Cotton Candy Kisses

"That was fun, wasn't it?"

Tifa's voice was a bell in his ear, ringing out with a lilt that vibrated through his heart. A heart that couldn't stop beating at a wild and frenzied pace, still stricken by the memory of her body pressed up against his, soft breasts on his chest and narrow waist beneath his hands. The play had been equal parts silly and fantastically romantic. Still, the moments of poetically allegorical dialogue and scripted slow-dancing had stirred the heat in his blood more than he had been prepared for when they'd stepped onto that stage.

Now, moments later, as they walked along the thoroughfares of the Gold Saucer, Cloud couldn't help but mull distractedly over the first hour of his date with Tifa with a sort of whimsical fondness that was new and surprising to him. He'd never been on a date before and he'd be lying if he tried to say that the idea of doing such a thing, with Tifa of all people, hadn't filled his belly with butterflies from the moment she'd shown up at his room at the inn with a coy, deferential smile on her face. The truth was they had planned for a night on the town way back in Sector Seven, but time and events hadn't exactly been kind to allowing the opportunity to present itself. Now, though, in this brief reprieve at the Gold Saucer while they pursued Sephiroth, they finally had the chance, and Cloud found himself slightly awestruck by how easy it was to spend time with Tifa.

The night was still young, and they sauntered down boardwalks and stanchioned pathways that interconnected the different Squares, bright lights and loud music bubbling around them. Cloud glanced sidelong at Tifa from the corners of his eyes, watching as she nimbly walked alongside him, her head titled to one side as she looked up at him with a happy and distant look etched across her fine features. Her eyes were glassy, their crimson irises absorbing the neon colors that floated around them in kaleidoscopic shards. There was nothing he could do to keep himself from getting lost in them, but the soft echo of her words was enough to keep him from drifting off completely.

Even more than that, he was captivated by her lips, especially since she was polishing off the last bits of a stick of cotton candy he'd picked up for her at one of the stands after they'd left the theater. It was staining her mouth and tongue a vibrant shade of pink, utterly distracting him, and every time she licked her lips again, he found himself throbbing inside.

"Y-eah," he found himself finally stuttering in reply. Why was he suddenly so tongue-tied? The heat that his dance with Tifa had inspired in his blood had left him completely off-kilter. Normally he could keep his cool around her. More than anything, he didn't want Tifa to see him as weak or wishy-washy or unbalanced. He had to maintain a level of equanimity or his whole facade would come crashing down.

"Didn't know you were such a good dancer, after all."

The light tease in her voice did nothing to cool him down, only served to further inflame his senses. He cleared his throat, looking away slightly to hide the steadily rising color in his cheeks.

"You made it easy," he replied as nonchalantly as possible.

She giggled amicably at that, and it made his heart soar to hear that such a small sound of joy coming from her was a result of him. A smug look of satisfaction crawled across his lips, but his self-possession was obliterated when Tifa gently reached out to take his hand in hers.

"Oh, look. The gondola rides. How about it, Cloud?"

She turned back to him, one arm outstretched, slender fingers pointing towards the Round Square. She blushed when their eyes met, realizing that she'd boldly taken his hand, their fingers brushing against one another. The warmth of her hand folded in his, even with the layers of their leather gloves separating their skin, was enough to unravel him, and when their eyes met, he couldn't stop the way he smiled back at her. The sight of her flushed cheeks and sparkling cherry-popsicle irises was too compelling, her soft lips gapping with excitement.

"Sure," he agreed. He couldn't refuse her if he tried.

Her smile expanded and she led him down shiny waxed corridors, more lights erupting all around them, the sky opening up under a tiered roof when they stepped up to the queue. The Round Square was an obvious date spot, especially at this late hour, and Cloud felt a lump tighten in his throat as he looked around and saw nothing but couples waiting in line or de-boarding the cable cars as they made their looping returns. Tifa's fingers threaded through his, and he instinctively tightened his hold, the realization slowly settling in.

He was on a date. With Tifa. A real date, just the two of them, spending time alone together without anyone to interr-

"Right this way, sir."

An attendant at the front of the queue was looking at him and Tifa expectantly, gesturing to the sign above and holding out a hand for GP. Cloud blinked, realizing that it was their turn to board. Tifa was still holding the cotton candy, and she took a final bite before turning away and tossing the stick in a nearby trash can. Cloud used the moment to reorient himself, quickly paying the attendant the required GP for their ride. When Tifa returned to his side, she was licking her lips again, shiny and red, and the exuberant heat was coloring his entire face again.

