Flashback
"I am going to spend my time here with Aerith, you understand, don't you Tifa?"
She felt a lump in her throat, masking the emotions she was feeling as she replied to him. "Of course, Cloud. You like her. It's only natural to want to spend time with her."
Cloud gave her a small smile, "Thank you for being the best friend who supports me. I could not have gained the courage to ask her without your help. You're the best."
Tifa returned the smile and watched as the blonde walked back to the brunette waiting for him by the hotel entrance. She waved as she saw the guy she was in love with walk away with their new friend to explore Costa Del Sol together.
"I wish you would look at me that way… Cloud." Tifa said to herself, head down when the couple was out of sight, her eyes growing teary eyed.
"So why not spend time with someone who will?" a smooth voice replied. Looking up, her teary eyes met the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen. He had a gentle smile and head tilted to the side. "I'm so sorry," she blushed as she took a step back. "I didn't think anyone heard me." Tifa continued to babble as her face turned a bright red. She had the strongest urge to turn and run but felt her wrist being grabbed, stopping her from running.
"W-wait a minute," he said. "I didn't mean to put you in an awkward position or make you uncomfortable. I just was walking by to meet up with friends when I saw you looking at them leave. Contrary to you thinking you weren't heard; I could hear you and can't help but wonder why he didn't choose you over her." This caused Tifa to take a good look at him, wondering who he was to judge her situation.
Her stranger was dressed in all black, his jacket open and a greyish black shirt underneath with skulls on it. He was wearing cropped cargo pants and black boots, the look completed with a single black glove that covered his right hand and a pair of shades on his head, clearly meant to hide his eyes from people. He seemed to be in shape judging by how lean he appeared to be. Tifa could see he trained his body for some form of combat simply by seeing the little bit of arm he was showing. She blushed slightly thinking about his arms wrapped around her waist, 'Get it together Tifa! You just met him and have no idea who he is. Not to mention he seems to just be passing by.' Tifa quickly thought to herself.
"I appreciate the sentiment, "she answered, "but I guess he likes the delicate type. Besides, we have known each other since we were kids, and it has always been a one-sided crush. I don't expect him to ever look my way, even if deep down my heart has wanted nothing less. I will never be the type of girl he likes. I am just not delicate enough, I guess." She let out a half laugh, trying to cover up the insecure feeling she had when thinking what kind of woman she was compared to Aerith. As much as she loved her as a friend, she also hated her because she was everything that she wasn't, which meant Cloud would never look at her that way.
The stranger smirked, letting out a haughty kind of laugh, "Sounds to me like he might be both blind and stupid. If I knew a girl as gorgeous as you liked me, I would do anything to make sure you knew you were loved and adored in return." This caused Tifa to blush a deep shade of red, "You're just saying that because you see me in distress." He let out a gentle laugh, "I wish I was lying. Look, you clearly need to see what it's like to be the girl that gets treated like she is the most important woman in a man's world, and I happen to be free for the afternoon. If you want to, I'd love to go around this place with you. Truth is, I'm not familiar with this area or region." He was rubbing the back of his neck as if nervous, the previous confidence slightly gone to reveal an awkward young man shooting his shot.
Tifa smiled, thinking that she could use the cheering up and smiled, "I will take you up on that offer. My name is Tifa, what's yours?" She extended her hand to shake his. He smiled in return and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips, gently kissing it, causing her to blush a deep shade of red. "My name is Noctis. I look forward to spending the afternoon with you, beautiful."
First, they had gone to the swimsuit shop to pick out swimsuits as the beach only allowed people on if they were in swimsuits. So, the pair played some games and won tickets to obtain swimsuits. Tifa learned that Noctis was a pretty good shot when it came to games. She watched him as that confidence he showed her initially revealed itself all over again with each win he had. She also noticed that he had gotten a lot of attention from the girls around the beach area. More often than not, Tifa got the impression that the girls wanted to shoot their shot at him but stopped when they saw her next to him. 'It's not like I am his actual girlfriend, but I can absolutely appreciate the fact that they keep their space with him.' Tifa thought to herself. They made their way through the games and walked back over to the swimsuit booth where they both had two options for swim outfits.
