Cloud couldn't quite understand the look that Mr. Lockhart was giving him from the front door of his house. It was strange, cagey almost. It was a mix of fear and pleading, he thought. But fear of what? Pleading for who? The eye contact alone was already an odd change for their usual encounters. For as long as he could remember the older man had never made direct eye contact with him, and if their eyes did meet, never held his gaze for longer than a second before looking away.
"Sorry Mr. Lockhart I didn't mean to bother you at home," Cloud said looking nervously down at his shoes, not sure if he just imagined the emotions. Honestly he wouldn't be surprised if his mind somehow made up what he saw. He had been questioning if his memory was as good as he thought it was. People he used to be friendly with seemed to hate him now. Smiles that he used to receive from some of the adults were now frowns. Kids he thought were his friends only gave him glares now. What did he do wrong? Back at the front of the Lockhart residence too many seconds had passed.
Now or never
"I was just hoping to talk to Tifa if she was around, sir. I just needed to ask her something. Something important."
He chanced a look up to the older man and was startled to realize that his eyes were wet with unshed tears. The blond could only stare in horror as it looked like this strong man, the mayor of all of Nibelheim looked like he was about to cry. Even worse, the man's eyes seemed to be trying to tell him something, no longer pleading but begging. Cloud wasn't sure what as happening, what was Mr. Lockhart trying to tell him?
Cloud was so confused, What was going on? Had he come at a bad time? It was getting late and most people just wanted to go home and relax with their family. But as he was making his way home from another long day of walking around the forest being lonely and feeling sorry for himself, he glanced at Tifa's house. He was struck with the thought that he had to talk to her, had to get his thoughts out or else his head was going to explode. Before he could gather his courage and ask the man if he was alright, loud footsteps rang down the stairway.
"Papa who was at the door?" Tifa's voice seemed to reverberate along the walls, as she made her down as she made her way downstairs. "was it something for me or Mama? You know you aren't supposed to touch our stuff without our permission! Papa talk to me!"
Brian Lockhart shot him one last pained look. Straightening himself as if preparing for battle, the man turned toward the stairs to respond to her. If Cloud didn't know any better he'd say the mayor was almost afraid to talk to his daughter. But that was crazy! Everyone knew she was the apple of his eye, doing whatever she asked him like his life depended on it.
'I'm down here in the living room baby girl, I was just entertaining a guest and was about to offer him something to drink when you called out for me."
"Guest? Who could it be at this hour." The little girl mused as she finally made her grand entrance to the living room, gasping when she saw who it was. "Cloud! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be having supper with your mother right now young man?"
Planting her hands on her hips, he could see the teasing look in her eyes. Indeed her ruby eyes seem to shine brighter than usual, as if there was a joke in front of her and only she knew the punchline.
Tifa was in a pretty white dress that seemed more suitable for going out for dinner at one of those fancy restaurants he's only ever heard about than staying indoors. The Lockharts were probably the only family in town who could afford to do those kinds of things. She had slowly approached him and he saw that she made it a point to stop just a few feet away from him, flipping her hair over her left ear. Just as she had been doing the last few months, close enough to talk but too far to touch without some real effort.
He felt himself relax a little, she was respecting his personal space.
'Of course she is, Tifa's always nice,' a ugly voice in the back of his head said, 'she's been nothing but kind to you and helpful towards your mother. Only you've been rude to her. As usual.'
Truthfully he thought she might be the only nice kid in the whole village. The other boys stopped playing with him, saying that he was too girly. The girls all whisper behind his back, calling him a scoundrel and that they won't fall for his tricks. He was even getting into fist fights with Emmelio and the others for some reason, the three boys just getting angry every time they saw him. It felt like every villager hated him.
Maybe it's his fault?
He tried to squash that line of thought before he started spiraling and his guilt grew.
"I know it's late. I'm really sorry Tifa but I needed to talk to you, it just couldn't wait any longer. In private if we can", Cloud said, throwing an anxious look in her father's direction. He could hope his tone was properly conveying how important this was and that she'd agree.
