AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well here it is! Another update from me! If you've been following my stories you'll see that this is my style, update frequently for a while, then you won't hear from me for months! But I said to myself, "Shiraz, you need to get at least one more chapter up before the end of this break!" And I did it! Anyway, I'm not sure if I managed to capture the atmosphere perfectly in this chapter, but please understand that I don't celebrate Christmas and I live in the southern hemisphere, so december is summer for us. All the same I wanted something specific to celebrate and also bring Cloud and Tifa closer together. And special thank you to Omegaxis1 for being my most loyal reviewer. And also to everyone else who has reviewed this fic thus far and for all the compliments. You guys rock!
XXX
"Be careful with that Cloud!" Mrs Strife admonished as her son wobbled under the load he had been given.
"Relax Ma!" Cloud answered. "I got this thing!"
Mrs Strife wrung her hands. "Are they sure they wanted us?" She asked nervously.
"Well they invited us, didn't they?" Cloud answered. Truth be told, he himself was a little nervous about spending Christmas with Tifa and her family.
The fateful day had arrived, it was a white Christmas this year, the snow had continued to gently fall and Nibelheim was engulfed in the pure white flakes. It was around twelve o' clock, Cloud remembered Tifa telling him they were expecting them around lunch time.
Having never celebrated Christmas before, Cloud was unsure what to expect when he knocked on the door.
The door opened a crack and Tifa peeped out at them. As soon as she saw who it was her face lit up.
"Cloud! Mrs Strife! So nice to see you! Merry Christmas!" She cried embracing Cloud first and then his mother. Although he felt a little embarassed about looking, Cloud couldn't help but notice her breasts still pushing out through her heavy layered clothing. She quickly ushered them into the house.
"We still have some things to get from the house!" Mrs Strife protested, but Tifa waved it off.
"Don't worry Mrs Strife, I'll help Cloud get everything, my dad and grandfather are in the living room, please make yourself at home," she said happily.
"But I-"
"Please don't fuss Mrs Strife! Today you're our guests!" Tifa cut her off, shooing her into the living room with the other adults.
Though she still looked a little flustered, Mrs Strife allowed herself to be ushered into the living room. As soon as she was certain Mrs Strife was comfortable, Tifa turned to Cloud with a glowing smile.
"For a moment I thought you guys weren't coming," she said.
"I wouldn't miss this for anything!" Cloud replied with a smile of his own.
Tifa's grin widened. "Alright then, let's go and get everything!"
The two of them left the house and went next door. Once she saw what Cloud had gone to fetch, Tifa found herself blushing.
"Oh Cloud! You really didn't have to!" She said, as she saw Cloud bend down to pick up a few daintilly wrapped boxes.
"Nonsense! We couldn't just pitch up at your place empty handed! Especially after you guys were kind enough to invite us!" Cloud answered.
Tifa looked momentarily dumbstruck, then as emotion took over her, she rushed and gave Cloud a bone-crushing hug. She was much stronger than she looked, Cloud thought as the air in his lungs was forced out.
"You truly are the best friend I ever had Cloud!" She whispered. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve someone like you in my life!"
"You've done plenty for me Tifa," Cloud answered, wrapping his arms around her. "You've gotten me out of enough tight spots and I know you'll always have my back."
Tifa pulled away from him and gave him one last smile before picking up another box and led the way back to her house.
XXX
The two of them arrived back at Tifa's place to see the adults deep in conversation.
"I never would have thought that taxing was so complicated!" Tifa's father was saying. "I usually just leave all that rubbish up to my accountant! I take my hat off to you Sylvia!"
Cloud's mother blushed at the attention. "Its really not that bad. But I suggest you take an interest Richard. You never know if you're being swindled!"
"Ah, the kids are back!" Cid said, evidently he was growing tired with the 'serious' talk.
"Oh my! Presents? My lord, Sylvia you didn't need to!" Mr Lockheart said, looking startled.
"You didn't need to invite us over today Richard!" Mrs Strife replied. "Yet you did it anyway. This is much the same."
"So when are we having lunch?" Cid grumped.
"Right about now!" Mr Lockheart said, leaping to his feet.
"I'll help you," Mrs Strife offered, also getting to her feet.
After the two of them had busied themselves in the kitchen, Cid looked at the two youngsters.