Tifa picked out a white swimsuit, preferring the way it accentuated her curves and had a delicate touch to it because of the beading and chain bells. She had put her hair up slightly, a small updo with a white looking bow tied into her hair. She had white sheer gloves and bracelets on her wrists. She also had a sheer wrap around her waist that flowed. Noctis could not help but stare in awe, "For someone who says they are not the delicate type, I would like to point out that you look extremely delicate in that particular style. Not to mention very beautiful," Noctis stated as she stepped out of the changing booth. This caused Tifa to turn a deep shade of red, not expecting the young man to give her such a straightforward compliment. She was used to guys looking at her like an object but the way he said it and looked at her, she felt completely safe in his words and knew he was being genuine with her.
Noctis opted to go with the black shorts, keeping his jacket on but removing the shirt in order to pass it off as a swimsuit edition. Tifa found herself blushing at the young man when he stepped out of the changing booth, taken aback by how well toned he was underneath the black outfit. 'Get it together, Tifa!' she found herself scolding herself. It did not stop her from stealing glances at him as they went off towards the beach.
However, she found that he was instantly distracted by the scooters he was seeing all the other people riding, amused that they were all various colors and by all appearances looked like fun. Taking her hand into his, he pointed at some that were parked by the beach entrance, "Let's say we give those a go around? Looks like it could be fun." He nodded and grabbed her hand as he led the way. She smiled at his gentle touch and nodded, letting him lead the way with their hands still being held. 'Why do I feel the same kind of butterflies when I see Cloud with him?' Tifa wondered. 'Honestly, what the heck do I see in Cloud anyways? I have known Cloud since I was a little girl and not once has he ever looked in my direction. He always gave me the impression of caring with his overly protective nature towards me in Sector Seven, but I never would have thought it was a sign of friendship. Anyone who saw us together thought he had an interest in me beyond friendship, which is why all the guys backed off so quickly, at least according to Johnny.' "Tifa?" Noctis asked as they approached the scooters. "Huh?" she was shaken out of her mental spiral by his hands wrapped around hers, his eyes filled with concern, "Are you okay? Do you need a moment to rest? Maybe a drink or something to eat?"
She shook her head and smiled back at him, placing her other hand on his, "No, I was just wondering something about myself. I am okay. I just…" she trailed off, unsure of being able to finish that sentence out loud. Tifa smiled and pulled him towards the scooters, hopping on one and beaming at Noctis, "Wanna race me? I hear there are chocobos nearby to walk around the forest area of the resort and there are ziplines in the trees too. There's also this waterfall I want to see, if that is okay with you." Noctis smiled back, hopped on and replied, "You're on!" With that, the pair zoomed off on the scooters, going around all the pathways of Costa Del Sol before stopping at the mini bridge by the entrance.
They parked their scooters, got off, and made their way under the bridge where they saw a booth for chocobo rentals. The attendant smiled at them but instantly her attention was on Noctis, who had asked about the rental fees. "Well, it is on a pass membership, which means you buy the pass for a price, and you can use it at any chocobo ranch. It is 300 gil to buy the pass but that will immediately give you access to the chocobo ranch and chocobos." She had batted her eyes at him and reached her hand over his ignoring Tifa which made the brunette quite jealous. She took out the gil and slammed it on the counter, smiling fakely, "We will take the pass, thank you." This snapped the attendant back to reality, who removed her hands quickly, grabbing a pass for Tifa and thanking them for their business. She also gave them the chocobo whistle which Noctis grabbed before wishing her a good day because by then Tifa had walked away.
"Tifa!" he called out as they walked past the chocobos and into the forest on foot. She was completely ignoring him as her mind was once again spiraling with thoughts of jealousy. 'Why the hell does every guy I am talking to or remotely interested in have this ability to be completely clueless when it comes to girls? Or why do girls feel okay with touching them or flirting with them when I am standing right there? Do I not scream girlfriend? Am I really just a girl who is supposed be in the friendzone because I am kind to my friends? Why am I getting so upset? Noctis isn't my boyfriend and I sure as heck am not his girlfriend. So why? Why am I always being placed in a position where I am less than?'
