Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A thunderstorm raged outside the inn. Cloud barely registered the flashes of lightning outside. He’d gotten better at turning out the flashes. He was in his quiet, peaceful bubble thanks to the noise-canceling headphones Tifa had gotten him for his birthday last year. They had proved to be a Godsend to him. They had become his sanctuary during the late summer months when storms were common in the area. 

He reached down and pulled the sheet off of the bed. The soft piano music drifting through the headphones kept his attention away from the storm outside. Most of the music on the device was still the original selections that Tifa had loaded on there. With an occasional upbeat tune that he’d added himself. Nothing jarring, that was the last thing he needed.

He gathered the sheets, balling them up with the dirty pillowcases. He’d been doing this for over a year now and the routine at this point was as familiar as the steady ache in his arm. Most days he could ignore the pain. It almost always seemed to be a dull, persistent throb. Yet, over the past several months, it had become worse, flaring up at least twice a week now. Leaving his arm numb and practically useless some days.

He knew that if he simply rested, it would likely alleviate his pain. But he couldn’t rest. Every Gil counted for their journey. They’d managed to save enough for the move to Junon and enough to cover three months’ rent in the city. But having some extra would definitely help. He hated knowing that he wouldn’t be able to do anything to help them financially once they moved. His only income would be his Shinra stipend until he got his arm taken care of.

He carried the bundle of sheets over to the basket that he had sitting right beside the door. It was his usual routine when he was inside of a room. It helped him from getting startled by someone opening the door. He used the basket to prop the door open. 

Cloud covered the short distance to the chair in the room where he’d placed the fresh linens. He grabbed the pillowcases first. Once he had one on, he reached across the bed to grab the other pillow. As he did, the overhead light flickered. He sighed softly. The storm was threatening to knock out the power. Just what he needed. Then the light flickered again, this time more rhythmically. He looked up at the light for a second before he noticed a hand waving in his peripheral vision.

Barret.

Well, at least the storm wasn’t going to knock out the power. Yet. He was grateful that his friend had chosen this way to get his attention when he had his headphones on. There had been an incident a few months back where Cloud had his headphones on and didn’t hear Barret come into the room. The man had tried to get his attention by touching his arm and Cloud instinctively reacted. They nearly had a physical fight because of it.

He carefully pulled one headphone off his ear. “Hey, what’s up?” He asked. When he finished his question, a loud crack of thunder hit outside, causing him to flinch.

“You good?” Barret asked.

“Uh, yeah… the storm.” Cloud’s eyes traveled towards the window as another gust of wind rattled it. He shook his head and took a deep breath to help keep his nerves under control. Barret’s presence was enough to keep him grounded and for that, he was thankful. 

Barret followed his gaze and hummed. He understood. He’d been there himself. It had taken him years to be able to handle storms without any episodes hitting him. “Just wanted to check on ya. See if you needed anything.”

Cloud shook his head. “I’m good.” He started to adjust his headphones back over his ear, but Barret spoke again, stopping him.

“When’s your last day workin’?” Barret asked. He moved around to the other side of the bed to help Cloud with the fitted sheet on the bed.

“Sunday,” Cloud answered simply. “Gives us time to pack and make sure everything’s ready.”

Barret nodded. He’d already managed to find a teen in the village to take Cloud’s spot a couple days a week to help him out. He’d also managed to find a new bartender, a young woman who had been working with Tifa for the past week. But he’d miss both of them. They were good workers, reliable and strong. “And you’re leavin’ next weekend?” He saw Cloud nod in response.

“Yeah. Catching a ride on the shipment truck over to Rocket Town next Thursday afternoon,” Cloud explained.

Barret nodded again. He helped Cloud smooth out the sheet on the bed then reached across for the top sheet when Cloud unfolded it. “Will you do me a favor?”

Cloud paused and looked across the bed, meeting Barret’s gaze. “What is it?”

“Look after Tifa for me.”

“I already planned on it.” Cloud replied. His words were simple yet direct. He would look after her. He’d already spent countless hours talking with Tifa about their move. He did his best to tell her about Junon and what to expect based on what he remembered from his roughly five years spent there. He knew things probably changed since then, but he was sure that the majority of things would be exactly the same.

The apartment they’d found was one he wasn’t expecting. A one bedroom place on the fourth floor. The network listing did say it had an elevator, which was helpful. But it overlooked the water. It was situated right along Junon’s main street. 800 Gil a month. It was even labeled as being furnished with new furniture as well for them. It would be the bare necessities, but it would be more than enough for the two of them to get by. It was almost too good to be true.

“She’s never been out of Nibelheim.” Barret continued, stating the obvious. Something that Cloud was already well aware of. “She’s not going to know how to handle it.”

Cloud scoffed softly. He couldn’t help the noise that came out of his mouth. As he went to speak, he heard another loud rumble outside and closed his eyes for a second. He really wanted to put his headphones back on. “I know. Trust me, I know she’s never left the town. I know she’s not going to know how to handle it when we get there.”

His mind was already a whirlwind of anxiety. The move was right around the corner and it was all he could think about. He couldn’t shake all of the worries that plagued him. He couldn’t stop the self-loathing about the fact that he wouldn’t be able to provide for her. He felt like he wouldn’t be good enough. He worried that she’d eventually realize it and find someone else in the city. Someone that was whole. Someone that wasn’t as broken as he was.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to work. His arm prevented him from even thinking about trying. He wouldn’t be able to do anything but stay at home in their apartment. And that was assuming the doctor in Junon could even help him. He’d be spending a lot of time recovering if the doctor could do something. If not… he tried not to even entertain that thought. He already felt useless most days because of his arm, and he knew that feeling would only threaten to take over once they were settled in Junon.

Barret noticed the silent shift in Cloud’s demeanor. The man didn’t say anything else. He’d learned enough about the man to notice his changes. He decided not to pry further. He’d come to know Cloud over the past several months. Cloud was just like he was after the first war. A roller coaster of emotions. Usually he offered what support he could to the man, but this felt different. Barret wasn’t sure he could help him with whatever was going on in his head this time around.

“If ya need anything, let me know.” Barret said softly.

“Thanks,” Cloud replied. He almost immediately pulled his headphones back over his ears. Once again, he found himself surrounded by comforting music. His eyes darted up to watch as Barret left him alone in the room.

He’d been doing his best to maintain his calm throughout all of this. The move itself to Junon was something he knew he could handle just fine. What got to him though was all the uncertainty that came with it. They had a home lined up, the doctor’s appointment would be scheduled at the early part of next week, hopefully for just a few days after their arrival to minimize the wait. But he didn’t know what to expect from any of this.

It could all backfire and they’d make this trip for nothing. It could all help him and he’d be better in a year’s time. He just had no idea.

Cloud hadn’t felt this level of fear about something since he’d made the decision to return to Nibelheim from Midgar. That terrified him too. He remembered feeling all the confusion and fear about how everybody would react to him returning.

This was that same level of terror to him.

Cloud leaned forward, his elbows already on the table, and buried his face into his hands. They’d just confirmed the purchase of their boat tickets to Junon. The final piece of what they needed for next weekend. Off to the side, he heard Tifa’s conversation with his mother. They were in the kitchen. He didn’t even have the mentality right now to listen in on their conversation. Even if he wanted to right now.

He felt himself slipping. He felt himself slipping right back into the same mental state he was in when he returned to Nibelheim. He knew he was spiraling again with all the thoughts of their journey but it felt like there was nothing he could do about it.

“Cloud? Honey?” Tifa’s soft voice cut through his rampant thoughts.

“Hm?” He managed a barely audible hum in response.

He felt her hand rest gently against his upper back. It soon moved across to the other side, a soothing motion. He lowered his hands and realized she was standing right beside him. Instinctively, he leaned into her, resting his forehead gently against her stomach. Tifa, thankfully, seemed to understand his unspoken need. She placed her glass of water on the table in front of him and wrapped her arms around his head, holding him close.

“You okay?” She asked even though she already knew the answer.

“Not really,” he answered honestly. He closed his eyes and simply focused on the feeling of Tifa’s fingers gently running through his hair. It was a simple gesture, but one that he’d found the most comfort in over the months they’d spent living together at his mom’s house.

Claudia stepped out of the kitchen then, her eyes landing on her son. “Wanna talk about it?” She tried softly.

Cloud took a shaky breath. His hand came up to grip Tifa’s forearm. He wanted to talk, but he wasn’t sure if he could find the words to properly voice what was going through his head. He felt Tifa shift a bit and then he felt her warm lips press against the top of his head.

“We’ll talk later, okay?” She murmured into his hair.

He simply nodded. He’d made so much progress in opening up to his mother about the things that were on his mind. But this… this was different. His anxiety was something that he didn’t want to share with his mom. Hell, he didn’t even want to share it with Tifa. Tifa had been his rock for so long and he already felt like he was a burden to her.

This move to Junon was just going to intensify that feeling. He wouldn’t be able to do anything to help Tifa financially and he hated that more than anything else. It made him feel useless.

He shook his head briefly as he turned his head a bit. He stayed in Tifa’s embrace though, not wanting to give that up just yet. His eyes landed on his mom where he saw her concern. As much as he wanted to talk to her too, he knew she wouldn’t understand. His mom wasn’t going to Junon with them. And he feared that if he talked to her, she’d try to convince them to stay a little longer. 

But they couldn’t.

The tickets had been purchased, the apartment was lined up in Junon. They couldn’t just back out of their trip at this point. Everything was set in stone. They had all the confirmations. Everything. 

Tifa kept her lips pressed against his head as her eyes moved over to look at Claudia. Lifting her head a bit, she spoke, “it’s just… been a lot getting all this together,” she explained vaguely, hoping to keep Claudia appeased and keep her from pushing too hard.

She knew some of Cloud’s worries. He’d shared pieces with her when they were alone. Tifa desperately wanted to reassure him. She wanted to bring him back from the brink of despair. She wished she could make him see that everything would be alright, that they’d find a way to make it work. But she didn’t know where to start.

She had her own worries that she wouldn’t be able to find a job as a bartender somewhere. Yes, she knew what she was doing and she knew how to bring in the tips. But that was something that she couldn’t worry him with, he worried enough for the both of them about this whole thing. 

Tifa looked up as she heard Claudia start to make her way down the hallway. She had an uncanny ability to sense their need for a minute alone. Tifa shifted slightly, pulling a chair closer to Cloud and settled beside him. She reached over and took his hand, her fingers intertwining with his as they’d done countless times before.

“Talk to me, please?”

Cloud turned to her, her touch always had a powerful effect over him. “I feel like I’m slipping,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. He wanted to make sure that his mom didn’t hear him if she wasn’t in her room yet.

“Slipping how?” She pressed gently. Tifa knew that there were many times Cloud needed the push to get him to share more and she was okay with that.

He released a heavy breath, taking a few moments to gather his thoughts. “When… we get there, I won’t be able to work.”

“I know that. We’re going there to get your shoulder taken care of, Cloud,” Tifa tried to reassure him. She knew that it had been bothering him for a while. She’d found some listings on the network for jobs and every time she showed them to him to get his opinion, he always got quiet.

“But I won’t be able to provide for you… at all. I won’t be able to do anything.” The words were laced with self-loathing. He felt like he would be completely useless.

Tifa leaned closer, wrapping her other arm around his back. She then rested her head gently against his shoulder. “I’m not going with you just for you to take care of me, Cloud. I love you. I’m the one who brought up the idea, remember?” She felt him nod against her. “It’s not like you won’t be helping. You’ll still have that check that covers a lot of the rent.”

 Cloud closed his eyes, leaning his head gently against hers. The weight of their upcoming move, them finally getting their tickets… It was getting to him. He’d found himself relying on her more than ever this past week or two. “I’m afraid to lose you,” he confessed finally.

Tifa lifted her head suddenly, her eyes searching his. “Why would you lose me?” She asked, feeling genuinely confused by his statement.

“That…” He looked down at the table, unable to look at her. It didn’t last long though as Tifa’s hand moved away from his and cupped his cheek, forcing him to look back at her. “That you’ll find someone else who’s not broken.”

Tifa’s expression softened. She wanted so badly to just laugh and dismiss his fears as absurd, but she saw the genuine terror in his eyes. He truly believed it would happen. “I’ve told you this before, Cloud. You’re stuck with me,” she told him firmly. She leaned in, pressing her lips gently against his. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he whispered back to her, a slight smile on his face.

“I’m doing all of this for you. I want to do this with you.” Tifa moved her hand from his cheek and gently threaded her fingers through his hair. She knew, deep down, that her words wouldn’t be enough. He needed to see the proof and she planned on showing it to him once they were in Junon. 

Tifa glanced down at the tablet that was resting on the table. The screen was off, but she knew that that device had been used a lot over the past couple of weeks and it brought anxiety to Cloud every time it was brought out. She reached over and pushed it up against the wall then cupped his cheek to look into his eyes.

“Why don’t we go get in bed?” She suggested. Her tone was gentle but also firm, leaving no room for argument. 

Cloud nodded silently. He waited for her to stand up before he followed her lead. He hated the constant barrage of worries that took over his mind. He wanted to try to maintain her optimism regarding Junon. He wanted all of this to work out, but the dark side of his head was taking over more and more each day it got closer.

A few minutes later, they were nestled beneath the covers in their shared bed. Tifa had flipped on the TV once they were settled. She had learned that the background noise helped Cloud to be able to relax. She’d grown accustomed to it over the months she’d spent living with him.

“When we get there, you have to remember to talk to me, okay?” She encouraged him softly. She gently pulled him closer to her and guided his head to rest against her chest. She wanted to do what she could for him to help him remember that he was loved and nothing would change that.

“As long as you talk to me too…” Cloud murmured softly. He wrapped his arm loosely around her waist before he continued. “If you start working at a bar, you’re going to get hit on…”

Tifa couldn’t suppress a soft laugh. She tried, but it left her mouth before she could stop it. “Honey, I already get hit on,” she teased as she ran her fingers through his short hair. She was actually glad that he decided to keep it this length. Ever since he cut it before the new year, she’s loved it. “It’s going to happen.” She expected it, especially in a much larger city. But her heart belonged solely to Cloud. “I’ll be coming home to you every night,” she promised.

Cloud nodded. He felt a pang of guilt hit him as well as some shame for making her repeat the same things to him. Yet, the consistency of her words helped him immensely. It helped push away the thoughts of doubt that threatened to take over. “Always?”

“Always,” Tifa confirmed. She leaned forward just enough to press a tender kiss to the top of his head. She rested back against the pillows and looked over at the TV. It didn’t take him long to start to drift off. She felt his head start to dip more and just continued to run her fingers through his hair.

She knew he wasn’t physically exhausted. It was mental exhaustion that took him. Tifa knew that their journey to Junon wasn’t going to be easy. It was going to take a lot out of both of them and Cloud’s anxieties would be hard to overcome. She hoped that the doctor would actually be able to help him. 

Tifa planned on showing him each day they were there that she only had eyes for him. He’d come a long way since he’d been home and she knew that slips would happen here and there. She was ready for this next chapter of their lives. She was excited to see what it brought. And she would be there with him, every step of the way.

Chapter Text

Cloud leaned against the counter in the kitchen. In his hands was a plain glass of water that he’d been sipping idly on for the past 20 minutes. The farewells had been a blur to him. They were all the same thing over and over again. The well-wishes. The tearful goodbyes. He listened to each one of them, offering polite nods and quiet ‘thank yous’ to everybody. But, in his mind, it was a whirlwind of anxiety. A constant hum of “what ifs” and “maybes.” 

The following afternoon, they would be gone. They would be on their way to Rocket Town then the day after, embarking on their ship ride to Junon.

He hated feeling this way. He just wanted things to make sense. He desperately wanted this move to Junon. He was clinging to the hope that the doctor would be able to help him and alleviate the pain and discomfort in his shoulder. Yet, the dark portions of his mind wouldn’t stop. It kept encroaching on any parts of positivity he had. Telling him that it would be a worthless trip. It would be a waste of everybody’s time.

He knew, as he watched his girlfriend, that she was brimming with excitement. She had never been out of Nibelheim. No further than their runs would take them on the main road through the region at least. But that wasn’t nearly far enough away to truly experience anything. She was eager to see what the world had to offer them.

Cloud, however, knew Junon. He knew the ins and outs of the Shinra military facilities. He knew his way around the city like the back of his hand. He spent years there. He knew where all the good hidden food stalls were, at least back then. He had no way of knowing if they were even still open. But in a few days they’d be able to find out. He didn’t share Tifa’s excitement over seeing the city. To him, it was returning to a portion of his past.

His eyes drifted towards the living room, where he saw Barret sitting on the chair, Marlene sitting on the armrest of the chair. His voice boomed over everybody else’s. Cloud was sure the man only had one volume, but he’d found it oddly comforting over his time at home. He’d really come to consider Barret a friend. All their talks at the inn after Cloud finished turning the rooms. There had been times he would spend an extra two or three hours there simply talking with the man. Sharing vague stories of things they’d both experienced. He connected with Barret in a way that he knew he’d never be able to connect with Tifa.

Barret had been the first to arrive, a little over an hour earlier. He was barely into the house before he reiterated his plea for Cloud to ‘take care of Tifa.’ It was a request he’d made a few days ago at the inn while he helped Cloud with one of the rooms. Once Cloud agreed, yet again, Barret’s tone changed to one more reassuring. He wished him luck with the doctor in Junon. 

Marlene, who’d come with her father to see them off had given him a hug. A short hug, but then she took a few seconds to thank Cloud for his help with her math homework over the past year. It was a simple gesture, but it brought a smile to the man’s face. 

From where he stood in the kitchen, he had a prime view of the entire living room area where everybody was congregated. His eyes moved over to Aerith who was sitting beside Tifa on the sofa. Her arm was hooked through Tifa’s and he could see Aerith’s face was streaked with tears. 

When she arrived, it had been a whirlwind of emotions. The moment that Tifa opened the door, Aerith burst into tears. Cloud felt a pang of guilt about that. He felt like he was taking Tifa away from her best friend. Yes, they’d still be able to talk, but it didn’t ease his mind any. He heard the way Tifa promised they’d talk all the time. She spent minutes promising Aerith that as they shared tears together. 

He knew this move was Tifa’s idea. She was the one that went out of the way to find a doctor that might be able to help him. She was the one that spent a lot of the time figuring out the basic logistics of how they’d make this work. Tifa was the one that wanted this long before he did. Yet, he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was the cause of their separation.

He sighed softly, the sound barely audible even to himself. He pulled his eyes away from the group in the living room and looked at his nearly empty glass in his hands. Cloud decided to turn towards the sink to refill it for himself. Once he drank the little bit that was remaining, he reached out and turned on the faucet to refill it. When he did, he heard heavy steps approaching him. A steady thud that didn’t match his mother’s or Tifa’s pace.

“Cloud…”

It was Brian. He’d been silent towards him since he arrived at the house and he noticed the way he’d been staying off to the side, simply being a spectator as Tifa interacted with the others. Cloud took a deep breath, bracing himself for whatever it was that Tifa’s father wanted. 

“Brian…”

The older man waited until Cloud turned to face him. He watched as he moved down the counter a bit and leaned against it, in the exact same spot he’d been in for a while. “You know I don’t like any of this,” he stated.

“Yeah, you’ve made that quite obvious,” Cloud shot back at him. He’d been getting tired of the not-so-subtle comments he’d been hearing from Brian over the past few months since Tifa moved into the house. He was well aware of the fact that the man didn’t like or approve of any of this. He’d done a good job at making sure the entire town knew how he felt about it.

Brian’s jaw clenched at Cloud’s response. He heard the undertones in the man’s voice and while he wanted to quip back at him, he held off. He knew he’d earned this response from him over the past few months. His own stubbornness had created this chasm between them. He’d allowed his past memories and fears to overtake him and he’d realized over the past few weeks especially that he never actually gave Cloud a fair chance. He finally allowed himself to look at them through new eyes and he finally saw it. He saw the strength and unwavering loyalty that Cloud displayed towards his daughter.

“I’m… sorry…” The words were heavy as they finally escaped Brian’s lips.

Cloud’s eyes widened a bit. He felt genuinely surprised at hearing those words come out of the man’s mouth. Brian, who had shown nothing but disdain towards him since his return to Nibelheim, was apologizing? He hadn’t anticipated this shift in the man. A shift that seemed to come out of nowhere. “You are?” He finally asked him.

“I am,” he confirmed. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes landing right on his daughter. He saw the way she was leaning into Aerith. He could see their mouths moving but couldn’t hear anything. They were having a private conversation about something. “She wants to do this with you… I know that. I see that. It doesn’t mean I have to like it, but it does mean that I have to accept it.” He was admitting defeat. 

“No matter what you say or do, we’re leaving with that shipment truck tomorrow afternoon,” Cloud reminded him. His voice was firm, leaving no room for Brian to try fighting it.

“I know.” Brian sighed softly. He moved to the other side of Cloud and leaned against the counter beside him. “I’ve been unfair to you.”

“Yes, you have been.” Cloud looked back out towards the group in the living room.

Brian decided not to continue that conversation. He admitted that he never gave Cloud a fair chance and he didn’t feel the need to continue down that path. He watched as Tifa started laughing about something that Aerith said before she pulled the other woman in for a hug. “She’s just like her mother was. Once she puts her mind to something, there’s no changing it.” A fond, sad smile curled across Brian’s lips as he thought about Thea. “Stubborn as a mule, that one.”

Cloud smiled softly. He was well aware of how stubborn Tifa was. He had a stubborn streak just as long as hers. “I keep hearing that,” he murmured, referring to Tifa being like her mother. 

He slowly took a sip of his water. He wished, in that moment, he had something stronger. Something that would help cut through the tension he still felt with Brian. He watched as Tifa turned her head, looking in the direction. Cloud’s eyes met hers and he saw the slight tilt of her head. A questioning look. Cloud offered her a small, reassuring nod, letting her know that everything was alright.

“You don’t really remember Thea, do you?” Brian asked softly.

Cloud shrugged slightly. His eyes stayed on Tifa, watching as she turned back to continue her conversation with Aerith and Barret. “I remember little pieces,” he told him honestly. “She was always nice to me. I remember her giving me gifts on my birthdays and her cooking was amazing.” He smiled softly as he remembered a little more from his childhood. 

“She always had a soft spot for you,” Brian whispered. “This… what Tifa’s doing. It’s something her mother would do.” He nodded softly, mostly to himself as he acknowledged the parallels between his late wife and their daughter. He missed Thea dearly and knew she would be proud of Tifa’s courage and dedication. “Do me a favor…”

“Here it comes,” Cloud muttered under his breath. His mind danced around a hundred different scenarios that Brian would ask for his ‘favor.’ “What is it?”

“Look out for her. You know what the cities are like. She doesn’t. We only know what the media reports here. I haven’t been to a city since long before she was born.” Brian’s voice was full of worry. “The stories I hear on the news–”

“The news also skews everything,” Cloud cut him off. He turned to face Brian and put his glass down on the counter. “Junon won’t be that bad. Yes, it will be a shock for her. She’s so used to everything here.” He’d already explained to Tifa a lot of the ‘non-stop’ type of life that she’d seen in Junon. It was an attempt to prepare her for everything that she’d experience over there. “And honestly? The news only focuses on the negative. They never show the good parts of anything.”

“Just don’t let her get overwhelmed, or too trusting of people.” Brian sighed softly. He couldn’t hide the paternal anxiety that laced his voice. “I won’t be able to look out for her anymore. It’s… your job now.” He extended his hand towards Cloud. 

The gesture was simple, but spoke volumes. He knew and understood Cloud’s place in Tifa’s life now. He still held onto his reservations about Cloud and all the things that the man had been through. But he couldn’t deny the genuine affection that he saw in both of them when he watched them together. He saw the pure love in Tifa’s eyes for Cloud and he saw the devotion that Cloud had for Tifa. Brian acknowledged that Cloud treated her with respect and had never once seen anything to make him continue to think that this man would ever harm his daughter.

Cloud hesitated for a moment, his eyes fixed on Brian’s outstretched hand. He finally nodded slowly and reached out to grasp it. A firm, yet brief handshake of silent promises. “Trust me when I say that she’s more than capable of looking after herself though.” He said with a soft smile. Cloud had a memory flash in his mind of one of the several times Tifa nearly knocked him down from the sheer force of her punches on the punching bag. “She’s tougher than she looks.”

“I know she’s strong,” Brian conceded. “But I’m always going to worry about her. I lost her mother, I can’t lose her too.” The thought alone sent a pain through his chest. He didn’t even like saying the words out loud. It was his biggest fear for something to happen to his little girl. 

Cloud understood the man’s anxieties. He remembered his pain from losing his best friend. It wasn’t exactly the same. But Zack was still someone that was near and dear to him. He felt that same protectiveness towards Tifa too, a deep-seated desire to keep her safe from any harm. “She’ll be okay. We’ll both be okay in Junon,” he tried to reassure him. “We’ll make sure to keep in contact.”

“I’ll be checking in regularly to make sure she’s okay.” Brian said, his voice firm. “Please make sure you check in with your mother too. She’ll be worried about you. She was a mess back when you enlisted.”

“I will. I promised her that we’d call when we got into the apartment,” Cloud replied softly. 

He knew his mother would be anxious. He remembered back to when he told her he was leaving for the military. The conversation was full of tears from her and he was so close to changing his mind because he hated seeing her so upset about it. His mom made him promise that, even though it would be the middle of the night in Nibelheim when they arrived, that he’d call. A promise he was happy to make her. It was a simple gesture that he knew would ease her mind, knowing they made it safely.

“That’s a good idea. Can you make sure Tifa gives me a call too?” Brian pleaded softly.

“It’ll be about 3 in the morning here when we dock over there…” Cloud warned him.

“I don’t care. Even just a quick call. Just to let me know you’re both there.”

Cloud nodded with a soft smile on his face. “I will.” He knew they’d both probably be tired when they got there, him more so since he hated ships, but a quick call was easy for them. “And I’ll make sure she doesn’t forget to call you regularly.”

“Thank you, Cloud.” Brian said sincerely. He gave Cloud a brief nod before he decided to go back out to the living room again to join the others and try to enjoy the last night he got to spend with his daughter before they left.

Cloud reached out for his glass again before he took a slow sip of the remaining water. Brian’s words echoed in his mind. The man who once viewed him with hatred and distrust, was now entrusting him with looking out for his daughter. He was thankful that Brian had come to accept their decision to move to Junon. He wasn’t completely on board and knew he was never going to be, but he was thankful that the man was at least willing to give it a chance and trust him. A trust that Cloud had no intentions of breaking.

Cloud’s eyes traveled over towards his mom who was sitting on the other chair in the living room. He knew his mom didn’t fully like the idea of them leaving either, but she accepted it from the moment they brought it up. It was intended to just be a temporary trip anyway. He hoped to be back home by the end of next summer. 

Assuming everything went well. 

Tifa stepped out of the shower and grabbed one of the towels from the rack to wrap it around her body. She looked towards the mirror and used her hand to wipe a clear spot on it so she could actually see her reflection. Tomorrow was the day. Around lunchtime, they would be leaving Nibelheim for the next year. Embarking on the unknown. The realization sent a shiver down her spine and a mixture of excitement and apprehension to tighten her chest. 

This was their last night in the familiar comfort of their childhood home. A place that held so many memories for her. A place where she knew everything and everybody. Heading to a place that she knew nothing about. A place where the only person she’d know was Cloud. She brushed some of her wet hair behind her ear and felt the ridges of the scar that sat there, hidden in her hairline. The scar she got, in Nibelheim, when she was just a girl. 

She was doing her best to project strength for Cloud. She wanted… no… needed to be his rock. She needed to anchor him to keep his own darkness from taking over. But beneath the surface she showed to him and others, she was battling her own worries and doubts about all of this.

Junon loomed over her. The only things she knew about the city were what she was able to find on the network or seen on TV. She’d listened intently to all of Cloud’s stories. She hung on every word as he described the city’s bustling streets. The towering buildings. The vibrant atmosphere. The chaos compared to Nibelheim. He’d spent years living there in the military. He knew what the city was like. While she, on the other hand, had no idea about any of it. Seeing pictures on TV or maps on the network didn’t do it justice to what it was actually like.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. She felt her anxiety start to take over and wanted to do her best to get it under control before she returned to her room with Cloud. Tifa grabbed the second towel that she had from the counter and began to dry her hair. Once the excess water was absorbed, she placed the towel on the counter and removed the one around her body to hang on the rack. Tifa reached for her t-shirt and shorts, pulling them on slowly. She wanted to prolong her stay in the bathroom just a few more moments. Her shower had already been longer than usual. She used the time to try to collect her thoughts and work through her fears.

She’d already spent time looking at jobs that were posted on the network. Several bartender positions that she found, but there was a nagging doubt that lingered in her mind. A very real fear that she wouldn’t be good enough. A fear that her skills from the small town of Nibelheim wouldn’t translate to the demands of the large city. Could she actually keep up if she did find a job? What if she just didn’t know enough? What if her experience wasn’t good enough for people to even give her a chance?

The thought echoed in her mind as she grabbed the towel from the counter and twisted her damp hair into it. Securing it tightly on the top of her head. She’d taught herself everything she knew about bartending. She knew a huge variety of drinks. She’d learned many just from people passing through the area. But what if there were things she needed to know but never had the chance to learn? What if the clientele of Junon expected something more? Something she couldn’t provide?

Tifa sighed softly and did her best to push the thoughts away. She couldn’t stay locked in the bathroom forever. Cloud could notice her absence. She had to put on a brave face. She had to bring back the confidence that she showed to Cloud. She needed to get back to him and help him with the last few articles of clothing they’d yet to pack away.

She finally emerged from the bathroom and made the short trek across the hall to their shared room. Cloud was there, standing beside an open suitcase, folding a pile of her clothes. “Did you already get through the last of your things?” She asked softly, trying to mask all of her internal feelings.

“Uh, yeah… I didn’t have much left,” Cloud glanced over his shoulder at her. “You feel better? You were in there for a while,” he noticed.

Of course he’d noticed. Cloud always noticed subtle shifts in her normal routine. It was one of the things she both admired and found slightly unnerving about him. He was a keen observer of everything around him. Always on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. “Yeah. I was… just thinking,” she admitted softly. She turned to approach the closet and felt a tightness constricting her chest as she looked into the nearly empty space. It was just a reminder that they were, in fact, leaving.

“You okay?” Cloud asked. His eyes stayed on her as he pulled another one of Tifa’s sweaters off the hanger to fold it.

Tifa remained silent, leaving the words hanging in the room between them. She looked at the last handful of things in the closet and grabbed them. Without a word, she turned to join her boyfriend at the bed, adding the stack to the few garments that were already there. Tifa sat at the foot of the bed and started to remove the hangers from the clothes. She knew she couldn’t keep her anxieties hidden any longer. Cloud had been honest with her throughout this process and she owed him the same honesty.