She was slowly studying his face. Apparently unbothered by his nervousness and her father watching them on the other side of the room. What exactly she was hoping to find he couldn't be sure but he definitely knew he was losing his nerve.
Slowly she gave him a full teeth smile."Of course, silly."
He shifted around a bit ready to make his way outside so they could talk. Outside would be good, it'd give him some time to think and collect his thoughts. So he could finally figure out if he was going crazy or not. He was practically vibrating with energy now that he had gotten this far.
"But not now, '' she said, as he turned back to her in surprise. Before he could respond in protest, she raised one hand to forestall him, "I understand it's important Cloud but we have to be considerate of our parents. It's almost supper time. You don't want your mother to set the table just to eat by herself do you?"
'Of course you don't, you idiot,' said the voices already berating him, 'At least try not to make her sad. At least try to make her happy, like Tifa has been doing.'
"N-No, your right Tifa, I don't want that," he felt himself stuttering, once again looking down at his shoes" I'll just go home and help her set the table."
He could already feel himself starting to turn red at stating the obvious. A son would help his mother, no questions asked. A good son would make friends so she wasn't so worried about him all the time. A normal son wouldn't let his anxieties stop him from making her happy. He'd go home and have supper, maybe then find a deep well to jump in.
Cloud was startled out of his dark thoughts by a single foot stepping into his view. His head snapped up in realization that his neighbor had stepped closer to him. When did Mr. Lockhart leave the room? No time to wonder at the fact that he was alone with Tifa again for the first time in a year. Blue eyes met red and they seemed to drink him in. Was his throat always this dry?
"Hey," she began, not breaking eye contact, "when I'm with your mom she never seems to stop talking about you, you know?"
He didn't think he could answer that, even if his throat did feel like dry paper.
"She'd tell me all the things about you that make her happy and proud" Tifa continued unperturbed by his lack of response, "and there's a lot, would practically have to write a book to contain it all."
'Oh yeah, she hangs out with his mom,' the thought drifted through
He didn't know why he forgot this fact, he could've sworn a minute ago he knew that. They were together so often that Cloud swore that they even moved like each other sometimes. For some reason a lot of things weren't working right in his head, like his brain decided that now was a good time to take a nap. Was he remembering to breathe?
He didn't think her eyes could get any bigger, but like with most things he was wrong.
Then she leaned back and he could feel the oxygen pump back into his to blink the dark spots in his vision away he wondered what time it was. The clock seemed to have started moving again. How much had passed since he first knocked on her door. Minutes? Hours? Did he miss supper?
She was standing in front of him, so much closer than she had when they started but he couldn't move his legs to step back. She had a shy look on her face almost as if she couldn't believe she said all those things to him, hands collapsed in front of her almost demurely af if trying her best to not do anything like run out of the room. His mom sometimes held her hands like that. But shy and demure were not two words he thought he would ever associate with Tifa Lockhart in any world. The longer he looked, the more apparent it became that she was waiting for him to say something.
Now or never
"Hey Tifa?" he managed to croak out, hating himself for how it sounded. 'What are you, man or animal?'
"Yeah Cloud," her voice seemed to chime through his skull, knocking him from his dazed state. She had turned her gaze back to him, curious, almost anticipating. Anticipating what? He was so shit at reading people's moods.
"I was just thinking that just because we can't have our talk right now doesn't mean we can't always have it later," he ventured, really hoping his voice didn't seem as eager as he thought it sounded in his own ears. He just didn't want her thinking he was a creep. Though as the seconds ticked by as he wanted for a response, he thought he might have failed.
"Later?" she seemed to be rolling the word in her mouth, like she was tasting it and trying to decide what flavor it was, "That could work. Since our 'talk' is so important we shouldn't wait too long. How about tonight? Let's say midnight, at the water tower?"
Tifa finished her dialogue to herself as if concluding that this was the best idea. Realizing that he was just staring at her, not having said anything. She leaned forward again and he started seeing too much red, "You'll be there right? Promise to be there?"
Midnight? Water Tower! Isn't that where the teenagers go to kiss?