She was so deep in thought that she managed to walk all the way to the pathway that led to the waterfall that she had mentioned to Noctis. She was pulled out of the spiral of thoughts again by a hand on around her wrist, which she instinctively turned around to kick the person away but was blocked and she finally snapped out of it completely, seeing Noctis in a full defense position to her kick. "Noctis! I am so sorry!" she exclaimed, shocked that she had lashed out at him in her spiral. "Are you okay?" She backed away from him, afraid that she had hurt him, but he had released his defense and smiled at her, "You have amazing form! Do you do martial arts or is that weapon training?" Tifa felt her defense melt away, shocked by his absolute curiosity and wonder at her form. 'Is he not afraid of a girl who can kick ass?' she thought.
"You aren't afraid of me?" she asked. Noctis shook his head and closed the gap between them again, "Hell no, I love that you can defend yourself. There is something so hot about a girl you can spar with." He rubbed the back of his neck again, slightly blushing and avoiding eye contact with her as he waited for her to respond. Ironically though, the silence wasn't awkward between them but comfortable. "I'm sorry," she silently said, avoiding eye contact. He looked at her and tilted his head, "Why do you apologize for your emotions? You know you are allowed to have them." She looked at him through her bangs, "Wha-?" He took her hand into his, leaned his forehead into hers and made eye contact with her through their bangs, his voice barely above a whisper, "You can be upset if you want to be. I told you that today you get to experience what it is like to be with a guy who sees you as the center of his world. I meant that. I can see the damage that he has done to you, and I want you to see that nothing you're feeling with me is wrong. Get jealous. Be flirty. Say what you are thinking. I want to know."
Tifa felt her eyes water at his words, knowing he was telling her the truth, that he was being open with her, and that he was miles different than Cloud ever was. He listened to her, he wanted to know what she wanted, he told her to flirt with him, and Tifa was allowed to feel everything without judgement or people thinking how it would affect the dynamic of their group. She was being seen and considered on every level, causing the tears to flow. "I-I'm so sorry," she whimpered. Noctis took her face into his hands and kissed her right on her eyes as she cried, whispering to her that it was okay. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, whispering apologies the whole time. To Tifa, time froze between them and all they could hear was her quiet sobs, the waterfall, and the nature around them.
After what seemed like forever, she pulled away from him, wiping her eyes and clearing up. He was patient, not once pushing her to talk or asking her to stop crying. He simply rubbed her back gently and told her everything was alright. "Thank you, Noctis," she said quietly. "I have never felt so comforted in a moment like that. I thought you would just push me away or tell me to stop crying but you just held me so gently that it allowed me to get it out. I cannot thank you enough for that. This caused him to smile at her, taking her hand into his, this time interlacing them the way a couple would and asked, "Did you still want to see the waterfall? Looks like we can swim in the lagoon and chat some more. I don't want you to feel like you cannot open up to me more." She simply nodded and let him lead the way.
They had approached the waterfall, and Tifa had found that she cheered up completely, staring in awe at the beauty of the waterfall location of the resort. "It's so peaceful and serene!" she exclaimed, the giddiness of it all overwhelming her. Noctis smiled as he watched her light up again, smiling with pure joy and the excitement all over her body. "Noctis, do you want to take a dip? It looks so beautiful." He nodded, taking off his sandals as she did the same. Wasting no time at all, she hopped in, reminding Noctis of a dolphin with how smoothly she slid into the water. 'She really is a rare gem here,' he thought to himself. He had removed his jacket and placed it on the bench with their shoes and jumped in after she came up to the surface.
She laughed as he came up and the spikes of his hair were gone, surprised to see how much more handsome he had gotten without the spikes in his hair. "So, you are just naturally this gorgeous? Bed head is not a thing for you?" she questioned humorously. This caused Noctis to laugh as he looked back at her, happy to see her being playful with him. "Well, I could ask the same of you… seeing as you are such a natural beauty and all." She found herself blushing again, loving the attention he was giving her. "So, what brings you here to Costa Del Sol? You never mentioned what brought you here."
