Title: Scars of Friendship
Chapter: 2.5/??
Comments: Interludes are chapters or scenes that are short, and just offer insight, but no advancement of the plot itself. They are often of non-insane Cloud POV, so Cloud doesn't remember these events clearly. For example, it's obvious in the previous chapter that he's forgotten his crush on Sephiroth etc.

Interlude: Case of the Well

Cloud waited on the well. He felt nervous. Really, really nervous. He'd never told a girl he liked them before, but he was determined to tell Tifa today. It was the right thing to do. Besides, his ma would be upset if he told her who he really liked. He was sure that she wouldn't want her teenage son to want to admit to wanking over General Sephiroth's pictures. It would be acceptable to do it over Tifa's boobs though.

Probably.

And he could admire Tifa's curves the same as the next man. He just didn't find them all that appealing when he could stare at the sheer raw power in Sephiroth's every movement. He guessed he was probably gay... Or at least bisexual. He'd heard that term on the TV once, but he still wasn't quite sure what it meant.

He supposed he was a little naïve.

I'm cold...

"Sorry I'm late."

He nearly jumped out of his skin. Tifa was there, wearing a cute outfit that Cloud hadn't seen before. Had she worn her best just to come out and see him? He felt the butterflies increase in his stomach. There was no way that Tifa would like him. She'd just laugh or something.

"You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" she prompted when Cloud just stared at her. He blushed and looked down at his feet. She sat down, hanging her legs over the edge of the well.

"Come this spring... I'm leaving this town. I'm going to Midgar," he said nervously. Tifa didn't seem too shocked.

"All the boys are leaving our town," she said, sounding weirdly nostalgic. Cloud bit his lip. Of course. Tifa's on-off boyfriend Johnny was leaving too, wasn't he? He felt like such an ass for even thinking about trying to convince her to be his girl before he left.

"But I'm different from them. I'm not just going to find work," Cloud heard himself protesting and he could have smacked himself. Way to go to sound like a complete prick.

"I want to join SOLDIER. I'm going to be the best. Just like General Sephiroth," he announced. Somehow, when said aloud, it just didn't seem as likely as it did in his fantasies.

"Sephiroth... the Demon of Wutai..." she mused. Cloud glanced down at her, wondering what she was thinking.

"Is it hard to join SOLDIER?" she asked. Cloud thought about it.

"I won't be coming home for a while. You'll promise to look in on Ma for me? She doesn't know I'm going," he said. Tifa's eyes narrowed.

"You're running away?" she asked. Cloud shook his head.

"No," he lied. Tifa rolled her eyes and nodded.

"I'll look in on her so long as you promise you'll write to her," she said. Cloud grinned.

"Don't worry. If I do well I'll be in the papers!" he said. Tifa seemed unable to share his enthusiasm. For a long moment there was silence and Cloud wondered if she felt awkward that he was unloading all this onto her. She leaned back then, tilting her face up to look at him.

"Promise me. Promise me that if I'm ever in trouble, you'll come save me," she said. Cloud just stared down at her blankly. Her face turned pink.

"Sorry. It's just a dream of mine that... if I'm ever in trouble, a hero will come and save me... Well, there's no one else who'll make SOLDIER in the village, so you're just going to have to do," she said. Cloud found himself nodding.

"Okay... I promise..."