As Thea watched from her perch by the window, she wondered what was going on. They were talking. Just talking. What had happened?
A moment ago Cloud had boldly taken her daughter in his arms. She saw that her little girl was leaning forward as if to get a kiss. It was so exciting! It was a live enactment of her favorite romance playing out in front of her. Those Loveless plays could eat their hearts out! She had half considered if it was worth it to nip down to the kitchen and grab some snacks, to really get comfortable as the sweet manipulation unfolded before her. But then the boy said something and now it was all tense looks and frowns.
This wasn't going the way she thought it would. All that work and time put into the game. Tifa had begun to doubt if Cloud was ever going to take that final plunge. Even Thea had felt a little anxious. She felt she had given Tifa every tool possible to get her boy. To have him finally come running into her waiting arms. The house visit and subsequent invitation had lifted her spirits. As a mother she couldn't be prouder! Her little girl had been so happy at the final culmination of all her machinations at last bearing fruit.
It reminded the woman of own misbegotten youth, of snagging Brain out from every girl's clutches. A masterwork two years in the work! She still felt a little bad about nipping the growing courtship between her husband and neighbor. But the regrets of the past should stay in her memories. Today belongs to the young. Besides everything had worked out eventually, marriage secured and best friend just a stone throw away. Everything she deserved. And now it was her daughter's turn.
Thea wondered if maybe he was telling Tifa she wasn't his type or something.
Well she had to trust in her daughter to work her magic. She was taught by the best after all. And the best required quick thinking at unexpected obstacles. For Thea herself, there wasn't a single soul in Nibelheim that she didn't have under her thumb. Whether they knew if or not. And it would be true for her baby in time as well.
Still, if all this talking was going to drag on, then she had more than enough time to grab a little something to satisfy her midnight cravings.
Watching drama was always more satisfying on a full stomach.
000
In his basement office, Brian Lockhart was feeling hopeful. That the boy was coming to his senses and would escape the trap. That maybe he had been able to successfully warn him off and save him a lifetime of anguish. It was a faint hope but he still clung to it nonetheless.
He had watched silently as his daughter ruined the young man's life. Destroying one friendship after the other. Dragging his reputation and emotions through the mud. All without Cloud being any wiser to the plot. And Brian was powerless to stop it as it unfolded right before his very eyes. At least not with his wife watching his every move.
Just like what happened to him as a child.
Except he had the advantage of being the mayor's son. He could get away with a few hits to his image. No matter what any one thought, they knew when he was grown they'd have to learn how to play ball or leave the village. Cloud had no such protection. Disadvantage really since he had no father to learn and look up to, the man thought sadly.
He had tried to leave clues for him. Engineer situations for the blonde to see his daughter's manipulations. To see the darker aspects of what he was facing. Before it was too late To see her whispering poison in people's ears. Stealing for the Nibelheims people, breaking and entering their homes, and other manner of crimes.
Surely a good boy like Cloud would see what was happening and get on the first train out of the village. Maybe become a Soldier like he always dreamed. Not a very practical aspiration but anything that would save him would be worth it. And it wasn't like there was a whole lot to hold him back except his mother.
And Thea already had the beautiful blonde wrapped around her fingers.
As he watched the two of them talk on the water tower. Saw Cloud stop his daughter mid kiss. The faint hope growing just a bit bigger. That this could be it. That the vicious cycle wouldn't repeat.
Brian was rooting for the little boy, who in another life could've been his son.
000
In the next house over, Claudia was also wondering what the hold up was. She had watched her son swoop his crush into his arms, And then nothing.
Just a whole lot of talking.
She'd be a little miffed his Cloud had chicken out halfway. The mood was right, the setting gorgeous, and the girl eager if her leaning forward was any indication. Calling a girl to the makeout spot and not giving her a kiss was just bad form. Hopefully he wouldn't get slapped.
Maybe she should have given him some advice.
But she didn't want to interfere! It had been the highlight of her day to watch the two adorable children dance around their feelings with each other. Slowly getting just a bit closer after ever longing gaze and quiet sigh. Especially when they thought Claudia hadn't noticed. Honestly by that metric their little neighbor was putting in the lion's share of the work.