He swam closer to her, catching his breath as he got next to her again, "Well I am actually here with my best friends. We are taking in the sights of this country. Seeing how it all runs and what the issues are. I guess they are dealing with some terrorism issues too." Tifa felt herself freeze at the mention of Avalanche, remembering her own reason for being there. "O-oh. So, you guys are not from here?" she asked nervously. Noctis nodded, noticing her slight change but not trying to pry deeper. "The guys are already on the beach under the bungalows and have been there since the early afternoon. I am a natural napper, so I spent the morning asleep. I was actually on my way to meet up with them before we ran into each other," he mentioned jokingly. This caused Tifa to worry about being a distraction, "We should get you over to them then. I don't want to be the reason why you didn't hang out with them." Noctis shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I guarantee they either think I am still asleep or that I have been mobbed by a bunch of girls. Either of which are quite normal instances for me, although the latter one happens way less when we are together."
This made Tifa laugh remembering how the girls at the booths all eyeing him with the intent to shoot their shot. She knew they were not together but by visual appearances they most certainly appeared to be a couple. She wondered what kind of friends he had, wondered if they were as kind as he was, as handsome as he was or if they were his polar opposite in nature. She pondered these things all while wondering what life would be like if she had fallen for him, rather than falling for Cloud as a young girl. Tifa imagined that life would be a world different if she had met Noctis before Cloud or not even meeting Cloud at all. She hadn't noticed Noctis coming closer to her, wrapping his hands around her waist, bringing her back to reality. "Noctis?" she asked quietly.
"I was wondering where your mind wandered away to this time," he retorted quietly. She smiled, replying without hesitation, "Wondering what life would look like if I had met you first or had fallen for you first. I was also wondering what kind of friends you had." He smiled, "You would like them. I think they're pretty likeable." She smiled at his reassurance of her liking his friends but was also surprisingly content with him wrapped around her waist, the two of them floating along the small pond. She was surprised she was okay with it but somehow it gave her a sense of calm and a sense of peace. She laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as they kept floating around.
"I know this is just for today, but I would love to spend more time with you like this," she said quietly. "I get the impression you are a good cuddler for some reason." Noctis smiled, leaning his head into hers, "Maybe I am. Maybe we can spend more time together. Do you really need to go back to being miserable so soon? You can always just spend the rest of the day with me. If you need somewhere to run off to, I can be your shelter from the chaos." She relaxed further into him, letting the mood between them continue, "I would like to just enjoy the now with you. You've brought me so much calm in this storm I have been in emotionally and mentally, I really cannot repay you for this calm you've given me today." 'I think I would have spent the entire day in bed crying if you didn't come along,' she thought to herself.
Noctis felt her tense at that sentence, not wanting to deny her emotions anymore he simply replied, "I am more than happy to spend whatever time you want with you. Honestly…" He trailed off, unsure if he should just say what he was feeling with her, but she had given him a sanctuary from all of his madness of his royal duties, not that she knew that. She had lifted her head, looking him in his eyes, "What is it? You know you can tell me. I won't hold it against you or judge you for it. Not after everything you have done for me today."
He took a deep breath, "Well, if I get to be 100% honest with you about what I am thinking." She nodded but didn't say anything, she wanted him to be able to express himself. "I really do like you. I get you're in love with him, but I would love to be the one you choose. I know we don't know each other like that but I would love to spend all the time in the world getting to know you. What you like, what makes you happy, what makes you sad, how to make you feel free, rather than feeling confined because you think you are not enough." Tifa felt herself get teary eyed at his words, knowing that he was being sincere with her causing her to ask him without hesitation, "Did you happen to fall in love with me already?" Now it was Noctis' turn to blush today as he nodded, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. He didn't say anything else, but Tifa understood where he was coming from.