“I’m scared,” she finally admitted. She tossed one of the shirts onto a new pile and started to reach for another to get the hanger off, but was stopped when Cloud’s hand gently closed around hers.

“I know,” he said flatly. “You’ve been doing so much for me and I feel like I’ve done nothing for you in return.”

Tifa slowly looked up at him. Her eyes searched his face, trying to figure out what he was feeling right now, but his face was blank. “You’ve been more of a mess than I have, Cloud.” She sighed softly. “I’m just scared about leaving. We won’t know anybody besides each other. I won’t know my way around. I–”

“–won’t be alone,” he interrupted her. “I’ll be there with you the whole time.” He moved down to the foot of the bed. Cloud pushed the clothes that were there to the side so he could sit beside her. “I knew you were hiding something from me,” he added.

“Was it that obvious?” She asked. When Cloud responded with his signature hum, Tifa smiled softly. It was a simple response that he gave her often and it gave her a sense of calm. She leaned into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. “What if I’m not good enough to get a job out there?”

Cloud completely understood her fear. That nagging doubt that gnawed at the confidence. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. As much as Tifa worked to lift his spirits, to be his support and his rock, he knew he needed to return the favor. He needed to be her strength as well when she faltered. “You know more than the bartender I saw all the time in Midgar,” he said softly. He heard her let out a small laugh and he felt himself relax a bit at hearing it. “I mean it. He barely knew the difference between some of the beers.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better” Tifa teased, her finger poking him in the ribs gently.

“Is it working?” Cloud asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. They were both a mess about the move, but he also knew they both had to keep their heads together about it.

“A little bit.” She admitted as she turned her head to look at him. “Do you really think I’ll be good enough to find a job in Junon?”

Cloud nodded sternly. “I do. I think you’ll do great and any place that hires you would be lucky to have you.” He mirrored her smile, hoping to convey that he truly felt that way about her and her abilities. “Weren’t you the one always telling me that we’re doing this together?” He reminded her softly.

“Yeah,” Tifa replied, a knowing smile playing at her lips. She had a feeling she knew what he was about to say next to her.

“And I remember someone telling me to always talk to her,” he continued, his voice teasing.

“Yeah…” she repeated as she narrowed her eyes a bit. 

“That goes for you too,” he mirrored her face, narrowing his eyes a bit, almost challenging her.

“I know… but you’ve been dealing with so much. I didn’t want you to worry about me too.” Tifa confessed. She rested her head back onto his shoulder and closed her eyes, simply seeking the comfort of his presence.

Cloud’s hand idly moved along her side. Yes, he had his own demons to battle, his own fears and anxieties to conquer, but they were a team now. “And you bottling everything up inside isn’t going to help anybody,” he said, repeating the same words Tifa had told him countless times.

Tifa couldn’t hold in the snicker. “It’s not fair when you throw my words back at me, you know.” She teased and playfully smacked his thigh.

Cloud’s smile widened a bit as he leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head, careful to avoid the towel that was wrapped around her hair. “You say it to me all the time to get me to talk to you. It’s completely fair.”

“Mmhm,” she hummed, trying to keep a straight face. Though, she struggled to keep her laughter inside.

Hearing Cloud’s attempt to lift her spirits filled her with a sense of warmth. This was the right decision. This was the right path for them. She never doubted that she wanted to do this with him and the reminder that he would be there to support her as much as she supported him, strengthened that feeling.

“Come on, we only have a few more things to pack. I want to get a good night’s sleep,” she said. Tifa patted his thigh gently again before she turned to continue removing her clothes from the hangers.

“ We don’t have a few more things. You have a few more–hey!” Cloud exclaimed, laughing when Tifa threw one of her shirts at him, the garment landing squarely on his face.

Tifa smiled lovingly at him. She watched as he shook his head while pulling the shirt free of it. “It’s our stuff now,” she declared, pointing a finger at him. What she wasn’t expecting though, was for Cloud to hold the shirt up in front of his chest as if he was checking to see how it would look on him. 

“I don’t think this will fit me though,” he said flatly as he looked between her and the shirt he held up.

Tifa’s hand flew to her mouth, stifling a laugh. She knew Claudia was settling into bed and the last thing she wanted to do was disturb her. “Stop that!” She swatted in his direction as a giggle escaped her lips. She’d been thankful to see this playful side of Cloud more frequently in the months they’d lived together. He still had his emotional roller coaster moments, especially over the last couple of weeks as they got closer to the move though. She hoped once they were there that it would get better. 

Cloud pulled the shirt down finally and worked on folding it. “So… that guy said he wanted to leave at noon tomorrow. He won’t wait more than a few minutes for us,” he said, his voice returning to a more serious tone. 

“Honestly, we got lucky he even agreed to take us. He seemed like he was kind of an asshole,” Tifa added on. She got the rest of the hangers off her clothes and got up, gathering them to put the empties back in the closet.

“He was,” Cloud agreed with a huff. “Wanting 100 gil just to let us sit in the back of his empty truck… to go where he’s already going.” He shook his head, a gesture that came across with frustration. They’d agreed to it because they didn’t have many other options.

Tifa returned to the bed then and began to help Cloud fold the remaining items. “Well, at least we have a ride.” She said, trying to stay a little positive about the situation. “And since we’re paying him, I’m sure he’ll stick around more than just a few minutes.”

As she folded the last shirt, she placed it in the suitcase then sat on the edge of the bed beside it. Her eyes followed Cloud as he began to scan the room, his meticulous nature kicking in. She just leaned back on her hands and watched him with a fond smile. He was a creature of habit, she’d learned. Everything had a place and he always double and triple checked things behind him. They’d already packed their electronics into a separate backpack. Knowing they were all in one spot gave them both a sense of security with them. Now, Cloud was conducting a final sweep of the room. He opened and closed each drawer of the dresser, checking every corner.

“So, I saw you and dad talking earlier,” Tifa said. She’d been wanting to ask him about their conversation. From what she’d seen, it looked like it was a surprisingly friendly exchange.

Cloud peered into the closet one last time, ensuring the hangers were empty. His eyes darted to the shelf above where only a few thick blankets remained. All of them were far too bulky to take with them. They’d packed one, Tifa’s favorite, but he knew they’d probably need to get a few more once they settled in Junon.

“Yeah, he just wanted to talk to me about you.” He shrugged a bit. “He told me to take care of you and look out for you.” Cloud explained as he joined Tifa on the edge of the bed, reaching out to open the drawers of the nightstand to make sure they were empty.

“You don’t have to take care of me, Cloud,” Tifa replied, her voice a little firm.

“I know I don’t. You’re more than capable of looking after yourself,” Cloud leaned down and pulled open the bottom drawer of the nightstand. He chuckled when he found a stray condom that he grabbed and tossed into the bag. “But, I still told him I’d look out for you once we’re there.”

Tifa reached out and took his hand in hers. She snaked her fingers through his and waited for him to look in her direction. “We’re doing this together,” she spoke while nodding. “I’ll help you, you’ll help me. That’s the only way this is going to work.” Tifa watched as he nodded. She knew she was guilty of holding some things from him, but deep down, she knew the only way it would work is if they stuck together. “We’re really doing this,” she whispered.

“We are…” Cloud smiled softly. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead gently against hers. “We need to get some rest, it’s getting late.”

Tifa leaned in a bit and pressed her lips against his before she stood up. She slid the suitcase closer to the edge of the bed and zipped it closed. She then carried it over by the door to add to the other bags they were taking with them. By the time she finished, Cloud had already slid under the blanket on the bed, settling into his usual spot. Tifa flipped off the light and immediately slipped into his waiting arms.

Tifa knew that they needed sleep, she wanted to sleep, especially feeling the way she did, but her mind wouldn’t stop. She completely understood Cloud’s issues now. She used to wonder how he couldn’t get his mind to shut off to sleep, but now, as she lay here in his arms, enjoying the silence of the room… she understood. Everything made sense. All of her fears and worries were bubbling over. Tifa tightened her fist in his shirt a bit and he must have sensed it because she felt his arm tighten around her, pulling her in even closer. 

They’d be okay.

Chapter Text

Tifa’s eyes darted across the scenery from her spot in the back of the truck. Everything was new to her. Yes, the sights were similar, if not still the same as back home, but she’d never ventured this far out of Nibelheim before, not even on her runs she took with Cloud or alone. She still saw the rolling hills and tree lined paths that weaved throughout the distance.

Yet, it still felt all new to her. An exciting new world beyond her home.

She leaned over the side of the truck a little bit, resting her arms on the edge and watched as the occasional truck passed them in the opposite direction. The day was bright and clear. A perfect time for the deliveries to reach even the most remote places. Taking supplies to them for them to stock up before the harsh winter months arrived.

A sudden gust of wind whipped around them, causing her hair to smack into her face. Tifa instinctively reached up and guided the strands out of her face and eyes. As she turned her head, trying to get away from the wind, she noticed Cloud. His arms were folded tightly across his chest. His head was bowed slightly with his chin resting against his chest. She couldn’t see his eyes from where she was, but she assumed they were closed. Most people would think he was simply napping, but Tifa knew better. She knew the subtle clues. The flexing of the muscles on his forearm were the key sign.

He was lost in his thoughts yet again.

“Cloud?” She asked softly, yet loud enough for him to hear her over the sounds of the truck. She saw a slight twitch in his head, a subtle acknowledgement that he’d heard her. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied flatly. 

The automatic response wasn’t uncommon to Tifa. She’d lost track of how often he said it over the past several weeks. She just sighed. She knew he was anything but fine. “I know that’s a lie,” she said. “You haven’t said anything since we got on this truck.” Tifa carefully crawled closer to where he was. She pulled one of their bags closer to her so she could lean against it as she scooted in beside him.

Cloud slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head. His eyes met her as she settled in beside him. He knew she was right. He wasn’t fine. His mind, once again, wouldn't shut off. It was running through every scenario he could possibly come up with. Every potential downfall of this trip. It felt like, to him, that there were far more bad possibilities than there were good ones. He really hoped that all of this would pass once they finally reached Junon in two days. 

“I’m just worried,” he admitted softly.

“I know,” she replied simply. She was too. All the unknowns weighed her down. She slipped her arm easily through his and took his hand. She pushed her fingers between his and squeezed his hand tightly. “I’m worried too,” she confessed. 

They’d spent most of the previous night talking. They were supposed to sleep and make sure they were well rested for today, but neither of them could get to that point. Not until the wee hours of the morning. They talked about everything together. All their fears. All their anxieties. All their hopes. 

Cloud felt a small wave of calm wash over him when Tifa rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m just ready to get to the inn.” He deflected the conversation away from his worries. He’d voiced them all last night, there was really no reason to repeat himself. Tifa knew how he felt and he knew how she felt. “Maybe we’ll actually be able to sleep tonight… because I know I won’t sleep much on the boat.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve never been able to sleep much on boats. Even back in the military…” he explained with a sigh. He’d tried every trick in the book. Everything Shinra explained for relaxing on boats. None of it worked for him. “I wish I could sleep, but I just can’t.” He turned his head and looked out over the passing scenery as they traveled down the road. The thought alone of two nights at sea made his body tense a bit. But he could handle it. He’d spent so much time with only a few hours of sleep. It would just remind him of that.

Tifa hummed softly. She wished that she could help him with that but knew that since she’d never even stepped foot on a boat, there was nothing she could do to assist with that. The only thing she could offer him was her presence which, while at home, it helped. But she doubted it would do anything on a boat. She also doubted that Cloud would accept sleeping medication either. He never accepted it at home when he had rough nights.

“Hopefully you’ll be able to sleep a little bit at least… because I don’t even know how I’ll react on a boat. I’ve never been on one, remember?”

Cloud nodded slightly. His eyes never left the passing landscape outside the truck. He was well aware of Tifa’s lack of experience with anything outside of Nibelheim. Part of his worry was how she’d react. He remembered how he reacted when he got to Midgar. How overwhelmed he felt by everything. “I’m hoping you don’t get motion sick.”

“Motion sick?” Tifa repeated, frowning. That didn’t sound good.

“Yeah… There were guys in my squad that had it every time we were on boats together. They were sick the entire time,” Cloud explained. He finally pulled his eyes away from the landscape and looked at the woman beside him. He frowned at the sight of her worry. “You might not have any issues though,” he added, trying to reassure her.

Tifa bit her lip. The idea of spending two days on a boat fighting nausea and discomfort sounded horrible to her. That, on top of Cloud being unable to sleep… She hoped that at least one of them would have a decent trip to Junon. “That sounds awful.”

“I’m sure that you’ll be okay though. I don’t think it bothers too many people.” Cloud tried again to reassure her. Though, he knew there was always a chance that she’d be sick the whole time and he hated that thought.

He turned his head to look back out over the passing hills and scenery. He was trying to gauge their progress. Based on his fractured memories of his trip back to Nibelheim, he estimated they still had about a half an hour before they reached the port near Rocket Town. When he made his trip home, he wasn’t too focused on everything in his head to spend too much time looking around. There was one thing he did remember from the port. He recalled a small tavern near the inn. He ate there when the ship landed before he hitched a ride on a cargo truck.

“What if we’re doing all this for nothing?” He asked suddenly. He’d asked the same question several times the night before and he started to feel like a broken record.

“What if we’re not?” Tifa retorted immediately. She’d been actively combatting his negativity for weeks, doing her best to keep him from completely spiraling. Her words of positivity had also helped herself to relax about all of this too. “You called the doctor’s office. They’re getting your medical records from Midgar and Shinra so they know what to expect when you get in there. The appointment is in a few weeks. They’ll know what you need and what they can do to help you.”

“They’ll also see how bad Shinra fucked it up,” Cloud muttered bitterly. His hatred for the global corporation never changed over the years.

“Exactly, they’ll see that too. And maybe he’ll be able to fix it. Or at least try to fix it.” She gently ran her thumb along the back of his hand, trying to offer him whatever support she could.

If she was to be honest with herself, she shared his anxieties about the doctor. She worried that his injury was beyond repair. In the back of her mind, she held onto the hope that there was a chance. Even if this all failed and was for nothing, there were still options for Cloud. The man had embraced the idea of amputation. She hated that idea, but she would be with him every step of the way and help him learn to adjust to a prosthetic. She lifted her head as Cloud shifted a little beside her. She immediately noticed him rotating and flexing his injured shoulder. Something he’d been doing lately

“Soon, we’ll know soon if they can do anything.”

“I know.”

Cloud nodded his thanks to the old man at the counter at the inn when he accepted the old worn keyring from him. He turned to join Tifa who was already at the stairs waiting for him to get them checked into their room for the night. “I figured we’d get our things upstairs then go get something to eat? If you’re feeling up to it?” He offered.

“Yeah!” Tifa felt the excitement of the new area hit her the second Rocket Town and its port. “Can we look around a bit too?” She was eager to experience everything that she could. This was all new to her and she wanted to see everything. She reached down then, grabbing two of their four bags while Cloud grabbed the others.

“That’s fine with me,” he replied with a nod. He knew that it would give him a good distraction, at least for a little bit. He held in a groan of pain when he shifted the bags in his hands. “It’s 2C,” he told her as he followed her up the steps.

Tifa scanned the small numbers affixed to the doors until she located their room. “So, Junon is bigger than this?” She asked, genuinely curious about it. She stepped to the side to give Cloud room at the door since he had the room key.

“Oh yeah,” he confirmed with a small chuckle. He juggled the bag in his hand to get the key into the lock.

He held the door open for Tifa, gesturing for her to enter first. He followed soon behind her. The space was simple from what he could see. It was laid out exactly the same as the rooms he cleaned in Nibelheim. Most inns or hotels were. A single, queen size bed in the middle of the room with some old nightstands on either side. The window view was nothing spectacular to him. It overlooked an alley that ran behind the buildings. Nothing luxurious by any means, but more than enough for a single night for them.

Tifa dragged the bags to the foot of the bed and left them there, creating a small pile before she peeked her head into the bathroom. She saw the worn, old tub and a few tiles on the wall chipping and just shrugged. At least it was clean. 

“Can we look around first? Then do food? We just ate before we left.”

Cloud couldn’t suppress the small smile that crept to his face as he watched Tifa’s infectious enthusiasm. The simple act of exploring a new place seemed to ignite a spark within her that he adored. “Yeah, we can do that… come on.” He gestured towards the door.

Tifa bounced a bit as she hurried back to his side. She took his hand, her fingers immediately intertwining with his. “Oh, and we have to let our parents know we made it here okay.” She reminded him as she got her phone out of her pocket.

Cloud glanced down at her screen and saw she’d opened a message to both of them at the same time. He knew his mother would be worried. She would be worried the entire time they were gone and he already knew how Brian felt about all of this, even though the man had finally started to come around a little bit when they talked the day before. 

He watched and waited patiently as she finished sending the messages to them then allowed her to lead them out of the room and downstairs to leave the inn. Once they were outside, Cloud took a deep breath, drawing in the sea breezes that blew around them. He allowed Tifa to guide them down the sidewalk together. The port, just off to the distance, was bustling. Busy with people loading and unloading cargo. Moving things around. Loading shipping trucks. Everything. He heard the cries of seagulls overhead, hoping to get scraps dropped by people or steal the occasional piece of fruit from the cargo. 

Tifa’s eyes darted from one thing to another, trying her best to take it all in. Off in the distance, she could see a group of fishermen pull in their nets from small boats. She saw countless stalls lining the road. Everything from fabrics to fish to jewelry. She laced her fingers with Cloud’s again and glanced back at him. She saw the soft smile on his face and couldn’t stop her own laugh. 

Everything was so new to Tifa. Seeing it on TV was entirely different than experiencing it in person. The sights were new, the smells were new. Everything was new. There was something about seeing the pure wonder on her face that warmed Cloud’s heart. 

He listened intently, a small smile on his lips as Tifa pointed out each new discovery. What caught his attention, however, was a stall with freshly baked goods. His eyes lingered as they walked by and immediately zeroed in on the sweet rolls. Tifa grabbed his attention again when she stopped and pointed to the large ship that was docked in the distance. 

“Oh wow,” she whispered, her eyes wide.

“That’s probably the ship we’re taking to Junon.” Cloud shrugged simply. “I was on one a little larger than that coming from Midgar.”

“How do people get sick on something that big though?” Tifa asked. She felt a little silly asking what should have been a basic question, but she was grateful that Cloud never dismissed her. He never made her feel foolish for any of the questions she’d asked him over the past several weeks.

Cloud hummed thoughtfully as he looked at the ship in the distance. “They explained it to us in basic training. Even though you don’t actually feel the movements, your brain notices it and it disorients people.” Cloud looked back at her and noticed she was staring intently at him, listening to his every word as she always did. “I got lucky and didn’t have to deal with that on top of the sleep. So hopefully you won’t either.”

Tifa nodded and leaned into his side. She wrapped her arm around his waist and continued to walk along the sidewalk with him. They eventually reached the far end and started to make their way back in the general direction of the inn again. Tifa noticed his hesitation as they passed the baked goods stall again. Glancing up, she saw his eyes looking at something. He wanted something but wasn’t voicing it. 

So she slowed long enough to direct him towards the stall. “We don’t have to–” he started to protest.

“We can get something now and have it after we eat,” she interrupted him with her suggestion. “I saw you looking anyway.” Tifa hummed as she looked over the array of treats, her eyes landing on a cinnamon run. “What do you want, Cloud?”

He’d intended to return after dinner, but he couldn’t deny that Tifa had a good idea. Why go to dinner then just come back this way afterwards. They were there now. “The sweet roll,” he pointed through the display case at what he wanted. He pulled away from Tifa just enough so he could get his wallet out to grab some money from it. They had just enough in physical cash to get them there safely. That was something they’d talked about a lot too, figuring out how much gil to take with them while leaving the rest in their network banking account.

They wanted to be safe. If they had too much on them and someone noticed, they’d become a target.

Ten gil later, Tifa grabbed the small paper bag from the young woman that contained their treats. She slid her free arm back around his waist and leaned into him as they continued their walk back towards the inn. She could see the tavern sign on the other side and knew that’s where they were headed.

During their meal at the tavern. They each got themselves some fresh fish with fries. Tifa noticed how Cloud’s silence deepened. He was usually quiet, yes. But normally he’d at least mention how good the food was whenever they ate dinner together. He spoke politely to the waitress who served them. But that was it. He only forced the pleasantries when she came over to check on them. Tifa knew he was withdrawing into himself again. Their trip to a new life had started. She knew the signs that he showed. She saw it all the time when he first arrived back in Nibelheim. But she’d been able to help him break out of that habit.

There was little she could do right now though. She understood everything that he was thinking about. She shared many of his worries. The same gnawing uncertainties. She worried about his shoulder. She worried that he’d lose his arm. She worried that she wouldn’t be able to find a job. She worried that they wouldn’t be able to afford to get back home if everything failed. They had enough to keep them afloat in Junon for nearly three months before they would run into struggles. 

Tifa knew that if she struggled to find a job as a bartender, something she found she loved, she could try waitressing, or even something at a gym. She knew she had options once they got there. And she knew that was something that weighed on him too. His inability to work. 

She glanced up periodically throughout their meal. Each time she did, she found his gaze fixed on his plate. She saw the slight furrow of his brows too and knew he was long gone in his mind. She wanted to reach across the table, rest her hand on his arm, to tell him it would be okay. But those were just words. Those were words she’d told him a hundred times at this point. She needed things to actually be okay once they got there. She needed to hear good news from the doctor. She needed to find a job. She needed things to just fall in place for them.

Their meal finished just as it started. In near silence. The only sounds were the customers around them chatting amongst themselves. Cloud paid the bill and left a few extra gil as a tip before he got up from the table first and left the tavern ahead of her. Tifa sighed softly, lingering for just a moment before she grabbed their treat bag and got up to follow him. 

Outside, he simple stood on the sidewalk along the side of the building. His head was tipped up, face facing the sky. She noticed his eyes were closed too. He looked almost peaceful. Almost serene… almost. Tifa knew otherwise though.

“You ready to relax?” She asked him softly.

“Yeah…” he replied just as softly. He opened his eyes slowly and turned to look at her. 

Tifa slipped her arm through his and leaned into his side, hoping that just being there with him would be enough to keep him grounded. As grounded as he could be. They made the short walk back to the inn in silence. A more comfortable silence than their dinner had been though. She made sure to guide their pace, keeping it slow so they could try to enjoy the last few moments of this before things got hectic again in the morning when they left.

Chapter Text

Cloud sat on the edge of the narrow bed. The steady sway of the ship, even though he was sure most couldn’t feel it, he knew it was there. It was just enough movement to keep him awake yet again. He ran his hands over his face and sighed softly as he looked around the cramped cabin. Their bags were stacked up at the foot of the tiny bed they shared, the walls were painted some bright, cheerful color that he couldn’t quite tell if it was green or blue. His eyes darted up to a picture of an anchor. It was basic but he didn’t even know why it was there. 

His eyes eventually drifted down to his left hand. He flexed his fingers slowly, trying to coax some tiny bit of sensation back into them. But he knew it was a futile effort, it always was. He just had to wait for the feeling to come back. It would… he just didn’t know when it would. He lifted it and flexed it again, bending his wrist up then down. Cloud winced when he felt a shock of pain up his arm and into his shoulder. If Dr. Sheiran couldn’t fix this, he was ready to get the whole thing taken off.

He couldn’t live like this much longer. 

Cloud finally glanced over his shoulder, his eyes settling on Tifa. She was curled on her side, facing the metal wall on the outside of their room. The thin, old blanket they had in their room had slipped down to the top of her thigh in the subtle movements she had made in her sleep. His eyes traveled over the soft curve of her hip. He was so lucky and he knew it. Lucky to have this incredible woman in his life. Lucky to have this woman that was willing to do so much for him. 

At least, he told himself, she could find sleep. She also seemed to have no issues with seasickness, something else he was thankful for. He didn’t want her to be miserable this entire two day trip.

Cloud felt a pang of jealousy hit him. He wished that he could sleep like her. He’d spent the past couple of hours trapped in what felt like an endless cycle of naps and jolting awakenings. He hadn’t dealt with any of this since his journey back home from Midgar. He was thankful he didn’t have to spend time on a boat anymore, but the time he spent in the military showed him that this was the worst thing for his sleep habits.

As he’d told Tifa, he tried everything. He went through every technique he could find, he tried military-issued remedies. Nothing worked. Even the sleep medication barely did anything for him. He couldn’t sleep on moving objects.

He ran his fingers through his hair, smoothing it back out a bit. With it shorter now, it was still as wild as it was before, but it never tangled anymore, something he was thankful for. Cloud carefully slipped off the bed and rose to his feet. He stayed mindful of the shoes that were on the floor, trying not to kick them or make any noise. Tifa was sleeping peacefully and he didn’t want to disturb her. He turned back to her and carefully adjusted the blanket, moving it up onto her exposed arm. 

Cloud then grabbed a plain, white t-shirt from the top of their pile of luggage and pulled it over his head. He had sweatpants on already and there was no reason to change that. He wasn’t trying to impress anybody. Once he slipped his shoes on, he grabbed his wallet and one of the keycards for the room before he slowly opened the door. 

Perhaps a walk on the deck would help him. A breath of fresh air… he doubted it, but at least it gave him something to do outside of staring at the sea green walls of their tiny cabin. Even at this late hour, the ship was alive and active. He could hear people carrying on, the sounds of laughter and chatter from the bars and restaurants that lined the next corridor over. It was much like it was on the ship from Midgar. Many of the passengers just wanted to party during the journey. He didn’t blame them. It helped to pass the time.

He followed the signs that lead towards the main deck. It took him a few moments to find the doors that led outside. Cloud paused when he got outside and tilted his head back to look up at the sweeping expanse of stars. These were the last two nights they’d be able to see them without heading outside of Junon. He briefly wondered if Tifa realized that. With the lights of the city, seeing the stars would be nearly impossible anymore.

Cloud drew in a deep breath, letting the crisp, clean sea air fill his lungs. Around him, he heard more commotion. He saw people dancing and drinking and just sighed. Everything was a party for some people. His eyes landed on one of the many bars that lined the deck space and he weaved his way through the people to get up to the counter.

After a quick glance at the menu, he decided on something simple. Vodka and cranberry juice. As he leaned against the counter to wait for the bartender to make his drink, he heard a woman’s voice beside him. 

“You here alone?” She asked, her head tilted to the side a bit.

Cloud raised his eyebrows as he glanced over in her direction. “Yeah,” he answered her honestly. He was at the bar alone since Tifa was sleeping.

“You seem like you could use some company,” she slowly grinned at him, her hand coming out to rest on his arm.

He immediately flinched away from the touch. There were only a few people allowed to touch him in his mind, and she definitely wasn’t one of them. “No, thank you,” he replied politely, hoping that she’d get the hint. Cloud turned back to the bartender, giving him a soft thanks as he took the cup with his drink in it.

“Asshole.”

Cloud heard the woman’s voice behind him when he turned away from her. All he did was shake his head. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with people in general, let alone someone emptily flirting with him. He just shook his head and worked his way through the people that were on the deck having drinks and dancing. 

When he got clear of them and found several empty tables at the bow of the ship, he took a small sip of his drink. His face scrunched up. It was almost completely juice. He struggled to find even the tiniest bite of alcohol in the cup. Cloud already missed the drinks that Tifa used to make him at the inn’s bar. Sure, she sometimes spiked his drink a little harder than normal, but he never complained.

He put his cup down on the table and sat down, facing the front of the ship. Out in front of him, he saw nothing but darkness and stars along with a few dim lights on this part of the ship. It was calming and soothing to him. His gaze drifted back down towards his left hand that he sat on his lap. He flexed his fingers again and just sighed. He could see them moving, he could feel the movement on his thigh, but he couldn’t feel anything in his fingertips. 

The doubts he’d been battling for weeks resurfaced all at once. He’d already started to convince himself that this whole trip was going to be for nothing. His best case scenario was that he’d simply return home to Nibelheim missing his left arm at the shoulder. That, in his mind, was the only logical outcome for what would happen in Junon. 

He felt like he would be a burden to Tifa once they were there. He already felt that way. He wouldn’t be able to work, he wouldn’t be able to actually provide for his girlfriend. He could barely manage to cook on his own some days. How would people in Junon view him? A man living off his girlfriend… a freeloader. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to push those feelings and worries away from his mind but it was worthless. 

Cloud reached out to pick up his cup and forced himself to take a small sip. He wished he could actually take the alcohol and regretted not getting an actual beer. 

His mind drifted to Tifa then. He felt like she was doing everything. That she was carrying him. He felt like he needed to do more, to be more, He tried, he truly did, to show his appreciation for everything she’d done for him. She uprooted her entire life for him, leaving behind Nibelheim, leaving her friends, leaving her father. He felt unworthy of all of it.

She was his anchor. She pulled him back from the brink of absolute collapse more times than he could count. She carried, willfully, all of his burdens. On top of her own anxieties about the move and all the unknowns that came with it. He knew she hid a lot of it from him. It upset him. Not at her, but the fact that she felt like he couldn’t handle it. And honestly? He didn’t know if he could.

To him, it didn’t feel like a partnership overall. He constantly felt like he needed to do more for her. He needed to be more for her. Everything he did always felt inadequate. She’d given up everything for him, found the doctor, found the boat trip. Sure, he’s the one that made the phone call to schedule the appointment, and they worked together to find the furnished apartment. 

Was that even close to equal though? Was their relationship balanced? Cloud just decided to close his eyes and try to relax to the sounds of the waves crashing on the boat, doing his best to block out the other background noises.

Tifa jumped awake when she heard a loud yell then a thump against the wall followed almost immediately by laughter. She blinked a few times and looked around the dark room, expecting to see Cloud there with her, but she was alone on the bed. She noticed the tiny bathroom door was pushed open too with no light. He wasn’t in the room.

She thought about just going back to sleep, but she was also curious about where her boyfriend was. He had been so quiet since they boarded the boat that morning. She knew he was a mess and wished there was more that she could do to ease his mind. Or something she could do to get him to sleep.

Getting out of bed, she adjusted her shirt and grabbed her shoes. Cloud’s were missing, confirming the fact that he’d wandered off somewhere else. She decided to go and find him. She missed his presence anyway. Tifa grabbed the keycard from the small shelf by the door and left the room. It took her a minute to orient herself before she started towards the deck. 

She knew him. She knew he liked quiet places, so she knew he wouldn’t be in any of the bars. Tifa reached up and ran her fingers through her hair when she eventually made her way up to the deck. When she walked outside, she was greeted with a blast of chilly sea air. Tifa hoped he was out there. She wanted to make sure he was okay. 

Tifa stood up a bit on her tip-toes, trying to see over the crowd of people before she huffed softly, cursing her shorter stature. She couldn’t see much of anything as she weaved through the crowd, checking tables. Then she got to the other side and saw a shadowy figure sitting alone at one of the tables. That had to be him.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she got close enough to him and realized it was Cloud. He was okay. And she was doing exactly what she expected, sitting by himself in a quiet area.