Imagine her surprise when Tifa had started popping up at random moments to 'spend time" with her. Conveniently at the store when Claudia was buying groceries and offering a helping hand. Assisting the blonde when she was in her garden, already dressed with gloves on! 'Secretly' telling her she thought her cooking skills were better than her own mother.
And of course how avidly the girl listens to Claudi's stories, especially the ones involving her son. The way the little girl lit up every time she mentioned something new about her Cloudy. It had gotten to the point she had to start digging into the family albums to remember anything she hadn't already told her.
She was exhausted keeping up with this young love!
So it had been a pleasant surprise when she saw her son going over to Lockhart home for a visit. A long visit. She had been half convinced that he'd be staying for supper and that she'd be serving stew for one. But he would eventually trudge out and help her set the table, a very noticeable skip in his step. The entire meal was all shy smiles and startled blushes. Eyes on the clock and quietly mouthing the seconds. He truly had been on, heh, cloud nine.
Suspicious, she staked out in the living room after he turned in early for bed. Already an unusual occurrence, her little night owl. Hours would pass, till she thought that she had let her imagination run wild. That she was looking too much into things. Only to be vilified when Claudia saw him sneaking out of his window for the water tower. She nearly had a heart attack when little Tifa came bounding after dressed to the nines!
'I wonder what they're talking about,' Claudia thought out loud, as she munched on her pastries.
000
Things were not going the way he thought it would. Her shoulders were tense. The corner of the lips tilted downward, Eyes glaring hard at him. He knew he fucked up, she was angry.
'Dammit Cloud, you were supposed to ease into this!' he berated himself for the was not going the way he had thought it would. Weeks of working up the courage to talk to her and it was about to go down the drain because he didn't know how to not put his foot in his mouth. It'd all be for nothing if she stormed off in a huff anger before he could explain, 'you're supposed to be helping her not accusing her. You can't put it back in the box so you have to push forward, but ease into it man.'
He took a deep breath, trying to figure out how he was going to explain what he had meant with that statement. All the things he noticed about her, the way she was treating everyone when she thought no one was looking, and the disastrous results. Why was he always so shit with words? Just start from the beginning, he decided seeing how she was only getting angrier at his silence.
Now or never.
"You've been doing bad things Tifa. I saw you stealing from Emmelio's parent's store. I heard you lying to the teacher about her husband kissing her friend. I've even seen you breaking into people's houses!" Cloud said, voice raising a little in the end. Relief at finally getting all the words out at last. All the guilt from watching it all play out but doing nothing about it finally evaporating
"Keep your voice down!" Tifa hissed back, Her hands looked like they wanted to reach for his neck and shove the word back down his throat, "Do you want to wake everyone up? So what? You want to call me evil or something? That I'd better skip town before you rat on me? What do you want, Cloud?
Shaking his head slightly, he realized he had to pivot. Once again mouth, insert foot. He had to figure out somewhere to get the conversation back on track. Get to the point he was trying to make. So he decided to attack from a different angle.
"I know that people in this village suck, that they treat people who are even the slightest bit different terribly," he began, seeing her look at him confused at the abrupt change. Ok maybe not the best way to start, but now he couldn't hold back the words."I even get …wanting to do something about it. Maybe get some way back at them. Honestly they deserve it.
"But they're also not worth it. You'll get into real trouble if you keep stealing things! And it's only a matter of time before someone gets wise to you trying to pit the adults against each other. And what are you even doing in people's houses? Look Tifa your my friend, I just don't want you ruining your life for them. And I know you're doing this for me."
He couldn't help but blush at that last part.
'There, that wasn't so bad,' he mentally congratulated himself. Still she was looking at him like she couldn't understand what she was hearing. As if she was expecting something else to have happened. He couldn't blame her, knowing how terrible his lead into the conversation was. Well at least she didn't look like she wanted to murder him anymore. Maybe he misunderstood?
"I know you've been targeting people who've been mistreating me and my mom. Which is pretty much everyone. It's obvious to anyone that they were not the most well liked people in Nibelheim. This last year has been especially terrible for me. And I appreciate it, I really do. But it needs to stop. Please." Emelio who he fought with more than the other. Mrs. Ernest who said he was cheating on his homework because everything was correct. The houses of children who wouldn't let him play with them.
