AUTHOR'S NOTE: Can you say filler? We're back to my usual method of thrid person narration and I wanna say thank you to everyone who has reviewed thus far. As most of you have likely inferred, this story is nearing its end. There are still a few story arcs left (two to be precise) and the sequel that has begun! This comes up like only a few days since the last one, because I'm gripped with the need to finish this story! The inspiration is back, and as is my drive, I wanna finish before the 1 year anniversay, which is in Feb! I'll probably finish before new years too, so until next time!
XXX
"I want out."
Sephiroth looked up in surprise. He was sitting in the small cafe Cloud had met up with him the first time.
"What?"
"You heard me," Cloud replied, not bothering to sit. "I want out. No more selling, no more using, no more going out with you guys. All of it."
His voice was so calm, it unnerved him.
"I heard what you said," Sephiroth replied, equally calm. "What I want to know is why."
Cloud sat down this time and sighed wearily. "I've been doing some thinking."
"And?" Sephiroth pressed, his one eyebrow raised.
"I've been thinking about of things, my life, its direction and a whole bunch of other stuff," Cloud was unable to look the other man in the eye. "And I don't think this is where I want to be going."
Sephiroth quirked another eye-brow. "Cloud, I understand your friend's death has affected you badly, but that's no reason for you to stop living! This sort of thing happens."
"But that's the problem, Seph," Cloud answered. "If this is your idea of living, then...I don't know man, I just don't know," he said allowing his head to drop down onto the table.
"Lemme tell you what," Seph said, casually pulling out a cigarette. "You're not thinking clearly right now. Its obvious you're still in shock, but let me tell you, its been two weeks, snap out of it! Soon you'll realise you dumb you're acting and forget all about this!"
"No, Seph," Cloud replied sadly. "I am thinking clearly. And I...can't go on like this anymore! I need to stop all of this!"
Sephiroth gave a chuckle. "Cloud stop acting like a kid!"
Cloud didn't answer.
Seph's smile slid. "You're serious aren't you?"
Cloud nodded.
His face, expressionless, Sephiroth looked at Cloud, straight in the eye. "Do you want to know why I asked you to join us?"
Cloud shook his head.
"I did it, because I saw a lot of myself in you Cloud," Sephiroth went on. "We're very alike you and I. Shunned our entire lives, unwanted, cast out! Then you realise that people like you and me are better than everyone. We rely on ourselves, we don't need anyone!"
Cloud shook his head. "No."
"You're friend dying does not mean you should stop living!" Sephiroth snapped, almost shouting.
His outburst made Cloud's own temper flare. "You call this living? Relying on Mako to survive, getting other people addicted so you can sponge off them?" He had gotten to his feet. "You don't care how many people's lives you fuck up as long as you're pocket stays full! And I'm sick of it! You live by taking away other peoples lives and that's wrong!"
Sephiroth stood up. "Both of us have never been given anything by anyone! People take and take from people like us! Why should we be any different?!"
"You're wrong Sephiroth," Cloud replied coldly. He watched with satisfaction as Sephiroth noticed his use of his full name. "I'm nothing like you," he said slowly. "I refuse to live my life as you're puppet!"
With that he turned and began walking away, ignoring the stares other patrons were shooting at him.
"Don't do this Cloud," Sephiroth whispered. Cloud's steps slowed. "You will regret it!"
Cloud turned around, keeping his face devoid of emotion. "Is that a threat?"
Sephiroth smirked. "No Cloud. Its a promise."
XXX
Tifa laid on her bed, a novel in front of her as she laid on her belly, absently kicking her legs with her earphones in.
She was trying her best not to think about Zack or Cloud's disturbing behaviour since. He had grown distant since the funeral, they seldom touched and whenever he called, it just wasn't the same.
She was sad to see the old Cloud slipping away, all she could do was hope he would return to normal soon.
It was about eight at night. The moon was bright outside and her dad was in his room holed up in a book of his own.
The bell rang. Tifa wondered who it could be, as she got off her bed and walked downstairs.
"I got it Papa!" She yelled.
She opened the door and her eyes widened.
"Cloud?! What are you doing here?"
Her boyfriend stood in the doorway, he looked terrible. His hair was messy, but wasn't it always? It seemed to her that those spikes were drooping a little. Maybe it was because he's face looked so downcast and sad.
"Hey Tifa," he said nervously, fidgetting a little.