She took the moment he turned away to lean into his face, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. "T-Tifa…" he gasped quietly. She pulled away and smiled gently at him, blushing intensely. Noctis took this as the cue, bringing her face back to his, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. Nothing too intimate or passionate but just innocent. Tifa closed her eyes, finding herself melting into his arms as they floated and slowly deepened the kiss they were sharing. 'I honestly never thought I could feel so safe and loved in anyone's arms besides Cloud's, but this feels so much better than anything else. I want to stay by his side because of it,' she thought. They pulled apart for air and Tifa found herself breathless and wanting more of his kisses, but she was most certainly too shy to ask. Instead, she pulled away from him and cleared her throat, trying to calm her racing heart.
Noctis took a minute to collect himself as well, his face beet red and he was rubbing the back of his neck again, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." She looked at him worried that he thought he did something wrong. "N-no! It wasn't that you did something wrong," she began hastily. "I-It's just… I want more of it." She looked away as he looked back at her, shocked by her words. "So, you are not mad at me for kissing you?" he asked calmly. She shook her head, "No, I am not. If anything, I would not mind more of your kisses. Or your hand holding. Or even something more…" she said nervously. 'Tifa! What are you saying!' she scolded herself. Noctis smiled and nodded, bringing them closer to the exit of the pond, "Well I shall be sure to give you whatever your heart requests of me." With that, he hopped out of the pond, turned around and reached his hand out to help her out of the pond. She took his hand as he lifted her out, shocked by how strong he was.
"However, as much as I would love to show you how or what that would look like, I think we should at least head on over to the beach and meet up with the guys. I imagine my phone has a ton of messages right about now," Noctis said jokingly. She nodded, keeping their hands together as they made their way around to grab their stuff and make their way back. The warm sun and temperature were drying their swimsuits rather quickly as they walked back, hand in hand. When they got back to the resort part of Costa Del Sol, Noctis held her hand still and they walked together back towards the beach in a comfortable silence. They approached the steps to the beach and Tifa let go of his hand, causing him to feel slightly hurt. 'I get it,' he thought to himself. 'He is still here, and she probably doesn't want to cause any issues for their group.' "You know we can always go back to the waterfall," he said quietly. She shook her head, "I want to stay with you, but I also don't want to cause trouble for you. So, bear with me?" she asked. He nodded, taking her hand into his again and kissing it before letting it go again.
When they got to the bottom of the stairs, she felt a pang of jealousy hit her as she saw Aerith and Cloud together at the bar, sharing a drink. Feeling the urge to run away, she was stopped by a gentle grab around her wrist, "Don't let them see how you are feeling externally. It will only throw fuel onto the fire of how you feel that pang of jealousy. Besides…" he paused cuing her to look around. "The moment you stepped out here, the guys went from looking at her to ogling you. To be honest, I might get a little jealous if one comes up to you." This caused her to blush; his tone had lowered, and a pang of envy came out of him. Somehow she knew he was being serious and wanted to know what he would do if someone dared to approach her while he was with her.
She looked into his eyes, seeing a storm of emotions swirling behind those midnight blue eyes. "So shall we go enjoy the beach?" she asked coyly, causing him to relax. He smiled at her, nodded and interlaced their hands, giving the men around the sign that she was with him. Tifa blushed even deeper, whispering, "I was not expecting that to happen." He smiled, "I told you; I am going to show you what it feels like to be the center of a man's world. You are gorgeous and he is a fool to not see you, so I am going to sweep you off your feet if I can." He smirked looking at the pair at the bar who had turned their attention to them as the rest of the group caught up with the duo at the bar. They were all pointing in their direction, Noctis seeing that Cloud was asking something about Tifa. He caught the fire of jealousy in the blonde man's eyes and smirked at him, knowing he struck a nerve somehow. He walked her towards the bungalow chairs, where she was introduced to three equally handsome men that were excited to see Noctis.