“There you are,” she sighed softly. 

Cloud’s head snapped around at the sound of the familiar voice. He saw Tifa just a few feet away from him, approaching him. “H-Hey… I didn’t wake you, did I?”

Tifa smiled softly at him. Of course that was the first thing he worried about. He always worried about her, just as she always worried about him. “Someone was loud in the hall. I think they fell into the wall too, it wasn’t you.” She reassured him before her hand shot up to cover her mouth, trying to hide a yawn. 

She finished making her way over to him and grabbed one of the other chairs from the table to slide it beside him. This part of the deck was dimly lit this time of night and only a couple of other people were down there. From what Tifa could tell, it looked like other couples, simply enjoying each other’s company. She slid her arm loosely through his left one and rested her head down onto his shoulder.

“You should go back to sleep,” he told her softly.

“I will, in a little bit.” She snuggled in against his side. When she did, she noticed a half empty cup with a red liquid in it sitting on the table in front of him. “What’re you drinking?”

“Some… horrible drink. It’s mostly cranberry juice. I can’t even taste the vodka.” 

She watched as he reached out to take it. He took a small drink before he offered it to her. She was almost afraid to try it based on what he just said. Tifa took it and took a small sip of it and immediately made a face. He was right. There wasn’t any vodka in there, not that she could taste anyway. 

“They need to learn how to mix drinks,” she took one more little sip before she handed it back to him to put on the table. She’d been able to taste the faintest hint of alcohol in there, but that was it. It was mostly juice as he’d said. Tifa didn’t even want to think about how much he spent on that. She knew how overpriced their dinner had been a few hours prior.

“Yeah, they do,” Cloud agreed. He settled back against the back of the chair before he spoke again. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” She nodded.

“Why are you doing all of this for me?” He asked bluntly. His eyes met hers and before she could start to respond, he continued. “You gave up everything in Nibelheim to come to Junon with me for something that might not even work.”

Tifa shifted so she could sit up and face him. She felt her heart break at the look on his face. He looked so defeated about everything. She took a deep breath and reached out for his hand, trapping it easily between her own. “Because I love you, Cloud. I brought up this idea knowing there was a chance that it wouldn’t work. I know that. I know there’s a chance we’ll leave your arm in Junon.” She glanced down briefly before she continued. “I know this arm and pain makes you feel inferior and I don’t want you to feel that way anymore. I want you to be happy.”

“What about you though? What about your happiness?” He challenged.

Tifa’s mouth opened then closed. She struggled to find the words at that moment. Seeing him happy made her happy, that much she knew, but she didn’t know if he’d believe her. He’d never asked her that question before and it threw her off. Tifa knew she was generally a happy person, she chalked that up to where she grew up and lived her entire life. There wasn’t any real reason for her to get upset over things. But it didn’t stop the feelings she had. She still had her own fears and anxieties about all of this. But to her, as long as Cloud was there, she knew she’d be okay.

“I’ve never had the opportunity to leave the village before,” she started off softly. “Yes, I’ve had countless offers from travelers, but I know those were for other reasons.” Tifa let out a small laugh when Cloud’s hand flinched in hers. “I saw this as an opportunity to finally, at 28, get the chance to see other parts of the world. I’ve always wanted to do it. Seeing it in person is so much different than seeing it on TV. And now… we’re here. On a boat to Junon. Something that without you , I’d never be able to do.”

“So, you’re happy about getting to travel?” He asked, head tilting to the side just a little bit.

Tifa smiled softly at him as she nodded. “I am. I’m happy to be traveling with you .” She made sure to add on, hoping it would sink in for him. “The only other person I’d ever be willing to make this kind of a trip with is Aerith.” Tifa leaned closer to him. Her other hand came up to gently cup his cheek. “And I can’t do this with Aerith,” she whispered before she finished closing the gap between them. Their lips meeting softly for a lingering, loving kiss.

Cloud returned her kiss, smiling softly against her lips as she started to back away from him. “Well, you could, I just don’t think she’d like it very much.”

Tifa playfully swatted his chest as she laughed. Her action drew a small laugh from him as well that made her heart flutter. It had become an increasingly rare sight in recent weeks. She slowly traced her thumb along his cheek. “I know you’ve been in your head a lot. I know that you feel like you’re not doing enough. But you are. You being around, even just listening as I tell you about my day means so much to me. You’ve always listened to me. You don’t just hear me, you listen.” Tifa leaned in again and rested her forehead gently against his. “Even when we were kids, you’ve never been much of a talker, but you always listened… I’m the talker.”

Cloud let out a small chuckle. “You are definitely a talker sometimes,” he agreed.

“See? It’s a good balance.” She nodded. Tifa shifted her position and rested her head back onto his shoulder. At least he agreed with her. 

She might talk and tell him stories about her days, but she also enjoyed the peace and quiet. Cloud was the best person in her life to just sit and enjoy the quiet around them. Her eyes shoot up a little bit to look at the stars overhead and she felt a memory hit her of all the times they used to sit up on the water tower growing up. 

“I love you, Cloud.” She whispered to him. “And I know I have since we were teens. I wish I had the courage to tell you back then. Or at least to tell you when you told me you were leaving.”

“We can’t change the past,” he reminded her.

Tifa snuggled closer to him when she felt his hand move down her side. It rested on her waist and pulled her in closer to his side. “No, we can’t. But we can focus on the future.” She smiled when she heard him hum. A simple response that she heard often from him when he didn’t have anything else to say on the topic.

She turned her head just a bit when she felt him shift and watched as he reached out for the cup that was on the table. It might have been an awful drink, but it was still a drink. She just snuggled back into his side and tried to ignore the cold breeze that blew over them. His body was warm enough for both of them right now.

“So, you didn’t want to talk to me, but you’re here with her hanging all over you?”

The words caused Tifa’s brow to furrow. She lifted her head to see where the voice came from and saw a woman coming up to the side of their table. 

“I’m sorry?” She spoke before she looked at Cloud then back at the woman. Tifa instinctively tightened her grasp on Cloud’s arm, staying close to him.

Her eyes darted to Tifa for a moment before she turned her attention completely on Cloud. “At the bar. I tried talking to you, and you just blew me off.” She huffed as her arms folded tightly over her chest.

Tifa felt her blood boil for just a moment. She sat up further, her eyes staring daggers into this other woman. It gave her comfort to hear that Cloud turned her down, but she still didn’t like hearing that he was even hit on. She paused to gather her thoughts, this was how Cloud felt when she got hit on at the bar. Just as she opened her mouth to chime in, Cloud finally spoke.

“I told you no, because I’m not interested.” He told her firmly, tightening his arm more around Tifa’s waist.

“You lied to me. You could have just told me you were with someone, but you said you were alone.”

“Exactly. You didn’t specify.” He narrowed his eyes. “I was at the bar alone. ‘Here’ meant the bar.” He heard Tifa let out a soft snort as his comment. “I’m not on the boat alone.”

“Asshole,” she muttered again. 

“I did hear you the first time.” Cloud turned his head to look back up at her. “People are allowed to say no and go on with their days.”

Tifa heard his regular sarcastic undertone as he spoke. She found herself doing her best to not start laughing at how he shot this woman down. She looked at him when he turned to face the front of the ship again, looking out into the darkness of the sea. When she noticed the woman beside their table wasn’t leaving, she felt a surge of possessiveness wash over her. 

She moved her hand up to grip his jaw again and turned his head towards her. Tifa leaned in and claimed Cloud’s lips with her own. Her fingers moved from his jaw to the back of his head, pulling him in even closer. She was thankful that he wasn’t trying to stop it. She went as far as to drag the tip of her tongue along his lower lip, eliciting a soft hum from him before she heard a grumble that faded into the distance.

Tifa pulled back finally and smirked at the dazed look on Cloud’s face. 

“What was that for?” He asked, finally opening his eyes. “Not that I’m complaining…”

She smiled lovingly at him as her fingers traced along the line of his jaw. “Because she wasn’t leaving us alone.” She stated simply. She leaned in and kissed him once more before she leaned back fully on her chair. “So, she hit on you?”

“Yeah. When I got my drink. She asked if I was alone.” He explained with a shrug. “Then called me an asshole when I walked away.”

Tifa’s head turned a bit, scanning their surroundings to make sure the predatory woman was gone. She shook her head briefly before she reached out to take the cup from Cloud, seeing there was only a little bit left in it. She decided to finish it, making another face. She seriously threw around the idea of showing the bartenders how to properly mix a drink. But that wasn’t the point of their journey.

“Well, you’re not an asshole.” She commented.

“I’m not?”

“Okay, sometimes you can be,” she conceded a bit with a grin on her face. She felt the small vibrations in his body from his silent laugh. “You have your moments.” She added on and almost immediately curled back into his side when she shivered from another gust of wind “Can we go back inside?”

“Getting cold?”

“A little bit.” She shivered again. Tifa saw him reach out to take the empty cup and pulled away to let him get up first. She pulled her sleeves down over her hands, trying to help keep some warmth in them as she stood up to find him already heading towards the closest trash can. She slipped her arm through his

They walked in a comfortable silence, following the signs to find their way back to their small cabin deep in the belly of the ship. She let Cloud get the door open for them before she followed him into the room. “I know you struggle to sleep, maybe your music will help a little bit?” She suggested when they were completely alone.

“Maybe.” 

Tifa knew that tone. He doubted it would help, but when she saw him go to one of the bags, she knew that he was going to at least try it. Tifa slipped off her shoes and went to climb back on the bed. She kept her eyes on him as he put the headphones over his ears and climbed onto the bed beside her. 

She hoped that he’d be able to sleep. When she curled into his side, her head resting on his chest, she smiled softly. He must have moved one of the headphones off of his ear because she could hear his music. He was sharing it with her to help her relax as well. Her arm tightened around his middle as she closed her eyes.

Tifa knew that Cloud often felt like he didn’t do enough for her. But he never gave himself enough credit. It was all the little things that she saw and experienced that added up to her. Like this. Hearing the soft piano music from his headphones quickly lulled her back to sleep.

Chapter Text

Tifa’s eyes were wide as she stepped off the bottom of the gangway and onto the dock at the port. She immediately felt overwhelmed. Everything that Cloud had explained to her was all real. She could have sworn he was exaggerating things, but he wasn’t. The pictures she’d seen, the TV shows, the news reports, nothing could have prepared her for the reality of Junon.

The flurry of activity from the people unloading, those waiting to unload cargo from the belly of the ship, the sounds and sights. She had to pause to take it all in. Her eyes were eventually drawn to the massive gun aimed out over the ocean. A looming sign of Shinra’s dominance in the city. 

“Cloud, look at that!” She spotted a brightly lit billboard that drew her attention away from the military weapon. She pointed up at it and looked back at him, smiling widely when she saw he was looking too. “Wow…” she whispered. 

Tifa continued walking along the dock, heading towards the entrance to the city. People pushed by them, in a hurry to get wherever it was they were heading. As they got closer to the buildings, she realized just how tall they were. Looming over the skyline in a sight that made her heart race. 

“I… I have no idea where I’m going,” her enthusiasm started to fade a little bit as she came to a stop. Tifa started to turn back around to look at Cloud, sensing he was still nearby her when someone bumped into her back, nearly knocking her over. “Hey!”

“Maybe don’t stand in the middle of everything,” the man grumbled.

“Maybe watch where you’re going.” Cloud shot back at him, his eyes narrowed and his jaw tightening in defense of Tifa. He only heard another grumble from the man as he vanished into the sea of people. “Come on…” he tipped his head to guide Tifa over towards the rope railing along the edge of the dock to get them safely away from the flow of people.

“That was rude of him,” Tifa huffed under her breath.

“I hate to say it, but you’ll see it a lot here. A lot of people are just in a hurry.” He knew that while there were several assholes around, and they’d probably encounter them on a regular basis, he was also aware that most of the people they’d encounter would be just as nice and friendly as they were in Nibelheim. 

He set the bags down to give his arms and back a break. Not sleeping much the past two nights was really catching up to him. He flexed his left hand again, it was a habit at this point to him as he watched Tifa get her phone out of her pocket to scroll through her messages until she found what she was looking for. 

“It’s 4637 Junon Way?” She lifted her head to look at him, hoping he’d know where that was or at least where to start.

“That’s the main road,” he explained and saw her smile.

“Okay, good, you know where it is.” 

She frowned when he picked up the bags again and flinched. She wanted to ask if he was okay but already knew the answer to it. The whole reason they were there was written all over his face as he shifted the two bags into his right hand. 

“You ready?” Cloud pulled her from her wandering thoughts. 

He watched a smile spread across her face again as he led them further down the dock and onto the sidewalk of the main road. He paused again to look at the numbers on the buildings, not entirely remembering which way they went. 

“It’s so big here,” Tifa’s head tilted up to look at the buildings. She made sure to stay right beside Cloud though, not wanting her natural curiosities to cause her to drift too far away from him. 

“We can take a walk around later if you want?” He offered. Even though he still remembered his way around, it wouldn’t hurt him to get a little refresher on where the main things were around the city.

“I’d love that. I have to learn my way around anyway, you can show me!” Tifa followed him down the sidewalk once he figured out which way they needed to go.

She made sure to keep Cloud in her peripheral vision as she looked around at everything. All the shops, all the people walking around, all the tall buildings. It was so much for her to take in. She wasn’t sure how she was going to handle all of this. Cloud had tried to warn her and she knew he wasn’t lying about any of it.

They eventually found where they needed to go. The storefront with the same address had directed them around to the back, through the atrium. An entrance back on that side was for the people that lived in the building. Tifa finally pulled her eyes away from all the sights as they walked down the hallway, eventually finding floor to ceiling windows with a glass door that simply read ‘Office’ on the front.

The property manager, thankfully, already had all of their paperwork ready for them when they got in there. A few signatures later, she was handing over two keys to them and explaining how to get to the apartment. She had offered some information about Junon and Tifa chuckled when Cloud turned it down.

Of course he did, he already knew his way around the city. They made their way out of the office and Tifa caught Cloud’s face scrunching up yet again. 

“Are you okay?” She finally decided to ask him.

“I’m fine,” he replied automatically. Cloud walked across from the office and hit the button on the elevator before he decided to put the bags down to give his back a short break. Having the bags on one side wasn’t helping with the shocks of pain from his shoulder down his spine.

When the door opened, he forced himself to pick the bags up again and stepped inside. He hit the button for the fourth floor. He could handle the pain for a few more minutes. 

“Here,” he handed the keys over to Tifa. “It’s 4E” He watched as she bounced down the hallway, looking at the numbers on the doors. Cloud couldn’t hold back his smile. Her happiness, even though he knew it was laced with anxiety, gave him a good distraction. 

She opened the door and her eyes grew wide again as she walked inside first. “This is nice,” she looked around the living room.

Cloud stepped into the apartment and just let the bags in his hands drop to the floor. He flexed his hand a little bit and decided to look around with her. The front door opened directly into a smaller living room, furnished with a small black sofa, a coffee table and a decent sized TV mounted on the wall. He wandered towards the kitchen to look around. It was slightly smaller than the kitchen at his mom’s house, but it was still perfect for them. Still had enough counter space for cooking, and a quick look in the cabinets told him it already had everything they needed.

“Oh wow, Cloud, look!” Tifa’s voice broke through his thoughts.

He looked over his shoulder and saw she’d opened the curtains on the windows along the wall. He caught her radiant smile again as he approached her. Cloud gently placed his hand on her back as he looked out over the view. They could see the busy main road below, but since they were high up, he heard practically no noise. But what shocked him was the view they had of the ocean. They could see over the dividing wall and pathway to see the beach and ocean. 

“Come on, I wanna see the rest of it,” Tifa smiled brightly again as she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards one of the open doorways.

She dragged him right into the bedroom. A simple place. A plain, queen-sized bed occupied the center of the room. Cloud noticed it had crisp, white sheets on it and it reminded him almost of a hotel. He spotted a standard dresser with a small TV sitting on top of it. Something simple, but he was thankful to see it. The TV was something that he needed to be able to sleep at night.

He wandered over towards the closet as Tifa went to open the curtains. He looked inside to see a few more plain colored blankets and sheets folded neatly on the shelf. That helped them to not have to buy too much while they were there.

“I love it, we have the same view in here.” Tifa commented.

Cloud slowly made his way closer to her. He sat on the bed, facing her and let out a heavy breath. He felt a nearly instant relief in his back and pulled his left arm across his body. It was an attempt to stretch out his shoulder as he started to feel the familiar pins and needles down to his fingertips.

“It bothering you again?” Tifa asked, even though she already knew the answer to her own question.

“It’s always bothering me,” he admitted. He sighed softly, noticing that Tifa stepped in front of him. He relaxed his arm down to the side and tilted his head a bit, offering her better access to his shoulder, knowing exactly what she wanted to do.

Tifa slipped her hand beneath the collar of his shirt and gently probed her fingers into the muscles. She felt him flinch slightly and frowned. “Your appointment is in a couple of weeks. Then we’ll find out if he can do anything for you. Maybe at least get you some medicine to make it bearable. Just something.”

Cloud nodded even though his eyes were locked on the floor. He didn’t relish the idea of relying on medication, but he was also willing to explore any option that would offer him some kind of relief. He closed his eyes, a soft groan escaping him as Tifa’s fingers found a knot near his scar. “I’m to the point I just want it gone. I don’t know how much longer I can stand this,” he admitted.

She felt her heart ache for him. She knew he was at his wit’s end with his arm. It seemed like it was getting worse and she wished she could go back in time to just tell the Shinra doctors not to save his arm. But she couldn’t. So until they figured out what to do with his arm now, she just had to be there for him. 

“If that ends up happening, I hope you know that I’ll be here for you.”

“I know.” Cloud’s voice was soft. He slowly rolled his head forward until he rested it against Tifa’s stomach gently. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she told him sincerely. Tifa slowly moved her hand away from his shoulder and up to run her fingers through his hair gently. She smiled when she heard his satisfied hum from her actions. “How about you take a nap?”

“I’m used to going with little sleep, remember?” He pulled back a little bit to look up at her. 

When he did, she caught him fighting off a yawn. “I know that, but you don’t have to go with little sleep anymore, remember?” Tifa moved her hand down to tap his nose playfully before she dipped her head to give him a soft kiss.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he conceded and finally let out a yawn. “We have to call our parents first though. They’ll kill us if we don’t let them know we made it safely.”

“Okay, give your mom a call, I’ll call dad in the living room. Then please try to take a nap, okay?”

“I will, I promise. Then we can walk around later if you’re feeling up to it?”

Tifa’s smile returned almost immediately. “I’d love that.” She dipped her head down and pressed her lips gently against his again. “Catch up on some sleep, please.”

Tifa smiled sadly as she ended the video call with her dad. It took her the first few moments to walk him through the fact that it was a video call and all he had to do was look at his screen. He battled with her for a few moments, wondering why her voice was so loud until he finally pulled his phone away from his ear to look at the screen. 

She already missed him. It felt weird and awkward, knowing that she couldn’t just go and physically see him if she wanted to. And it had only been a few days. How would things be a month from now? Six months from now?

Tifa shook her head, pushing those thoughts away and decided to go and check on Cloud. When she got closer to the door, she didn’t hear him talking anymore. His phone call had already wrapped up it seemed. And her suspicions were confirmed when she pushed the door open and saw him lying on the bed on his side, facing the window. He’d closed the curtains to make the room darker for him for his nap.

She just smiled lovingly at him and carefully pulled the bedroom door shut so he could catch up on some of his lost sleep from the boat ride. Tifa took a moment to gather her thoughts. They were there. They were in Junon, in their new home for the next year, at least. Her eyes traveled around the room, taking it all in. It was a much larger place than her apartment had been in Nibelheim, and they had all the privacy they could want now. No worries about Cloud’s mom… interrupting anything.

Tifa smiled at her own thoughts. She adored Cloud’s mom, but there had been some moments over the last few months where Claudia had the worst timing to try to talk to them about something. She eventually looked at their bags. That would give her something to do for a bit while Cloud took his nap.

Grabbing the first of the bags, she took it over to the sofa to sit down. The first bag was easy, it contained all of their electronics. She lined them up on the coffee table after she made sure nothing had gotten broken in their travels. Thankfully, everything was intact. 

Then she started through the bags with their clothing. Cloud’s meticulous folding had proven rather useless from all the movement and shifting that happened. She loved the man more than anything, but sometimes his habits were useless. Tifa chuckled softly to herself and worked on refolding the clothes and sorting them as she got them out of the bag. She kept Cloud’s things stacked up on her right and her things stacked up on her left.

As she cleared the bags, she felt herself blushing because she quickly realized how much more clothing she had than Cloud. He had every right to tease her the last night in Nibelheim. She hadn’t realized just how much she had until she saw it all stacked up. 

When she got up to move that bag to the side and grab the last one, she decided to also get the TV remote from the small shelf under the TV. She needed some background noise, especially while Cloud continued to sleep. It had already been an hour from what she could tell when she looked at her phone to see the time. 

A few minutes of flipping through channels, since nothing was the same as back home, she finally found something that wouldn’t distract her too much.

She sat back down on the sofa and got into the last bag. Her gaze alternated between the bag and the TV as she started to finally wrap her head around all of this. They were in Junon. This wasn’t just a dream. The past several weeks had been such a flurry to them. Non-stop activity and plans while they finalized everything for this. But now that they were there, Tifa felt a little lost. 

She’d have to adjust to a completely different timeline for her daily activities. The time difference from back home was kind of getting to her, but it was only six hours and she slept fairly well on the boat to get herself adjusted to it. She was certain that she’d be fully adjusted to it in a couple of days.

Then the prospect of finding a job hit her. She wanted to rush right out and apply to places. But she had no idea where anything was and she definitely didn’t want to get lost while out. So she had to stay patient and at least wait for Cloud to give her a little bit of a tour so she could get her bearings.

Tifa reached down and pulled out a separate bag, it had Cloud’s bathroom products in it, then she grabbed the next one and realized it was hers. She’d get them put away a little later. As she reached down to get the last things out of the bag, she heard the bedroom door open.

“Hey, I would have helped you with that…” Cloud furrowed his brows, seeing the mountain of things that surrounded Tifa on the sofa and coffee table

“It’s fine, it gave me something to do.” She brushed it off. It did give her something to do while he was taking his nap. “I spent almost 20 minutes flipping through channels too trying to find something. They’re all different from back home.” Tifa smiled at him. “Did you have a good nap?” She saw a slight red mark on the side of his face where it was resting against the pillow when she glanced in on him a couple hours before.

“Uh, yeah, actually.” He stretched a little bit. Resting for a bit helped his shoulder and back to relax too, something he was very thankful for. Cloud started to come a little closer to the sofa, surveying their things. “Let me at least help you put everything away.” He reached down to grab the empty bag from in front of Tifa to put it with the others he saw along the wall.

“Oh, I know you will,” she teased him. “Because I know how much of a stickler you are for how your boxers are organized.” Tifa watched as the man’s cheeks started to grow red. She knew that he couldn’t help it, but it didn’t stop her from picking on him from time to time about it. “But! You also said we could take a walk around. So all of this can get put away when we get home.”

“I did offer that, didn’t I?” Cloud smiled softly. He looked around at their belongings and let out a small sigh. It would be okay for a bit. He didn’t have to tackle it right this second. He made his way towards the door and grabbed his shoes to put back on.

Tifa joined him by the door. Her hand rested on his forearm gently to balance herself as she got her own shoes on. A moment later, when they were sure they had what they needed, including the keys to the apartment, her hand slid into his and they were on their way down to the first floor and out into the bustling atrium.

Cloud led her through the atrium area, pointing out a few things as they went. It was mostly shops, things that he remembered. As they wandered down one of the side paths, he pointed to one of the bars. A place he frequented a lot when he was stationed in Junon. 

“That’s ‘The Crimson Cauldron’,” he pointed out to her. “One of many bars around Junon.

Tifa took a mental note of it. When they got settled in completely, she planned on applying to all of the bars around town, hoping that one of them would work out for her. She followed her boyfriend’s pace, taking in everything that she could. Her eyes darted from one storefront to another. There were shops for everything. Bookstores, grocery stores, gift shops, jewelry stores, boutiques selling exotic clothes and gadgets. Her eyes even caught an ‘18+’ neon sign on a store with blacked out windows. That one looked interesting… but for another day.

She was so used to the simplicity in Nibelheim. Where there was only one store and that catered to almost all of their needs. And whatever it didn’t have, it could be ordered for them. Seeing all the specialty shops was overwhelming to her.

“This is just amazing,” she finally commented when they’d looped back out to the main road. 

Tifa stopped abruptly, trying to get her bearings a bit. That wasn’t the entryway they’d originally gone through when they got to Junon and found their way to their apartment. She could see the docks and ocean again, but they were further down the road this time around.

“You’ll get used to it.” Cloud reassured her. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and led her closer to the road to point out a few more things. “This is just the main area. The other side of the atrium leads to mostly houses and more apartments, there’s really no need to go over there.” He turned them a bit and pointed towards a narrow tunnel off to the side. “That side leads back to the military barracks.”

Tifa’s eyes followed where he was pointing too and frowned. She saw the two soldiers standing there at a checkpoint and shook her head. “No reason to ever go that way then,” she hummed.

“Nope. You wouldn’t make it very far anyway. They usually put the assholes on guard duty, at least they did when I was here.” Cloud turned them to go back down the road, in the general direction of their home and where they’d started their journey. He noticed the way that Tifa’s head was whipping around, trying to take in everything that she could. He also noticed the way the woman’s brow furrowed in confusion. “You’ll get the hang of the layout, just give it some time.”

Tifa nodded. It was a lot to take in and try to commit to memory and she hoped that he was right. Seeing how overwhelming everything was made her anxiety spike. She was certain that she’d get lost many times over the first month and thankfully, Cloud was just a phone call away to guide her.

“What’s through that other tunnel?” Tifa asked, pointing towards the tunnel at the far end of the road in front of them. It looked like it cut through the hillside. She could see little bits of activity beyond it and people traveling through it.

“More businesses,” Cloud replied with a shrug. “There’s a lot of hotels and tourist stuff over on that side. It’s a bit more… flashy.” He turned his attention towards her. “We can take a walk over there if you want.” He was genuinely grateful for the distraction that all of this provided to him. Even if it was only for an hour or two. Tifa’s enthusiasm about being in a new place was a welcomed sight to him.

“Can we?”

“I offered, didn’t I?” Cloud teased. 

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and idly traced patterns along her skin with his thumb. They began walking again, their pace leisurely so Tifa could absorb the sights around them. Cloud made sure to slow down even more whenever he noticed her eyes lingering on any one of the stores. He didn’t want to rush her while she was in the mindset of exploring everything.

Tifa stopped abruptly when her attention was caught by a brightly lit restaurant. On the front window was a neon sign depicting a steaming bowl of ramen. “That looks good,” she smiled and tugged Cloud towards the entrance. She hummed when she caught a whiff of the delicious food inside. “Can we get dinner here when we’re done?” She looked at the menu posted in the window then back at the man, her eyes pleading. “I don’t remember the last time I had ramen.”

Cloud scanned the menu that was posted in the window. He felt his stomach rumble at the thought. Everything looked and smelled delicious. “Yeah, that sounds good to me.” He replied with a nod. His smile returned when Tifa got excited again. Something as simple as ramen made her bounce with joy. If she was like this now, he couldn’t wait to see how she was when trying new foods that she’d never had before.

They continued their exploration, finally venturing through the tunnel and to the other side of the hillside. As Cloud had explained, the area was dominated by hotels that lined the road. It was just as flashy, if not more in this area. Bright billboards, signs that tried to draw people’s attention. It was everything that tourists needed and wanted to do all in one centralized area.

When they walked into the atrium on that side, Tifa’s eyes widened again. It was just as open and jam packed as the other side was. She saw restaurants and bars line the walkways. She spotted other offshoots similar to the first area they were in and wondered what was down those corridors. That could be explored on another day. Her eyes darted to the upper level where she saw even more restaurants up there.

There were so many possibilities for her in Junon. If, for whatever reason, she couldn’t land a job as a bartender somewhere, she would be okay with a waitress position. She could figure that out. It wouldn’t be too hard for her since she was such a people person. Seeing all of the options that were around gave her a sense of relief. Her anxiety about not being able to find a job was rapidly fading. Between the bars, restaurants and countless shops, she could find something to make up the difference from Cloud’s monthly Shinra stipend to pay for their apartment and survive while they were in Junon.

Cloud allowed Tifa to guide them through the area. He knew she was more interested in looking around than he was. This was all mostly familiar to him. Sure, some things had changed and new shops or restaurants had opened up, but for the most part, everything was the same to him. 

As they got to a corner of a side corridor, Tifa stopped suddenly and looked into an open, loud area. “What’s that?” She asked as she tilted her head, looking into the arcade that was there.

“The arcade?” He asked, a little confused. He had to constantly remind himself that this was all new to Tifa. Her only experience of the world outside Nibelheim came from books, movies, and TV shows. “It’s just games. There’s a lot of things in there.” He looked over and caught her looking back at him. “We can check it out sometime,” he suggested with a shrug. Cloud realized it would be a perfect date night for them. But he had to get his shoulder taken care of first. If Dr. Sheiran could fix him, doing a night at the arcade would be a good reason to test what he could and couldn’t do.

Nearly another hour passed as they explored. Cloud acted as Tifa’s personal tour guide, explaining as much to her as he recognized. He also let her lead their exploration and each time she got turned around and confused, he guided them back onto the right track. He knew she caught him looking at a candy store. He was happy to see it was still there. It was a place he’d visited more often than he probably should have when he was stationed in Junon.

When they got back out to the main road, Tifa paused. She looked one way then the other before she pointed. “It’s… that way, right?” She looked at him for approval.

“See? I told you you’d get it.” He teased, a smile on his face. Cloud tugged Tifa closer to him when she leaned up to plant a kiss on his cheek. He held her close and stole a real kiss from her before they went along the sidewalk and through the tunnel. 

Together, they walked hand-in-hand until they reached the ramen shop. Tifa’s eyes landed on the menu, looking at all of the options as she listened to Cloud order first. By the time he finished, she picked what she wanted. 

“Thank you,” she watched as Cloud retrieved his banking card from his wallet to pay for their food. 

“You’re welcome,” Cloud stepped aside with her to wait for their food. “We’ll need to go to that grocery store below us at some point too.”

“Maybe we can go after we eat? That won’t be too late, will it?”

Cloud looked at his watch before he shook his head. “I think I saw it was a 24-hour place anyway.” He added with a little shrug. “A lot of the food shops stay open late too to get the bar goers.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Tifa teased him. 