"Oh sorry!" Tifa said quickly, she stepped back. "Come in!"
"Uhm," Cloud hesitated, staying where he was. "I don't think that's a good idea!"
"Cloud Strife! If you came here to break up with me, I swear I'll tear you're eyes out and feed them to my dog!" Tifa snapped.
Cloud looked shocked for a second, but then a smile split across his face and he started laughing.
Tifa looked at him in shock. That was the first time in two weeks she had seen him genuinely smile, much less laugh. He was so cute, and it seemed like he had his old spirit back, she had to smile with him.
"What the fuck are you laughing for?" She asked.
"Well, I was coming over to ask if you wanted to go out tonight and here you thought I wanted to end things," he said wiping his eyes and gave her smile.
He never knew it and she would never admit it, but his smile made her go weak in the knees. She had been with many guys before, but none of them had that effect on her. What made him so different?
He had her wrapped around his little finger and he didn't even know it.
"Tifa," he said snapping his finger in front of his face, breaking her thoughts. "You still there!"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm here aren't I?" She said quickly.
"Well it looked like you zoned out for a minute back there," he said with a shrug.
"Shut it!" She said, trying to cover up her blush. "So where are we going?"
"Wherever the wind takes us!" Cloud said, spreading his arms out.
Tifa laughed at him. "You do realise you sound like someone out of a cheap chick-flick!"
"Hey face it, people love cheap chick-flicks, that's why they make so much money! Haven't you seen how people react to Titanic!"
"This isn't Titanic dumbshit!" Tifa snapped, but she laughed. "Well do I need to change or am I fine like this?"
Cloud gave her a funny look. She was wearing a pink shorts and a white top with a heart on it. Soon he got that look in his eye. That mischieveous glint that told her he was about to-
"Tifa that get-up is only fine if we're going to a strip-club, obviously you should change!"
-insult her clothing, or lack thereof.
"Fuck you! A lot of girls dress like this!" She snapped.
"Yeah, but none of them are as...well-endowed as you!"
"Well then, you can look for someone else less endowed then, cause I'm not interested!" She shouted slamming the door.
"Oh come on Tifa!" He said, running to the door and leaning on it. "I was just joking!"
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just stay mad at you!" Tifa shouted through the door.
Cloud gave a small chuckle as he leaned against the door. "Well, I can give you a whole bunch of reasons!"
"Well start singing, because its gonna take a lot to get you outta this one!"
Cloud gave another laugh. "Well, I sort of realised that we've been together for a while now and we've never been on a proper date, y'know?"
"That's a stupid reason!"
"Let me finish!" Cloud said. "Look Tifa, I know I haven't been treating you right these last few weeks, but ever since I met you, well things have changed. I haven't met anyone quite like you. You know how to make me smile, how to make me laugh. Sometimes I feel whole just by you looking at me, you also know how to piss me off and embarass me at times, but gee Tifa..."
Tifa found herself leaning against the door listening.
"The times I'm with you...are some of the only times when I feel truly happy! Like you remember when you tried to sing All I Want For Chrismas Is You? I swear I could have melted into the ground right then and there, but you just looked at me with that smile of yours and I wasn't ashamed anymore, I knew that if I was going to sing in the middle of a crowded street, than there wasn't anyone I'd rather do it with besides you!"
Tifa felt a small smile creep across her face as she hugged herself, her eyes were becoming wet.
"And even though there are somethings I've done that I'm not proud of, well at least I can say that there's no one else I'd rather do it with. Even when you'd tease me about being a lightweight or how I didn't know how to light a cigarette, it didn't matter, just because YOU said it!"
Cloud broke his little monologue. "You are listening to me right? Tifa you bitch! I'm busy pouring my heart out to you the least you could do is reply!" He said, banging on the door.
"Tifa what the f-" the door opened slowly.
Cloud caught his last words in his mouth. Mr Lockheart stood in the doorway.
"Evening Cloud," he said. "Tifa's just gone upstairs to change, she said to stop shouting before she changes her mind."
"Uh-huh," Cloud said slowly.
XXX
"So what made you decide to take me out all of a sudden?" Tifa asked from her seat in the car.
"Well I told you, I realised we hadn't been on a proper date before, and I wanted to fix that!" Cloud replied.
"It didn't bother you before though," Tifa replied.
"We could always go back-"
"I'm just teasing!" Tifa said with a giggle.