"Tifa," he began. "These are my best friends Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio. They are my travelling companions but also the three people I trust with my life. Guys, this is Tifa." She smiled and said hello, shocked at how handsome each one of them was. Ignis was wearing glasses, had deep purple swim trunks and was also well defined in his physique. He had sandy brown hair that was down, and he had a book in his hand, judging by the look of the cover, it was a book about the region. Prompto was smiling brightly at her, his blonde hair reminding her of a chocobo causing her to wonder if it was blonde thing her mind wandering off to Cloud. She noticed Prompto was not as defined muscle wise but was very lean and clearly athletic meaning he did do training. He wore baby blue swim shorts, the chocobo shirt from the booth, and had a camera in his hands. Gladio got up from his seat and extended his hand to shake hers, which she took and gave a firm shake in return. He was the most muscular of the four of them, covered in a beautiful tattoo on his shoulders and arms. He had dark green trunks on with matching sandals, a book of poetry in his other hand.
"About time you showed up, I thought I would have to find you. Surprised to see you not surrounded by a mob of girls," Gladio said jokingly. This caused the other two to laugh, understanding Noctis' issues with being mobbed by girls. Tifa felt like she understood the joke as well, having remembered the girls at the booths earlier. "Well, technically, he almost got mobbed earlier," she replied causing the raven-haired man to blush. "Wait, what!? When?" Noctis replied incredulously. She giggled, "The swimsuit booth girls definitely were eying you with the desire to shoot their shot. Guess they thought you were spoken for?" Prompto got up and joined them, snapping a quick photo of Noctis blushing, "So Noct, where did you find this lovely lady? She is definitely one of the hottest girls we have seen here so far." This time it was Tifa's turn to blush, causing the blonde to snap another photo, this time of her.
"Prom…" Noctis groaned. This caused Prompto to laugh, "Aw, come on, Noct. She is gorgeous and to be entirely honest I wouldn't have thought she was real if I didn't snap a photo!" He smiled at her and winked, obviously teasing her. Gladio had grabbed Prompto by the collar, pulling him back, "Hey don't you and I have a game to get to?" Prompto perked up at the sound of games and laughed, "You're right big guy! I really wanna try this Queen's Blood game that everyone was playing on the port. Looks like a blast!" Tifa smiled at his enthusiastic nature before chiming in, "It's a really fun game. I played it on the ship ride here from Junon. They were having a whole tournament for it."
Prompto lit up at hearing a glowing review for the game and turned to Ignis, "Hey Iggy, you coming with us?" Ignis nodded, getting up from his seat and grabbing the black shirt he had on the chair, "Indeed, I am. This game sounds like something we can all learn and have fun playing. Apparently people all over the region play and there are ways to build decks, and different strategies are needed too. I think we should soak up as much as possible." Prompto whooped and tossed his hands in the air, "Alright! It's gametime!" They all looked at Noctis who was simply standing there lost in thought. "Noct?" Ignis asked. "Care to join us with Tifa?" Noctis shook his head, "No thanks, you guys can teach me later. I already have plans to relax here with Tifa." They all looked at each other shocked that he would refuse to go learn a new game, but they said nothing as they saw his company was far more beautiful than some card game. "Alright then," Gladio began. "We can meet up later and we can show you the ropes." He gave Ignis and Prompto a look that cued them to get going, leaving the pair alone again.
Noctis let out a deep sigh of relief, "Thank the six they are gone. I thought they were going to start teasing me about you." Tifa giggled, "You know, you were right though, they are pretty likeable. They are also quite complimentary to you. In their own way." She smiled at him as he rubbed the back of his neck and blushed, "Thanks." Tifa took the moment to take in the name change for him, "So they call you Noct?" Noctis nodded in response, "Yeah, my dad calls me Noct and well, it kind of stuck with me when they heard him calling me that. So now only those closest to me get to call me Noct." She nodded in acknowledgement, "Too bad, I like the nickname." She was teasing him, but he smirked in return, "Good because I would love for you to call me that." Tifa was once again blushing, 'How is it that he can make me blush over the simplest of things? More and more I find myself wanting to be with him, rather than return to the group and see Cloud with Aerith now that they are a couple. To be honest, I would be so much happier if I left the group.'