“A couple of times,” he admitted. There were several times Zack or others would insist he join them for drinks and he rarely turned them down. They’d be in the bars until closing several times and nothing tasted better than food, in general, when you were drunk or tipsy.

His head shot up when he heard one of the workers say his name. When he went to grab the bag, Tifa reached out first to take it. He knew better than to fight the woman. He simply followed her out of the shop and smiled softly as he watched her immediately head in the right direction. He was proud of her. She was already starting to get her bearings. 

That was, until she walked by the entrance they needed to use to get home. “This way,” he said, catching her so he could redirect her.

“Right…” she stopped and felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She turned to join him again so they could head inside. “I’ll get it.” She nodded to herself, feeling confident about the next phase of their life together in Junon.

Chapter Text

Tifa hesitated as she looked at the array of liquor bottles on the shelf. There were so many there that she wasn’t familiar with and she just hoped she was making these drinks properly. She found a bottle of whiskey, unsure if it was the one that Dalek, the bar manager, would want in the drink, but it was one that she was familiar with. 

She turned back to the counter and looked in the fridge underneath it to find what she needed to add to the shaker. She knew the man was watching her every move, he had been since he listed off three drinks for her to make. And while she felt self-conscious about all of it, she knew that she could handle it. It was no worse than being back home and a customer watching her as she mixed a drink for them.

The main difference though was this man was watching her and was going to decide whether or not she was getting the job. She capped off the mixer and lifted it up easily, giving it a few shakes before she grabbed a fresh glass to pour it into. This was her element. This was what she knew. 

She grimaced a bit at the nearly black liquid that came out of the mixer into the glass. This was what he’d asked her to make and she was happy to do so for him as part of her interview process. She slid it over in front of him where there were already two other glasses with drinks that she’d already made for him. 

“Impressive,” Dalek commented, a small smile on his face. “Most people aren’t familiar with the Midgar Special.” He motioned to the newest drink that she’d made for him. 

Tifa watched intently as he picked up the glasses, one by one to taste them. She rested her hands on the counter. He sipped the first one and she heard him hum softly, then he placed the glass back down and picked up the second. 

“So, Dalek… how are they?” She had to ask as he sipped the second drink.

“Tell me, why did you pick the liquors you did?” He looked across the counter at her.

Tifa bit the inside of her lip nervously. “Because they’re the ones I’m familiar with.” She told him honestly, an answer that he seemed to appreciate.

“Understandable. I can’t imagine you’d have that many options all the way out in Nibelheim.” He picked up the third and final glass. The Midgar Special. He lifted the glass, seeing that it was almost completely opaque due to the color and the mixers that were used. When he took a sip of it, a slow smile spread across his face. “I have one last request,” he started before he took another sip of the last drink. “I want you to make me a drink.”

Tifa’s head tilted to the side a little bit as her brow furrowed in confusion. “But… I just made you three,” she replied.

Dalek let out a hearty laugh at her comment. She did seem, from what he’d already realized from his short interaction with her, that she had a good personality. Something that he liked in his staff members. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. Do you have a drink that’s distinctly yours? Something you’ve created that you served back in your home?”

A slow smile spread across Tifa’s face as she nodded. “I do, actually.” She turned towards the shelves behind her to look for what she needed. It took her a moment to find what she was looking for before she returned to the counter to sift through the mixers and juices. 

“This is actually my partner’s favorite drink,” Tifa told him with a smile. She flashed back to one of the many times that Cloud would visit the bar when they were back home and ordered the same drink every time.

She glanced up when she felt Dalek’s gaze on her, watching everything she was adding to the cocktail shaker. “Salt?” He asked, breaking her concentration for just a moment when he caught her adding just a pinch of salt into the mixer as well before she closed it.

“Yes, salt,” she confirmed with a nod. She picked up the mixer and shook it a few times before she poured it into a fresh glass to slide across to him. 

“So, what do you call this drink?” Dalek asked. He reached out to take the glass and lifted it to inspect the orange, almost red liquid inside.

“Cosmo Canyon… mainly for the color.” Tifa smiled, proud of herself. She hoped that he enjoyed it as it was something she was quite proud of. Something that was rather popular with the locals that came into the bar back home.

She watched him intently as he finally took a sip. He swished it in his mouth for a moment before he tilted his head and looked at it. Tifa couldn’t read his expression as he examined it. He took yet another sip from the glass and Tifa saw a small smile come to his face.

“Can you start Thursday?” He asked.

“Wait… really?” Tifa’s eyes widened as she tried not to fall over from shock. She hadn’t expected to be offered the job so quickly. She’d impressed him that much?

“Yes,” Dalek confirmed. “You seem to know what you’re doing, even coming from a small town.” He decided he was going to finish the last drink that Tifa had made for him. “Some tweaking on which liquors to use for the drinks, and it’s perfect. That can be taught though. Pay’s 15 gil an hour. Then whatever tips you earn on top of that are yours to keep.”

Tifa watched as the man stood up. She saw the subtle tilt of his head and came out from behind the bar to follow him. 15 gil an hour, didn’t sound like too much, but she knew it would add up. She was used to set rates for working with Barret. In a place where everybody could get by with very little. 

“That sounds wonderful,” she replied to him finally. “Thursday…” she confirmed, mostly to herself to make sure that she’d heard him right the first time.

“Yes.” He opened the door to his office and motioned for her to take a seat before he went to sit in his chair. “I’ll have you working with Lebreau that night. She’s been here for years, knows where everything is, knows how to make everything that we serve. She can answer any question you might have and walk you through how we make drinks here. Thursdays are a little slow, so it’ll be a good time to get you in and learn the ropes.”

“Of course,” Tifa nodded. She felt a new wave of nervousness hit her. Meeting new people and relearning the standard drinks to make. But she had confidence in herself that she’d pick it up in no time. She just hoped she got along well with her new co-workers.

They spent the next half hour in the office together, engaging in light conversation and working through the paperwork that Dalek had for her. Things she never had to worry about back in Nibelheim. Cloud had already told her about these things and how standard it was. When they finished, she took the preliminary schedule that Dalek had printed out for her. It looked like it was for the next two weeks for her. He assured that he had schedules out two weeks in advance and told her where he posted them.

“Lebreau will be the only one here when you come in Thursday. She’ll be expecting you to walk you through some things before we open for the night.” He explained as he stood up from his desk so he could walk Tifa towards the bar’s entrance.

Tifa glanced down at the paper as she followed him through the bar to the front door. She could see that he had her in there for about 5 hours each night on this schedule. It wasn’t much, but it would be fine to get started with. Thursday at 5PM, she committed to memory. She noticed that each of her shifts started at either 5 or 6, depending on which day of the week it was and none of them on the paper went to closing. Not yet. 

A wave of excitement washed over her. This was the first place that called her for an interview and she was offered the job. She couldn’t wait to share the good news with Cloud when she got home. She shook Dalek’s hand, smiling at him before she stepped out of the bar and into the bustling atrium.

She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. They’d been in Junon for nearly two weeks now and while she was slowly familiarizing herself with the layout, she still felt disoriented rather easily in the atriums. Both of them were laid out almost the same and when she got down one of the corridors, like she was now, she had to look for landmarks, usually stores, that guided her back to the main area.

Tifa started to make her way towards the main road, to head outside. But, before she did, she realized if she just went to the right, she could find the entrance of their apartment building without having to go outside. She nodded to herself, proud to remember such a small detail.

She walked through the atrium, checking the door numbers before she found theirs. The walk home was a breeze to her. It only took a few minutes to get from the bar to the building she lived in with Cloud. She leaned against the wall in the elevator after hitting the button for the fourth floor. 

She’d gotten the job.

She got the job at the first place that interviewed her. Tifa knew more than she gave herself credit for and the outcome of what just happened with Dalek proved that to her. Once she was on the fourth floor, she made her way down the hall and unlocked their apartment door. 

Tifa didn’t see Cloud immediately, but as she stepped further into the apartment, she heard the toilet flush then the water running. She decided to just linger by the sofa in the living room, waiting for him to finish washing his hands. A few seconds later, the bathroom door swung open and he stepped out.

“Oh, hey, you’re home. How’d it go?” He asked her softly, then saw the smile that spread across her face.

“I got the job!” Tifa exclaimed as she smiled even wider. Her loud voice caused Cloud to jump and she internally yelled at herself for it, but it was hard to hold in her excitement.

“You did?” Cloud asked as a smile started to spread across his face. It was a genuine smile. He was truly happy for Tifa. But he couldn’t help the tinge he felt inside knowing that he couldn’t provide anything for her while they were in Junon. He hated how often it hit him, this feeling of worthlessness. 

Tifa noticed his change as she bounded towards him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. She pulled him down for a quick, yet passionate kiss, hoping to help drive those thoughts out of his head. “I start Thursday… I’m working with someone to show me where everything is and refine what I already know.” She kept her arms around his neck as her eyes searched his. She noticed his subtle shift in expression and frowned. “Cloud…”

“I’m fine,” he replied, trying to brush it off.

“You’re not,” Tifa countered immediately.

“I promise, I’m fine.” He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist to keep her close. “Right now, I’m focused on you . Don’t worry about me. I’m happy you got the job. The interview went really well then apparently.”

Tifa pulled back a little bit so she could reach over to the counter nearby and put the paper with her schedule on it before she turned her attention back to Cloud. “We’re here to get this shoulder taken care of, remember?”

Cloud nodded. He was well aware of that. “I know that. That’s why I want to focus on you right now. Tell me about the interview.” He needed the distraction. He was genuinely happy that she’d been able to find a job so quickly. “I told you that you’d be good enough,” he reminded her, changing the course of the conversation back to Tifa. “Which bar was it?” He asked. He already knew where she’d gone that day, but it was another step to get the conversation back onto her and away from him. He’d be fine, he was used to his roller coaster of emotions about this move.

“The Crimson Cauldron. That place you pointed out to me when you were showing me around.” She played gently with the hair on the back of his head as she looked up at him. “I’m proud of myself. I shouldn’t have doubted what I knew. And…” she smiled widely at him. “I was able to find my way there and back home all on my own. I didn’t have to get my phone out to look at the map this time.”

Cloud chuckled softly, remembering just a few days ago when Tifa had gone out to put applications in around the city. She had gotten herself turned around in the corridors and started to panic because she couldn’t figure out her way back out. 

“I’m proud of you too. I knew you’d start to figure it out.” He finally released her from his arms and reached out to pick up the piece of paper that she’d put down. It only took him a moment to realize it was a schedule for her. “So, Thursday at 5,” he read out loud and saw she would get off work at 10 that night, then it was 6 to 11 on Friday and Saturday.

Tifa moved closer to him to look at the paper. “It covers the next two weeks. It’s not much, but it’s enough to get me started until I learn everything he wants me to know.” She rested her hand lightly on his lower back and rested her head on his shoulder as he read over the days she was scheduled. “It’s 15 gil an hour too. Plus tips.”

Cloud nodded. He noted the hours on here and it added up to about 25 hours for the following week. He couldn’t help himself from doing the math in his head at hearing her pay rate. The figure seemed pretty standard, at least for the jobs he held in Midgar. Most of them ranged from 10 to 15 gil an hour there.

Even with Tifa working just 25 hours a week, that income combined with his stipend from Shinra would be more than enough to live comfortably off of. A sense of relief washed over him. They’d be alright. “Stop,” he scolded her suddenly when he felt the tip of her finger poke the side of his head.

“You’re thinking too much,” she teased him as she poked him one more time, earning a playful swat from him.

“I was just…” he trailed off in defeat. “Fine, yes, I was thinking too much.”

“See, I’m always right.” Tifa declared, a smirk on her face.

Cloud shook his head, unable to hide the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. He reached out, putting the paper back on the counter. “I was just running the numbers in my head and…” he saw the look on Tifa’s face and stopped. “I’m happy you were able to find a job so quickly, Tifa.” He wrapped his arms around her waist again as he leaned his back against the counter.

“And when you get that arm dealt with, you’ll be able to start working too. Whether it be here or back home when we get back to Nibelheim.” She ran her hands up his arms and rested them on his shoulders. “I hope you’ll come in and see me once I get started over there.”

“I planned on it.” He rested his hands gently on her lower back. “I need you to make me drinks again anyway.”

“Oh! Speaking of drinks. I made Dalek a Cosmo Canyon while I was there.”

“You did? How did he like it?” He tilted his head to the side a bit, giving Tifa his full, undivided attention now.

“He loved it. He was worried about the salt in it, but that’s when he offered me the job, after he tasted it.”

Cloud’s smile widened. His arms tightened a bit around her waist, pulling her completely against him. “And remember when you were worried that you wouldn’t know enough to make it here?” He reminded her gently.

“Yeah, I know.” Tifa nestled her head against his shoulder, her eyes fluttering closed. Her arms shifted more around his neck to stay close to him. “It was a silly thought, apparently. He tried to trip me up with a Midgar Special too. He said a lot of people don’t even know what it is.”

Cloud’s face immediately contorted at the mention of that drink. He knew what it was and he’d had the misfortune of trying it once during his time in Midgar. It was offered to him as a new special at the bar and he nearly vomited it back up when he drank it. “He had you make that?”

“Yeah. Uses it as some way to see what people know,” Tifa pulled back a bit and looked up at him again. She giggled when she saw his face. “And I actually knew how to make it.”

“I don’t know why you know how to make it, or why anybody would ever order it.” Cloud shuttered at the thought of drinking one again. “I wouldn’t trust anybody who has that thing as their drink of choice. It tastes like motor oil.”

“And how, exactly, do you know what motor oil tastes like?”

Cloud grimaced at the memory. “Long story…”

“We’ve got time.” She pushed, feeling curious. “How do you know what motor oil tastes like?”

Cloud huffed softly. He shouldn’t have mentioned it, because now he knew he’d have to tell the story. “Okay, fine. It happened here,” he paused to think of the timeline. “Nine or ten years ago now. I was working on the engine in one of the trucks. I missed putting a cap back on when I had one of the other guys start it up. It sputtered and shot oil everywhere, including my face.”

Tifa couldn’t hold in her laugh at his story. “I’m so sorry…” She shook her head softly and was very thankful that she’d never had the misfortune of tasting the drink. But she trusted Cloud’s judgment on it. The drink’s nearly black appearance had turned her off from ever trying it.

“I doubt I’ll be making it that often,” she reassured him. At least she hoped she wouldn’t make it often. “But, if I do, I’ll be sure to let you know what they look like so you can avoid them.” She felt a surge of warmth spread through her body when Cloud’s head rolled back with a loud laugh. “Have you eaten lunch yet? I want to go down to the store to get something.”

“I haven’t,” he replied. The thought of food made his stomach rumble a bit. “I was going to just make a sandwich or something. We should probably pick up a few things anyway.”

Tifa leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. As she started to pull away, she laughed. Cloud’s arms tightened around her waist, pulling her back in against him for a lingering, deeper kiss. Her heart fluttered as she started to melt against him. Before she could get too lost in his efforts, her hands moved to his chest, gently pushing herself away from him and breaking the spell he had over her.

“Groceries…” She muttered, patting his chest gently. She took a deep breath to try to calm her heart. Cloud always had that effect on her. He could just look at her a certain way and she was ready to drag him to bed with her. 

Cloud chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes. He gripped her shirt again, trying to gently coerce her back in closer to him. All it got in return was her pushing harder against his chest. “Fine, fine,” he conceded, finally letting her go. One thing he was a stickler for was never pushing her for anything. He always respected her boundaries. He could behave until they were back home and had eaten their lunch for the day.

“Let’s go then.” Tifa went to grab her belongings and started towards the door. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the look on Cloud’s face. She knew what was coming later that day and the anticipation sent a chill down her spine. 

Chapter Text

Tifa took a deep breath as she looked over everything that Lebreau had pointed out to her. She tried to commit everything to memory, but she felt extremely overwhelmed. There were so many liquors that she’d never heard of before and she didn’t know which ones were more expensive than others. At least, based on how they were laid out, it was rather easy. The higher shelf ones were more expensive, based on how the other woman explained it to her.

“Got it?” Lebreau asked, looking over at Tifa. She saw the look of confusion on the woman’s face and couldn’t help but laugh about it.

“Not one bit,” Tifa laughed, shaking her head. “But I’m trying.” She was sure it would all sink in with some time, she just had to do it and get the hang of everything. A simple hour with someone explaining things wasn’t going to do much. She knew how she learned best. She’d always been a hands-on learner.

“You’ll get it,” Lebreau reassured her. “Dalek told me you knew what you were doing. He was rather impressed by the drinks you made him too. Not too strong, just the right amount of alcohol.” She gestured towards the back of the bar, where there was a door. “We’ve got a few minutes before I’ll flip the sign on, let me show you around back here too.”

Tifa followed the other woman into a small, brightly lit kitchen area. The space was surprisingly similar to what she was familiar with in Nibelheim. The layout was almost the same as well. She saw a sink and table along one side, a fridge, with extra supplies beside that. There was a table and shelves on the other wall and a dishwasher, slightly larger than the one back home, sitting on the table in the corner.

“So, where are you from? Or, where did you work before?” Lebreau asked after showing her a few things. She figured that small talk would help pass the time, besides, she wanted to get to know the new employee. When she grabbed one of the trays, she smiled warmly as Tifa took the hint and grabbed the other to carry it out front.

“I spent my whole life in Nibelheim.” Tifa replied with a soft smile. “Worked at the only bar the village had.”

Lebreau’s eyebrows arched as she looked at her. “Nibelheim?” She  tilted her head a little bit. She knew that wasn’t on this continent. That’s about all she knew about the town.

“It’s on the western continent.” Tifa explained. She saw Lebreau start to unload the glasses and mirrored her actions, finding a spot under the counter to add the fresh, clean glasses to. “This is actually my first time out of the village, ever.”

“Why come all the way out here though?” She asked, genuinely curious. It happened a lot though, people moving to Junon from small villages, but most of the time they were teenagers, chasing dreams, not someone her age.

“My uh… partner was in the military,” Tifa started to explain to her as she looked in her direction. “He got injured pretty badly a few years ago and we found a doctor here that might be able to help him.” She smiled nervously about it. Cloud’s appointment was coming up soon and they’d find out then if this trip was actually worth it.

“So you’re only staying long enough to get his injury taken care of?” She asked.

“Yeah, that’s the plan.” Tifa unloaded the last of the glasses before she stood back upright. “We’re thinking it will be about a year. Just based on what we found on the network, but it’ll really just depend on what the doctor says about his shoulder in a week when he goes to see him.”

“It’s that bad, huh?” She asked, catching Tifa’s slight nod on the topic. “Well, I wish him good luck then. Most of what I know, the doctors in Junon are pretty good.” She reached out to grab her empty tray, tucking it under the counter. “You can put that one down on the shelf.”

Tifa saw where Lebreau put hers before she found a slot on her side of the counter to stick her own tray. Simple enough. She was still nervous about her first night at the bar and really hoped she’d get and understand everything that Dalek expected of the bartenders. Her head snapped up when she heard the front door unlock. They didn’t open for a few more minutes. Her eyes stayed locked on a tall, raven haired woman that let herself into the bar, locking the door behind her.

“Well, well, well, who do we have here?” The woman tilted her head when she saw Tifa standing behind the counter. 

Tifa heard the woman’s thick accent. Something that she’d never heard before, yet at the same time it sounded oddly familiar to her. She watched as she moved closer to the counter and took in her appearance. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, just enough to keep it out of her face. She noticed a solid black tattoo peeking out from under her sleeve on her left bicep. Then, when the woman turned to face Lebreau, she noticed a large, jagged scar, something that looked like a burn scar that marred most of her right bicep.

“Fang, this is Tifa. Dalek’s newest hire.” Lebreau motioned between them.

“Fang?” Tifa couldn’t help but ask. The name didn’t sound like anything she’d ever heard before and it threw her for a loop. It wasn’t anything she expected a person to ever have for a name. Not outside of shows or movies at least. That, coupled with her heavy accent had her intrigued. This woman definitely wasn’t from Junon, that much she could tell from her short time in the city.

Fang tilted her head a bit as her eyes narrowed. The last time someone questioned her name, they turned out to be a complete asshole. “Yeah… that a problem or somethin’?” She asked. Fang rested one of her hands on her hips as she stared at Tifa.

“No, goodness, no. Why would it be a problem?”

“Just makin’ sure.” She replied softly before she leaned against the counter across from Tifa. “Rather common name where I’m from,” she explained with a slight shrug.

Tifa’s head tilted a bit. Now that the opening was there, she could ask and get an answer to her curiosity. “Where are you from? I’ve never heard an accent quite like that before.” She rested her hands on the counter where she was, her eyes never leaving Fang. She saw the woman’s face flinch a bit and frowned.

“Small village in the south of Wutai named Oerba,” Fang replied honestly as she braced herself for the usual reaction she got when she revealed where she was born. With everything that was going on between Shinra and her homeland, she was unfortunately used to it.

Tifa’s eyes lit up a bit at the mention of Wutai. She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. “My mother was born on Wutai,” she saw the visible relief wash over Fang’s face at hearing that and unfortunately understood. “A small village on the north side. Your accent is a lot stronger than hers was. It threw me off a little bit.”

Fang noticed how the woman spoke about her mother in the past tense. She could read between those lines but chose not to say anything about it. Losing loved ones, no matter how long ago, was always rough. She’d lost both of her own parents during the first war. Leaving her and her sister with nobody. They found a way to Midgar. Lived in the slums until they were both old enough to get on their own two feet and they’d been living in Junon for almost ten years. 

“Most people don’t react well when Wutai gets mentioned.”

“Yeah, I know.” Tifa had her own instances in Nibelheim. Some people that traveled through the area took note of her eyes and knew it was a distinctly Wutain trait to have. Something she could never hide about herself. And she’d vaguely remembered people treating her mother differently when she was alive, just because of her appearance. That was what helped shaped her into the person she was now. Seeing what her mother dealt with, told her that nobody should ever be treated differently for any reason.

Fang lingered near the counter as she watched Lebreau come out from behind the counter to go and unlock the front door and flip the sign to open. “You new in town?” She asked, making small talk with the woman.

“Yeah. We’ve been here about two weeks now,” she replied with a little nod. So far so good with things falling into place. At least from her side of things. She hoped, that in a week’s time, things would also start to fall in place for Cloud. With his appointment coming up, she knew his anxiety, as well as her own, was through the roof.

“You likin’ it so far?” She asked. Fang pushed herself away from the bar and started to make her way around to the back side of the counter. She reached down for a glass for herself and filled it with water from the tap.

Tifa kept her eyes on the woman. Her eyes flicked down to Fang’s hand when she lifted the glass to take a sip. They landed right on a simple silver ring that sat on her finger. She couldn’t help her thoughts as she envisioned having one of her own some day. A ring from Cloud. A promise of their future together. Tifa shook those daydreams from her head before she focused on answering the woman’s question.

“So far, yeah,” she admitted with a small smile on her face. “It’s… different.”

That was an understatement. She heard Fang’s laugh but the woman didn’t say anything else about her comment. Given that Fang was from a small village in Wutai, Tifa knew that she understood how overwhelming a place like this could be to some people. But, she felt like she was adapting. The noises of the city didn’t really bother her as she made her way around. Thankfully, when she was at home, their apartment didn’t allow many of the noises in unless a window was open. 

Which had already become a usual occurrence. They were both used to having a fresh breeze on nice days. And even if that breeze carried in noise from the street, it was okay for both her and Cloud. She’d even started to find comfort in Cloud’s habit of falling asleep with the TV on. It was initially something that irritated her, but the background sound, even light, had become a blanket of comfort for her to get to sleep each night.

Throughout the evening, Tifa shadowed Lebreau. She did her best to absorb everything that the woman was doing. She started to memorize the locations of certain liquor bottles and picked up some of the recipes for how Dalek wanted signature drinks made. She fielded the woman’s questions, answering most of them currently on how to make certain drinks. Until she got to the most recent one. Tifa searched her brain for how to mix the drink, but couldn’t find the answer.

Lebreau, thankfully, sensed her panic. She took the time to explain the recipe on it and walked her through the steps. Tifa had already proven she knew more than most of the previous bartenders Dalek hired had known. When she finished, she pointed out a small cheat sheet that was tucked under the counter. 

“I still have to use that too for some drinks.” She winked at the woman. She saw the relief wash over Tifa’s face and chuckled. Lebreau spotted a woman that sat at the far end of the counter and tipped her head in her direction. “Can you get her?”

“Yeah, sure.” Tifa replied. She knew Lebreau was still watching her as she walked towards the woman. “Hi, what can I get you?” She asked. The woman’s request was simple, a bottle of beer. A task that Tifa was more than happy to fulfill. She turned to the cooler behind her and paused for a moment, scanning the selection of bottles until she found what she was looking for. Once she opened it for the customer, she exchanged it for the customer’s payment.

“Honestly?” Lebreau moved closer to her. “I think you’re going to be just fine. A hell of a lot better than that last one Dalek hired.”

“It was just a beer bottle,” Tifa tilted her head.

Fang had been passing by them and heard their interaction before she decided to chime in. “Last one asked her everything. Basically had that drink list glued to his hand.”

“You actually took a few seconds to find the beer on your own.” Lebreau added on, earning a small laugh from Tifa.

“And he treated me like I was diseased,” Fang added on softly.

The last part of what Fang said struck a chord with her. She hated how people treated others simply because of where they were from. It wasn’t the people of Wutai’s fault that Shinra was trying to take over their homeland. Nor was it any regular person’s fault that Shinra was doing it in the first place. The citizens, all across the world, were the ones caught in the crossfire and she hated it.

Tifa’s gaze shifted towards the door when she heard the bell above it chime. A woman with strawberry blonde hair entered and looked around. Tifa assumed she was looking for a seat and just turned her attention back to Fang. “I never understood how someone could be so hateful towards a person they’ve never even met before. Everybody deserves to be treated equally in my eyes.”

A smile started to spread across Fang’s face. “Good to know,” she nodded her approval. She was starting to like this new woman and it seemed, to her, that she’d fit in with them. As she started to push herself away from the counter, she felt a familiar hand rest on her lower back. She spun around and the sight made her smile widen. “What’re you doin’ here, Sunshine?”

Tifa watched with a smile as the blonde woman leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Fang’s lips. “I had a shit day at the hospital and I need a drink… or three.” The blonde replied with a slight roll of her eyes. “Had to escort two people out of the emergency room because they threatened to punch staff.”

“And let me guess…” she started. “All they had were splinters?” Fang smirked when the woman close to her started laughing. That was all the confirmation she needed that she was pretty close to being right. “Dalek hired a new bartender,” Fang’s arm slipped loosely around her wife’s waist. “Tifa, this is my wife, Claire.”

Tifa lifted one of her hands to politely wave at the woman. “It’s nice to meet you.” She saw the woman nod in response. “You said you needed a drink?”

“Yes, please,” Claire replied with a sigh. She leaned into her wife for a brief moment as she recited her usual drink order for Tifa. She knew Lebreau new what she always ordered, but Tifa wouldn’t.

As Tifa turned to grab one of the liquor bottles from the shelf, she caught Lebreau watching her. She glanced over and saw the slight nod from the woman, letting her know it was the right one for the drink. When Tifa turned back to focus on the drink, she felt something suddenly hit her. She knew the name of Fang’s wife sounded familiar. Claire. Cloud’s ex-girlfriend’s name was Claire. She glanced at the woman as she poured the mixture into a glass for her. The odds of this being the same person were astronomically slim. It was simply a coincidence that she had the same name.

“Here you go.” She reached out to take the gil that Claire already had on the counter for her.

“Thank you,” Claire’s voice was soft. She picked up the glass and took a small sip to test the drink. “I’m going to go hide in the corner,” she murmured to her wife as she leaned up to give her another soft kiss.

“Alright, don’t cause any trouble,” Fang teased her as she watched her wife walk off.

“How long have you two been married?” She asked. Her eyes also followed the blonde towards the booth she chose to sit at. A quiet corner of the bar where she could just relax. She watched the woman get her phone out of her pocket to keep herself occupied.

Fang slowly pulled her attention away from her wife to look back at Tifa. She smiled at her question. “May will be three years.” She leaned against the counter. The bar was usually slow that night and the people that were in there were behaving, it gave Fang a chance to converse with the new hire a little bit. “Been hearin’ ya talk about a boyfriend. How long you two been together?”

“We’ve been together a little more than a year.” Tifa replied, a smile spreading widely across her face. “But we’ve known each other since we were toddlers.”

“Hell of a history there then, huh?” Fang chuckled softly as she pushed herself away from the bar and stood up from the stool she was sitting on. 

“Can I ask you something before you walk around again?” Tifa asked. She saw the woman stop and look at her. Tifa’s eyes darted towards Claire, who was idly sipping her drink while she looked at her phone. When she saw Fang nod, she continued. “It might sound weird but… was Claire in the military?”

Fang’s head tilted to the side. That was a random question that she wasn’t expecting to hear. “She was. Why ya askin’?”

Tifa cursed herself inwardly. Many people passed through the military. She was sure that Claire was a common name too. “My boyfriend’s ex’s name was Claire,” she explained. “They dated for a little bit before she got shipped out and they lost contact.”

“And what’s your boyfriend’s name?” Fang was curious now. She knew about Claire’s past relationships. They’d always been open with one another.

“Cloud,” She responded honestly.

Fang slowly smirked at the mention of the name. It wasn’t common, so it was one that stuck with her. “Hold that thought,” she held up one of her fingers before she left the counter.

“Uh, okay…” 

Tifa kept her eyes on Fang, watching as she joined Claire at the booth. She couldn’t hear what they were saying because they were so far away, but then she saw Claire’s head snap in her direction. She suddenly worried that she’d stirred up painful memories. She only knew what Cloud had told her about their relationship. Something that was out of convenience for them. There wasn’t any heartbreak from her knowledge.

Claire slid out of the booth and grabbed her glass. She made her way over to the counter and sat on the stool that Fang had just occupied a few moments prior. “So, Cloud, huh?” She asked.

Tifa froze a bit as she stared at the woman. She saw the slight smirk that appeared on her face. “You’re Claire then… the Claire he dated.”

“Yeah, that would be me,” She replied simply. “Almost… six years ago now?” She hesitated as she did some of the math in her head. “Almost seven years?” The time frame didn’t really matter to her. Claire finished the last of her drink and lifted the glass, signaling for a fresh one.

“Hopefully I didn’t spark any bad memories.” Tifa took the empty glass. “Same thing?” She confirmed with her. When Claire nodded, she turned to grab the liquor bottle.

“You didn’t.” Claire’s response was short and to the point. “I’m actually glad to hear that he’s alive.”

Tifa slowly smiled. Hearing that it didn’t bring up bad memories for her made her feel better for even asking. “He’s alive, yeah.” She noticed the way the woman was soft spoken and didn’t actually say a lot. Granted, she’d only just met her, but she could already see the similarities that Cloud mentioned they had. “He’s never going to believe me when I get home and tell him.”