"Enjoy the ride."

Cloud ignored the attendant, this time taking Tifa's hand so that he could steady her and help her as she stepped carefully onto the gondola car that waited for them. Plush velvet benches lined the curved interior, gilded metal beams anchoring the frame to the pulleys overhead. It was open to the air and the night sky above the desert sands far below, inviting in the starry canvas above and the bursts of fireworks from every direction. The atmosphere it painted was divinely romantic, one that even Cloud could not ignore.

Tifa stepped onto the gondola first, murmuring a quiet thanks to Cloud who helped steady her as he climbed on behind her. She slid onto the bench, crossing her legs at the knees and folding her hands in her lap as she stared out at the skyline beyond. Cloud sat on the bench beside her as the attendant closed and secured the door, leaving a respectable space between them despite how badly his blood was urging him to close the little bit of distance that remained, especially after their dance.

The gondola began to move, pulling along the ropeways overhead as it glided through the sky above the Gold Saucer. Tifa leaned forward, peering out of the open window to her left, absorbing all of the sights around and below. The boom of the fireworks and the music were still loud, but their sounds began to fade the higher the gondola climbed. Nonetheless, he was grateful that it drowned out the heavy thunder of his heartbeat. He didn't understand why but it was racing, nearly giving him palpitations as he realized how intimate his date with Tifa had suddenly turned just by them sitting here together.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

Cloud blinked. He was transfixed, staring at Tifa's face as she leaned forward, her eyes glazing past him to admire another explosion of colors in the sky. Her lips were curved into a slight smile, an almost dreamy expression gracing her face as she stared off into the distance. He so badly wanted to know what pictures her thoughts truly painted, what fairytales lay behind those wine-colored orbs to her soul. But all he could read was serenity and peace, maybe even happiness.

Happiness to be here with him?

Cloud blinked, lost in her features as he stared. He'd been enamored with her all night, unable to take his eyes off of her. They'd worn costumes on stage and Cloud's retinas still burned with the memory of the gown that Tifa wore, the way her hair had been piled up on top of her head with tendrils draping along her chin and trailing her shoulders. She'd been so stunning he'd forgotten half of his lines and had to improvise just to get through the production without massively blowing it in front of hundreds of people. But when they'd danced - time and audience had ceased to exist. It was just him and Tifa for those three minutes, bodies pressed together under the burn of spotlights, hearts slamming together and eyes bound as if with an invisible chain.

Now, though, Tifa was back in her regular clothes and was no longer a princess needing to be saved, but simply Tifa, the girl next door who was his most cherished childhood friend and who occupied a treasured but hidden space in his heart. And like this - without makeup and a fancy dress, with fireworks bursting neon stardust across her porcelain skin, she was the prettiest thing Cloud had ever laid eyes on.

"Yeah," he finally agreed, a little more breathlessly than he intended. He wasn't sure why his voice had softened to such a low tenor, barely above a whisper, but there it was and there was nothing he could do to change it.

Tifa blinked, pink and red and green lighting up her eyes. She turned back to him, catching the way his eyes were hooked onto her face, the way he was unconsciously leaning forward over his knees as if desperately trying to close the distance between them without even realizing it. He watched a flush of heat and color spread across her cheeks as they stared at one another, and once again Cloud's heart beat out of pace, his stomach curling with butterflies as he realized that he was the one who was responsible for producing that reaction in her.

She leaned back, shyly crossing her arms around her midsection, her hands rubbing above her elbows. It was a diffident and deferential response that Cloud had observed in Tifa before, one she made when she was nervous or unsure. Watching her eyes drop, he realized that his indirect compliment had flustered her, and the thought both thrilled and worried Cloud.

He tried to figure out what to do next, but he realized with each passing moment that he had no idea what he was doing when it came to this sort of thing. Sure, spending time with Tifa was easy, and the exchanges they shared in such moments came naturally to him. He found it didn't often take much for him to flirt slickly with her or send a compliment her way, and he certainly had to restrain himself from touching her unnecessarily. But now, in such a purposefully intimate moment, he found himself losing his nerves.