"Tifa!" called out a voice from behind them. Noctis turned around to see Cloud, Aerith, Barrett, Yuffie, Red, and Cid all standing there, their expressions a bit mixed with concern and worry. Although Noctis noticed the jealousy in Cloud's eyes instantly. "Guys," Tifa said quietly. "What are you doing?" Yuffie stepped forward, "We are getting ready to head back to Johnny's for dinner and well, you have not spent any time with us today. Are you planning on doing so? Or are you choosing to blow us off?" Tifa felt hurt by the way Yuffie worded it, feeling like she was being given an ultimatum—hang with Noctis or hang with us. She hated the feeling of anxiety that was building up in her stomach, creating knots that made her feel like she was a burden on them and hindering them. Cloud took the moment to step forward, "We head out in the morning anyways, so we have to plan out the next part of our trip. Can't be wasting time with people who aren't part of the group."
Tifa felt a weight drop onto her chest, 'Of course he is only concerned about the "mission" as he would see it. It's not like he or any of the others care about what I want to do or who I choose to spend my free time with. I am always supporting them and their choices, so why does it feel like me choosing myself is a problem? All day we were apart and not once has anyone come to look for me or ask me if I was okay. Just Cloud and Aerith dropping the bomb on me that they were spending the day alone together and I was left there to cry. Did they care? No. Did they ask if I was okay? No. But Noctis, no, Noct. Noct cared. Noct cared and has not stopped caring since he first spoke to me this afternoon. I am done feeling like the second fiddle to our group.'
She felt herself upset by the words and her thoughts, that when she went to step forward to say something, she was stopped in her tracks by Noctis' voice, firm but clear, "Well she was not with any of your group when I ran into her earlier. She did not imply that she was meeting up with any one of you. She does not need your permission to do anything because she is obviously a grown ass woman who can take care of herself. If you have a problem with me, direct it at me, don't try to give backhanded insults and make her feel like shit. That's absolutely shit behavior of people who are supposed to be her friends and personally, I would never leave her around people like you if you're gonna constantly put yourselves first and then question her when she takes the time to care for herself. She is not your mother. She sure as hell isn't married, judging by the lack of a wedding ring on her finger, and by the looks of it, she sure as hell isn't dating any of you." He made eye contact directly with Cloud. "So, where the hell do you guys get off on talking to her that way?" Tifa looked at Noctis, tears that were forming before he said anything, now falling as she was shocked by how fiercely he was defending her. 'He really did mean it. He truly meant that he would show me what it means to be the center of a man's world. Is this what it is like to be defended and cared for by a man who cares for you?'
They were taken aback by Noctis' outburst, but most had apologized to Tifa, offering her space if she needed. All except for Cloud, who had not backed down from the obvious challenge Noctis presented to him. "Tifa," Cloud began. "I'm sorry you felt that we were putting you last but I don't think this guy has any understanding of what our group dynamic is or even what our interpersonal relationships are like to speak up for you as if he knows us." He was glaring at Noctis while Noctis blocked him from looking at Tifa. "Please stop," she whispered, afraid to say anything to Cloud, worried that she would fracture their relationship. Noctis, hearing the fear in her whisper, closed the gap between him and the mercenary before stating, "Why don't you take your girlfriend and pay attention to her, while I focus on mine?" He made sure to say it loud enough for everyone to hear, causing double takes and gasps to come out of their mouths.
"Excuse me?" Cloud said, raising an eyebrow. Noctis smirked, "You heard me. I don't repeat myself. That is one thing you'll figure out fast." Cloud felt himself pull his arm back and swing at the dark-haired man but was stopped by Aerith, "Leave them be." She looked over at Tifa who looked so heartbroken and sad, "You're upsetting Tifa. I think it's better if we take the night to give each other some space. Tifa, will that be okay with you?" Tifa nodded, not saying a word as tears fell down her cheeks. She didn't trust her voice. Aerith gave a weak smile and looked at Cloud, "Come on. She really needs to be left alone. There are obviously somethings that you and she will need to work through but now is not the time because you'll say things you don't mean or hurt each other with your words." Cloud lowered his arm, nodding at Aerith and turning back towards Tifa, "We can talk in the morning, if you want to." She nodded but didn't say a word, turning away from them and walking towards the beach.
Cloud glared at Noctis, who was also glaring at him, irritation visible in his features. "Get going, Cloud," he said sarcastically. "After all, I paid for the space you're standing in, so beat it." With that, he turned around and followed Tifa to the beach.