Claire let out a small chuckle at the woman’s statement. “No, he probably won’t.” She added softly. She got some money out to pay for her drink when Tifa finished it. “Let me say though, he’s still got good taste in women.”

Tifa blushed heavily. She was thankful for the dimly lit bar and hoped that it hid her bright red cheeks from the woman across from her. “Yes, he does.” Seeing Claire in person made her realize that. Tifa could see why Cloud was drawn to her. She was gorgeous. But she could also see the hints of the personalities clashing that he told her.

“Tell him to come in sometime. I pop in most nights after work.”

Tifa watched as the woman gave her a small nod before she got up from the bar to head back to the booth in the corner. She couldn’t believe the odds that she’d run into Cloud’s ex at the bar she worked at, let alone in Junon period. It gave her a little sense of ease knowing that the woman was alive. That was something that she knew he worried about. They didn’t talk about it much anymore, there was no reason to. But the few times their exes had come up in conversation, he always seemed worried for her safety because he didn’t know what happened to her when she got shipped out of Junon years ago.

Now he’d get that closure.

Tifa turned the key to unlock the front door. When she did, she was greeted with darkness. The only light was coming from the one above the sink in the kitchen that Cloud had left on for her so she could see. She figured he’d already be in bed since it was after 10. Over the past few months, he’d actually gotten himself into a regular sleeping pattern, something she was thankful for. 

She carefully closed and locked the door behind her before she leaned down to get her shoes off. Once she set them beside Cloud’s near the door, she walked further into the apartment. Under the bedroom door, she could see a little flicker of light, but didn’t hear anything. He usually turned the TV volume down a little bit before he tried to sleep. 

Tifa finally made her way into the kitchen, when she reached out to open the fridge to look for something to eat, she spotted a piece of paper sitting on the counter. 

Plate in the microwave.

A smile spread across her face. Cloud had thought of her while she was at work. A wave of affection washed over her. Claudia did things like this often back in Nibelheim to ensure she had something to eat each night when she got home and seeing that Cloud was doing it too, warmed her heart. 

She opened the microwave door briefly, just to see what it was. Spaghetti. Nothing special, but it was food. She pushed the door closed again and pressed the ‘3’ to turn it on for three minutes. Even with everything he battled, he still showed that she was at the forefront of his mind on a regular basis. Tifa knew how much he got into his own head, feeling that he wasn’t enough. But he never realized these little things just made her fall further in love with him.

While the microwave was going, she made her way to the bathroom. She paused outside the door and decided to crack it open just enough to see inside. Cloud was lying on his side, his back to the door, his arm draped over the edge of the bed. His face looked like it was nestled into the pillow. From what she could see, he was sound asleep.

She decided to postpone her news about Claire. She carefully pulled the door shut so she wouldn’t disturb him and went into the bathroom. Tifa knew that many women would feel jealous at the thought of their partner’s ex. But she felt none. Claire was married, and from what Tifa saw happily. Cloud was very happy with her. Both of them had moved on from one another. 

Her thoughts drifted to the few conversations she had with Cloud about his past relationships. Claire being his most recent one before they got together. It was nothing like her own horrible relationship she had with Kain. Cloud and Claire’s relationship was one of convenience. They were friends first and it has mostly turned into a friends with benefits things, based on how he explained it to her. 

That evening, during her brief interactions with Claire, she saw small glimpses of Cloud’s personality in her. The short responses, the quiet observing. She was direct and to the point too from what she had noticed earlier. Tifa knew she had moments like that too, where she could be direct and to the point, but she also had a hell of a soft side that Cloud seemed to appreciate. A side that he needed.

Tifa smiled softly to herself. She felt no jealousy towards Claire. If she did, she wouldn’t even tell Cloud about it, but she was excited to. Especially after she heard the woman’s reassurance that what they had left no bad memories. There were no bad memories for either of them. 

When she finished in the bathroom, she went back to the kitchen to pull the steaming plate of food out of the microwave. She settled onto one of the chairs at the small, round table. Once she mixed everything together she started eating. Cloud wasn’t a culinary expert by any means, but at least the pasta was cooked properly and he knew how to add a jar of sauce to it with some ground beef. She smiled softly, then it quickly faded.

If he had surgery, they’d have to find some easy things for him to make for a couple of weeks when she worked. She made a mental note to look at the prepackaged foods that the store downstairs had to offer. She was sure there would be several things down there that would keep him fed. 

His appointment was in a few days and she was worried about it, just as he was. She hoped that the doctor would actually have some options for him that could help. 

Tifa finished the food on her plate before she got up to put it into the small dishwasher they had in their apartment. She mentally noted that it would need to be ran in the morning but decided not to worry about it now. She switched off the small light in the kitchen and quietly made her way into the bedroom.

Her eyes stayed on Cloud as she started to strip out of the clothes she wore to the bar for work. First her shirt that she threw into the basket right by the door. Then she unbuttoned her jeans, taking them off as well. But, when she tossed her jeans into the basket, the button hit the wall and scraped down, making her cringe.

Cloud’s eyes suddenly snapped open from the new noise. He shot up in bed and looked right at Tifa. Seeing his girlfriend there eased his racing heart. “H-Hey…” he blinked a few times, trying to push away the sleep. 

“Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Tifa whispered. She reached behind her back to unhook her bra. When she looked in his direction, she saw him watching her every movement. 

“Good reason to wake up,” he mumbled. His eyes followed her as she went towards the dresser to get something to change into. He just heard her laugh when he hummed in appreciation. She slipped out of her panties and tossed her remaining clothes towards the laundry basket. “Now it’s a very good reason.”

“Oh, behave.” Tifa giggled.

“Remember when you used to get shy?” Cloud shifted to sit up a little more, still watching her. She was only illuminated by the lights of the TV, but it was more than enough to admire her body.

Tifa shook her head a little bit. She remembered those early days of their relationship. She remembered how awkward she felt and how shy she felt even though he never once gave her a reason to be self-conscious. When he watched her, he was admiring her, he wasn’t viewing her as a piece of meat. “You’re watching me still, aren’t you?”

“I’d be dumb not to.” He shrugged. Cloud stretched a little bit and glanced at the clock, seeing it was a little after 11 at night. “How was your first night?”

She turned around to face him once she gathered some clothes. She tossed the shorts onto the bed and pulled on a plain tank top first. As her body vanished from his view, she heard his playful groan of disapproval and the idea to climb in bed naked did cross her mind, but she wanted to update him on her night. She grabbed the shorts to pull on before she finally spoke. 

“It was… interesting,” she kept it pretty vague.

“Is that good? Or bad?” Cloud asked, arching his eyebrows. He felt like he could go right back to sleep, but he was curious to know how her first night went.

Tifa lifted her arms above her head to stretch her back out a little bit before she moved to the foot of the bed. “No, it was… interesting.” She replied with a chuckle. Tifa crawled up the bed and plopped down beside him, facing him. She waited for him to slide down again so they were eye level. “You’re awake now, right?” She saw a flicker of confusion cross his face and continued before he could ask more questions. “Well, the bouncer there. Her name’s Fang. She seems like a wonderful woman from the time I spoke with her. She’s from Wutai.”

“Okay?” Cloud kept his eyes fixed on hers. He wasn’t quite sure where she was going with this, but he was happy to listen to her. A smile spread across his lips when she leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss before she settled onto the pillows and continued.

“Well, she’s married… to a woman,” she continued, watching his reaction. “I got to meet her wife tonight too. And well… Claire’s okay.”

Cloud stared at her as his mind struggled to process what she told him. “Who?” He asked. Why would that matter to him? Then it dawned on him. His eyes grew wide. “Claire? As in the Claire I dated in the military?” He asked. When he saw the woman nod, he tilted his head. “How do you know it’s her?”

“I asked.” She shifted to prop herself up on her arm so she could see him better. “I thought it was a long shot, honestly. Claire is a pretty common name. I just asked if she was in the military… it’s her, she remembered you. Strawberry hair, about my height. I didn’t get to talk to her that much though, she just wanted to unwind from work. But she did say you should come in sometime.”

Cloud continued to stare at her. Claire was alive. Claire seemed to be well, and she was living in Junon. Claire was also married… to a woman. He sifted through the information in his head, trying to process it. “Wow…” Was all he could say immediately. “I was planning on coming in sometime once you got settled.” He shifted a bit so he could rest his hand on her waist. “You’re okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Because she’s my ex, and apparently you’ll be seeing her often because you work with her wife.” Cloud replied, stating the obvious.

“Exactly. She’s your ex . She’s married now. You and I are together. You’ve told me yourself that you two were better as friends. Plus, it was so long ago, Cloud.” She reached up and cupped his cheek gently, still watching his facial expressions. “I don’t… have a reason to not be okay, right?” She asked, unable to hide the hint of apprehension in her voice.

Cloud shook his head. He moved his hand up to rest on hers on his cheek. “You have no reason to be worried. I promise. Looking back now, I don’t think I ever actually had feelings for her. Nothing like what I feel for you. We were together for convenience. We knew each other, we were there… it just happened.”

Tifa inched closer to him, her forehead resting gently against his. “I know I trust you.” She ran her thumb along his cheek gently before she pushed in a little closer and captured his lips with hers. “The odds of us running into her were so low. Maybe it’ll be good for you to get some closure on your past. Someone you knew and had a connection with.”

“Yeah, maybe it will.” He never thought he’d see the woman again after she left. 

He’d tried to contact her a few times once she left, but the messages he sent never went through. He blamed where she was for it. Now he could actually find out what happened after Claire left Junon all those years ago. He reached back down and wrapped his arm around Tifa’s waist to pull their bodies together.

“Tell me more about your night. Do you like it so far?” He asked, genuinely curious. A smile spread across Tifa’s face and he spent the next hour listening intently to everything she had to share with him.

Chapter Text

Cloud’s knuckles slowly turned white as he tightened his grip on the edge of the exam table. The hour-long evaluation had been almost a torturous ordeal for him. The twists and turns of his arm. The pokes and pushes and pulls. All of it aggravated his shoulder even more than it already was. At least Tifa was there through most of it. Her support had kept him grounded. 

The room he was in now, wearing his plain sweatpants and t-shirt, reminded him too much of being at the hospital in Midgar when they shipped him back after his injury. He hated it. His heart wouldn’t slow down. There was no getting that under control until they actually left the office to head home. 

Dr. Sheiran was a nice enough man. The fact that he was not affiliated with Shinra meant the most to Cloud. He never would have agreed to any of this otherwise. He’d spent time going over everything that was in Cloud’s military records. All the way back to a couple incidents of lower back pain. Incidents that surprised Tifa since he’d never shared them with her. He didn’t have any pain in his lower back now, so he never deemed it important to tell her about it. 

Then came the scans. The worst part of everything that day. The way they stretched his left arm and contorted it in different ways irritated everything from his neck down his spine and to each of his fingertips. It was a horrible reminder of just how bad the damage in his arm actually was.

Dr. Sheiran, afterwards, took the time to point out the troubling areas. Areas that Cloud already knew were problems, but seeing them on a scan and seeing how the doctor showed them how a normal shoulder for a man nearly 30 should look. Seeing his scans compared to that, even a regular person would be able to point out all the problems. 

He explained everything. Pointed out the frayed nerves and damaged muscles. He showed the portion of his shoulder, where the wound happened. The nerves there had tried to heal, but were still showing signs of severe compression and Dr. Sheiran explained that was why it was affecting his neck and the upper portion of his back if he twisted certain ways, or in Cloud’s case, simply lifting his arm too fast seemed to trigger it.

And then, the whole reason they’d come to Junon. Dr. Sheiran brought up surgery. He explained a procedure, complex in nature, that could potentially release the trapped nerves in his shoulder. But there were a lot of steps involved in it. A lot more than Cloud originally anticipated. Due to the damage in his shoulder to his nerves, it would be more likely that a muscle graft would help him the most. Simply releasing the nerves wouldn’t be of any help to him because it had been like it was for so long.

But as they sat alone in the room, Cloud’s gaze remained fixed on the floor. The doctor had stepped out to gather paperwork for him and information that explained the surgery again, even though he just did that. Cloud could feel Tifa’s eyes on him. He always sensed that when she was watching him. But he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He feared that if he did, he’d completely break down. The thought of all of this. This long surgery, it terrified him.

Brachial plexus… that’s what the doctor called it. The words echoed in his mind. Dr. Sheiran walked them through step by step and had told them that the paperwork he was gathering would explain it all over again, but it scared him. More than he’d ever felt before. The doctor estimated that it would be at least a six or seven hour surgery. It would all depend on what it actually looked like when he was cut open.

He’d only been under anesthesia once before, after he was injured on Wutai. They patched him up, threw him on a flight transit and shipped him right back to Midgar where they took him into surgery. The surgery then was just to repair the arteries and veins that were damaged. It didn’t seem that they touched any of the nerves. Basically just threw a bandaid over it and shipped him out on his own.

Cloud closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying his hardest to calm himself down. Before he was sent to Wutai, he never had any issue with his anxiety before. But now… now it felt like a constant battle with himself. The past year had been a bit easier, since Tifa was there to ground him. Since his mom had been around to ground him. 

But right now, even with Tifa right beside him. Close enough that he could feel her presence, it wasn’t enough to keep him from spiraling. He was going through all of the possibilities from surgery. All the bad possibilities. What if he left Tifa alone? What if something happened to him? What if he didn’t wake up?

He felt a wave of guilt suddenly hit him. Tifa could be completely alone in Junon. She wouldn’t have her dad nearby. She wouldn’t have Aerith nearby. She’d be alone if something happened to him. He knew he should be strong, keep a brave face, but this new fear he was feeling was drowning him.

Cloud cleared his throat again. The only sound in the otherwise silent room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tifa step closer to him. No matter how much he wanted to look at her, he couldn’t. If he did, he would lose control. He had to keep control over his emotions. At least while they were still at the doctor’s office. Once they were alone, he knew he could let everything out. He’d cried in front of Tifa several times since they’d been together. But it was something he wanted complete privacy for. 

His body tensed and his eyes flicked over to her legs as she stood beside him and rested her hand gently on his back.

“He can fix it,” she whispered to him. “He’s going to try to fix it.”

Cloud just nodded. He was afraid if he said anything he’d lose control over the emotions that threatened to drown him. That threatened to spiral him right back down to how he felt when he first returned to Nibelheim. 

He was willing to go through with this. Even with the chance of death, he was willing to try. He’d lived so many years in pain and agony. Pain that was progressively getting worse, especially over the past several months as he worked daily. Now, it had a chance at living normally, without the pain. It would be hell in the recovery, but a month of that was a world better than dealing with what he’d dealt with for years.

That’s when Tifa’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him in against her chest. The dam finally broke. A choked sob escaped his lips. His arm came up to wrap around her waist, clinging to the back of her shirt. Something solid. Something to ground him. 

As he buried his head into Tifa’s chest and squeezed his eyes shut, his mind drifted to the doctor’s explanation of the recovery process. He’d have weeks in a sling, physical therapy, strict sleeping positions for the first month. The list seemed endless. Any wrong move, any accidental twist or pull on his arm could tear everything the doctor did and he’d be right back at square one. Probably worse off than he was before.

He’d spent so many years of his life following orders. He could handle this. He could follow through with the physical therapy. He could follow everything the doctor told him to do down to the letter. He would do anything… everything… to regain full use of his arm again.

A soft knock on the door broke the silence and broke Cloud out of his thoughts, at least temporarily. He sat up a little bit and took a deep breath. Thankfully Tifa stayed right beside him, her hand running gently along his back. They both looked towards the door as it opened and Dr. Sheiran re-entered the room. He carried a small packet of papers and pamphlets in his hands.

“I have the information here for you,” he said, holding up the packet. He handed it to Cloud. He waited for the man to pull his arm away from Tifa to take it before he continued. “These explain everything that we discussed earlier. The procedure, the recovery, what to expect afterwards, so on.”

Cloud looked down at the pamphlets and felt yet another wave of anxiety hit him. He couldn’t find the words. He couldn’t form anything coherent in his head right now as he looked at them. From what he could tell there were about four or five pamphlets along with several bundled pieces of paper. 

“Take your time,” the doctor encouraged him. “Read through everything carefully. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the office. We’re here to help you every step of the way.”

Cloud nodded, his throat too tight to speak, even if he could find words. He felt Tifa’s hand moving slowly along his upper back. Traveling a repeated path between his shoulder blades. It gave him something to focus on as his eyes landed on a clipboard the doctor also had. 

“I also have the paperwork for you to sign. Consent forms for the surgery, then we can get you scheduled for surgery.”

As Cloud reached for the clipboard, Tifa spoke up. “Can I ask something?” She had noticed how silent Cloud was. The way he retreated into himself and had barely said anything since the doctor explained the procedure initially. 

“Of course.”

“I know you showed us his scans and explained everything. Do you think this will work for him?” Her question drew Cloud’s eyes to move towards her for the first time in a while. She offered him a warm, reassuring smile as she continued to gently rub his back.

If Cloud was to be honest with himself, he wondered the same thing. He just didn’t know how to word the question. He didn’t trust himself to speak right now with the whirlwind of emotions that he was feeling. The doctor outlined everything and told him it was his best option.

“I never tell people a definitive yes or no,” Dr. Sheiran replied honestly. “Because the truth is, we don’t know. I don’t know how his body is going to heal. I don’t know if the nerve endings that are there can be salvaged. I don’t know how his body will react to the muscle graft. There are a lot of unknowns in this. Nerves take a very long time to heal. I’ve unfortunately seen similar injuries. It’s helped most of them, I will tell you that. But please remember that it can take up to a year or longer for the nerves to heal. And please remember that they may never heal completely.”

Cloud appreciated the doctor’s honesty about the possible outcomes of the procedure. Hearing that there was a chance that it wouldn’t work, or he might not regain function got to him too, but he was still willing to try. He turned his attention back down to the clipboard, reading over everything. To him, it seemed like a fairly standard release form. Giving the doctor permission to perform the surgery, and all of the possible risk factors. That’s where his eyes lingered.

“There’s…” his voice was soft as he spoke. “There’s… a risk of death.” He read aloud. His body tensed when he felt Tifa’s hand stop moving along his back.

“Yes. There is always a chance. We have to let people know about that.” The doctor confirmed. “It’s extremely rare though. I’ve never had it happen to any of my patients, thankfully. But there is always that chance.”

Cloud drew in a deep breath as he nodded. His eyes continued to scan the form, reading over everything. When he got to the bottom of the first page, he lifted it and revealed a second. It detailed the hospital stay, estimating at least three to four nights to make sure there’s no rejection. It could potentially be longer depending on how severe the surgery was. Taking a deep breath, he unhooked the pen from the top of the clipboard and signed his name along the line at the bottom. Once he added the date, he lifted his gaze to look at the doctor.

“When you check out, they’ll get you on the schedule for surgery.” Dr. Sheiran explained with a soft smile. When he saw them both nod, he continued speaking. “And if you have any other questions, or need more explanation on anything I gave you, please give us a call.”

Cloud nodded again as he stared at the signed form. He slowly reached out to give it to the doctor and watched as he left them alone in the room. He felt a wave of conflicting emotions hit him once again. Fear, hope, anxiety, anticipation… This whole thing was a gamble, but he knew he couldn’t live with the pain any longer. He needed to try. For himself, for Tifa. He wanted to just feel normal again.

He turned and picked up the paperwork that he’d placed beside him on the exam table before he slid down onto his feet. He needed to get out of there. He needed out of the doctor’s office and out of this building. He needed to get home to the safety and comfort the apartment provided him.

His left arm hung uncomfortably along his side as he went towards the door. The twists and turns they did to get the proper scans left him with shooting lightning bolts of pain down from his neck down into his fingertips. He walked out of the exam room first, leading Tifa towards the receptionist near the entrance. 

A quick stop with the woman at the desk and he, surprisingly, had his surgery scheduled for three weeks out. She also got him scheduled for his required follow up appointments to check his progress. Cloud expected to have to wait a long time, but due to the severity of it, the doctor wanted to get in sooner rather than later to get it fixed. He accepted more information from the receptionist. Instructions on pre-operative preparations, most notably was that he wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before. He’d still look over everything multiple times once they got home.

Once they finally stepped outside, Cloud looked up towards the sky and took a deep breath. He heard Tifa’s voice beside him and felt her hand rest on his lower back. “Do you want to stop to get something to eat?”

“I just want to go home,” he muttered. Thankfully Tifa didn’t fight him on that. He just wanted to get home and try to process everything from today. He didn’t expect there to actually be an option for him. But here he was, walking side by side with the woman he loved more than anything, carrying paperwork for a complex surgical procedure that could help him.

Their walk back was silent. Silent between them. There was still the usual sounds of Junon that surrounded them, but to Cloud, he was too lost in his own head to even notice any of it. Twenty minutes later, Cloud followed Tifa into the apartment and he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Safety and comfort of home. 

He walked past her, right towards the small kitchen table to put the stack of paperwork down. Cloud immediately sat down and picked up the first pamphlet. He needed to review everything. Looking at everything again would give him a sense of comfort with the procedure.

Or so he hoped.

It would give him a better understanding of what Dr. Sheiran planned to do. The pamphlet outlined the surgery in the same detail as the doctor had. He read over every detail inside. Starting with the top diagram that showed and explained how the nerves in the shoulder worked. He took his time, taking in everything that was printed on the pages.

Then he flipped to the next page and took a deep breath. He saw diagrams and pictures explaining the removal of the muscle from his thigh. That was the muscle that would essentially take over the function of his shoulder. It would be grafted there, the nerves, the blood flow, everything connected. 

He felt a sudden wave of anger hit him. His jaw clenched. Had Shinra taken any time to actually try to fix his shoulder, he wouldn’t be here. If they had just treated him properly. If they hadn’t simply patched him up… he probably wouldn’t be here right now. His fist clenched, causing the paper to crumple up. 

All they did was try to stop the bleeding in the field. Then when he was transported out and got to Midgar, that’s all they did too. They fixed the blood flow, that was it. The surgery, from his documentation, was only an hour long. Sure, they kept him alive. Sure, they stopped the bleeding. But that was it. They did the bare minimum. They’d patched him up. They pumped him so full of pain medication that Cloud was surprised he didn’t develop an addiction to them. Then they tossed him aside. Released him from the hospital with no follow ups. No physical therapy. Nothing.

“I’m going to get us a pizza.” Tifa’s voice broke through his dark thoughts. 

He jumped when he felt her hand move along his upper back gently. “Okay…” he whispered. Cloud accepted the soft, reassuring kiss that she offered him. His eyes stayed on her as she left their apartment, leaving him alone for a few minutes.

His eyes returned to the paperwork as he let out a sigh. His fist had finally unclenched and he tried to focus on the positive. The doctor assured him that taking the muscle from his thigh wouldn’t impact his strength or balance. It was a non-essential muscle in the thigh that was used often in this type of surgery.

To him though, it all sounded like a fantasy. After more than three years of dealing with his shoulder. The pain, the numbness, everything. Anything that gave him the possibility of living normally sounded far-fetched to him.

Cloud ran his left hand over his face rather roughly before he stared at it for a moment. He shook his head and closed the first pamphlet to toss it aside on the table. Then he reached for one of the paper clipped stacks of papers that the doctor had given him. At least six hours for the surgery. At least six hours being under anesthesia. He breathed out a heavy breath as he read over the do’s and don’ts section of the paperwork. 

Next he read through the information about physical therapy. It was going to start while he was still in the hospital, slow movements to make sure the blood stayed flowing through his shoulder, then as time passed, the therapy would get more intense. Working on his range of motion, working on his strength. Everything that he hoped to get back with going through this.

Then, when he flipped through the therapy sections, he got to the outline of possible complications. Cloud took a deep breath. He read over everything on the page. From his body rejecting the graft completely, to him never getting feeling back. He could go through with all of this, endure all of this extra pain, deal with months of recovery, just to lose his arm anyway. 

The risk of infection in his leg was minimal. The basic care instructions were easy. Just keep it clean, fresh bandages, so on. But his shoulder. The site of the graft was a high risk area with all of the nerves and blood vessels. His body could reject it, even though it was his own muscle. If anything happened, the blood flow could be interrupted, leading to internal bleeding or, if his body rejected it, his arm could ultimately die, leading to it having to be removed anyway. 

That was the fear that hit him the hardest. He could do all of this for absolutely nothing in the end. Then there was the anesthetic. He’d only ever undergone one surgery before, a little over three years ago. Nothing happened then. He was fine, but anything could happen now, especially for so long. He could have a reaction. He could just… not wake up. His eyes closed as he was overwhelmed with the thought of leaving Tifa alone. He’d never see her smile again. He’d never feel her in his arms. He’d never hear her voice. She’d be all alone in Junon without him. 

What would that do to her?

That would tear her apart, he was sure. 

He hung his head for a moment. There was far too much for him to process in one sitting, but he couldn’t stop himself. Reaching for another packet of papers, he saw it full of pictures and instructions. It was the basic exercises he was to do when he got home from the hospital. At the top, it explained that this was just the start, there would be new things added as he worked with the physical therapist after surgery. What was on the papers seemed simple enough. A basic mobility and stretching routine. Hanging his arm, swinging it slowly. Lifting it to the side. Lifting it to the front. Lifting it backwards as far as he could manage. 

He could handle this. He assured himself he could do that. Simply moving his arm was going to be easy for him. Or so he thought.

“Hey, you need to eat something,” Tifa’s voice startled him. He’d been so caught up in all of the paperwork that he never heard the door open. He never heard her come back into their apartment. His head darted up, a movement he quickly regretted when he felt a shooting pain in his shoulder and neck. He saw her coming towards him with two plates that contained slices of pizza on it for them.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Tifa moved beside him and placed the plates on the table before she leaned over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her head rested gently against his. Cloud closed his eyes and leaned into her a little bit, just savoring her touch.

“You’ll be okay,” she murmured into his hair. “The doctor said it too. You’re healthy and young. No other problems… except your back apparently. Which you never told me about.”

Cloud shook his head briefly. “It was never anything major. Just pulled muscles or strains.” He tried to reassure her. His lower back barely bothered him since he got out of the military so he never deemed it important to tell her. “This might not work.”

“I know.” She replied simply. Tifa’s fingers gently stroked through his hair and she felt him sink further into her embrace. “But the doctor said there’s a good chance. That this is the best change to stop the pain in your arm… and the numbness. I know you hate dropping things.” Her head turned and she pressed a lingering kiss to the top of his head. “I’ll be there with you, okay? Your surgery is on a Wednesday, so I don’t work that day, and by the time you come home, I’ll be off for the first few nights… then we’ll figure something out to make sure you don’t hurt yourself while you’re alone. Maybe get some freezer meals for you to make? Simple things so you can just relax.”

Cloud just nodded. He kept his head pressed gently into Tifa’s stomach, wanting to keep her close. After several long, silent minutes, he forced himself to pull back and looked up at her. “What if I don’t wake up?” He asked bluntly. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“You will wake up,” she told him as she pulled the other chair at the table closer to him. She sat down beside him and pulled his hand into her lap. “You will.” She leaned in, pressing her forehead gently against his. She knew he needed the comfort just as much as she needed to hear herself say it.

“I’m scared,” Cloud swallowed thickly. He heard the tremble in his own voice and hated it. He was normally so strong and composed about things. He’d pushed through so many things in his life. He’d seen literal death. But now that there was a tiny possibility of it being his own, he was terrified.

“It’s okay to be scared.” Tifa squeezed his hand gently before she lifted one of her hands to cup his jaw. She smiled at the way he leaned into her touch just slightly. “I’m scared too. There’s a lot to this…” she smiled sadly in his direction. “You better wake up from surgery.” She saw a flicker of a smile on his face. “Then, when you wake up, I’ll be right there, Cloud. I promise I’ll be right there. I’ll help you with your therapy. I’ll feed you if I have to.”

Cloud finally let out a small but shaky laugh. He turned his head so he could kiss the palm of her hand. “You’ll feed me?”

“I mean, I’ve fed you before,” she smiled at him. It was mostly just little bites here and there over meals, but she still fed him and she’d do it all over again if she had to. “I want to take care of you, Cloud. I want to be here with you every step of the way.”

He slowly smiled into the brief, tender kiss that Tifa gave him. “This is my best bet.” He said, watching as she nodded. “I’m tired of it not working all the time.” Cloud pulled away a little bit and looked down at his left hand. He flexed his fingers slowly and sighed. “It’s been numb since last night.”

“It has?” Tifa frowned. “Did you tell the doctor?” She tilted her head a little bit. She didn’t hear him say anything to the doctor when she was around.

He shook his head and sighed softly. “No, but I told the woman that got my scans though. I saw her type something on the computer so I’m assuming she noted it.” 

He felt a pang of regret for not actually saying it to the doctor. But based on his history and his exam, Cloud was sure it wasn’t that big of a deal overall. The doctor was well aware of his regular numbness anyway. He looked back down when he saw Tifa reach out to take his numb hand in hers. He saw the way she pressed her thumbs into his palm. He couldn’t feel any of it, but knowing she was doing it helped to ease some of his anxiety.

Tifa kept her eyes on him. She knew everything he was feeling because she was feeling it too. But she wanted to be there for him, she needed to be there for him through every step of this. “Do you think you can walk me through the surgery again? When he was explaining it, he lost me a few times. Mostly when he said he was taking a muscle from your leg?” She tilted her head a bit. “I wasn’t following all of that.”

“Yeah, I can try.” He barely understood it himself, but knowing that she was willing to learn and figure it out with him warmed his heart. He had no problem trying to explain everything that he understood to her. At least the doctor provided detailed paperwork for everything.

They spent the rest of the night sitting together at the kitchen table, sharing their pizza while Cloud did his best to explain everything. Tifa asked questions, causing him to sift through everything for an answer. But he couldn’t find it which led to a collection of questions scribbled on a notepad that they could call the office about in the coming days. 

They had three weeks to get comfortable with everything.

Chapter Text

Sundays were usually slow at the bar. From what Tifa had learned in her short time there at least. The past couple of weeks she’d noticed the pattern. People came in after dinner for a drink or two, then headed home for the night. Normally she was only there until 9, but Lebreau had been feeling sick most of her shift and finally caved. Tifa had closed the last two Saturdays with her, so she knew the routine. Plus, Fang was there to help if she had any questions. 

“Here you go,” she smiled warmly at the man at the end of the bar. She slid his fresh drink over to him and accepted his payment. He gave her a small nod before he turned to head back to the table in the corner he’d been occupying quietly for the past hour.

“I’m proud of ya,” Fang’s voice teased her. She leaned against the counter near her and reached across the bar in the hunt for a bottle of water, but none were within her grasp.

“Why? And what are you looking for? You know you can just ask, right?”

“Water.” Fang decided to just sit down on one of the stools and watched as Tifa grabbed a glass and filled it from the nozzle for her. “And proud of how fast ya picked all this up. You’re a natural.”