He'd been struggling for weeks to understand his feelings for Tifa Lockhart. As foggy as his brain had been since waking up in Midgar to her cabernet eyes at that train station, he realized his heart was filled with an even greater muddiness that he couldn't quite wade through. It was so difficult for him to navigate the crosshatched sections of broken memories and tender, soft feelings that only seemed to stir when she looked his way or stood close to him, when she touched his arm or gently reassured him with that sultry, caring voice. He tried his best to understand what he felt and he tried his best to connect with Tifa, offering her comfort and smiles and even flowers whenever he could.

But was it enough? Sitting here on this cable car with his hands melting under his gloves, Cloud wasn't so sure.

Trying to think of a way to combat his insecurity, Cloud eyed the way Tifa's hands absently rubbed at her arms. His heart picking up speed again, he lifted his arm and stretched it behind her over the bench as nonchalantly as he possibly could.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

There it was, that feathery softness in his voice again. Tifa's blush deepened, and she nodded a little, leaning in his direction and bringing her warmth and sweet scent of jasmine and cotton candy with her. Enthused by her reaction, Cloud curled his arm closer around her, letting her settle up against the inside of his body. She didn't rest her full weight on him, but she gave in just enough that he could feel the soft press of her breast against his chest, her shoulder tucked under his.

Cloud looked down at her through the corners of his eyes, his heart slamming into his ribcage. He had to do everything in his power to keep from grinning like an idiot at the way that she relinquished herself to him, leaning into his hold. He wasn't sure how it was possible a poor bastard like himself could be so lucky, but he wasn't about to complain. All he could do now was savor the moment, his leather-bound fingertips tracing the top of her forearm as he stared out and watched another multicolored display of fireworks explode in front of them.

"Cloud…?" Tifa's voice was low, suddenly cutting through the confused haze of his thoughts. He turned, glancing back down at her to see that she was leaning back slightly, looking up at him with those warm, almond-shaped, honey-brown eyes. He was sinking in them, staring as if lost forever in her soul as he waited for her to finish her thought.

She shook her head. "I should just say it," she whispered, then winced, frowning inwardly at herself. Cloud fretted internally, debating what he should do or say. He decided to focus his attention on her, his breath even and calm as he waited eagerly for her to continue.

"I… no," she paused, lowering her eyes. "I guess - being old friends is hard. I just…"

She stopped again, her brows furrowing with worry. Cloud could feel his own sense of panic surge, the tension between them growing thick enough to snap like a twig. Her chest was rising and falling with tiny breaths, and Cloud was desperate to know what she was trying to tell him. Hopes and dreams that lived somewhere deep inside of him, inaccessible and latent, seemed to push him as he leaned in closer to her face, bending down slightly so that their faces were level with one another.

"What do you mean?" he asked her, unable to keep from blurting his words out messily, almost demandingly. Her eyes flashed open wide, surprised by how close he was, and after scanning his face for a brief moment, they dropped to his lips.

Before he could inhale his next breath, Tifa Lockhart kissed him.

It was nothing more than a soft press, the slightest curve of her neck as she brought her mouth towards him and laid it atop his. It was as if he was suddenly kissing a cloud, or maybe one of those tufts of cotton candy she had just been nibbling on, its sweet flavors still coating every groove of her lips.

Cloud was trying desperately to process what was happening when Tifa abruptly pulled away. Perhaps, to him, that was more shocking than the kiss itself. He hadn't even realized how he had fallen into her sudden affection, his eyes falling shut and his heart careening in a dangerously uneven tempo as he allowed himself to experience the feel of her kiss for the very first time. But then she was suddenly gone, backing away, bringing a hand up shyly to her face as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I don't know what I was thinking. I -"

Cloud reacted without putting much, if any, thought into his next movements at all. His sense of desperation and panic was all but fatal now and there was nothing in this world that would let him go on allowing Tifa to think she had made a mistake by kissing him. His eyes as ablaze as his heart, he gently took her hand in his, moving it away from her lips so that he could see those beautiful lips once again. He gently turned her cheek towards his with the tips of his fingers, locking eyes with her and saying nothing as he kissed her back.

This time, Cloud made certain his lips were parted, and that there was no confusion or miscommunication about his sense of desire. At once, he could taste the minefield of cotton candy flavors on her tongue, the heat of her lips melding against his and pushing him towards a corner of blissful existence he had never visited before. Tifa moaned lightly as their lips locked, and the sudden surge of possession and desire he felt was so intense that his hand on her shoulder lifted to grip the back of her head, cradling it as he deepened their kiss.