Cloud just shook his head as he pulled up at Mcdonalds.
Tifa giggled at his choice. Mcdonalds was not her first choice on a date, but hey broke students' budgets didn't allow for fancy places.
They placed their orders and when the food came, they sat at a small booth.
Tifa stared at her plate for a second, trying to be lady-like and eating one fry at a time. After a few seconds, she muttered, "oh fuck it!"
She grabbed her burger and took a large bite and savoured the greasy taste on her tongue.
"Uhm...Tifa, you feeling good?" Cloud asked.
Tifa munched, gave him a look, shrugged and continued to chomp on the poor burger.
"You haven't got the munchies have you?" Cloud asked, sounding concerned.
"Cloud," Tifa replied, before swallowing. "I'm not high, I just forgot how great McDees can be!"
"Well, you seem to be enjoying it!" Cloud replied with a laugh.
Tifa joined him. "My dad always says the greatest test of any guy's love for me will be him watching me eat!"
"But I've seen you eat before!" Cloud said looking surprised.
"Yeah well usually I try to conduct myself," Tifa replied, licking some ketchup from her lip. "But today I just don't give a fuck!"
Cloud laughed. "Well, I think its cute!"
"You do?" Tifa looked at him in surprise.
"Well, you always say how I'm not like other guys," Cloud gave a shrug. "Its pretty much the same with you!"
"So we're partners in craziness!" Tifa said holding her soft-drink in a toast.
"Amen," Cloud replied toasting her back.
Tifa took a moment to look at Cloud. His eyes were so beautiful, that unusual shade of blue. His unruly hair. The way he had left the top button of his shirt open, exposing some skin. Even the firm set of his lips.
"Cloud," she said after a while.
"Hmm?"
"Cloud are you okay?" She asked him.
"Yeah why?"
Tifa looked away for a second. Then back at him. "I'm just worried about how the whole Zack thing. You haven't been yourself since."
"Tifa, I don't wanna talk about this right now. I just don't wann deal with this right now!"
"Who says you need to talk?" Tifa asked.
Cloud looked at her questioning.
Tifa sighed, thinking how best to put it. "Words...aren't the only way to convey your feelings."
Cloud looked baffled. "Huh?"
Tifa just shook her head, and before she even realised what she was doing, she had pulled Cloud into a deep kiss. It was not needy of showy. It was just a light kiss. Tifa tried to put all her feelings into that kiss, and she thought Cloud felt it.
They broke apart, but Cloud had that look in his eye again. "So...what else are you feeling?"
Tifa groaned and slammed her head onto the table.
XXX
An hour later the two of them sat on a park bench in the moonlight.
"I can't stop thinking if Zack hadn't died, what if it was me that night?" Cloud confessed out loud.
"Cloud, the past will never change, no matter how much you want it to," Tifa replied. "This is what happened, and you have to move on."
"I'm thinking a lot of things need to change huh?" He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Tifa nodded. "No one is expecting you to get past this overnight, but yeah, I think things do need to change." She heaved a sigh. "For all of us."
"Yeah," Cloud said, leaning onto her. "But there's still another loose end I need to tie up."
Tifa looked at him questioningly.
Cloud sighed and Tifa heard him out. She was a little surprised, but nevertheless, she leant into him.
"Its not gonna be easy, you know that?"
Cloud nodded. She nuzzled his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "Would you like me to come with you?"
Cloud seemed to consider this for a second, then shook his head. "No, this is something I have to do alone."
Tifa sighed, she expected nothing less, but part of her wished she could ease his pain. But she knew this was something he needed to do alone. All she could do was support him.
And that was what she fully intended on doing
XXX
AUTHOR'S NOTE: well, its a definite change to write in Tifa's POV, but I feel its a little better to mix it up a little and so we see a bit more of her. I know a lot of people must feel, knowing her history in this AU that she might be up to something, but she genuinely cares for Cloud and I wanted to make that apparent. Just to show that she may be a very world-wise, tough, sexy badass, but she still can be taken with a guy like Cloud.
Also I apologise for not being able to describe Cloud as brilliantly through Tifa's perspective. I'm a dude! I don't check out other guys so I'm not sure if I did it write so I asked my best friend about it. She gave me a seriously weird look but told me, and I tried to translate it but I think I stunk anyway.
So thank you once again for sticking with this fic and please review!