Tifa felt a surge of confidence from the compliment, but she also felt a blush creep up her neck. “I learned a lot in Nibelheim.” She checked the time before she started gathering a few things to clean up a little bit. “So, I guess picking up how Dalek likes things here wasn’t that hard.”

Tifa grabbed an empty glass from the far end of the counter and looked around the bar at the small handful of people in there. Everybody was either engrossed with their friends, or sipping their drinks peacefully. Nobody needed anything at the moment. She decided to grab the tray of dirty glasses and disappeared through the swinging door into the back. She simply put the tray beside the dishwasher. Once the doors were closed, she’d get the glasses loaded into the dishwasher to be ready for the next day for Lebreau.

When she pushed the door open to go back into the bar, she laughed. Fang was leaning over the counter, using the nozzle to top off her glass of water. “Couldn’t even wait for me to come back out?” Tifa teased the woman.

Fang chuckled and shrugged. “You were busy. I can take care of myself.”

Tifa rolled her eyes and shook her head. She was used to it by now. Most of the time Fang just helped herself to glasses of water whenever she wanted. That was really the only time the woman ever came behind the counter. She reached out and grabbed one of the rags so she could work on wiping down the counter. It mundane, but it helped kill a few more minutes and keep her focus away from Cloud’s upcoming surgery in a few days.

She wished she could be home with him right now, she knew he was a nervous wreck. But, this was her last night working until Thursday, so she’d have the next few days with just him until Wednesday when he went under the knife. They could hopefully ease each other’s minds. Because, if she were to be honest with herself, she was just as much of a mess as he was, if not worse. 

“Alright, you’re normally chattin’ my ear off. What’s goin’ on?” Fang observed.

Tifa paused in the middle of wiping the rag along the counter. She decided to move down closer to the woman so she didn’t have to yell and so other patrons wouldn’t hear her. “Cloud’s having surgery this week. On Wednesday,” she explained. Tifa drew in a deep breath and rested both of her hands on the bar, right across from Fang.

“Aren’t ya happy about that?” 

“I am. Don’t get me wrong.” She looked down at the counter briefly. “I know he is too. But it’s a really long surgery.”

“How long?”

“At least six or seven hours.” Tifa glanced up in time to see the way Fang’s face scrunched up a bit. “Yeah. It’s going to be an all day thing.”

Fang leaned over a little bit, watching how Tifa’s body tensed up as she talked about it. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Despite her short time at the bar, she’d already started to feel like Fang could be a good friend of hers. They hit it off immediately and she felt like they got along well. “He’s worried that he won’t wake up,” she admitted softly to her. “And honestly? I am too.”

“Has he had a surgery before?” Fang asked, curious.

“He has. When he first got hurt, but it was a short one.”

“And everything was fine then?” Fang watched as Tifa nodded before she continued. “Then I’m sure he’ll be fine. What exactly are they doing anyway?” She’d learned over the past couple of weeks that Cloud’s shoulder was his issue. But she didn’t know just how bad it was. Hearing that it was going to be at least six or seven hours long, told her it was pretty bad.

“Cloud explained it to me so many times. They’re taking a muscle from his leg to put in his shoulder.” She still didn’t fully grasp everything about the procedure, but as long as Cloud and the doctor knew what was going on, that was all that mattered in the end. She’d be there to help him along the way in his recovery.

She’d spent hours reading and re-reading all of the information about what he could and couldn’t do once he was home and she was certain that they’d give them all of that information again when he came home from the hospital. 

“Well, damn,” Fang shook her head a little bit. “How long’s he gonna be at the hospital?”

“Four or five days.” She reached out to take Fang’s empty glass from her and put it down into the tray under the counter. “They have to make sure he doesn’t reject the muscle.” As Tifa reached out for the rag again, so she could continue cleaning, she heard the bell above the door chime. When she turned over to look, she slowly smiled at seeing a familiar blonde head.

“When’s he plannin’ to come in anyway?” Fang asked as she looked over and saw the woman’s smile. Then followed her gaze to see a man had come in.

“Right now.” Tifa tossed the rag back onto the counter. She caught Cloud looking around briefly before his eyes landed on her. It was his first time coming in to see her. She moved from behind the counter and hurried to his side to give him a warm hug. “Did you get bored at home?”

Cloud hummed softly, returning her hug. He let his hands linger on her lower back, keeping her close for another few seconds. “A little bit… I tried napping, but…” he trailed off. He knew that she was aware of his lack of sleep the past week. Mostly because of the upcoming surgery that spiked his anxiety.

“Well, it’s slow here, you can keep us coming til closing.”

“Us?” Cloud asked. He looked around and saw a small handful of customers. Then, he noticed a woman sitting at the counter, watching them intently. He allowed Tifa to lead him towards the counter where she was at. 

“Cloud, this is Fang.” She introduced them before she pulled away from him to go back behind the counter, knowing that he’d want a drink.

“Bout time you came in,” Fang said, a smirk on her face. She looked the man up and down as he sat down on a stool a few seats down. She saw the scowl that appeared on his face and started to chuckle a bit. “Claire said ya had… how’d she put it?” Fang paused, pursing her lips in a fake concentration, trying to recall what her wife had exactly said to her. “Oh… said you have hair like a chocobo.”

Tifa’s hand flew up to her mouth, trying to cover the burst of laughter. She looked over at Cloud and saw the annoyed look on his face. “Oh, stop,” she playfully swatted in his direction. “You did have hair like a chocobo, honey. Until you cut it all off last year.” She reached across and ran her fingers through his short hair. It had grown on her rather quickly after he cut it. “It suits you.”

Cloud grumbled softly. His scowl slowly softened and turned into a faint smile. He knew Tifa was teasing him and he could tell that Fang was teasing him too. He looked over at the woman and saw the smirk on her face. Part of him wondered what else Claire had said about him to her. He turned his eyes back towards the counter, where his hands were resting. 

“My goodness, you are just as broody as Claire is.” She commented with a chuckle. 

Cloud turned his head again, his eyes meeting hers. Out of the corner of his view, he saw Tifa getting a fresh glass from under the counter, presumably for his drink. “I’m not broody,” he shot back with a grumble.

“You are. I can see it from a mile away,” Fang countered. She just let out another small laugh and shook her head. She decided not to push him too far, she could do it with Claire, but she didn’t know him and didn’t know how he’d react to it.

Tifa rested her hands against the counter in front of her boyfriend and looked across at him. She was happy to see that he’d come in that night. “What do you want to drink?”

“Any chance of a Cosmo Canyon?” He asked, hopeful.

“I can actually make that for you.” Tifa smiled. She knew how to ring it up in the system for a custom drink. A few customers requested things that weren’t standard in the system so it was one of the first things that Lebreau had showed her how to do. She turned back towards the shelves, scanning the bottles for what she was looking for. Tifa had learned where most of the bottles sat at this point, but she still hesitated a bit. It would come to her. “We close in an hour,” she told him with a small smile.

Cloud nodded. He leaned against the counter a bit and tried to hold in the grimace that threatened to cross his face. Just a few more days and he’d go through surgery and all he could do was hope and pray that it wouldn’t just make things worse for him. The initial recovery would be hell for him, he was aware of that. But all of the paperwork reassured him that the pain would subside relatively quickly as long as there were no complications.

“Well, then I’ll stick around long enough to walk home with you.”

“I’d like that,” Tifa smiled at him. She poured his drink into the glass and slid it across to him. “Ten gil.”

“More expensive than back home.” Cloud muttered softly. He got his wallet from his pocket to retrieve some money to pay her. It was only three gil more than Nibelheim, but still more expensive. They had already noticed the subtle differences in prices since they arrived in Junon. Some things were cheaper, while others were more expensive.

Tifa reached out to take the bills from him, but he wasn’t letting go. She narrowed her eyes playfully at him when she tugged and his grip just tightened. “Cloud…” she warned him. She giggled when the man tugged gently, coaxing her to lean over the counter a bit. He pushed his own body forward a bit and captured her lips in a soft, lingering kiss. 

“Much better,” he murmured against her lips and finally released the money, letting her have it.

He smiled at her laughter. Hearing it always warmed his heart. He leaned back on the stool and watched as she went to the register to ring up his drink. Cloud caught her playful wink in his direction before he watched her head down the counter to take care of another customer. He was glad he had come into the bar that night. Staying in their apartment, alone with his thoughts was starting to get to him. At least being able to see Tifa eased his mind.

Cloud finally lifted his glass and took a sip. It had been far too long since he’d had one of these and it made him smile. A little taste of home for him. When he got there that night, he wasn’t sure if Tifa would be able to make the drink for him. So he was pleasantly surprised.

The bell at the door caught his attention, but he didn’t bother looking towards it. A year ago, he would immediately look, to soothe his own anxiety. But now, he didn’t feel the need to. He heard some talking, and listened to Tifa’s voice interact with another woman.

“Claire… Cloud’s here.”

His head popped up. He heard Claire’s name along with his own. Claire was there? He turned in the direction of their voices and saw Claire looking right at him. Tifa’s arm was outstretched in his direction. He felt a wave of nostalgia hit him. She looked exactly the same as she did the last time he saw her. Her hair, her posture, her demeanor, all of it remained the same. Particularly the smirk that grew on her face as she started to approach him and leaned against the counter next to him.

“You cut that mop on your head,” Claire remarked as she looked it over him

“Yup, you haven’t changed at all,” Cloud retorted. He felt a small smile come to his face as he turned a little bit to look at her. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” her smirk turned into a genuine smile. “Is that one going to murder me if I hug you?” Claire motioned towards Tifa.

Tifa laughed and waved her hand dismissively. “No, I won’t.”

Cloud felt his body tense immediately as Claire stepped into his personal space. But, as quickly as his body locked up, it relaxed. Claire was someone that he knew. Yes, they had a romantic relationship, but that was short lived and the friendship they had around that meant more to him. He loosely wrapped his right arm around her waist, gently returning her hug before he pulled back to sit back down.

“I’m glad to see you’re okay,” he smiled softly at her. 

Claire nodded. She heard something hit the counter and looked over to see that Tifa had remembered her drink order. She got the gil out of her pocket to pay for it before she took the stool right beside Cloud. “You too. I honestly didn’t believe it when this one asked me about it,” she gestured towards Tifa and heard the woman laugh. 

“Trust me, I didn’t either.” Cloud’s eyes lingered on Claire, still trying to convince himself it was real. He remembered the night that Tifa told him about it. He didn’t believe it at all. Part of him still didn’t believe it. “I’m glad you’re okay… I tried to message you after you left.”

Claire hung her head briefly. “I got on the transport and well… I ended up dropping my phone.” She caught the look on Cloud’s face. “It broke apart and the battery slid over the edge of the boat.”

Cloud snorted softly, laughing about it. He wished he’d known that years ago when he couldn’t get ahold of her. “I worried so much. Thought you had signal issues.”

“Well, technically I did. Couldn’t get a signal because I couldn’t turn it on.” She smiled a little bit when she heard him laugh louder.

“Did you get out before the war got too bad?” Cloud asked. He took a sip of his drink before he looked back at the woman beside him. 

Claire drew in a deep breath. “Yeah. I was only there on the base for three months. Contract came up. I got out. I didn’t even give the renewal a second glance. I didn’t want to keep going.” She looked at the counter as she continued. “When I got back here, I found out you and the others got shipped out and thrown into that mess.”

Cloud felt a surge of memories hit him. He remembered getting the orders that his squad was heading overseas. He hated that day. He hated listening to his mom cry over the phone. He remembered promising her that he would do everything he could to stay safe. “We got our orders about a month after you left… I didn’t have the safety net of having just a couple months left on my contract.” 

“Your dumb ass renewed right before they broke the ceasefire.” She teased him. 

“Yeah…” he hung his head. “Had I known I definitely wouldn’t have signed a damn thing.” He lifted his glass and took a long drink of it. He needed the alcohol hit. 

Seeing Claire brought back a lot of memories, both good and bad. But it was all memories of a past life. She was someone else that knew him before his injury. He knew her for over a year before his injury. They shared stories, they were friends. It gave him a bunch of mixed feelings. He was happy to see her, but he wasn’t entirely prepared to relive the past that night when he came to see Tifa.

“So, where’s Zack?” Claire asked, wanting to make casual conversation. She knew the two were inseparable all those years ago. But when she looked over at the blonde and saw the subtle shift in his features, she frowned. She watched the way his gaze slowly dropped to his glass. It might have been years since she’d seen him, but his mannerisms seemed to be similar to what she once knew. “How?” She asked softly, understanding his unspoken words.

Cloud’s breath hung in his throat. He hadn’t thought about Zack in a while and he suddenly felt guilty for it. The memories of his best friend’s death flashed through his mind again. Something he hadn’t dealt with in almost a year. He wished he had been able to do more for him. Had he just tried a little harder, Zack might still be there. 

“Shot…” he finally answered. “He bled out before I was able to get him back to base… I… watched him die,” the end of his explanation was a whisper and he wasn’t sure if Claire even heard him. If she didn’t, he wasn’t going to repeat it. 

Claire had to strain to hear him, but she was sure that he did. Cloud watched his best friend die. She heard the tell-tale sound of a fresh glass hit the counter and glanced up to see Tifa had placed a new glass in front of him. “That one’s on me,” Claire told her. She got some money out and slid it across to Tifa to pay for Cloud’s next drink. “When did you finally get out?” She asked, wanting to divert the conversation away from Zack.

“A little over three years ago… sword to the shoulder sent me back to Midgar.” Cloud replied as he looked over at her again. He saw her shake her head a bit about it. “At least I made it home,” his voice was soft. “I’m having surgery later this week to try to fix what Shinra fucked up.”

“I heard. Tifa’s been talking about it.” She glanced down the counter a bit and watched the woman work on her cleaning routine for the end of the night. “I hope it works for you, I really do. Everybody that’s gotten hurt over there… nobody’s deserved it.”

Hearing that Claire felt the same way he did about everything that was going on over there, made him feel better. He knew there were a lot of people that hated it, especially those that went through it. “Me too,” he sighed softly. 

He hoped that it worked. He looked towards Tifa, watching her movements. She was in her element behind the bar. She always had been and he could watch her work. He wouldn’t be doing any of this if it wasn’t for her support. He never would have thought to even look into it. He wouldn’t have known where to start, but Tifa helped guide him along the way.

Claire followed his gaze again. She saw the way he was looking at Tifa and smiled. She noticed the softness in his eyes, a look that she never saw from him. Not that she remembered. He found his person. The person that brought the best out of him. Just as she had found her person. She was happy for him.

“You still have good taste in women, by the way.” She spoke, drawing his attention away from Tifa and briefly back to her.

“Still?” He arched his eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his voice.”

“Because we dated, remember?” She reminded him.

A smirk spread across Cloud’s face before he replied. “I try to forget sometimes.” The smirk grew into a smile when Claire started laughing. He was conflicted at first about being around someone from his past, but now it felt comfortable to him. “So, you and… Fang, was it?” He started, leaving the question rather open.

She looked over in the general direction of her wife and watched as she talked with some people sitting at a table. “Yeah… me and Fang,” she confirmed a smile on her face.

“Didn’t expect that.”

“Honestly, I didn’t either.” Claire confessed with a shake of the head. She had never envisioned herself in a relationship with a woman before she met Fang. “She was persistent, I’ll give her that,” she added with a bit of amusement. She saw her wife look in their direction. “And I swear she can hear a dog whistle sometimes.”

“I heard that!” Fang called out.

Cloud shook his head. His eyes returned to Tifa. She’d moved away from the nozzles and he watched as she worked on mixing a drink for someone. “How’s your sister? I… I’m sorry, I can’t remember her name.” He had met Claire’s sister just once during their time together. He remembered that she was a nurse, but that was about all he could remember about her. 

Claire saw the way Cloud’s eyes never left Tifa, even as he spoke about something else. She hummed softly to herself. It was obvious just how much he loved that woman and she was happy for him. “Serah… she’s good. She’s still a nurse at the hospital. She ended up marrying an absolute imbecile a couple years back, but he treats her right, so I tolerate it.” She saw the way Cloud nodded, but he never looked at her. “Surprised you’re not married. You’re watching her like she’s your wife.”

Cloud nearly choked on his drink. His eyes grew wide. “I’m…” he started and felt himself panic a bit at the woman’s words. 

“You’re looking at her the way I catch Fang looking at me.” She clarified for him. Claire reached out and picked up her drink before she stood up from the stool. “Just think about it.”

He kept his eyes on her as he felt her pat his shoulder gently. He watched as she went to join Fang by the door to talk to her for the last bit of the evening before the bar closed. Cloud rolled his eyes slightly as a group of men at a nearby table whistled from their soft kiss. He saw that behavior far too often when he was in the military and hated it. But his pushed that to the side, that was for them to handle and he was sure they could both take care of themselves.

He turned his attention back to Tifa, his drink forgotten. Claire’s words echoed in his mind. He had considered the idea of marriage once or twice over the past few months. But as quickly as it popped into his head, he dismissed it as too premature. They’d been together for over a year, but it was still too soon…

Wasn’t it?

Their history stretched all the way back to their childhood. They grew up together. Thay had drifted apart during their teenage years, but most kids in town did at the time. People were starting to go in different directions, teens were ready to leave. He was one of those teens that was leaving. But then he returned to Nibelheim to visit over the years and they caught up each time, rekindling that friendship they once had. Cloud knew he loved Tifa since he was 14 years old. He admitted that to her months ago, but it was something that, until he was forced back home permanently, he thought was just a teenage fling. 

It wasn’t.

She was the one for him. She always had been.

His eyes locked with Tifa’s as she glanced in his direction, and for the first time, he didn’t look away. Normally he shied away from being caught, but not this time. Not with what he was thinking about. He slowly smiled in her direction and noticed the slight blush that appeared on her cheeks. It was Tifa’s turn to glance away briefly, something she normally didn’t do. But it was short lived as she looked back at him and started to make her way down the counter.

“You okay?” She asked softly.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Cloud continued smiling at her and saw the way her head tilted a little bit. He knew she was curious as to what he was thinking about, but he didn’t dare say it out loud.

Cloud saw the way Tifa stared at him for a moment longer before she conceded and returned to work, finishing up the last of her tasks for the evening before she called for the last round of drinks for the night. Cloud slowly picked up his drink, nursing what was left of it as he contemplated the future. A future with Tifa. The idea of taking the next step with Tifa was now firmly planted in his mind, thanks to Claire’s statement. 

But the timing was awful. His surgery was in a few short days and he’d be focused on that. They both would. He couldn’t let his mind sway too far away from recovery. As nice as the idea of marriage was, he needed to get past one hurdle at a time.

He needed this surgery to be successful. To him, it was far more than just a medical procedure, it was a chance to reclaim his life and build a future with the woman he loved more than anything. This entire trip halfway around Gaia couldn’t be in vain. 

He needed the surgery to work… then he could figure out a good time to ask Tifa to be his wife.

Chapter Text

Cloud shifted uncomfortably on the narrow, thin hospital bed. He wrestled with the sheet that covered the gown they’d had him change into. Then he reached behind him in a horrible attempt to fluff the pitiful excuse for a pillow they had for him. He hated everything about this day already. He was hungry because he hadn’t eaten anything since a sandwich at 10:30 the night before. Tifa wouldn’t let him get up and get a snack at 1AM. He tried to fight her, but he knew she was right. He wasn’t allowed anything after midnight and he stayed true to it. He was also tired. He tossed and turned most of the night and felt guilty because he kept Tifa up most of the night with him. 

She talked him down several times, trying her best to ease his anxieties when he knew that she was just as bad as he was. She wasn’t the one undergoing surgery, but he knew how much she loved him. He’d feel the same way if the tables were reversed. If Tifa was having surgery for any reason, he’d be a complete mess. 

Once again, he heard the monitor start beeping, an alert that his heart rate was too elevated for whatever value they had it set at. It was sky high when the nurse first put the monitor onto his finger. His blood pressure had been elevated too according to the cuff around his arm. But the nurse didn’t seem too concerned about either. It didn’t stop the beeping of the machine though. 

He closed his eyes and focused on slow, deep breaths. Cloud tried to think of anything and everything besides the surgery that was going to be starting in about an hour. After a few seconds, the beeping from the machine stopped. He glanced up in time to see that his heart rate had dropped below 120 now. That must have been the threshold the nurse set it at. 

Cloud shook his head as he heard a little knock by the mostly closed curtain, then a familiar face peeked around the corner to look at him. Seeing Tifa would help him keep his anxiety under control too. 

“Hey,” she smiled at him. Tifa pulled the curtain shut behind her as she walked into his tiny little room.

“Hey,” Cloud replied. He tried to shift again on the bed, hunting for a spot that was comfortable. But there was nothing comfortable about the bed. That, coupled with the shooting pain down his shoulder made him stop moving. “They said about an hour.” Cloud looked down at his right hand and idly picked at the tape around the IV that was there.

Tifa leaned over the bed and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. She then reached down and took his left hand in hers and laced her fingers through his gently. Both to provide them both with comfort and to stop him from fidgeting. “The nurse told me when she was bringing me back.” She lingered near him for a moment and leaned down to kiss him again. 

When Cloud felt Tifa’s forehead rest against hers, he took a deep breath. “I’m scared,” he whispered his confession to her.

“I know.” Was all she said back. It was all she needed to say. She knew he was scared. She knew he didn’t sleep at all the night before. No more than an hour at a time. Each time he woke up, she woke up with him and tried to soothe him back to sleep. “You’re going to go in there and everything’s going to go great,” she whispered to him. Tifa felt him nod against her. It was the same bit she whispered to him several times overnight to try to ease his mind.

Cloud kept his eyes closed. He focused on hearing Tifa’s breath. He focused on the woman that was so close to him. Her scent was the most calming thing about her right now. Her shampoo from her shower that morning still lingered and he loved it. But, no matter how much he tried to keep himself calm, his anxiety wouldn’t listen to him. He heard the monitor start beeping again and pulled away to glance up. Sure enough it was fluctuating around 120. Enough to set it off again. 

Tifa frowned as she looked up at it. She moved one of her hands to rest gently on his chest, right over his heart. “Have you called your mom yet?” She asked, wanting to try to distract him a little bit. She turned briefly and grabbed the chair in the room to pull it closer to the bed so she could stay right by his side. 

“No, not yet.” He murmured as he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing to try to calm himself down again. “I got in here, changed, she got me all hooked up and got the IV in… then they brought you back.” When Tifa’s hand pulled away from his, he opened his eyes and watched her. She was digging through her purse and a second later, he spotted her phone. “Do a video call,” he suggested. “She’s… mostly figured out how it works now.”

Tifa giggled softly. She leaned against the bed and scrolled through her contacts. “It’s 2:30 in the morning out there…”

“I know, she’ll be awake. I promised a phone call before surgery.” Cloud shifted a bit so he could see the screen as Tifa held it out a bit to show both of them.

“Hello?” Claudia’s sleepy voice echoed through the phone, the screen remained dark though.

“Mom, look at the screen… it’s a video call,” Cloud’s voice was lighthearted as he tried to hold in a laugh. It was a familiar routine. His mom’s confusion between regular calls and video calls was always amusing to him.

They both watched as the screen slowly illuminated and Claudia’s face appeared for them to see. “Oh… hi, honey. Hi, Tifa. You’re already at the hospital?” She lifted her other hand and covered her mouth as she yawned a bit. 

“They said they’ll be taking me back by 9,” Cloud explained before he glanced up at the clock on the wall briefly.

“Okay so…” Claudia paused to think of the time difference. “About a half hour?”

Cloud nodded. He shifted again on the thin mattress, but at this point he was convinced there was no chance of finding any semblance of comfort. “Please try to get some sleep,” he told his mom. He could see the pure worry on the woman’s face and it caused another wave of anxiety to hit him. 

“Tifa, please keep me updated.” Claudia said, ignoring her son’s request to get sleep. “I won’t be sleeping much until I know he’s okay. So please keep me updated when you get updated.”

“I will, I promise.” She turned her head and tried to hide a yawn of her own. It was going to be a long day for her, especially since she didn’t sleep much the night before either. 

Cloud sighed softly. It was a mixture of affection and defeat. He didn’t want his mother to lose sleep over him, but he understood. He knew he’d do the same thing if their roles were reversed somehow. The same as he would with Tifa. If either one of them were going through surgery, especially halfway around the world, he wouldn’t sleep either.

“How long will the surgery be again? I know you two told me but…” Claudia’s voice trailed off. She was tired. 

“He said at least six hours, it could be longer depending on how fucked up–”

“Cloud Strife, language!” Claudia scolded him.

Tifa laughed, watching as Cloud’s face flushed a bright red. “Sorry, mom. It slipped…” he apologized softly and cleared his throat. “It uh… it could be longer if he finds out my shoulder’s really bad,” he finished his original thought, this time to avoid the expletive that his mother scolded him over.

“This one didn’t sleep at all last night,” Tifa reached out and gently patted Cloud’s test. That was the best way she could think of to explain his lapse in vocabulary choices. He was usually so cautious with his cursing around his mom out of respect for her.

“Well, you’re about to get a really good sleep.” Claudia smiled softly at her son. She turned her head a bit and quickly covered her mouth as she tried and failed to fight off her yaw. “I’m going to turn my volume up all the way so I can hear the messages.”

Tifa nodded at that. “If… big if… anything happens, I’ll call you. Otherwise I’ll just send messages. Then I’ll call you when he gets out.”

Even the mere mention of something going wrong sent a jolt of fear through Cloud’s body. His heart rate spiked again. He could feel the fluttering in his chest and it didn’t help when the monitor started to sound the alarm again. He looked up towards the screen and saw why the alarm was going off. His heart rate was pushing 130 now.

Claudia frowned when she heard it through their phone call. “What’s that noise?” 

“He’s nervous…” Tifa looked up at the monitor as well, seeing why it was making a noise. She stood up and gave Cloud her full attention. “Hey, look at me… deep breaths, okay?” She murmured, drawing his eyes to her in the process.

Cloud kept his gaze fixed on hers, focusing on taking slow, deep breaths. He soon found himself mimicking what Tifa was doing. She was taking deep breaths with him. Focusing on her helped him to calm down. He felt the fluttering in his chest start to fade and soon enough, the alarm on the monitor stopped and it returned to being quiet in the room. 

“I’m okay,” he whispered and offered her a small nod.

Claudia’s eyes remained on them through the screen. Her view had obscured a bit when Tifa leaned over him to get him to calm down again. “I wish I could be there to give you a hug right now, honey.” She sighed sadly. “Everything’s going to be okay. You’ll wake up in a few hours and your shoulder will be all fixed up.”

Cloud nodded slowly. He was calming down, yes, but his mind was also racing. He knew he had to stay positive. He didn’t want to go into the operating room only thinking that something bad would happen. He had to focus on all of the benefits of doing this surgery. He was getting a chance to reclaim his life and live without pain, or with minimal pain. Even if his pain improved by half, he would be satisfied. 

The next few weeks would be grueling for him. But he clung to the hope that it would all be worth it at the end. He took a deep breath and finally looked back at the phone screen, seeing his mother's worried face.

For the next several minutes, he did his best to engage in the conversation. It provided a little bit of a distraction for him and helped keep his heart rate from spiking again. Their call was interrupted, however, when there was a gentle knock on the wall and the curtain opened a bit. He saw the same doctor that inserted his IV.

“I’ve got something for you to help you relax.” The doctor explained with a small smile. “They’ll be coming to get you in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Claudia spoke, having heard the doctor. She could see the man through the corner of the screen moving to Cloud’s other side. “I love you, Cloud. I love you so much. You’re going to be okay.” She smiled at him before she pressed her hand to her lips to blow a kiss through the screen.

“I love you too, mom,” Cloud replied, returning her smile. He gave her a small wave before Tifa leaned back with the phone. He heard her talking to his mom a bit, wrapping up their conversation. “So, what is that?” He turned his attention over to the doctor as the man checked his wrist band and uncapped the port on his IV.

“It’s a lower dose of what I’ll be giving you in the operating room,” the doctor explained as he looked at Cloud. “This is just to help you relax. We’ve been seeing your heart rate spiking a bit.”

Cloud glanced up at the monitor and saw that once again, his heart rate was up. It was hovering near 100 this time. “Yeah…” he mumbled softly. He wished, deep down, that he had more ways to curb his anxiety that morning. 

The doctor chuckled softly. His eyes shifted between Cloud and Tifa. “It’s completely normal before a surgery,” he reassured them both. “I’d only be worried if it was double that.” He attached the syringe to Cloud’s IV finally and slowly pushed the medication into his system.

Cloud grimaced a little bit and felt a shiver run through his arm and eventually the rest of his body as the cold liquid entered his bloodstream. “That feels weird.”

“Yeah, I’ve found it’s best to not warn people that it’s going to be cold,” he admitted, a hint of amusement in his voice. “I’ve had people refuse it before, even though it helps them.” He recapped the port and gathered the things from the little tray. “Few more minutes and they’ll be in to get you.”

“Alright, thank you.” Cloud replied softly and leaned back against his pillows. His eyes closed. He could already feel the effects of the medication and felt a wave of calm wash over him. He felt Tifa’s fingers wrap around his hand, her touch helped ground him as well. He didn’t bother opening his eyes, feeling completely content to savor her presence. “Tifa…” he started softly.

“Yeah?”

“Promise me something.” He took a deep breath before he opened his eyes. He saw her head tilt slightly and saw the look on her face. A mixture of love and concern, the same look that she’d been giving him all morning. “If something happens to–”

“Nothing’s going to happen, Cloud,” she interrupted him. “Everything’s going to be alright.”

Cloud hoped that Tifa’s unwavering positivity would come true. But he couldn’t ignore the nagging voice in his head. The doubt that something would go wrong. He knew all of the risks involved with this. “If something happens…” he repeated again, a bit more firmly. He took a deep breath as his eyes locked with hers. “I signed a paper for them to try to revive me for five minutes. I don’t want to be hooked up to anything. Please promise me that you won’t fight them on that.”

Tifa’s brow furrowed. She felt a heavy weight in her chest at his words. Her eyes dropped down to their intertwined hands and she felt a lump forming in her throat. “If… that’s what you want…” she conceded softly, her voice barely a whisper.

“It is what I want.” He nodded. He’d spent the past week contemplating all of the possibilities, weighing the risks and consequences. “I don’t want to be hooked to a machine,” he reiterated. “If they can get me back, yes… I want them to try to get me back. I told them when I got back here. Try to get me back, but don’t force me onto a machine.” Cloud squeezed her hand tightly as the curtain was pushed open, revealing two medical staff ready to transport him to the operating room. “I guess they’re here for me.”