It was too cold, too dark, too soon. He didn't know what to say to her. How would even begin to explain the thoughts going through his mind? The weird feelings that had been forming over the last few months, making him queasy in his stomach, his heart. So much guilt when she had asked him for a 'favor' and he ran. But he had come to her house at an ungodly hour, interrupting her family time and supper over the vague explanation that he needed to talk about something important. She was giving him what he wanted so why doesn't he take it?
Gathering his courage, he gave her a nod to confirm that he was on board with the plan.
"I promise."
000
Tifa was feeling very smug right now.
Looking out her window she could see Cloud already making his way from his house over to the water tower. She smiled approvingly as he climbed up the ladder to wait for her, half an hour ahead of their rendezvous. Good you don't make a lady wait for you.
Glancing back at her vanity mirror, she was mentally patting herself on the back as she watched her mother comb her hair. It had been almost twelve months since she and her mother enacted their plan to get herself back into her neighbor's good graces. She started to realize exactly what Thea Lockhart had liked so much about her own childhood friend. Claudia Strife had proven herself witty and kind, even bold and adventurous, Tifa had taken great joy in listening to her stories of traveling outside the mountains when she was younger. The older blond was certainly not the typical Nibelheim girl, at least compared to the boring village house wives.
"Should I do something with my hair?" Tifa wondered out loud as she rolled the tips between her fingers.
Spending time with Claudia had been wonderful, the older woman had been a variable fountain of information on her prey. They came in tidbits but over time she was able to piece together a painting of the lady's son. She began to see the layers under the pretty hair and blue eyes. The more Tifa listened the more she learned. If there was a test for such things she felt that she could confidently recite all the things he hates, all the things he loves, all the things he fears. The brunette would adjust her interactions with him accordingly as each new piece of information came her way. Even imitating some of his mothers mannerisms to sweeten the deal.
"Keep it loose", Thea advised,"You want to be pretty but not too pretty, otherwise the poor boy won't look you in the face. Our eyes are our best feature, after all."
So, sure Cloud had stopped running when he saw her but he still wouldn't let her get close and always made sure there were other people in the room with them. The confusion was apparent in his eyes, the guilt starting to flicker in his eyes everytime she didn't suddenly turn into a werewolf and try to eat him, but the caution was still winning out. The boy was proving more stubborn than she had anticipated. Overall it was fun but the main mission was progressing very slowly.
And Tifa had gotten impatient. When she gets impatient she stirs up trouble.
Small stuff like hiding people's things when they weren't looking. Leaving a chicken or garden snake in someone's house. Swiping some candy and toys from the shelves of the general store, and making sure the cashier hears her wondering why that older boy was running so fast with his backpack. Casually mentioning to one of the older women that she didn't like that she saw her husband leaving her best friend's house last night.
Standard stuff really.
She turned a critical eye at the potential outfit for the night. Frilly teal with bare shoulders. She'd be cold but it might spark a reaction from the boy. Maybe he'd offer his arm to keep her warm? It would only be gentlemanly.
It was around the fourth month when she had gone to her mother to complain about the slow progress. Indeed even Thea seemed surprised by the boy's resistance to her daughter's charms. Her mother had decided that one of the more advanced 'Lessons' might be needed to crack his shell. She called it the 'Honey and Vinegar' strategy. The standard school of thought was 'You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar', but this used a bit of both. A little mean to make them really appreciate the nice, really make it stick to the mind. Like a man dying of thirst, trapped in the desert finding water.
And Tifa was determined to make sure he appreciated every drop.
She didn't do anything too reckless though. And nothing directly or he might start hating her again. So she fell back to her typical MO but more focused and with a clear goal in mind. Just a soft comment to the boys that she thought Cloud had such delicate and beautiful features like his mom.. A 'slip of the tongue' to the older girls that she already had her first kiss and maybe a bit more, making sure everyone saw her looking away embarrassed at the blond. Always saying 'hi' to him and asking if he wanted to play, all soft smiles and lingering gazes in full view of her friends.