He couldn't help the warm feelings in his chest at the thought of her defending him. When he had first realized it was happening he was happy. That someone cared enough to do something about it. Defend him from their harsh words and hard stares. Cloud had gotten into fist fights before over it but it only made things worse. But she had been better, she made sure to do it secretly, smartly. Then the guilt had set in. The thought that his friend was risking herself for him, that he was too weak to take a stand himself.
And now she was taking it too far. Now he was scared it wasn't for him and his mom but to feed some dark impulse of hers. Things were starting to escalate as the weeks passed. More than he thought possible from the precocious girl. Getting worse and worse. Steal a little candy here, swiping some toys next. A harmless chicken in someone's house then a snake of all things the next. The other day he saw her egg on two of her friends into a fist fight!
"I haven't been the greatest of friends to you but let me be here for you now. Please trust that I only have the best of intentions. You're the nicest person I know but you don't have to force yourself to do these kinds of things. Tell me what you need and I'll do it." He finished, feeling all that weight he had been carrying over the last year finally beginning to ease off his shoulder. It was hard to confront someone like this but it was long overdue. He had to do this for her, something he kept chickening out of every time he saw her.
She was his hero. It shouldn't have even gotten this far in the first place. He shouldn't have ran that day and buried his head in the sand. Ignoring her for months. Her being a people pleaser was starting to crack her and now she was acting out. For him at first but now to feed something dark. But he's here now and he'll be her friend, her hero if she lets him.
"You'll do anything for me?" She said slowly like she couldn't believe her ears. As if she wasn't sure about his commitment. And that was fair, he hadn't exactly done anything to prove otherwise. Actually he's done more to prove that she shouldn't trust him. But he would if given a chance "Anything I ask? Because you're my 'friend'?"
"Anything", he said, hoping the sincerity and determination showered in his eyes and voice,"but tell me first if you're going to do something bad. I know once you set your mind to something nothing can stop you. You're strong like that. I get those dark thoughts too so I get it, it's hard to ignore. But you're better than me and I want help you." He reached for her hand, "You don't have to trust me but rely on me. Better me than you."
He hoped this would get through to her. Give him a chance to stop the worst of it. By the beautiful smile growing on her face he thought it might be. Her eyes seemed to be sparkling again in the night.
"So you'll be my hero, is that it? Do what I say, when I say it? No questions asked?" Tifa said, tilting her head a little to the stars. Considering the situation. He was glad she was taking it seriously because he sure was. It was a little embarrassing though, he felt like he was making a marriage proposal or something. A commitment for life. "What if I tell you something crazy? Ask you to do something terrible? Would you still do it?"
The hair on the back of his neck was starting to stand a little at her words. What could she possibly tell him that was worse than what he already knew? And terrible? Stealing stuff was already pretty bad. He honestly couldn't imagine it getting any worse than that. Not for a sweet girl like Tifa. Still he felt like there was more being said than just words.
In for an inch, in for a mile. He nodded.
"Prove it. Tell me something. Do something for me." She challenged, trying to test him. Well Cloud figured something like this was going to happen. Can't exactly tell someone to rely on you and not jump through some hoops to earn it. You gotta give a little, to take a little after all. She was asking for a secret and action. A secret would probably be the easiest to get over and done with. He realized he was still holding her hand.
"What do you want to know?" he said a little red from the hand holding. But if she wasn't going to say anything then he wasn't either. "Anything on your mind?"
"Why did you run from me when I asked you for my favor? Why'd you stay away?" she asked, her carmine eyes burning into his own. Of course it'd be about that. And he wasn't getting out of this one. Maybe it's not too late to jump off the ledge? Again embarrassment and guilt all mixed into one terrible monster in his stomach. Should he lie? Laugh it off somehow? Tell he doesn't know what she's talking about?
He shouldn't have ran but how else was a boy supposed to react when a pretty girl asks him to kiss her?
"I was nervous," Cloud gulped, ready to burst into flames from the heat on his face. Just get through it. Just get through it! Rip it off like a bandaid, "My mind blanked and my legs were already moving before I knew what was happening. After that I didn't know how to face you. I shouldn't have but I don't know, I was scared. Scared that you would hate me. That I ruined everything."
Well that was painful. He thinks his broken ribs from when he fell out of that tree might have been less excruciating than this. But it was finally out. And he braced himself for the blowback, the deserved harsh words. None of that happened though.