Tifa swallowed the lump in her throat and felt her eyes burning with unshed tears. She stood up and leaned over him as she heard the rustling of equipment around them and the talking between the staff as they got things situated. “Nothing’s going to happen,” she said firmly. It felt like a desperate plea to get both of them to calm down. “You’re going to go through surgery, everything’s going to go great. And I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done.”

Cloud nodded slowly. “I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said, forcing a weak smile. He lifted his hand, cupping her cheek when she leaned down to kiss him. He kept her close for an extra few seconds, returning her kiss and giving her one more. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too.” Her hand rested on his jaw and traced along to his chin before she stepped away, giving them space to take the brakes off of his bed. 

Cloud turned his head, his eyes following Tifa as they began to move his bed. He watched her until he couldn’t see her anymore then he slammed his eyes shut. He heard the staff chatting amongst themselves and tuned them out. As they traveled down the hallway, he felt himself be hit with a relentless barrage of “what ifs.”

What if that was that last time he saw Tifa?

What if he never saw her again?

What if he didn’t wake up?

What if his arm got worse?

What if he died ?

What would happen to Tifa?

What would happen to his mother?

“Cloud?” A nurse’s voice broke through his internal spiral. “You’re gonna be okay,” she tried to soothe him, having noticed his spiked heart rate yet again.

“Y-Yeah,” he stammered over his words, his voice barely audible. He felt his throat start to constrict with fear. He looked at her and forced back the rising panic inside of him. Before he knew it, they were entering a cold, brightly lit operating room. It reminded him of the room in Midgar. Cloud followed the nurse’s instructions, moving from his bed to the narrow, hard operating table. All that was covering it was a thin sheet. 

As he lay on his back, his eyes darted around the room, taking in the flurry of activity around him. Nurses were organizing instruments, the doctor that gave him his IV, he could barely see him filling various syringes with medications. A nurse approached him to hook up his right arm to a blood pressure monitor and attached a new heart rate monitor to his finger. Then he spotted Dr. Sheiran at one of the screens, reviewing his scans on a light board. 

“Alright, are you ready?” Cloud’s attention was drawn to the anesthesiologist that was at his head. He spotted a mask in his hand and watched as the man moved it a little closer to him. “I just want you to breathe normally, okay? And we’ll see you on the other side.”

Cloud nodded. His heart pounded in his chest as his eyes locked on the mask that was coming towards him. When it covered his nose and mouth, his first instinct kicked in and he held his breath. But after a second, he heard the doctor’s gentle reminder to breathe normally. Again, he nodded and allowed himself to breathe in the cool air through his nose, then through his mouth. Just a few seconds later, his eyes felt heavy and he fell unconscious.

Tifa felt another knot of anxiety tighten in her chest. Every time one started to go away, she felt another one forming. It was only 11 in the morning. Cloud had been back there for about two hours now and she already felt like it had been a lifetime since he left her sight. 

Back home in Nibelheim, it was only 5AM, yet the message she’d sent to Aerith seemed to wake her up. She felt awful for waking her best friend, but she’d also promised her that she’d keep her updated as well on his progress. Deep down, she was thankful that Aerith woke up to her first message and seemed to be staying awake to keep her company. 

She needed all the support she could get right now. She had nobody else there with her. Cloud was her support system. And since Cloud was in surgery right now, she was completely alone. Having Aerith, even through messages it was keeping her from completely breaking down and crying in a corner. 

A nurse had just left her side, she’d come out to give her an update. It was brief, but enough to know that Cloud was doing okay. The surgeon was nearing the removal of the muscle from Cloud’s thigh. The nurse assured Tifa that everything was progressing smoothly and there were no complications with anything so far.

So far.

That was the part that hung with her. There was still a lot to go through for Cloud and a lot could happen. She finished typing her update to Aerith and kept her eyes glued to the screen, especially when she saw it pop up that Aerith was already replying to her.

Aerith: Okay, so they got the muscle from his leg? That’s going in his shoulder, right?

Tifa: Yeah. Cloud tried to explain it to me. I think I follow it? But as long as he understood what the doctor was doing.

Aerith: And the doctor knows what he’s doing for sure, Tifa.

Tifa: I know. I just wish time would move faster.

Tifa’s gaze drifted away from her phone and around the waiting room. She saw a small group of people a few chairs away from her. She could barely hear the doctor’s calm voice that was sitting with them, explaining whatever small procedure their loved one went through. She watched as a collective sigh of relief washed over their faces. It sounded like there was nothing that went wrong. The news was bittersweet to her as it reminded her of the agony she was feeling as she waited. 

Her turn would come eventually… she hoped. 

She reached down beside her to grab the empty bottle of tea. She’d gotten it when she originally found her way to the waiting room. Tifa decided to get up and go to get herself a fresh drink and maybe a snack too. It would give her a small distraction, at least for a few minutes. 

Tifa slowly went to the recycling bin and tossed the bottle in there before she left the waiting room. She ran her fingers through her hair and didn’t bother to hide her yawn. She was exhausted. She’d stayed up with Cloud the night before, talking to him, trying to ease both of their minds. And she knew, even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t be able to take a nap now. Not with all of the anxieties rolling through her mind and body. She was trapped in a cycle of all the “what ifs” the same situation Cloud found himself in the night before and that morning.

Even with the nurse’s assurances that Cloud’s progress was going smoothly, it didn’t help her. She wouldn’t feel completely relieved until she actually saw her boyfriend again. Face to face. 

She slowly wandered down the hallway, following the signs for the vending machines. Around her, she saw nurses and staff along with other regular people like her. All blending together. She was trapped in her own world. Wanting time to suddenly skip forward to when he was out of surgery. It was all she wanted right now.

Tifa turned the corner into the small room that housed a couple of vending machines. Her eyes raked over the options for the drinks and she decided to stick with a bottle of tea like she got a couple of hours ago. After grabbing that, she stepped to the side and looked through the glass at the snack options. Nothing looked appetizing to her. She wasn’t hungry. But, she needed to eat. She didn’t have breakfast that morning because she didn’t want to torment Cloud with the sight and smell of food.

She looked over all of the options. A wide variety of candies and snacks. Nothing that had any real nutritional value to her. Eating something was better than going all day with absolutely nothing in her stomach. She finally decided on a small bag of chips. She fed the machine some money and made her selection. After she retrieved it from the bottom, she left the little room and followed the same path back to the waiting room. The chair she’d just vacated was still empty along the back wall so she made her way right back to it and settled down onto the chair. Her body still felt tense from all of her anxieties. But all she could do was wait. 

Wait, and chat with Aerith, who was thankfully staying awake with her. She got her phone back out and checked her messages. She checked Claudia’s thread first and saw the woman hadn’t read her update. The woman had fallen asleep, which she figured she would. Whenever Claudia woke up, she’d see the positive updates. She’d already promised the woman she’d call her directly if anything went wrong. 

Then she opened her thread with her best friend and saw that Aerith had sent her a message while she went to get a drink and a snack.

Aerith: He’ll be done before you know it.

Tifa: Time feels like it’s stopped, Aer. I can’t do this.

Aerith: I know it’s slow right now. But I’m here, okay? I wish I could be THERE, but I can’t. I’m right here though. You know Cloud’s going to be just fine. He’s doing fine so far.

Tifa: Yeah. So far.

Tifa closed her eyes. She felt another wave hit her. It was going to be a horribly long day for her. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She felt the lump in her throat. The thought of something going wrong devastated her. She couldn’t do this without Cloud in her life. She needed him. She hadn’t needed anybody in her life before. Then Cloud came barreling back into everything.

The thought of losing him tore her apart. Tifa’s mouth opened briefly before she forced back the lump. She didn’t want to cry. Not here, not in front of other people.

He could die .

That thought echoed in her mind. She’d suppressed it ever since Cloud had his doctor appointment and the doctor walked them through the surgery. Her fingers closed tightly around her phone. Her eyes closed and she felt herself starting to rock a little bit. Something to anchor herself to reality. Cloud was just fine. She had to repeat that mantra in her head. 

The vibration of the phone she was clutching startled her a bit and it successfully pulled her from the depths of her thoughts.

Aerith: So far, and through the rest of it. Stay positive.

Tifa: I’m scared.

Aerith: I know you are. But he’s going to be okay. He’s doing okay now and nothing’s going to change with that. 

Tifa: What if he’s not? What if something happens when they start on his shoulder? What if he doesn’t wake up? What if he has a heart attack or something? I could have brought him here to die.

Aerith: Honey, you’re panicking. Take a deep breath, okay? Please.

Tifa: I can’t… I can’t lose him.

Aerith: And you won’t. He’s going to be okay.

Tifa stared at Aerith’s message. She focused on the words her friend typed out. Then she saw another message come through, another reassuring message. She felt a flinch of a smile at it. ‘He’s going to be just fine and you’ll eventually get married and have babies with him!’ Was the message. She saw a flash of an eventual wedding to Cloud and the thought of having a child with him warmed her heart. But as soon as the images of a future appeared they were gone. Taken over by her own crushing fears. She had pushed him towards this surgery. She convinced him that there was a chance. She was the one that found the doctor.

She would be the reason. 

If something happened to him, it would be all her fault. She’d never be able to face Claudia again. She’d never be able to go back home for anything. Ever. 

Tifa closed her eyes then and focused on Aerith’s instructions. She needed to breathe. If she didn’t, her breakdown would be inevitable. She inhaled deeply, feeling her lungs expand in her chest. As slowly as she inhaled, she exhaled. Going through the motions a few more times, she could feel some of the tension in her body releasing. Finally. At least for a few minutes. 

When she exhaled one last time, she felt her phone vibrate in her hand again, another message from Aerith.

Aerith: Are you there? Are you okay?

Tifa: Yeah. I’m here.

Aerith: Are you okay?

Tifa: I think so. I tried what you said. Pushed back a complete breakdown. At least for a little bit.

Aerith: Good. If you feel it coming on again, do it again. Please. I can’t be there to give you a hug.

Aerith: I should have tried to figure out the trip to come out.

Tifa: No, it’s okay. I’ll be okay.

Aerith: And so will he.

Tifa leaned back on her chair. She shifted and tucked one of her legs under the other in an attempt to find a position that was somewhat comfortable. She knew she’d be there for hours. She rested her phone on her thigh and finally opened her back of chips. The second she popped one of the chips into her mouth, she felt her stomach turn. Her nerves wouldn’t allow her to eat much more than this bag of chips. The small snack would hold her for a while.

She looked down when her screen lit up. Tifa alternated her attention between the phone and her snack, thankful for the comfort that Aerith was able to provide her. She was able to steer the conversation away from Cloud’s surgery and used the time to get information out of her to get caught up on things around Nibelheim. Information that Aerith was happy to divulge to her. 

A small smile tugged at her lips as she read Aerith’s explanation about Barret’s frustration. The new inn assistant, the teen, was making his life hell. The teen apparently had no idea how to make the beds, no matter how many times Barret showed him. And he’d also apparently ruined a few sets of sheets as well because he couldn’t set the washing machine right. He’d been banned from doing laundry at the inn. 

Then Aerith started to fill her in on the new bartender and Tifa couldn’t stop the surge of pride that she felt. She’d apparently done a great job training the new woman. According to Aerith, she was doing great there and Barret adored her. 

“There you are.”

Tifa’s head snapped up when she heard the familiar accent. She tilted her head in surprise when she saw Fang approaching her, a container of food in her hand. “What are you doing here?” She asked, genuinely confused on why her co-worker would be there.

“Was havin’ lunch with Claire. She reminded me Cloud was havin’ surgery today. Figured I’d come find ya. You eat yet?” She asked as she helped herself to sitting on the chair beside Tifa. When she received no response, she reached out to offer her the container. “Here, you should eat somethin’.”

Tifa’s gaze shifted between the container, then up at Fang for a moment. She slowly nodded, thankful for the woman’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you,” she said simply. When she opened the container, she saw a simple turkey sandwich. Tifa wasn’t particularly hungry still, but the bag of chips she’d finished a little bit ago wasn’t nearly enough to hold her over. She needed to try to eat something else.

“So… how’s he doin’? Any updates yet?” Fang asked. She got her own phone out of her pocket when she saw Tifa typing on her own. She sent a quick message to her wife before she rested it on her thigh and looked to the woman beside her.

Tifa sent off a message to Aerith, letting her know that Fang had stopped by to talk to her for a minute. “A nurse came out about an hour ago,” she replied as she glanced at the clock, double checking the time. “She told me he’s doing fine so far.”

Fang watched as Tifa lifted half the sandwich and took a hesitant bite of it. “Honestly? I’d be feelin’ the same way if it was Claire in there. I get it,” she folded her arms loosely over her chest as she leaned back. She watched Tifa closely, she could see the vacant look on her face. A sure sign that the woman was fearful. “I’m sure he’ll be okay. They wouldn’t put him through this if they didn’t think it would work, would they?”

Tifa shook her head slightly. She didn’t think the doctor would even suggest it if he didn’t think it would work. “I’m just… scared.” She whispered. She’d spent the last three hours sitting there alone, her only comfort had been Aerith, half way around Gaia. Having Fang sitting beside her offered a small sense of comfort that she didn’t feel just from the messages with Aerith. “If something happens, I feel like it will all be my fault.”

“How, exactly?” Fang asked, her curiosity peaked a bit. 

Tifa fell silent for a moment. She focused on her sandwich, forcing herself to take another bite. Any appetite she had was gone in an instant. She hated the roller coaster that she was on. It felt like she couldn’t get off of it. She wouldn’t feel truly at ease until she saw Cloud with her own eyes.

“I was the one that found the doctor. I was the one that brought all of this up…” 

Fang hummed thoughtfully as she watched her. “Well, did ya knock him over the head and drag him here or something?” Her voice was laced with a bit of playful sarcasm.

Tifa couldn’t suppress the small laugh that escaped. “No, I didn’t drag him here.”

“So ya knocked him over the head then?”

“No!” Tifa lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. It was the first time she’d laughed since the day before and she really needed it. 

“Then he made the conscious choice to give it a shot. You didn’t force him over here.” Fang concluded. She smiled softly at the woman beside her. 

Tifa nodded slowly. She focused on the half-eaten sandwich in her hand and sighed. “He didn’t have the idea on his own though.” Logically, it wouldn’t be her fault if anything happened, but that didn’t stop her from feeling like it would have been all her fault. She suggested it, she found the doctor, but she knew Fang was right too, Cloud could have said no, she didn’t actually make him do any of this. He was his own person with his own thoughts, and he usually didn’t shy away anymore from telling her what he was thinking.

“Well, maybe he didn’t know to look,” Fang offered with a little shrug. She crossed her legs as she turned a bit to face the woman. She knew that if she were in Tifa’s shoes, facing the possibility of losing Claire, she wouldn’t be able to function.

“Or he didn’t want to look…” Tifa forced the last piece of the sandwich half into her mouth before she closed the container, saving the rest of it for later. 

“Stop that, he just didn’t know where to look,” Fang insisted firmly.

Tifa finally looked in the woman’s direction and gave her the smallest smile. She hadn’t realized how much comfort she would find in Fang’s presence. The simple act of having someone physically present with her, someone to talk to, was proving to be a better distraction than Aerith over messages. Fang wasn’t her closest friend, she was barely a friend at this point. But she was still there sitting with her to keep her company.

“You found the doctor for him, he didn’t have to come here, but he did.” Fang’s attention turned back down towards her phone when she felt it vibrate. “Claire said she’ll come see ya when she’s off work.” She started to type a reply to her wife when she heard a soft woman’s voice.

“Tifa?” The nurse waited for Tifa’s attention before she continued. “I don’t have much of an update this time around, but I did promise you every two hours,” she said with a smile. “He’s still doing well. All of his vitals are right on track. Dr. Sheiran is working on attaching the nerves and ensuring he’s got blood flow.”

“That’s all good, right?” 

The nurse nodded reassuringly. “Yes, that’s good. No excessive bleeding anywhere. He’s having no issue with the anesthetic. He’s doing great.”

“Do you know how much longer?” Tifa hated asking, but if she at least had an estimate, it might help her relax.

“Unfortunately, no. Dr. Sheiran usually estimates these procedures at six to seven hours, but I have seen some go as long as 12 hours.” The nurse replied honestly. Her features softened when she saw Tifa’s expression change. “But, that’s very rare. We’re just shy of four hours and I can say he’s still got a lot to do.”

Tifa nodded just slightly. A subtle tilt of her head. She was just ready for everything to be over. She understood it would be a long day, but that didn’t ease any of her anxiety.

“Right, okay… thank you,” she managed to speak with a weak smile. She would wait, as patiently as she could. She knew the nurse would be back in about two hours, but the time between each visit felt like an eternity.

Tifa shifted yet again in her chair. She’d gotten up and walked around the waiting room a few times. She’d even wandered outside for some fresh air, but nothing was helping her. She was growing extremely restless. She couldn’t get comfortable on the chair anymore, her anxiety had peeked, especially after Fang left about three hours ago. 

Aerith and Claudia had been a constant companion to her through messages, but they weren’t physically there. Aerith had done her best to keep her occupied, but she had fallen asleep an hour ago. That was the last message she’d received from her at least. Claudia and her had chatted a lot, but they were both stressed since Tifa hadn’t gotten an update in a while.

She looked at her phone to check the time again. 7:03 PM. Ten hours had passed since she last saw Cloud. Ten hours waiting in the waiting room. Her otherwise silent experience was broken by the two hours Fang sat with her and the occasional updates from the nurse. Then she realized it had been nearly three hours since the last update she’d gotten. That made her chest flutter. She felt a cold dread start to grip her.

What if something had gone wrong?

What if they were trying to save his life right now?

Why had it been so long since the last update?

Tifa felt her breath quicken. An anxiety attack. She’d seen Cloud have them several times throughout their relationship together. Tifa closed her eyes and lifted her hand to cover her face, something to try to keep herself grounded before it took over completely.

“Tifa?”

Her head shot up when she heard her voice. “Yes?” Her heart continued to pound in her chest as she locked eyes with Dr. Sheiran. “How is he? Is the surgery finally over?” 

The doctor smiled down at her. He helped himself to the chair beside Tifa so he could give her an update. “It went a little longer than I expected, but he’s doing well. There was more scar tissue in his shoulder than the scans showed.” He started to explain as he looked at the woman beside him. “He woke up from anesthetic without any issues. He’s very groggy right now.”

Tifa closed her eyes, her hand rested against her chest as she felt a huge wave of relief wash over her entire body. Hearing that there weren’t any complications eased her anxiety, but things wouldn’t fully relax until she was able to see him with her own eyes. “And he’s okay? His arm? Everything?”

“Yes, he’s okay. He had nerve responses in his fingertips. I released all of the trapped, damaged nerves in his shoulder. We’re keeping him here for a few days, which you both already know. We need to make sure nothing leaks and that his body doesn’t try to reject the transplant.”

Tifa nodded again. She was so tired from the whole day, but she was doing her best to focus on everything the doctor told her. She already knew that Cloud would be there for a few days, it was the whole reason they scheduled his surgery on a Wednesday, so she’d be home for the first few days with him. 

“Would you like to–”

“Yes!” Tifa interrupted as she nodded her head several times. 

She turned to grab her half empty water bottle from the small table beside her and stood up as the doctor did. She felt her heart pounding in her chest yet again. This time it wasn’t from fear though, it was the anticipation of seeing Cloud again. As she walked beside the doctor, she got her phone from her pocket and quickly typed out a message to send to Claudia. She knew the woman was just as worried, if not more worried than she was about everything.

The elevator ride felt like a blur to her. She tried to focus on the doctor’s explanation of the surgery itself, but her focus was just on Cloud. He was okay, the surgery went okay. That was what she cared about. They’d do everything they were told to ensure his recovery went smoothly as well. 

She kept her pace with the doctor again, noting they were on the 4th floor when they stepped off. Just a few rooms down, the doctor was motioning into a room. She thanked him softly and stepped in. When she did, she felt the last of the tension in her body leave. Cloud was right there. She could see the heavy bandage on his shoulder beneath the light blanket that was covering him. He was sound asleep. His breathing was soft and even. The monitor above his head was steady with his heart rate and blood pressure.

He was okay.

“Cloud?” She whispered as she approached his bed on the right side, away from his bad shoulder. She heard a soft hum from him in response and smiled. “Hey,” she reached out when his eyes fluttered a bit. Her fingers ran through his hair and gently along his jaw before she leaned down and kissed his forehead.

“H-Hey,” he grumbled. His throat was scratchy from the surgery and his voice was thick with sleep. He cleared his throat, but it did little to help. Cloud blinked a few times, his eyes struggling to focus on Tifa before he just decided to close them again. He was so tired.

“The doctor said you did great.” She gently ran her fingers up into his hair, trying to soothe him and soothe herself as well. She heard him hum again in response and smiled down at him. His eyes fluttered open once more to look at her, then she saw how he closed them again. She leaned down again and pressed her lips gently against his. 

Tifa saw the small curl of a smile come to his face from the action and she knew, in that moment, that he would be alright.

Chapter Text

Cloud leaned back on the bed and sighed softly. He hated the sterility of the room he was in. White walls, white floors, white sheets. Even his gown was off white in color. It was his third day in the hospital and he was more than ready to leave to go home. 

The first day, he spent most of it in the post-surgical haze. The lingering anesthetic, coupled with the medication they had him on made it so he was in and out of sleep most of the day. He barely remembered Tifa being there with him all day until she had to go to work. 

The second day, yesterday, while more clear in his mind, was still dominated by the fog of the pain medication. 

Now, on his third day, his head felt more clear. The pain medication still made things foggy, but he’d learned they’d slowly been lowering the dose. They wanted to get him through the initial couple of days when pain levels were usually intolerable for people. 

Cloud shifted yet again on the bed. It was a flat mattress, just like the one he was on the morning of his surgery. The thin, scratchy sheet and blanket didn’t help matters either for him. He couldn’t get comfortable. Out of the two spots he had incisions, neither of them were hurting him. It was his back on this bed.

It was strange for him. He’s spent so long with pain in his shoulder, that sitting there with nothing made him think that it was gone. But it wasn’t. Each time he looked down at it, he saw it was very much there and wrapped heavily in a bandage and sat in the thick sling that was hooked around his chest and shoulder. 

He was happy to not feel the haze he did over the last two days. The experience here for him was already leaps and bounds better than what he experienced at the military hospital in Midgar. Things were on a strict schedule here from what he’d noticed while there, they fed him narcotics like they were candy. Keeping things under control was working well.

He couldn’t stop himself from shifting again. When he did, he felt a slight pull in his shoulder and his thigh, but nothing that caused pain. Nothing to be concerned about. His body felt stiff and ached from his prolonged stay on the bed. As much as he wanted to move more, he knew he couldn’t. He wasn’t allowed to walk just yet without a nurse’s assistance. His left arm, even if he wanted to move it, he couldn’t. The sling was rigid and strapped securely to his body, preventing any accidental movements in his sleep. The only thing he could move were his fingers and that was something he found himself doing on a regular basis. It was one of the first things he did. Moving his fingers meant he still had mobility in his arm. 

The bandages that covered the inside of his right thigh were itchy as hell. All he could do was rub his flat hand gently along the top of them, trying to aid with that feeling. He’d been assured several times that the itching was a positive sign. Even though it was annoying to him, it showed that things were healing. But that didn’t stop it from driving him insane.

“You know…” A woman’s voice started as she walked into the room. “I heard from Claire that you were back in Junon and having surgery. Then I found out you were staying a few nights…”

Cloud’s head snapped up to look towards the voice. His eyes widened a bit in surprise as he recognized the woman immediately. Her strawberry blonde hair was the same shade as Claire’s. A woman he hadn’t seen in years. He slowly smiled at the sight of Claire’s younger sister.

“Serah?” He asked, making sure he remembered the woman’s name right.

“The one and only,” she replied, a playful smile on her face. She approached his bedside, looking up at his monitors as she did. Everything looked normal to her. “Looks like you’re stuck with me today. They put me over in this block of rooms. Is that okay with you?”

Cloud’s brow furrowed slightly at her question. He watched as she gently reached for the pillow that was wedged under his arm. “Yeah, that’s okay. Why wouldn’t it be?” It actually gave him a bit of comfort with the fact that he knew the nurse.

She nodded slightly and looked back up to meet his eyes. “Because of your history with my sister.”

“That was a long time ago,” he reminded her. From the one interaction he had with Claire a few days ago at the bar, he wouldn’t mind being friends with the woman again, but anything beyond that was nowhere near his thoughts

He kept his eyes on her as she reached closer to him to carefully start unstrapping the sling. She freed it from his chest first before she reached closer to his neck. “When I free you, don’t you dare move,” she warned him firmly. 

“I know, I know. The man yesterday told me that, each time he came in here.” Cloud hissed suddenly when she freed the strap from his shoulder. He felt a sharp jolt of pain shoot through his shoulder. It wasn’t the searing, agonizing pain he had been used to. But instead, it was a sharp, short stab that radiated up his neck and across his chest. What he couldn’t tell though, was it a good pain, or a bad pain.

“You okay?” Serah asked, halting her movements.

“I’m fine,” he replied automatically as he looked over at her.

Serah stopped completely and reattached the strap around his neck, keeping his arm in place. “What you’re not going to do while you’re here is play Mr. tough-guy with this. If something hurts, let me know.”

Cloud took a deep breath and nodded. He was so used to just telling everybody around him that he was fine, because he always was. There used to be nothing he could do about his discomfort. But he had to change his entire mindset, at least for the next few weeks. “I felt a… stabbing pain almost,” he admitted to her.

“Where?” She asked as she pulled back and went to the computer in the room. She scanned her badge and loaded Cloud’s file to make notes.

“When you freed the sling.” He started to explain to her. “I felt it in my shoulder. It went up my neck and across my chest.” He rested his head back against the flat pillow he had behind him and watched as she typed some things on the computer, probably making note of what he described to her. He reached behind him to try to fluff the pillow with his right hand, but it was no good. He was stuck waiting for Tifa to bring a pillow from home when she came in for the day.

Serah nodded. When she finished typing something and saved it before she turned back to him. She raised her hand and traced a line along her own neck and towards her collarbone. “Was it through here?” She asked for clarification. When he nodded, she continued speaking. “That’s normal. Now, if it’s a burning sensation, or if it doesn’t stop after about a minute, please hit the button.” She gestured towards the call button that was tucked down on his right side. Serah made her way back to his bed again and reached out to unhook the strap around his neck. “Alright, don’t move this arm, I’ll move it for you.”

“Got it,” he replied with a small nod. His eyes stayed on the woman as she finished freeing his arm. His face scrunched a bit when she guided his arm completely out of the sling and rested it gently against his stomach before she turned to get some gloves. That was when he noticed she had brought supplies in with her to change his bandage. 

Serah moved around to his left side then opened his gown to expose the bandages. “Still feeling okay?” She asked, turning to open some fresh gauze to get it ready.

“It’s weird, I’m not actually feeling anything right now.” He admitted, feeling a bit conflicted about it. He went through this entire process to fix his pain, and now that he didn’t feel it, it was almost like he missed it. The absence of the pain was almost unsettling to him.

Serah chuckled softly. “Well, that’s a good thing. At least there’s no pain.” She reminded him. “Can you wiggle your fingers for me? You’ve been doing that, right?” She made sure to keep her focus on his hand.

“Yeah, they said I should be doing it as much as I could for blood flow or something.” He looked down at his hand as well and attempted to move his fingers. He wiggled them as best as he could, his movements were jerky though. He couldn’t feel anything in most of his arm, so it was strange. He saw his pointer and thumb flinch, just a faint movement. His middle and ring fingers trembled as they curled inwards just a little bit. But his pinky remained unresponsive to him. He saw Serah press her fingers to the outside of his hand as he was trying.

“Try it again, just your pinky.” She encouraged him. Again, there was no movement, but she still nodded. “I feel you trying. The connection will come. It’s still really early.”

“So it’s normal?” He asked. Four of his fingers seemed to be working so far. 

“It is. Nerves are finicky and take a long time to heal.”

Cloud couldn’t stop himself from trying one more time to move his pinky. When he did, his whole hand started to shake from the attempt, but no movement in that last finger. He stopped trying to move anything then, suddenly fearing that his arm would jerk while it was free of the sling.

“I think you’re doing great so far. You’re only on day three.” She reassured him and guided his hand to rest against his stomach to keep it in a secure spot while she started to peel the medical tape off.

Cloud turned his attention to his shoulder to watch what she was doing . He strained a little bit to see the incision. He could see the heavy bruising on his bicep along with the staples, but then Serah gently pushed his jaw, redirecting his gaze. He didn’t realize he was getting into her view of the surgical site.

“Knock, knock. Is he behaving in here?” Tifa’s voice broke through their silence. She walked around the corner, hugging a pillow to her chest with a backpack over her shoulder. She smiled softly when she saw the nurse cleaning his shoulder a bit.

“Yes,” Cloud started.

“No,” Serah’s voice cut through at the same time as Cloud’s, eliciting a laugh from Tifa. She smiled at Cloud, catching him rolling his eyes. “He’s alert today, if you couldn’t tell. I’m Serah, the nurse on duty this morning.” She introduced herself to the other woman.

“And Claire’s younger sister.” Cloud added, looking at his girlfriend. “Serah, this is Tifa.”

Tifa gently placed the backpack down on the floor, staying mindful of the tablet she had tucked inside to keep Cloud occupied. Then she looked over at Serah, a smile playing on her lips. “For as large of a city as Junon is… first running into his ex, then his ex’s sister, it sure makes it feel like a small village.” She commented with a shake of the head.

Serah laughed, a little louder than she originally wanted to and quickly closed her mouth. “It’s nice to meet you. Junon does give you that small town feel sometimes.” She looked over at the woman for a moment before, catching her looking at the man’s incision. “Everything is looking good so far… stop,” she gently pushed on Cloud’s jaw again when she noticed him twisting to try to look too.

“I just want to see it,” Cloud grumbled softly and allowed his head to drift to the other side to give Serah room to work.

Tifa gently rested her hand on his good arm and shook her head, feeling some amusement hit her. He was definitely a lot more alert than he was the day before and she was happy to see it. “Would you like me to take a picture of it?” She asked. She watched Cloud nod a few times. “All you had to do was ask, you know.” 

She turned to put the pillow down on top of the backpack then got her phone from her pocket. She could already foresee the problems she was going to have with him once they got home. Just his subtle defiance on simple tasks told her she was going to have her hands full in a couple of days when he came home.

Cloud watched intently as Tifa held up her phone. He watched her tap her screen before she moved closer to him and showed him her screen. His face scrunched up, grimacing at what he saw. The image revealed the extent of the damages. The old, jagged scar was still present, that wasn’t going to go anywhere. But what he focused on was the new, fresh incision that snaked from hear his collarbone down about half way on his bicep. His shoulder was covered in blues and purples from bruises and he could tell it was swollen from the surgery. It looked horrible to him.

“It’s supposed to look like that?” He asked, his voice dripping with disbelief.