Tifa's tongue curled against his, producing sensations that raced throughout Cloud's entire body, burning every nerve ending and sending a painful surge between his thighs. Cloud had been fighting back erections for the entire night but this moment was unstoppable, and the conflicting warfare of pain and pleasure that assaulted his brain was sucking the life right out of him. But it was Tifa's responsiveness that was his true unraveling, her arms snaking upwards to wrap around his strong shoulders and neck, her tits pressing gratuitously against his chest as she leaned in and deepened their kiss.

Cloud wasn't sure how long it went on, but the intensity of it grew until Tifa was finally the one who pulled away, gasping for air. But her eyes met his, and he could only blink as he stared at the portrait that hung mere inches in front of his face - ruby-red eyes, dark fluttering lashes, kiss-swollen lips, and a face that was haloed by detonations of fanciful colors and a starry night sky. She smiled slightly at him, biting into her bottom lip, and Cloud couldn't stop himself.

He grabbed her, pulling her in even more tightly for another kiss.

This one became so frenzied that it wasn't long before Tifa was crawling over him, and Cloud was happy to oblige her by pulling her into his lap. His cock throbbed when she sat over his center, and as embarrassing as it was, he had no fucks to give about it. Tifa Lockhart was in his lap, holding onto his neck as she explored every centimeter of his mouth with her tongue. And despite the layers of fabric that separated them - her tops and his sweater - he could feel the stiffness of her nipples pointing into his chest. The thought that she might be as aroused as he was enough to ruin him, and the more he thought about it, the tighter he squeezed her and the harder he kissed her, dumbstruck when he realized she was slowly grinding her hips over his lap.

All of it was becoming too much for Cloud to handle, his entire body on fire and everything oversensitive as Tifa pressed her bottom harder against his erection. Biting out a groan against her kiss, he nipped into her bottom lip, tasting the strawberry flavors of cotton candy again making him even dizzier. She huffed and puffed breathlessly, cupping his cheeks with both hands as they stared at each other with wanton, low-lidded eyes.

"Can I touch you?" he almost begged, right into her mouth. He wanted her so badly and if he was reading her body correctly, she wanted him too. He didn't care if they were in a public gondola suspended thousands of feet above the air, he felt like he might die if he didn't get his hands on her.

"Please," she purred.

He wasn't expecting that response, and it kicked his desire to a fever pitch. Protectively, Cloud curled her body even closer to his, leaving just enough room for him to slide his hand between them. His fingers drifted over her full breast, cupping and squeezing its weight gently, his mind whiting out at how soft but heavy it felt in his hand. Tifa purred another listless sound, her hips twitching again as their mouths reconnected in another fiery kiss.

"This okay?" Cloud whispered across her tongue, his finger tracing circles over her hardened nipple. She moaned lightly and nodded, pressing her body despairingly against his, her hips twirling in a new direction. His mind was completely blitzkrieged by the thought of her riding his naked cock and working her hips in that very same fashion.

He kissed her again, her reactions sending him into the same sky that burst with fireworks behind them. Her lips were heavily swollen by now and Cloud wished he could take a picture of how beautiful she looked with desire etched and colored all over her face. He pinched her nipple gently, licking his lips at the squeal she emitted, lowering his hand over her tummy and then between her thighs, under her skirt.

"I want you so bad, Tifa," he couldn't help but whine, kissing her feverishly as his hands brushed the warm heat of her inner thighs.

She mumbled something incoherent in response, tightening her grip on his neck as she kissed him harder, tilting her head to the side to give him better access. Her thighs widened and she ground her hips into his erection again, sending stars into his vision. His heart a thunderclap, Cloud lifted his hand to tug off his glove with his teeth, dropping it onto the bench beside him before he returned under her skirt, squeezing her thigh.

He suppressed a groan as his fingers crawled up the seam of her panties, finding them hot to the touch and already soaked through. The realization made his dick harden impossibly more and leak, his hips buckling up under hers in search of some relief. He kissed Tifa again, his tongue crossing paths with hers as he swept his fingers over the thin, damp material, a soft moan escaping her throat and bubbling against his lips.

"Feels good?" he asked her through their kiss, and she nodded, pulling at the soft strands of hair at the nape of his neck.

