Chapter 3

Cloud sprinted down the street toward his house, his mind a whirlwind of anxious thoughts. What could Jessie possibly want to talk about? he wondered, each step pounding the question deeper into his mind. The urgency in her message had him fearing the worst. Had she remembered something about that night? Did she want to confront him about it? The possibilities were endless and none of them seemed good.

By the time he reached the front door, Cloud was breathless, his shirt sticking to his skin with sweat. He fumbled with the keys for a moment before finally unlocking the door and bursting inside.

"Jessie?" he called out, still trying to catch his breath.

Jessie was in the living room, looking up from her phone in surprise as Cloud practically stumbled into the room. She was dressed casually in a small blue tank top and black short leggings, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. "Wow, Cloud, you got here fast," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't think you'd drop everything and run."

Cloud leaned against the doorframe, still panting. "You said we needed to talk… What's going on? What do you need to talk about?" His mind was racing, trying to prepare himself for whatever serious conversation was about to unfold.

Jessie stood up, a slight look of concern crossing her face before she spoke. "Yeah, we do need to talk… We need to decide if we're going to get rid of our current sofa."

Cloud blinked, his breath finally catching up with him. "What?"

Jessie nodded, her tone serious. "My parents are offering us their old sofa. It's in great condition, but we have to decide soon if we want it. I figured we should talk it over and decide if we should get rid of the one we have now."

For a moment, Cloud just stood there, staring at her in disbelief. All the tension that had been building up within him, the fear of what she might say, the anxiety over the unknown, all deflated in an instant. He could barely process her words as his mind tried to shift gears from the crisis he had imagined to the mundane reality she was presenting.

He felt his knees go weak, and without thinking, he collapsed onto the sofa in question, his face falling into his hands. "Jessie… you… you messaged me in a panic because of a sofa?"

Jessie looked puzzled by his reaction. "Well, yeah. It's a big decision! I mean, it's not every day we get offered free furniture, and we need to decide quickly, otherwise, they might give it to someone else."

Cloud just sat there, his mind still trying to catch up. He was so relieved and frustrated at the same time that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had imagined the worst possible scenarios, only to find out it was about a piece of furniture.

Seeing his reaction, Jessie's expression softened. "Cloud, are you okay? You seem… really stressed."

Cloud let out a long, slow breath, finally finding the humor in the situation. He gave Jessie a weary smile. "Yeah, I'm okay… Just a bit on edge. But seriously, Jessie, next time, maybe lead with what you want to talk about, not just 'we need to talk.'"

Jessie chuckled, finally understanding why Cloud had looked so panicked when he arrived. "Okay, okay, I get it. My bad. But seriously, about the sofa—what do you think? Keep this one or take my parents' offer?"

Cloud shook his head in disbelief, still recovering from the adrenaline rush. "You know what? Sure, let's take the new one. Whatever you think is best."

Jessie beamed at him. "Great! I'll let them know. You won't regret it, trust me. It's way comfier than this one."

Cloud just nodded, sinking deeper into the sofa that he'd been ready to say goodbye to. He couldn't believe how much his mind had blown things out of proportion, but he was just glad that, for now at least, the crisis he'd feared had been avoided. As Jessie began to chat excitedly about the logistics of getting the new sofa, Cloud allowed himself to relax, a few seconds later he found himself staring at Jessie, his thoughts drifting as he watched her. Despite everything that had happened—or rather, everything he thought might have happened—Jessie was the same as always. She seemed like she didn't have a worry in the world, always in high spirits, moving from one thing to the next with a lightness that Cloud couldn't help but admire. How did she manage to stay so carefree?

As he kept looking, Jessie suddenly noticed his gaze and grinned, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "What are you looking at, mister Strife?" she teased, putting a playful emphasis on his name.

Cloud's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly looked away, feeling his face heat up. "Oh, sorry!" he blurted out, embarrassed at being caught staring.

Jessie giggled, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Don't worry about it, Cloud," she said, her tone light and teasing. "I don't mind if it's you. As long as I get to tease you a little, it's all good."

Cloud rolled his eyes, trying to play it cool even though his cheeks were still slightly flushed. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, knowing Jessie wouldn't let him live this down anytime soon.

Jessie just laughed again, her carefree attitude infectious. Despite his earlier panic, Cloud couldn't help but feel a bit more at ease now, even if Jessie's teasing made him blush. There was something comforting about how normal this all felt—how they could still joke around, even after everything that had happened.