Just a little bit here and there to tear any bonds he had with other people just a little wider apart. And in the way of mob mentality, once some kids started ignoring him-all the kids started ignoring him because that was normal. And they all adapted, getting used to Cloud Strife not being around, not being part of the group till he became that other kid. The weird kid, the outsider. Even the adults started getting in on it, noticing how their kids never played with him. Some of them started to wonder what was wrong with the boy and scrutinized his every action till they saw nothing but the worst.
'And it worked like magic!' Tifa thought with glee as she made her way to the front door of her house and into the night.
He'd ignore the other children once he realized that they wanted nothing to do with him. His usual shyness kept him from confronting the other children over their sudden change in attitude toward him. Tifa was sure that with no one to tell him the actual reasons why they were giving him the cold shoulder, he'd let his thoughts consider the worst case scenarios. She knew he wasn't ignorant to the way the other adults would treat his mother sometimes and would draw false correlations to how he was being treated now. Time and loneliness all but confirming them to him as he drew further into his shell.
But of course the wonderful Tifa would approach him when no one else will. She'd smile at him as he spent the day with no one even looking in his to him as he struggled to find something to do with his time. Ask him to play no matter how many times he'd refuse. Eleven months in since The Plan and he couldn't look anywhere but at her. Cloud would watch her help his mom when he thought she wasn't looking, turning away when she'd glance back. Always hovering a distance from her friend group, never joining but always just outside her peripheral. Even trying to approach her a few times when she was alone before chickening out and walking away, shoulders hunched.
She loved it.
'Maybe I feel a bit bad but really, he left me no choice!', she thought from her hidden spot behind the tank as she looked at his back sitting by the ledge. He was fidgeting in his seat, glancing around a bit, probably wondering where she was. 'It's for the best after all. It's all for his benefit in the long run, and more importantly mine.'
Finally deciding to put him out of his misery she approached him but stopped midway. Close enough to talk but not enough to touch without some effort. Just the way she knew he liked it. Personal space, she scoffed with a eye-roll her mind as he noticed her.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," She said, making sure to pull her hair over her left ear, just like Claudia would, "had to make sure my parents were sleeping before I could sneak out. They'd kill me if they found out I was here!"
Just a little extra guilt never hurts.
Tifa watched as he conscious seemed to be fighting itself. Barreating himself for putting her in this position for his own selfish needs. Already deciding that he'll figure out a way to make it up to her, as if she hadn't been the one to name the time and place. Setting the stage at the most 'romantic' spot in Nibelheim, under a clear sky full of stars.
Deciding that she should be a little merciful, she interrupted his thought, "You said you needed to talk about something important?"
That snapped him out of his thoughts. Before he said anything though he gestured towards the spot next to him on the ledge, clearly wanting her to sit down. She grinned as she made her way over, getting comfortable before leaning back to look at the stars a little. Waiting patiently for him to spill his guts to her.
'I wonder how it's going to start', she grinned in anticipation, daydreaming a bit, 'maybe an apology for ignoring me all those months ago? A thank you for being such a great friend, his best friend? Perhaps I'll get a declaration of his undying love and now he's off to slay a dragon for me.'
More boldly than she thought he was ever capable, Cloud reached her shoulders and turned her to face him. She saw that he was looking her straight in the eyes with those too blue pupils of his, finally being the one to initiate eye contact with her first. She wondered if he wanted his actions to speak for him instead of his words, that he was now about to kiss her. A little presumptous of him but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She tried leaning forward a little in his grip, closing her eyes slightly.
"You need to stop lying Tifa"
'What the fuck!' she shouted in her head, eyes snapping back open to look into his stern gaze. The gears grinding to a halt as her heart seemed to have punched the back of her throat. How did he figure it out? Where did she slip up? Her mother had assured her that everything she was doing was working like clockwork!
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she bit out, forcing herself to say it all calmly,'Recover you little brat! Find out how much he knows. It can't be the full Plan or he would have shoved you off the tower first chance he got! Pry every detail you can from him. Spin what you can and deny the rest.'
Taking a deep breath she prepared for the worst to happen. For him to yell waking up all the neighbors, to throw all the correct accusations her way, maybe even fight her for ruining his life.
Idly she wondered how she was going to explain killing him.