"Well, not lighting up a cigarette?" He asked.
Cloud looked uncomfortable, but Tifa just smiled. "Not now Dada! Cloud isn't sure if his mom knows!"
"I do!" Mrs Strife called from the kitchen. "I don't mind! I've actually always wanted to see how Cloud holds a cigarette!"
"Ma!" Cloud yelped as the rest of the house giggled. "Thanks a lot!" He grumped, folding his arms.
"He doesn't hold it like a sissy Mrs Strife!" Tifa tried to defend her friend, but couldn't hold her laughter in either.
"Right! Now that we've established that, please give me a cigarette Tifa!" Cloud snapped.
Tifa was still sniggering as she handed him one.
Cloud lit it and sat down, before taking a drag. He noticed everyone had their eyes on him and was staring annoyingly.
"Can't I at least smoke in peace?" He muttered, deciding that they would only be even more delighted had he shouted.
"Think of it this way Cloud, at least you provide a good amount of entertainment! Seeing as we don't get cable out here," Tifa replied, lighting her own with her grandfather.
"Well I don't think its very entertaining," Cloud muttered.
"Food's ready!" Mrs Strife interupted carrying a tray of food to the dining room.
The three smokers hurriedly finished their cigarettes and rushed to the dining room, where the smell of roast turkey allured them.
"Smells great!" Cloud said hungrily.
They turkey turned out to be as good as it smelled.
"I must say Richard! I'm impressed, this is delicious!" Mrs Strife gushed.
"Don't look at me!" Mr Lockheart replied with a smile. "It's all Tifa's hard work right there!"
Cloud whipped his head to look at the girl, who sat between him and her grandfather. "Wow Tifa, I never knew you could cook!"
Tifa daintilly swallowed the turkey in her mouth. "There's a lot of things about me that you don't know," she said mysteriously.
"So how's the Martial Arts going?" Cid asked her.
"Its good. I've been asked to become an instructor, but I have no patience to deal with novices!" Tifa replied.
"Why not? You seem to be good with anyone!" Cloud asked.
"Except kids!" Mr Lockheart added snidely.
Mr Lockheart and his father burst into guffaws while Tifa blushed and the two guests gazed at her in surprise.
"You don't like kids?" Cloud asked her, incredulously.
Tifa gave a shiver. "Hate them. Nasty little buggers! Last family function I went to, I nearly ended up throttling one of those little creatures because he was pulling my hair!"
The image of some tubby little boy yanking on Tifa's lusturious black hair as she stumbled was so comical to Cloud's mind that he nearly snorted into his food.
They passed through dessert while chatting happily as well, they then retired to the living room and before anyone knew it dinner time had arrived.
They ate their way through a scrumptous dinner and made their way back to the living room.
Cid soon regailed them with some humorous tales of his (admittedly wild) youth and Tifa and Cloud talked about college life, while Mrs Strife entertained Mr Lockheart but describing some very eccentric clients she had to deal with on a daily basis.
Soon everyone took part in a game of Black Jack, in which Mrs Strife surprise everybody by winning.
"I didn't know you could play cards Ma," Cloud said, throwing his cards down in frustration.
"Please Cloud! Obviously I can play cards! I did go to school and college you know!" Mrs Strife sounded a bit miffed that her only son didn't know this about her.
"Well its getting late now," Mrs Strife said, getting to her feet. "Thank you for the wonderful day. I really enjoyed it."
"Me too!" Cloud said, also standing. "Thank you so much!"
"Don't mention it boy!" Cid said jovially. "You must come again!"
As they said their goodbyes and turned to leave Cloud saw Tifa give him a glowing look. Smiling to himself, he exited the house, for the first time like everyone else, happy that it was Christmas
XXX
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it. Kinda vague at parts, but I seriously must have watched twenty youtube videos and listened to so many Christmas songs to try and capture the vibe and I'm not 100% happy with it. On the other hand I'm playing Final Fantasy X at the moment and have just maxed my strength, defence, magic and magic defence with Tidus, Yuna and Auron, so its time to go take out Penance (or bitchface as I like to call him, seeing the Game Over screen so many times will do that to you). So when I'm done with this y'all can expect a fic on FFX from me, but lemme not get ahead of myself and finish this one first. Till next time :) cheers!