After a few minutes of silence, Cloud couldn't hold back the question that had been gnawing at him since he'd arrived. Awkwardly, he glanced at Jessie and asked, "Hey, Jessie… do you remember anything from last night? After we had Zack's brew?"

Jessie, who had been busying herself with tidying up a few things, suddenly froze. Cloud noticed the change in her demeanor immediately. Her usual carefree expression was replaced with one of concern, and she began to glance around the room, as if debating whether or not she should say anything.

"Just promise that what I'm going to say stays between us," Jessie said, her voice more serious than Cloud was used to.

Cloud nodded, feeling a knot tighten in his chest. "I promise," he replied, his voice tense, waiting for whatever she was about to reveal.

Jessie sighed, still looking uncertain, but she finally began to speak. "Well, I don't remember much, but… I do remember when we got back here to the house. Aerith suddenly started shouting, 'It's too hot in this damn house!' and then she… started taking her clothes off."

Cloud blinked a few times, trying to process what he'd just heard. "...What?" he said, his voice full of disbelief.

Jessie nodded, looking up at the ceiling as if trying to recall the details. "Yeah… after that, everything's kind of a blur. I don't remember anything else." She tapped her chin thoughtfully with her finger, her brow furrowed as she tried to pull more memories from the fog of the previous night.

"That's it?" Cloud asked, still trying to wrap his mind around what she'd just told him. "You don't remember anything else?"

Jessie looked back at him, a teasing glint returning to her eyes as she shrugged. "What? Did you expect something more caliente?" she teased, giving him a playful wink.

Cloud felt his face flush again, a mix of relief and embarrassment washing over him. He rolled his eyes, trying to shake off the awkwardness. "No, it's just… I thought maybe there was more to it."

Jessie giggled, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Sorry to disappoint, Cloud. But hey, at least now you know Aerith's got a bit of a wild side when she's had too much to drink."

Cloud sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing a bit. While Jessie's revelation was surprising, it was also strangely comforting. Whatever happened last night, it seemed like things hadn't gone as disastrously as he'd feared. And as Jessie continued to tease him, Cloud couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief that their friendship, at least for now, seemed intact.

"Hey, Cloud!~" Jessie called out, her voice laced with that unmistakable teasing tone.

Cloud instantly felt a pang of dread in his stomach. Oh no... he thought, already anticipating whatever mischievous plan Jessie was cooking up. When she got that tone, it usually meant she was about to say something that would leave him blushing—or worse.

Jessie grinned, her eyes sparkling with playful mischief. "I'm sure you took your sweet time checking out our naked bodies last night..." she teased, leaning in just enough to make Cloud's heart skip a beat. But despite her teasing, Cloud noticed the faint flush on her cheeks, hinting that she might be more flustered than she let on.

Cloud felt his face turn bright red, his embarrassment hitting its peak. He couldn't even bring himself to look her in the eyes. "I... I... don't know how to answer that..." he stammered, his hands moving frantically in all directions as if searching for something to distract himself with.

Jessie wasn't letting him off the hook that easily. She stepped closer, her voice dropping into a low, seductive tone. "So... mister Cloud Strife..." she murmured, her eyes locking onto his as she moved in even closer, "did you like it?"

Cloud's brain practically short-circuited. His mind went blank, and his breath caught in his throat as she closed the gap between them. He felt completely cornered, with no idea how to respond. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could only manage to stammer out a few incoherent sounds.

Jessie held his gaze for a moment longer, enjoying every second of his discomfort. Then, just as Cloud was about to reach his breaking point, she burst out laughing, the tension breaking as she stepped back.

"Relax, Cloud! I'm just messing with you," Jessie said, her laughter ringing through the room. The playful grin on her face showed she had been having way too much fun with his reaction.

Cloud let out a shaky breath, still blushing furiously but relieved that she was finally easing up. "Jessie, you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days," he muttered, trying to regain some semblance of composure.

Jessie just winked at him. "That's half the fun, isn't it?" she teased, giving him a light punch on the arm before turning away, still giggling.

Cloud shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite himself. Jessie's teasing might drive him crazy, but it was also a reminder that, despite everything, they were still the same friends they'd always been. Even if he had no idea how to handle her sometimes, he was grateful to have her in his life.