"And? If I asked you now, would you do it? Or would you run away again?" she asks, an unfathomable look in her eyes. That wasn't difficult to answer, only to say out loud. He knew his answer, had known the very next day once the adrenaline had finally left his limbs. But he promised her the truth, both out of friendship and a need to save her from herself. Taking a gulp of air he answered.
"I would if you still wanted." Who knows? Maybe he'll come out of tonight with a friend and a girlfriend? Nothing ventured and all that.
That was the right answer, The night became significantly warmer, the space between them more comfortable. The air, taking on an electric quality. The world narrowed down to just them and the stars. As he watched her smile grow wider than he thought possible, he felt maybe things were going to be ok.
"Prove it." Challenge burning in her eyes.
And he did her a favor.
000
On that beautiful starry night if you listen closely, the low squeal of two women could be heard.
And the sob of one man?
000
The next morning saw a radiant Tifa Lockhart embracing the day. She was happy, practically floating. Had you asked her what had her in such a chipper mood, she would've only hummed in response and gave you a secret smile. But for those in the know, they would hazard a guess that it was because she had had a very special night. A very special kiss. A prize at the end of her year long hard work, finally rewarding her patience. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and her lips were grinning. Truly a blessed day.
Especially for those who would have faced her wrath had the night three days ago gone sour.
"I wonder if he's awake?" she mused to herself, having finished her shower. She browsed her wardrobe, looking for something pretty to wear. She was in the mood for something bright, frilly and loose. It was only practical since she felt she may be skipping to school for a stretch. But no, she couldn't be skipping and holding her neighbors hand at the same time. Unless he was skipping too. Food for thought.
That night had been a whirlwind of emotions for Tifa. Smugness, excitement, anxiety, anger, surprise, and finally happiness. Cloud had really jerked her proverbial chain around. But he stuck the landing so she'll be lenient, for now. Hopefully no repeat performance in the future. Or she'll have to lay the law down with her boyfriend. She just wanted to enjoy the honeymoon period just a little longer before getting down to business.
See the little girl had a secret. A secret that not even her mother knew.
She was going to leave Nibelheim and Cloud was going to be her ticket out of this dump. Well dump was a little harsh but it was truly a dead end town. And everyone knew it, even if it wasn't openly acknowledged by the adults. The kids on the other hand were already counting the days they could make a break for greener pastures. And they too, had plans already in motion.
A yellow dress she decided on, with short sleeves and flower stitchings. And shorts underneath, she amended remembering how Lester had tried to take a peek when they were playing.
Oh the boys would disguise it of course. Joining the military or becoming mercenaries for money and fortunes to bring home. Skilled apprenticeship from far away towns or villages, with the intent to 'return' once they were done. They just need time to hone their craft and make connections. All reasonable things that would benefit their backwater village and its families in the long term. After all not everyone could be land and business owners like the Lockharts. Good reason to mosey out of town at the first opportunity.
The girls had less options for leaving. Marry or get a job.
Which didn't seem terrible at first but with all the boys leaving, these girls didn't have the luxury of time. They needed to stake their claim if they wanted a good Nibelheim boy to take them away or be left with the dregs. Or worse married to some stranger from out of town. A coin flip that more often than not left them with the undesirables of other villages. Jobs were limited for women, seamstress or cook being the main career choices. Any hard labor work, like farmers and ranchers, usually had employers favoring the men and the occasional women that were born into that life. The other skilled work usually requires experience. But how do you get skills for other types of jobs when no one would hire you in the first place?
'Let's get that sleepy head up' Tifa thought cheerfully, wolfing down her breakfast and grabbing her bag as she made her way next door.
She already knew the plans of the other Four Fiends, her little gang of friends, in detail. That in less than a year's time they'd be off for bigger and better things. Or so they say. Emmelio would be off for an apprenticeship in Midgar, to go work with machines or something dull. Tyler and Lester would join the military not long after once they turned fourteen. Apparently the age to do such a thing in the big city. Shinra military helicopters, already lined up to fly them out of town in style. All of them with a promise to return for her once they had established themselves. As if them telling her would make her desperate enough to hitch her wagon to those horses.
But Tifa was smarter than that, and she could read between the lines quite clearly.
