patched things up by now-"
"You knew that we were on bad terms? How?" Tifa said stunned as Ellie Juno looked on at her two friends, Ellie stayed silent but was curiously listening in on the conversation to get clued in.
"Well...A few days ago when I had just gotten back into town" Aerith began "Zack took me too a motorcycle race, and Cloud had shown up alone-he looked depressed. I think it was because the two of you were fighting."
Tifa was stunned, a motorcycle rally? Cloud had gone to the races without her. She could have kicked him! She loved going to those races. Tifa quickly put those thoughts aside, they were not on speaking terms that weekend so she had no reason to be mad. But still she loved going to the races with Cloud, at least he went alone and not with another girl, if that had been the case than there would have been hell to pay.
"What did he do at the rally? What exactly did he say?" Tifa asked, she was curious about what Cloud had told Aerith and Zack. Tifa knew Aerith well, Aerith was not the type to keep important matters quiet. Not when it truly mattered.
"Well...Cloud didn't want to talk about his problems...but...Zack and I tricked him into spilling his guts out and told us that he was ignoring you, he would not say why which made Zack and I scold him a little." Aerith laughed a bit at that "We told him to make up with you. so has he apologized?"
Tifa smiled and nodded.
"That's such good news!" Aerith clasped her hands together happily "I feared that you two would break up! But if you don't mind my asking-what exactly went on?" Tifa scratched the back of her ear nervously as she tried to put the right words together.
'Well, Aerith, while you were gone. I lost my virginity to Cloud and became pregnant. Even though we had used a condom Cloud still knocked me up! and when I had mustered up the nerve to tell him that he was going to be a daddy- he took it hard and ignored me for two days before talking to me again. But don't worry we've made up' Tifa thought quietly, no, she could not tell Aerith that. That just sounded rude. Plus, she and Cloud had promised each other to keep the baby secret...at least until Tifa was unable to hide her growing tummy.
Tifa just smiled and shook her head.
"I'll tell you later Aerith, when the time is right" Aerith seemed baffled by that response but asked no more questions about Tifa and her troubles with Cloud, besides that was ancient history now. Both Tifa and the forgotten friend Ellie stayed by Aerith's side until Aerith finished filling out her enrollment papers.
Tifa was happy to learn that Aerith had three classes with her, and the same lunch to boot! Tifa knew that Zack had the same lunch as Cloud, Aerith and herself. Maybe they'd eat together at lunch from now on? Tifa of course ran the risk of hearing about nothing but fenrirs and racetracks since when together that was all Cloud and Zack would ever talk about.
It was a small price to pay to be able to hang out with her best friend.
Tifa had to say goodbye to Aerith. She and Ellie still had to go back to their first period class. When they had returned Tifa and Ellie had received a good long, extremely long, lecture from their teacher about respect and decorum.
Thankfully there was no further punishment for either as it was a first time warning that either girl had ever received from any teacher that they had. Aside from this one incident, Tifa and Ellie were very well-behaved girls and model students, their jobs as teachers aids proved that.
After class was over and done with, Tifa walked out of the door and was greeted by her beloved Spiky haired blond, cerulean eyed boyfriend. Tifa walked up to Cloud and hugged him, Cloud held her tightly in his arms and kissed her on the cheek tenderly. It was a warm and touching moment, so one could only imagine the shock that graced Cloud's face when he felt Tifa's balled fist bump against his shoulder. It was hard too, but not too bad.
"Hey! What's that about?" Cloud winced a little as he massaged his shoulder. his girlfriend was tough-Tifa's small stature and demure good looks were misleading, she was stronger than how she appeared, but he was sure that it would not leave a bruise. If she had wanted to really hurt him she would have aimed for his face..
Tifa had a killer right hook, Cloud had learned that firsthand when he had made the mistake of insulting her father by calling the man a 'jackass with money', Cloud had received an instinctive cuff to the eye from Tifa which then led to their breakup last year. Course that had been so long ago, Cloud made it a point to never forget her strength. at least when talking about her father.
"Cloud, why didn't you tell me about Aerith? Why didn't you tell me that she was back in town?" Tifa asked in a surprisingly soft gentle tone as she walked alongside him, Cloud's eyes widened.
"You know?"
"I just found out, she just re-enrolled a couple of minutes ago" Tifa continued calmly as she took hold of his hand, Cloud accepted her touch "She told me about how you went to a rally last weekend, and how she and Zack urged you to patch things up with me" she tightened her grip on his hand "Is that true?" she looked up at him.
"It is." Cloud said with a nod, Tifa filled in the gap between them and linked her arm with his. Tifa rested her head on his shoulder as they walked down the hall, this action gave Cloud confirmation that she had no ill feelings towards him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Tifa questioned.
"I forgot." Cloud replied as a blush crept onto his pale face, Tifa looked up at him skeptically, Cloud quickly spoke up once more. "I had a lot of things on my mind, the fight, and…you know." That last part Cloud whispered in her ear, he meant the baby of course. She could sympathize with him, now she felt bad about her slugging his arm.
"I guess along the way I kind of forgot what happened at the race, I'm sorry" Cloud apologized, Tifa only smiled.
"There is no need for apologies baby." She kissed him tenderly on the cheek again, and Cloud smiled warmly.
"sorry for punching you." Tifa said angelically.
"I know you are." Cloud kissed her lovingly on the lips as everyone else in the hall passed by them. they were oblivious to the rest of the world for this wonderful moment in time.
Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry! I'm really sorry everyone! I've been over critical of my work and I wanted everything to be just perfect, after several re-inspections I've come to realize that I will never have a flawless chapter and that each will have mistaken, especially with my eyes. anybody want to be a beta for me? Please? Anyway I had reached my mark of 9000 words for this chapter.
Except that I've gone over my intended limit so I've decided to cut this chapter seeing that this part seems the right to end it at, the next one should be out at the end of this month, I'll be working on this story a lot more now seeing that its anniversary will be up soon.
Anyway, thank you guys for being patient. And please review and leave suggestions, i know this chapter isn't the best but i hope you all enjoyed it.
I'll be responding to reviews in the next chapter, i promise, my ear is killing me right now...damn winter season! Lol.
Rina