Pleased, Cloud gently pushed the fabric of her panties to the side, sweeping his fingers through her drenched folds. He wished that he could see what he was touching, but he let his imagination run wild as he explored the wet heat of her pussy. Tifa moaned and kissed him with a renewed frenzy, rotating her hips and squeezing her thighs around his waist. Her reactions were so sexy and unencumbered that he found himself groaning, rocking his hips back and forth in an effort to find some friction against her body.

He slid his middle finger through her heat, gently circling her tight opening and rubbing the sensitive skin of it without daring to enter her. His mind flooded with thoughts of being inside of her, but he knew that tonight was not the night and that he would be saving that for another time, one that was special and private. Nonetheless, he was so head over heels at the prospect of being able to touch her this like that that he indulged himself, prodding gently and kissing her with more fervor when she purred and cooed against his lips.

Tifa sighed loudly and encouragingly when Cloud dragged his finger upwards, finding the stiff button of her clit, hard and ready for his attention. Smoothing her wetness over the tiny nub in slow circles, he winced as Tifa moaned, kissing him harder and dropping one hand to his crotch. Cloud held back tears at the sudden pleasure she brought out of him as she began to rub his hard cock over his fatigues, his heart collapsing and their hips riding together.

Cloud closed his eyes, losing himself in her kiss. They moaned and sighed together, her hand rubbing over his stiff length while his fingers glided over her clit, rubbing and pulling, caressing her engorged nub between his fingers. Whenever she trembled too much, he slid back down her slit to her opening, rubbing it as it throbbed desperately but never penetrating her.

She was so wet and he was so hard, but the pressure and friction weren't enough for either of them. Cloud was beginning to grow desperate for release, and judging by the way that Tifa whined and whimpered, she was too. He now was formulating a plan to take her back to his room after this gondola ride so that he could finish this up properly.

"Mmm," Tifa moaned, squeezing his dick in her tiny, powerful hand. "You feel so good…"

Cloud kissed her again, flicking her clit under his thumb, her bottom lip trapped between his teeth.

"You're fucking amazing, Tifa-"

"That's enough, you two! Ride's over!"

Cloud had no idea how much time had passed when the offensive voice broke intrusively through his thoughts. He glanced to his right, reluctantly breaking his kiss with Tifa. He pulled his hand away, squinting through the veiled darkness and the bursts of meddlesome lights as he realized the gondola was pulling up to a stop at the station, the attendant reaching up for the safety rails to anchor it in place as they de-boarded. The attendant seemed none the wiser to their actual activities - it was still too dark inside the gondola and he was busy locking the cable car into position - but nonetheless, Tifa jumped out of Cloud's lap and hastily brushed herself off and rearranged her clothes, while Cloud wiped his fingers off on his pants and swore viciously.

They hadn't exchanged a word in so many minutes - nothing but soft moans and breathless grunts - and glancing over at her, Cloud could see how disheveled and flushed Tifa was. It would be obvious to anyone with eyes that they had been in the middle of a heavy makeout and petting session, and the thought of it made him grin stupidly. Seeing the smile that broke out across his face, Tifa smiled too, then started to giggle uncontrollably. Cloud laughed too, reaching up to help calm the flyaway hairs around her face, brushing his thumb lovingly across her cheek.

"Sir," the attendant suddenly demanded. "I got a line waiting here."

Cloud let out a sigh, still feeling the intense throb between his legs and the pain that radiated throughout every nerve in his body. His heart was pounding so viciously that it was almost hard to breathe. Tifa dipped her head shyly, hiding her face, and seeing the bright red color the tops of her cheeks, he got to his feet and took her hand.

"Come on, beautiful," he whispered encouragingly, trying to brush past the way his voice trembled from the stagnated desire and lack of release. "Let's go... I can finish taking care of you in my room."

He smirked at her, and Tifa's eyes grew as wide as saucers. She flushed even more, but she took his hand, and pleased with himself, Cloud helped her step off of the gondola, wrapping his arm around her waist and staring down everyone who dared eye them and their messy, disheveled state.

As they walked away from the Round Square, Cloud glanced down at her.

"So, what did you want to tell me before?" he asked, still trying to catch his breath. She could still taste the cotton candy from her kiss on his tongue, and it was distracting as hell.

Tifa blushed, shaking her head. She took Cloud's hand, leaning up to press a sweet kiss to his cheek.

"Let's talk about it when we get back to your room," she whispered, her voice velvety and sultry, instantly stiffening his cock again.

Unfortunately, thanks to Cait Sith, they never made it back to the inn.

...and he'd left his glove on the gondola.