You don't apprentice to work with machines, you go to school and get head hunted by the companies. Education that she knew Emilio didn't have even if she wasn't aware of his failing grades. A Cid Highwind he was not. At best he'd work for some Ma and Pa shop beneath the plate, fixing peoples' busted radios. Well, not the most terrible jobs all things considered. At worst he was letting himself be hooked by a scam and be left penniless, forced to make the long trip home.
The other boys were definitely being scammed. They were taken in by the mega corporations propaganda. One aimed specifically at small town boys with no plans and directions. One where the energy conglomerate needed bodies, not soldiers.
There was a promise of free board and room, with some money on top. A promise of adventure and travel to far off lands and exotic people. All true of course but the details were where they got you. Half a hundred infantrymen crammed into rooms with shared bunk beds. Cost effective rations from their mess halls and a salary that was a pittance. They might travel, might meet new people if they were ever given time from they're long patrols. Also not a terrible job in hindsight but nowhere near what they were expecting. Sure they may get promoted or transfer to more skill based jobs in the army, and actually get easier lives.. But those two also didn't have grades or skills to write home about either. It'd be a long road with Shinra.
Tifa knocked on the Strife residence, a bright smile on her lips.
"Good morning Tifa! Are you here for my lazy bones?" Mrs. Strife greeted her at the doorway. It's Claudia, the girl had to remind herself. The woman wanted her to call her Claudia. The thought warmed her heart. Wearing a radiant smile of her own, the older woman looked like she was the proudest mother hen in the chicken coop. Did Cloud tell her the good news?
"Morning Claudia! I wanted to see if he was ready for school. Maybe walk together?" That last part was said with a bit more enthusiasm than she had intended. She could already see Claudia winding up for a round of teasing. Thankfully she was saved from her neighbors bombardment by her boy rushing out of the house and dragging her down the road.
"Bye ma, I'll see you later, I love you," he called behind him as they kept walking. She was loving the energy coming from the blond. And already grabbing her hand? In front of the whole town? Well there goes her plan for cajoling him into it. Didn't stop her from adjusting her grip so they could intertwine their fingers and squeeze a bit. That got a shy smile from him.
Making the walk down a short path to the school house, Tifa decided that yes, he was perfect.
Pretty face, big blue eyes, and soft hair. An attitude and confession that let her know he was already hers in every sense of the word. A lifetime of friendship born from their own mothers' closeness. And bar none, the nicest boy in the village. After all he wanted to "save her", from herself but the sentiment still stood. She wouldn't have to remind him of his place often, like mama sometimes had to do with papa. Really what was he thinking signing off on those crop sales without her permission?
'And,' she thought, letting their arms swing between them, ignoring all the gawkers. 'He's got ambition.'
Cloud wanted to become a Soldier, a hero just like his idol Sephiroth. The elite superhuman warrior of Shinra. Money and fame guaranteed. Shooting for the stars this one. The fact that he'd be a professional killer wasn't a deal breaker for her. And Tifa would help him every step of the way. Just like any good wife would. Although they'd need to discuss the details of that at some point.
Walking over to their respective seats she made sure to give a quick peck on Cloud's cheeks before sitting down. Silently glad that their small town forced all the grades into one classroom. That way everyone could witness it and word could spread. A girl had to mark her territory before these hussies got any bright ideas after all. One of them might start thinking more with their hormones than their brains. And Tifa wasn't awake enough to break someone's nose.
When she had first discovered his plans, her instinct had been to squash those ridiculous dreams. After all, why go through all that hardship and danger when he could be here with her? The prize of all the boys in the village? As her fathers first child, only child, she'd inherit all the Lockhart business and income. There was enough gil to be well off even in one of the bigger settlements. Money wouldn't be an issue. He would also already have a job lined up as Nibelheim's next mayor when he was older and papa retired. Or her second in command if she wanted to try her hand at it first. They'd rule this little town just like her parents before her.
But then she began to mull it over.
Her mother was still very young, having given birth to her at only seventeen. That while her future was secured, it would be years if not decades before her mama stepped aside. During which she would still be beholden to Thea Lockhart and her whims. She loved her mom of course, but what child didn't dream of a life away from their parents and their meddling? The thought of still living in the same house as them in her forties with her own kids had her shivering. No, it would just not do.
