Chapter 23: Squeeze

March 6, 0008

Tifa began to squirm and kick with the hope of escaping, but it was of no use. Her captor had a tight grip around her neck, which was becoming tighter by the moment.

Moments later, Jack Balen appeared in front of the struggling Tifa.

"I will win this election," he insisted. "Whatever cost it takes."

It was Sumner that was strangling her. Although Jack was running for president, Sumner was the physically stronger of the two.

And it showed.

Tifa raised her shoulders for some quick breaths of oxygen, though it lacked any good to escape. It was not something that she would be able to do forever.

"You have already gotten in my way too much," Balen continued. "Time to die."

Sumner tightened his grip, cutting off all of her air.

Tifa could no longer raise her shoulders. She tried to call for help, but she couldn't; Sumner's grip was too strong.

She began to lose consciousness.

In a few seconds, it would all be over.

And it was all because she ran for president.

She knew the risk.

She chose to take the risk.

Now, she would pay the consequences.

And then, Sumner suddenly let her go.

"Ow!" he exclaimed as he grabbed his foot.

"What the hell?!" Balen exclaimed. "Kill her!"

Moments later, Balen himself was on the floor, clutching his balls as if he had been kicked in them.

It certainly wasn't Tifa who did it; she stood, perplexed, well out of range.

Then, Sumner felt his own pain where it counted, and joined his brother on the floor.

And then, Tifa felt herself lifting off the ground. A moment later, she was floating quickly out the door, and quickly into our apartment building, with only one bystander seeing her.

"I didn't know she could fly like that!" he said in amazement.

Once inside, Tifa felt herself being set on the ground.

She was relieved, but not surprised.

She knew exactly what had happened, and whom her savior was.

"Okay, Tobin," she commanded. "Uncloak yourself so I can give you the biggest hug I've ever given you!"

At that point, Tobin deactivated his cloaking bracelet, appearing into Tifa's view.

Tifa immediately threw her arms around him and pecked him on the cheek.

"You saved my ass!" she complimented. "You're the best cousin ever!"

Partial truth.

While they were good cousins to each other, I should point out that Tifa tormented the hell out of him when they were kids.

They were each the sibling the other never had.

LATER THAT NIGHT…

Tifa took a sip of her sparkling cider and sighed.

They were back at their home in Nibelheim, deciding to remain in for the night. They were sitting together on their living-room sofa, the street lights visible through their curtained windows.

"You okay?" Cloud asked.

"I almost died tonight," Tifa sighed. "But I'm otherwise okay."

Cloud held her hand in his; she seemed very composed given the circumstances of what happened just hours before.

"What can help?" he asked her.

"Just counting down," she replied. "Less than two months to go."

"The election's sooner than that," he informed her.

"I meant my birthday," she laughed. "I'll be twenty-one and finally old enough to drink. I would really like to be drunk right now."

"I could buy you some beer," he offered. "Just saying."

"I'm running for president," she reminded him. "I can't look bad."

That was true; she needed to look as good as possible, now that the election was beginning to turn in her favor again.

"You really kicked ass out there," Cloud pointed out.

"I wouldn't say that," Tifa dismissed. "This time, it was a fair fight."

"And you won," her husband added. "If only we could see the polls now."

"They should be up tomorrow," Tifa stated. "And then, we'll have our final debate in Rocket Town. Where they will no doubt try to cheat again. Or kill me."

Cloud squeezed her hand again. Although she was hiding it, he could tell she was frightened. Tobin would certainly stand by her side, cloaked, at the third debate.

But there were other things they could try…

"Is there anything at all I can do?" Cloud asked.

"I suppose I could use a back rub," she admitted with a smile. "From my favorite masseuse."

She briefly stradled the man she loved and kissed him. She then stood up and smiled again.

Cloud returned the smile, took her hand, and led her up the stairs to their bedroom.

They stopped a foot from their bed, and stood smiling at each other for a few moments.

"Well," she said, breaking the silence, "my shirt's not going to take itself off!"

"Turn around," he gently commanded.

Tifa turned around and raised her arms into the air.

He slipped off her shirt, unhooked her bra, and tossed them both aside. Then, without warning, he reached down and around front, unbuckled her grommet belt, and unzipped her jeans. He then slid them, along with her panties, to her ankles.

"Excuse you!" Tifa playfully complained, though she certainly didn't mind being fully nude in front of her husband.

"What?" asked Cloud in the same tone of voice. "Don't you want to feel free?"

"I would," she admitted.

He gently guided her forward, compelling her to step out of her jeans and underwear, and lay face down on the bed.

He then began to rub her back and shoulders, getting knot after knot out of her bare back.

"Oooh," she purred. "I've been waiting all day for this!"

He then began to massage her spine.

Tifa found that feeling most welcome as well. All the nerves gave it all the feeling, and each stroke took much stress away.

And then, the feeling stopped.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

She then felt his hands again; only now he was massaging her feet. She had been on those feet all day, and it felt very relieving to have the man she loved take the pain away.

He then moved to her calves.

Her calves had also been strained from all of the standing, and the massage was setting them loose again.

"Well, now I know why you took my pants off!" she purred. "This is sooooo nice!"

"Should I do this more often?" he asked.

"One hundred percent!" Tifa replied.

He was now at her thighs.

The feeling of her husband's hands on her bare thighs was almost too much for her; in a good way, of course. She was still getting used to being touched there, but the feeling was causing goosebumps all over her body.

Including the part Cloud's eyes were presently focused on.

Tifa's butt was her third best feature, her first being her boobs (obviously) and her second being a sweet spot my publisher won't let me name. That said, Cloud was an ass-man, and was staring at his wife's butt the whole time he was massaging her thighs.

"What are you looking at?" Tifa laughed.

"Nothing," Cloud quickly replied.

"Liar!" she playfully accused.

She then felt his hands on her bare butt.

"Back!" she quickly protested. "My back!"

Cloud immediately moved his hands to Tifa's back and continued to massage.

The damage, however, was done.

Tifa knew it was either sheer negligence, or sheer intention. Either way, she began to feel the consequences.

She pounded the bed hard with her fist.

"Dammit, Cloud," she growled.

"What?" he asked.

"You know what," she replied. "Putting your hands on my ass!"

"Sorry!" he sheepishly apologized as he stopped the massage.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" she replied in a low voice with clenched teeth as she rose to her knees and fixed her hair.

"I suppose we could crash," Cloud suggested playfully. "It is getting late."

"Oh, hell no!" Tifa quickly dismissed as she literally threw him onto his back. "You are not giving me blue balls!"

She yanked his pants and boxers to his knees, and prepared to mount him.

"Fucking asshole!" she playfully growled, although, deep down, she had wanted it as much as he did.

Mission accomplished, thought Cloud.