Tifa was stuck in her mind again, worrying about what the others would think of her after Noctis' confrontation with them. Moreso what was going through Cloud's mind. 'I don't see why I should worry about what he thinks or wants when he has done nothing to make me feel wanted other than to treat me like I'm his mother.' She couldn't get the look of hurt on his face when Noctis called her his girlfriend. They had known each other for years and yet that was the first time she had seen him look hurt at the idea of her not being his. Still, she was also really angry at the fact that he really thought he could spend all day with Aerith and expected her to not feel angry at being left out. None of them had asked her to spend time with them. None of them had offered to keep her company. None of them seemed to care until Noctis was put between them.
Noctis. The boy who saw her crying in the hotel lobby. The boy who won games so she could have her pick of all of the swimsuit options that were offered at the resort. Noctis who chased after her when she got jealous of the chocobo attendant flirting with him. Noctis, who blocked her kick and rather than be afraid of her, told her she was cool. Noctis who gave her gentle kisses in the pond by the waterfall earlier. Noctis who held her hand at every chance he could. She spent the entire day with Noctis and found herself comforted by his presence more so than she had ever felt with Cloud. It was Noctis who gave her her first kiss, who held her gently while she cried over another, and Noctis who had come to her defense when she felt like she had done something wrong. She found that she wanted to be with the raven-haired man more than she ever wanted to be with Cloud. She was tired of being second best, when Noctis treated her like the one and only. Lastly, she knew in her heart that the feelings she was feeling conflicting with her longtime feelings for Cloud were her newfound feelings for Noctis.
"I think," she said to herself. "I think I am falling in love with him. He's kind, caring, gentle, sweet, and he considers me above everything else. Why should I settle for being the second option when I can be the one and only choice for him?" She held her hand up to her heart, feeling it skip a beat at remembering him call her his girlfriend. "His girlfriend. I like the sound of it," she said. "So then why not make it official with me," he replied to her quietly. She turned around and saw him standing there with the gentlest smile on his face that she had seen all day. The sunset created a glow over him that made her heart skip a beat and he had his hand extended to her, asking her to take it. She smiled at him in return and took his hand, like she had so many times today, interlacing their fingers and kissing his hand. He used his other hand to wipe away her tears and leaned into her forehead, closing his eyes as he took in the fact that she was choosing him.
"I'm sorry for jumping the gun on you like that," he whispered. The sound of the waves was a gentle background for his words. She smiled and whispered back, "It's okay. I am glad you said it. I have realized that after spending the day with you, I like the idea of being your girlfriend." She let out a giggle, "Besides, you've set the bar too high. How am I supposed to go back to liking Cloud when you've shown me what it is to be the first choice for a man?" He let out a laugh in return, "You're right. I've spoiled you for other guys. You're stuck with me now." She smiled at him as he closed the gap between them, kissing her gently but longingly. Tifa felt like she was going to melt in his arms, falling further and further in love with her midnight blue-eyed stranger from this morning, although she knew now he was hers. There was no doubt in her mind about that.
She grabbed onto his shirt as he deepened their kiss, sliding his tongue along her bottom lip, asking for permission to enter her mouth. She let out a gentle moan as he slid his tongue into her mouth, their tongues dancing together in a harmony she never dreamed of having with Cloud. Noctis groaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands cupping her face and neck gently. They pulled apart for air and Tifa noticed the same look he had in the pond earlier. Although shy, she felt the need to say what she was thinking this time, knowing that he would not make her feel bad for saying it, "Shall we head back to the hotel, get cleaned up and continue this where prying eyes won't see?" She felt herself blushing as the words left her mouth, worried she had overstepped, only for Noctis to take her hand to his lips, kissing the palm and then her wrist gently. He smirked into her wrist replying, "Well then, thank the six I have my own room. I don't want to share your attention with anyone else tonight. I want to see the stars with you." She smiled coyly as they made their way back to the hotel, where their adventure together had begun earlier that day, Tifa feeling light as a kite and loving the beach all the more after today.