So with conclusions drawn and nightmares motivating her, she set out to research what it took to become a Soldier. And what she found had been promising. There were three major requirements to be considered a candidate. Physical ability, mental fortitude, and mako compatibility.
"Please class, open your textbook to page forty-nine and well begin learning the exciting formulas used to find the space between two curves on a graph," Mrs. Wilson droned on. It wasn't that the math wasn't important, it was since this particular one you needed it to build things. But the way the matriarch went about it made TIfa want to bang her head on the table. If mama hadn't stressed the importance of having knowledge and not just relying on your money, the young girl would have zoned out.
That said a little daydreaming wouldn't hurt.
Cloud was rather physically gifted despite his short stature, she thought with a blush. Strong enough to chop wood for hours for his house and the Lockharts, then sell the excess in the village for pocket money. Fast enough to out run all the boys ganging up on him in town, when they got it in their heads that her boyfriend was easy pickings. More than one bloody lip had taught them not to come at him unprepared. And stamina was easy, her neighbor practically spent all his free time hiking up and down the mountains. She was sure he'd pass that test with flying colors.
Hopefully there wasn't a height requirement.
Mentally would be a tricky one. While he had one of the better averages in class, she knew he tended to be plagued with doubts and self recriminations. And this was true even before Tifa had put her thumb on the scale and raked his self confidence over a fire. But he was hers now so it'd be the right time to build him back up. Perhaps repair some of those broken relationships? Plus having a girlfriend now would stroke his male ego, and letting him get a little handsy would make that doubly true. And if he was going to cop a feel then it was only right that she'd get to as well. Besides what married couple doesn't have a little adult fun, now and again?
Compatibility was an unknown factor that left her uneasy. In an old reactor town like Nibelheim everyone was a little exposed to mako, despite what Shinra said. And the mutations it caused in them and the surrounding wildlife was unpredictable. Even if it was nothing physical, there could be something beneath the skin that was changed. She didn't think they're was anything genetically off about the Strifes' that would hold him back, probably better than most since he wasn't as inbred like some of Nibelheims residents. After all his father was an outsider, the man had to give him that if nothing else.
Just to be safe, maybe a little experimentation was in order for later.
000
Once the lunch bell rang the two of them made their way to the outside quad to eat together. It was reminiscent of their younger years when they had been attached at the hip. Before the Incident. To say that the golden girl and the town's weirdo being together stirred up a commotion, was an understatement. Seems like that kiss hadn't had time to circulate among the adolescents yet. No matter, Tifa was more than happy to make a show of it.
"Hey Teef, we're having lunch by the big tree," said Emmelio, the boldest of the three, indicating with a wave of his hand to the other boys. They were glaring at Cloud, who was throwing back his own hard look. Quite a bit of animosity for people who had once been friends. Tifa could only smugly ponder the reasons. But he was getting uneasy by the crowd of not-so-secret eavesdroppers that were gathering. She was too, noting the open stares at her boyfriend by the girls.
They were the real reason she had to make a statement. The vultures. They were the girls who didn't want to leave Nibelheim or had given up on the notation of it. The future elders, her mother would joke sometimes. They were the ones who decided to make the best of their situation and marry well, or at least get a pretty husband. And Cloud certainly was pretty, almost too pretty for his own good. If she put him in a dress, Tifa was sure he'd turn even the boy's heads.
"Sorry Em, I'm on a lunch date right now, but maybe next time?" she said, making sure her smile was as insincere as possible. To let everyone know how unlikely that "next time" would be. Of course she wouldn't completely cut off contact with her gang, at least not till she was off to Midgar. You can't spend all your time with Tifa Lockhart, then be forced to go cold turkey. She wasn't a monster. "Me and Cloud have so much to catch up on! We can't spend all our time kissing after all."
That got a splutter from her friend and a horrified look from boyfriend, who wasn't ready for her to put their weekend extracurriculars out in the open. However, she was more interested in the onlookers' reactions. Some shock, a smattering of embarrassment, and a whole lot of jealousy. From both sides of the aisle.
And the questions came flooding in.
"Oh my gods when?!"
"How'd he manage to get her?"
"What's kissing like?"
"Is his hair as soft as it looks?"
"How far did you two get?"
"When are you guys marrying?"
Ah, like clockwork.