“It is, actually,” Serah confirmed. She looked over at the picture on Tifa’s, using it as a little aid to point some things out to Cloud. “The swelling you see is because of the new muscle. The bruising came from the surgeon manipulating everything. Trust me, that’ll get worse before it gets better. It’ll probably spread more and your whole arm and chest will look like you got beat up.” She added, smiling at him when she heard him grumble. “The staples here, he’ll take them out in about two weeks when you go back to see him for an appointment. More than likely there’s stitches under the skin too, those will dissolve on their own over time.”

Tifa stepped back a little bit to give Serah space to work on his shoulder again. She looked down at the picture again then decided to send it over to Claudia, along with a cautionary note that it wasn’t a pretty picture. Tifa typed out a message to assure her that the nurse said it was all normal for it to look this bad. When she finished, she shoved her phone back into her pocket and turned back to focus on what Serah was doing so she could learn how to do it.

“So, this is how it needs to get wrapped when we’re at home?” She finally asked, watching everything the other woman was doing. She needed to learn since she would be his caregiver once they got home.

“Yes,” Serah confirmed. She took the time to explain each step of the process as she applied the fresh bandage to his shoulder. She answered each of Tifa’s questions patiently, making sure she understood the process. Throughout everything, she continued to redirect Cloud’s head, preventing him from straining his neck as he continued to try to watch what she was doing. “You can watch when I change your leg,” she told him firmly yet with a small laugh.

Tifa snickered softly at the man getting scolded. It was oddly satisfying to see someone else put Cloud in his place. Someone else was around to witness his stubbornness and gently corrected him. What she wasn’t looking forward to was the inevitable power struggles that awaited them at home. “Behave,” she murmured with a gentle swat of his good arm. Tifa leaned over and pressed a small kiss to his lips before she smiled softly. “Are you going to do this at home with me?” She asked, almost challenging him to do it.

“I’m just trying to learn too,” he grumbled.

“I don’t know why because you’re not going to be able to wrap your own arm. You won’t even be able to wrap your leg, Cloud. You only have one working hand.”

“I–” He started, but quickly trailed off. His eyes darted away from the woman for a moment as he allowed everything to sink in. He wasn’t going to be able to do much of anything for a little while. Even his walking was limited because of his leg. She was right and he didn’t have much of a choice. “Fine…” he conceded with a soft sigh, a reluctant acceptance.

Serah turned her attention to Cloud’s leg. She moved the blanket to the side and carefully lifted his hospital gown, exposing his right thigh and the long, bandaged section that stretched from his knee to nearly his groin. “I remember meeting Cloud one time, years ago. And I see the stubbornness from back then is still alive and well.” She teased.

All Cloud did was grumble again from her comment. His eyes narrowed a bit when he heard Tifa chuckle. “I’m not–” he started but immediately stopped when he saw the look on Tifa’s face.

“Stop right there.” She lifted her finger to point at him, warning him. The look on her face left no room for him to argue with her about it.

“Claire constantly had to check him. It was hilarious. Not that Claire was much better, but that’s a whole different story.” Serah started to pull the bandage tape off of his leg.

“Can you do that a little faster? I feel this one,” Cloud hissed as he felt the tape tugging against his skin.

“No, I can’t. There’s only stitches here. And if there’s any scabs stuck to the bandage, it can rip them. I don’t think you want that to happen.” She explained patiently to him as she continued to move slowly to get the tape free of his skin.

Cloud’s jaw clenched a bit as he felt the pulling on his skin as Serah carefully freed the tape around his wound. Thankfully, the gauze only snagged on one portion of his thigh that had bled a little bit more. Once his leg was finally exposed, he looked down at it and found himself staring. His thigh was purple around the incision and he could see a subtle, sunken appearance around where the muscle was taken.

“That’s normal?” He asked, frowning. To him, it didn’t look right at all, but when he looked at Serah, he saw she had no concern written on her face. 

She gave him a small nod of reassurance. “It is. You know the doctor took one of the muscles. The others will shift a little bit over time. This sunken look will go away before you know it.”

Cloud sighed softly as he kept his eyes on his leg. Part of him felt like a monster of Frankenstein, assembled from staples and stitches. The image of his bruised and swollen shoulder, the incision that went from his collarbone to halfway down his bicep. The foot long incision on his thigh. He sighed softly, trying not to focus on all of that. Things would fade with time, and as Tifa had told him several times, scars told a story. He had reasons for why he had such massive wounds on his body. 

He flinched, his attention being pulled away from his thoughts when Serah dabbed at the wound to clean it a bit. She was as gentle as she could be, but it didn’t stop him from feeling all of it.

As much as he was miserable right now, it was better already than what he dealt with prior to the surgery. He just had to constantly remind himself that the initial few weeks of recovery would be the most challenging for him and everybody around him. The discomfort, he could handle with no problem. He’d spent so long dealing with his pain in his shoulder. But it was the limitations that would get to him. Even with his pain, he always pushed through it to get things done, but now, he was extremely limited while he was in his sling.

“Get out of your head,” Tifa murmured to him. She lifted her hand to gently poke the side of his temple. A habit she’d developed each time she caught him drifting. When he looked in her direction, she offered him a reassuring smile.

“I wasn’t…” Cloud started, but trailed off because he knew she was right. He couldn’t help it sometimes, especially now.

“You were. You get this glazed… distant look in your eyes. And your eyebrows crease just a little bit.” Tifa moved her hand down to cup his cheek gently when he turned fully to face her. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. “Just a little bit of suffering and it’ll be worth it,” she reminded him.

Cloud nodded, his eyes staying focused on Tifa. He let out a heavy breath, feeling himself relax a little bit, especially when his girlfriend leaned in and kissed him again. He forced himself to look back at Serah, watching as she covered his thigh with fresh gauze and taped it securely to his leg. The process was exactly the same as what it was for his shoulder. Something simple that Tifa would be able to do for him in no time once they were home.

A few minutes later, Serah finally finished securing the bandage to his leg. She adjusted his gown back down to give him some coverage and fixed his blanket for him. “Are you done torturing me?” Cloud smirked in her direction and shifted a bit on the bed, as much as he could with one working hand.

“For now. Wait ‘til I come back later to get you walking,” she teased him, earning a small groan. “It was nice to meet you, Tifa. I’ll be back in a little bit. He gets his next round of medicine in about two hours.”

Tifa offered Serah a small, polite node as the nurse gathered the dirty bandages to get rid of and left the room. When they were alone, she turned back to Cloud and rested her hands on her hips. Her face covered in an amused, yet slightly annoyed look. “You’re such a horrible patient, Cloud.”

“How?” He asked, feigning a shocked look.

“Because you don’t listen.” Tifa narrowed her eyes in his direction. He quickly held up his right hand, trying to show he was innocent, but she wasn’t buying it. She just shook her head and reached back to get the pillow she’d brought it. “I know she said you’re getting more medicine in about two hours, but whatever they gave you is still in your system. You seem a little loopy.” She commented softly.

“I’m not loopy,” he denied with a quick shake of his head. 

“You are. You’re more chatty and more animated than usual,” amusement was evident in her tone. “Sit up a little bit. Can you do that for me?” She saw him nod, almost too enthusiastically and bit back a laugh. Once he was sitting up further, she carefully put the pillow behind his back. As he leaned against it, his head sinking into it, he let out a satisfied groan. “Better?”

Cloud hummed softly, not giving her an answer immediately. His eyes closed as he savored the familiar comfort the pillow from home brought him. “It would be even better if I was home and in bed though.”

“But, you know that you can’t sleep in the bed for a while, remember?” She heard his soft grumble. “You can’t risk rolling onto that arm and shoulder.” As much as she hated it too, it was how it had to be until they got the clear from the doctor.

Cloud exhaled heavily at her reminder. He hated it. He hoped it wasn’t too long before he could get back into bed. “At least the sofa will be more comfortable than this thing.” He reached down and pulled the blanket aside so Tifa could see the mattress he was on. “Look how thin this thing is.”

Tifa giggled softly at him. He was definitely more chatty and animated than she was used to. It was amusing and something she knew she wouldn’t see much after he was done with his pain medication at home. She glanced down at the mattress, seeing he wasn’t actually exaggerating about how thin it was. “Just a few more days, and they’ll let you go home. You have to listen to them though. Do what they say, don’t do what you’re not supposed to, and you’ll be home in no time.”

All he did was close his eyes. He knew that she was right. He had to listen, but changing everything about his daily routine was rough already. He turned his head a bit when he caught a whiff of something very familiar. “You brought me one of your pillows,” he pointed out.

“Yes, I did. Is that a problem?” 

Cloud slowly smiled, shaking his head. “Definitely not. It smells like your shampoo.” He turned his head slightly and inhaled deeply.

Tifa’s hand flew up to cover her mouth, trying and failing to suppress a giggle. “Yup, whatever they gave you this morning is still working.” She confirmed to herself. She leaned in, hovering over him for a moment before she leaned down to kiss him softly. She hummed softly as Cloud’s hand came up to grip her shirt, keeping her close to him. “Behave,” she whispered affectionately.

“What else did you bring?” He released his grip on her shirt and leaned back against the pillow. It wasn’t much, but it was something that made him feel better to have with him at the hospital. He looked over, watching her retrieve the backpack. She placed it on the foot of the bed and watched her pull a few things out. Boxers, loose sweatpants, and two t-shirts. Tifa then pulled out the tablet and Cloud smiled. “That’s better than watching TV all the time.”

“I figured you’d like to have this on top of your phone.” She tucked his clothing back into the backpack and tossed it to the side. She put the tablet on the little table beside the bed where she spotted his phone. “Speaking of, did you call your mom today?”

“I did. I called her in the middle of the night here because I couldn’t sleep. Knew she’d still be awake.” He glanced up at the clock on the wall. “I’ll give her a call later.”

Tifa looked around briefly and grabbed the chair from along the wall and dragged it closer to Cloud’s bedside. She sat down and leaned against the edge of his bed so she could watch him. “I sent her that picture I took of your shoulder. She’ll get it when she wakes up. I honestly forgot about the time difference,” she admitted, laughing softly. Her mind had been consumed with worry and everything else for the past several days. Her focus had been solely on Cloud.

“Did you at least warn her how bad it looks?”

“I did. So hopefully she won’t panic. I also made sure she knew what Serah said, that it all looks normal.” Tifa leaned a little further over and looked down at his left hand. “Can you move your fingers anymore than yesterday?”

Cloud’s eyes followed hers down to his hand. He tried to move his fingers, much like he did for Serah before Tifa got there. The pinky remained immobile and the other fingers trembled in response to his attempts. “That’s all I’ve got.” It, to him, looked the same as yesterday with the shaking.

“That’s okay, just keep trying,” she encouraged him gently.

“I am,” Cloud gave her a small smile even though he felt a lot of frustration. He remembered spending the countless hours reading, re-reading, and jotting down questions on all of the instructions that Dr. Sheiran provided to him. The main thing that stood out to him though, especially now, was the importance of consistent moments. Or, in his case now, attempts at movements. It stimulated the blood flow and encouraged nerve healing.

Cloud attempted to lift his hand. The sling allowed him some room to maneuver his hand along with his fingers. But the effort resulted in a violent tremor that shook his forearm. Tifa reached out and gently placed her hand over his, having seen it. He just sighed softly, feeling a small wave of frustration wash over him. The inability to feel her touch was what got to him the most.

“Slow and steady, okay?” She tried to reassure him. She gently squeezed his hand lightly. She knew he didn’t have feeling in his hand, she’d learned that the day before, but it didn’t stop her from doing it and it wouldn’t stop her from doing it. “It’s going to take time. The nerves need to heal, you know that.”

Close slowly closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the pillows. He could feel Tifa was still close to him and he was thankful for that. She was his support. “Slow and steady,” he repeated her words with a small nod. 

A few hours later, the steady beeping of the heart monitor attached to Cloud was the only sound in the room. The man was peacefully sleeping. He’d gotten another round of pain medication along with his lunch and it was more than enough to knock him out. Tifa didn’t mind though. He was barely awake the day before. She kept herself occupied with her phone. Catching on some news along with messaging Claudia and Aerith back home to keep them updated. She even had a conversation going with her dad. Brian wasn’t Cloud’s biggest fan still, but he was still worried about him, for which she was thankful. 

Her dad was coming around. Very slowly.

“Knock, knock,” a soft voice filled the otherwise quiet room.

Tifa looked up from her phone, expecting to see Serah with another visit for her rounds to make sure he was okay. But it wasn’t Serah, it was Claire. Dressed in her security uniform. A warm smile spread across Tifa’s face as she looked at her. Her hand raised to her mouth and her finger pressed against her own lips before she pointed towards the bed.

Claire’s eyes drifted towards the bed where she saw Cloud sleeping, his head dipped to the side. “How’s he doing?” She asked softly so she wouldn’t stir him.

Tifa put her phone down on her lap and looked back over the man’s peaceful face. “He’s doing okay. He was moving his fingers earlier, tried to move his hand but…” she shook her head. “No feeling, but he knew that would take a while to come back to him.” She turned towards Claire and shook her head a bit as she fought off a small smile. “He was stubborn with Serah earlier too. That was amusing.”

“Of course he was. Glad to hear that hasn’t changed from back in the day.”

“I’m just afraid now that he’s going to hurt himself when he gets home.” Her tone shifted a bit. Yes, it was amusing to see how he was with Serah earlier in the day, but it wouldn’t be amusing once they were home and didn’t have a nurse nearby to help. “I’m going to be there for the first few nights he’s home, then I’ll have to work and he’ll be by himself.” She ran a frustrated hand through her hair and felt her anxiety start to peek again. It had been a roller coaster the past couple of days. She didn’t have anyone who could help, no family or close friends that were in Junon. Then a thought flickered in her mind as she looked towards Claire. “I hate to ask, you barely know me… but–”

“But, you want some help?” Claire finished for her, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. She gave the woman a small nod. “I don’t see why not,” she shrugged. “It’ll give us a chance to catch up some more.”

Tifa felt a small wave of awkwardness hit her. She barely knew Claire, but she knew that Cloud did. Even though it had been years since they interacted. She didn’t have any other options and bringing Cloud to the bar, so soon after surgery wasn’t safe for him. “He’s going to try to push himself too hard. I just know it. I know him… please don’t be afraid to yell at him,” she pleaded softly with the other woman.

“It’ll be interesting, that’s for sure.” Claire hummed thoughtfully. She reached down into her pocket to retrieve her phone. “But yes, I’ll help. Let me give you my phone number.” She moved a little closer to where Tifa was sitting. She couldn’t stay much longer in the room. She just happened to be through this side of the hospital and decided to pop in to check on him.

Tifa unlocked her phone and added Claire’s information to it before she sent the other woman a message so she’d have her number as well. She wasn’t sure how Cloud would react to the arrangement. The idea of having a ‘babysitter’ for the night was likely to get under his skin. She knew how prideful he could be about things, but his safety was her priority and if that meant enlisting Claire’s help, then so be it. “Thank you.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “I really appreciate this, Claire.”

Claire smiled warmly to try to ease the woman’s worries a bit. “Don’t mention it. Just let me know when you need me.”

“I will.” Tifa put her phone away. She just hoped that Cloud wouldn’t get angry at her for the plans.

Chapter Text

He was home, he finally came home the day before and Cloud couldn’t hold back the joy that he felt. The familiar scenery around him, the familiar smells, especially Tifa’s perfume. It all helped him to relax. Even though he was mostly stuck on the sofa, he was home. He had lingering soreness and stiffness and a dull ache in his thigh. His shoulder and neck were still very stiff from his surgery, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. 

He looked down at his hand and flexed it as much as he could. It hadn’t changed much over the past two days and he could feel it starting to get to him. Even though it had been less than a week since his surgery, he had hoped that things would progress quicker. 

What already got to him the most was the fact that he couldn’t sleep in bed with Tifa. He was forced onto the sofa, sitting up, a pillow propped under his arm to keep it in place along with the sling. Each time he felt the urge to take the sling off, he was reminded of the doctor’s stern warnings. He wasn’t supposed to be out of it for long, outside of the small exercises he was supposed to do daily to help with the tightness that he felt.

The last thing he wanted was to do some kind of damage to his shoulder and have to start everything over again.

“Do you need anything, honey?” Tifa asked, her voice soft and gentle as she emerged from the bathroom. She finished tucking the towel in around her damp hair. She looked over at him and saw the way he shifted a bit on the sofa and knew the man was uncomfortable. 

At least he was still in the same spot as he was when she went to take her shower. Yesterday, she’d caught him up and moving around in the kitchen when she went to take a shower. He was already trying to do too much. She felt for him, she really did, but fighting with him to relax was pure hell already.

“You,” Cloud replied, a playful smirk tugging on his lips.

Tifa rolled her eyes. She definitely wished they could play around a bit, but that wouldn’t happen for a while. It hurt her just as much as it hurt him. She reached up and adjusted the towel a bit when she felt it slipping. “You can’t have me for a while, and you know that.” She reminded him playfully. 

“That sucks,” was all he grumbled out in response.

She slowly shook her head and let out a small laugh. Cloud’s playful banter was very welcome again. The past several days had been far too quiet at home without him there. “Did you do any of your exercises while I was in the shower?” She tilted her head as she moved a little bit closer to where he was seated. She could see the slightly distant look on his face and tried not to laugh about it. The medication he took with lunch was still having an effect on him.

“I remember being told not to move,” he smiled sarcastically up at the woman, his voice nothing but playful.

“And I’m surprised that you actually listened. You didn’t listen to me at all yesterday.”

“I was just happy to be home yesterday.” Cloud tried to defend himself for the day before. He knew he did too much yesterday. He was feeling it today, mainly in his leg from all the walking around the apartment he did.

Tifa hummed softly. She reached up and rubbed her hands along the towel for a moment. She usually didn’t leave it wrapped up for too long because it had a bad habit of tangling up too much that way for her and drove her crazy. She tilted her head to the side as she pulled the towel free. “So, is that a no?” She asked as she went back towards the bathroom. She hung the towel up and grabbed her brush for her hair before she stood in the doorway watching him.

All he did was grumble softly, not wanting to answer the question. He could lie, but she’d see right through it, she always did. “I feel so stupid doing them,” he admitted.

“I don’t care how stupid you feel doing them. They’re going to help you.” Tifa pointed her brush at him before she focused on running it through her hair. Turning, she tossed it back onto the bathroom counter then went towards the table in their dining room, where the packet of papers that contained his exercises sat. She had helped him with them the day before, but it would take her a few times before she learned his routine. “Come on,” she urged him gently.

“Now?” He asked, hoping to delay it a bit. But it didn’t work. He looked at her and saw the way she looked at him through her eyelashes. He wasn’t going to win this fight.

Slowly, he swung his legs over the edge of the sofa and pushed himself upright. He felt some of the muscles straining in his right leg, but once he was standing, it felt okay. 

Tifa reached down to put the papers on the table while she watched him come towards her. She gave him a small, reassuring smile, especially when she saw how slow he was moving. “You did too much yesterday, didn’t you?”

No reply.

“Thought so.” Her tone wasn’t condescending. She just hoped that he learned his lesson and would slow down, at least for a few more days until his leg healed some more. 

Cloud grumbled. A low sound that came out of his throat before he could stop it. Each step, he felt his thigh sting from the stitches pulling, but it wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t pain that told him to stop moving. He’d felt that the night before and barely found the courage to tell Tifa about it. 

“You feeling okay?” She finally asked him when he got closer to her. 

“I did too much yesterday.” His voice was barely above a whisper. He looked down into her knowing eyes and sighed. 

Tifa decided not to push that topic. He had to learn somehow. Once he was in front of her, she leaned up and gave him a soft kiss. “Hold your arm up,” she instructed as her fingers slowly trailed up the strap to get to where it was secured. “It’s good for your shoulder to use those muscles.”

“Yeah, I know.” Cloud kept his eyes on her as she leaned in closer to him. He felt a strange pulling sensation as Tifa released the sling. The weight of his forearm immediately pulled on his shoulder and he felt the muscles trembling as he fought to keep his arm up.

The shaking didn’t go unnoticed. Tifa’s hand shot out to gently grip his forearm to keep it from falling down harshly. She maneuvered the sling the rest of the way off of his arm and reached back to place it onto the table behind her. She kept her hand gently around his forearm and slowly moved it down to his wrist, helping to support him. Tifa kept her eyes on him as she worked very slowly to stretch out his arm towards her, unbending his elbow slowly. When a groan escaped his lips, she halted her movements immediately.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, It’s just stretching,” he replied through grit teeth.

“Not hurting?” She pressed on, hunting for more information.

Cloud shook his head. “No, it’s not hurting.” He confirmed. He watched as she continued to stretch his arm. He wished he could feel her touch on his wrist and hand, but the numbness remained unchanged. The doctor had already told him, several times, that this would be the last thing to return to him.

Finally, his arm hung limply by his side. He felt the pulling sensation in his shoulder and neck still, but it wasn’t painful. It was just stretching. “I’m good,” he reiterated when he saw the worried look on his girlfriend’s face. 

Tifa’s eyes narrowed her eyes when she saw tiny flinches on his face. She saw the tremors that traveled across his shoulder and through his bicep. It was the same as yesterday when he did this. It worried her, but he assured her that there was no pain. “Do you want me to do the exercises with you today?” She asked playfully. Then she saw the pleading look in his eyes. “Okay.”

She positioned herself in front of him, facing him. Her left hand rested on the table and she leaned forward a bit to allow her right arm to hang loosely by her side. She heard the man let out another grumble and just rolled her eyes as he leaned on his right hand reluctantly.

“I hate this.”

“I know.”

He allowed his arm to hang down in front of him, mirroring Tifa. His body tensed a bit. He felt the stretching throughout his shoulder, chest, and up into his neck a little bit. Even across his upper back felt tight. It was a very strange and unfamiliar feeling for him. He was accustomed to the pain he always felt. The sharp, jolting shocks that constantly traveled through his arm. But this was different. This was dull. This wasn’t actually painful in any way to him.

Each time he pushed to try to move his arm, he expected the jolts again, but nothing. Only the stretching of the muscles. 

“Swing your arm, Cloud,” Tifa encouraged. She guided her own arm into the swinging motion like he was supposed to. Then she saw he began to move, his entire upper body swaying in an awkward motion. “Not with your whole body, you know better. Use the muscles.” She corrected him.

Cloud stopped when he pointed it out to him. He constantly had to remind himself of the importance of these exercises. He felt weird doing things like this, but according to the doctor, it would help with the muscles. It would help him to maintain the blood flow. It would stretch and use the new muscle. It would stimulate the nerves. Once his arm stopped moving, he focused on using just his shoulder and bicep to move his arm. 

“It’s not moving,” he grumbled.

Tifa tilted her head a bit. Her eyes remained fixed on his shoulder. She could see the subtle flexing of the muscles under his tank top. “It is moving,” she pointed out. It wasn’t much and she could understand why he wasn’t thinking it was moving, but she could see the slightest of swing. It was barely there, but it was there.

Cloud nodded, still feeling skeptical about this whole thing. It was a slow process, slower than he wanted it to be. Even though it hadn’t been a week, yet, he wanted his movement back. He looked down at his hand, finally seeing the small motions that Tifa said he had. That was good at least.

After a minute or two, he stood upright. His arm hung limply by his side when he did. “Can you help me with the side lifts?” He asked her shyly.

“Of course.” She’d do anything she could to help him through this process. The fact that he was asking her just made her roll her eyes. Tifa moved to his side and looked down at his arm. “How far can you get on your own?”

He looked down at her then towards his arm as he tried to lift it in her direction. His face scrunched up a little bit when it only moved an inch or two towards her before it suddenly dropped back down, his hand smacking lightly against his hip. It was about the same as he was able to get the day before, at least from what he could tell.

“Not bad,” her tone was encouraging. The last thing she wanted to do was say anything that aided in his frustration, especially during these exercises. Tifa gently gripped his wrist and took a small step back. “Are you ready for the stretch?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a small nod. He watched as Tifa lifted his arm very slowly. It was the same way she did it yesterday. His face scrunched up a little bit as he felt the stretching throughout his upper arm. Then he felt a sharp, stabbing pain that shot up into his neck. “Stop,” he hissed out.

And she did. She immediately stopped lifting his arm and even let it back down just a bit so it could stretch the muscles without hurting him. “I didn’t get your arm up this far yesterday.” She observed.

Cloud looked back down at his arm. It didn’t feel any different than yesterday, but he trusted Tifa’s judgment. “Really?” He asked before he could stop himself. 

“Yes, really.” She let out a small laugh and shook her head. To prove her point, Tifa lowered his arm about an inch. “This is where you told me to stop yesterday,” she reminded him and saw the small attempt at a smile come to his face. After a few more moments, she lowered his arm the rest of the way to give him a small break before they did it again.

Cloud sighed softly. “One more then I’m done, right?” He asked.

Tifa rolled her eyes playfully at him. “Yes, one more, then I’ll let you go sit back down so that medication can put you to sleep.” She reached up and poked his nose playfully. “Then you can stop complaining.”

“I’m not…” He began, wanting to protest, but he stopped when he spotted the slight narrowing of her eyes. “Okay, yes, I am. I’m just ready for this to be better.” He wanted the whole process to go faster. Patience wasn’t really one of his strong suits, especially over the past few months. 

“And it’s a process, you know that.” Her voice was soft and gentle. She gently wrapped her hand around his wrist and took a small step back. Her eyes stayed on his as she got near the spot he told her to stop the first time. When his face crinkled up in obvious pain, she stopped before he could tell her and simply held it in place to stretch it. “You knew this was going to be a long process, baby. We both knew that.”

“I know… I know…” he admitted softly. “I just feel even more useless now than I was before the surgery.” Yes, there were days when he couldn’t use his left arm at all, but back then it lasted a few hours, or a day at the most. He’d been without his left arm for almost a week now and he could tell the difference.

Tifa couldn’t stop herself as her hand slid down to massage his hand gently. He couldn’t feel it, but it was a habit that she couldn’t change. She knew this was going to be a struggle for him. “Just remember that each day you’re going to get a little bit better.” She slowly let down his arm and moved her hand up along his forearm, then his bicep before she rested it gently on the bandage on his shoulder. “And, I bet that tomorrow, I’ll be able to stretch your arm a little bit more.”

Cloud’s gaze met hers. He smiled softly. He desperately wanted to believe her, to cling to the promise of his gradual improvement. Each day, he was doing his best to remain optimistic of the doctor’s words, of Tifa’s words. But the slow process was already annoying him. He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Tifa’s fingers move up against the side of his neck.

He hummed softly when she leaned up and kissed him gently. It didn’t last long. When she pulled back, she turned to retrieve his sling off of the table. Cloud remained silent as she lifted his arm back up, bending his elbow and guided it against his chest. She struggled for a moment to get it back into the sling, fumbling a bit with the strap that got in the way. 

“I love you,” he whispered when her body pressed gently against his so she could hook the strap around his shoulder.

Tifa remained close to him, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. She let her touch linger as soon as she had the straps attached. “I love you,” she repeated softly.

Cloud rested his right hand on her waist, his fingers playing with the bottom of her shirt so he could keep her close to him. He leaned down gently and brushed his lips against hers. “Thank you, for everything,” he murmured sincerely to her. 

He knew he wasn’t the easiest person to get along with, especially right now. He was stubborn and impatient. But having Tifa there to slow him down and remind him that this was going to take a while kept him from completely losing his mind. He was only a week in and he wasn’t sure he would have made it this far if it weren’t for her.

Tifa quietly placed the last of the clean dishes into the cabinet, doing her best not to make much noise in the otherwise quiet apartment. Cloud had finally succumbed to sleep on the sofa. The medication he took with dinner finally relaxed his body enough to fall asleep. His position didn’t look comfortable at all, but it was what he was stuck with for a couple of weeks. 

She hoped that he would be able to sleep soundly throughout the entire night. Last night, she knew he was up and down a lot, trying to find some comfortable place. At least, that’s what he’d told her in the morning when she got up. Even if he couldn’t sleep, she knew he at least had the TV to keep him occupied until he drifted back to another restless slumber. 

The one thing that she was thankful for was that even though he woke up frequently the night before, he didn’t get up. Or, if he did, it was only once to go to the bathroom. Something that he was allowed to do. She worried that he’d move around too much in his restless state and do something to his leg.

She looked around the counter for a brief moment before she spotted her glass. Grabbing it, she refilled it with water and just leaned against the counter for a moment. From her spot, she could see the top of Cloud’s head. He was due for a haircut soon. It was growing out again and reminded her of when they were teens, when he first started to grow it out. 

Spikes were everywhere, then he just kept that style until a little over a year ago. She briefly wondered how he managed to get all that hair under his infantry helmet. Shaking her head, she pushed it to the side. That was a question for another day, if ever. It wasn’t often Cloud talked about his time in the military anymore. He’d shared his stories with her and that was that. She wouldn’t force him to talk about it if he didn’t want to.

A wave of longing washed over her at that moment. She missed his warmth in their bed. It had only been a week, but having him there beside her helped her to have peaceful sleeps too. But, they were stuck apart for a couple more weeks until the doctor gave him the all clear.

He shifted a bit on the sofa, causing the blanket that was over him to slide down a bit, leaving his chest partially exposed. Tifa just smiled softly. She pushed herself off of the counter and quietly moved into the living room. She carefully placed the glass down onto the coffee table, making sure to stay as silent as she could and moved closer to him. She grabbed the blanket gently and adjusted it, ensuring it was up onto his chest and keeping his slinged arm covered as much as possible. 

She felt a wave of affection wash over her as she looked down at the man. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for him. He meant everything to her and she would do whatever she could to help him through this journey. 

She lingered for a moment, wishing she could just curl up with him. This, to her, was probably the hardest part of the healing process. He could theoretically sleep in the bed with her, but he’d still have to stay sitting up, and if he wasn’t sitting up, he’d have to surround himself with pillows and even then, there was the risk of him rolling over.

Or hitting her with his sling.

She didn’t want that either. The sling was hard and she had a feeling it would hurt if she got hit with it.

Tifa finally pulled herself away from Cloud. She grabbed her glass of water from the coffee table and retreated into their bedroom. She pushed the door shut behind her and out of habit, turned on the TV. It was a habit she picked up from living with Cloud back in Nibelheim. At first, it irritated her and she struggled to sleep when they first moved in together, now, it gave her comfort. Even in his absence, it gave her a bit of security. It reminded her that he was just outside in the living room.

She went through her usual routine. Once the glass was placed on the table beside the bed, she lifted her shirt up and over her head. Tifa couldn’t fight off the shiver she felt from the cool air in the room. Having grown up in Nibelheim, both of them were used to the cooler weather and kept their heater in the apartment turned down a little bit.

Tifa went to get something from her dresser, finding a pair of her pajama pants then she dug out one of Cloud’s plain undershirts to sleep in. Something she’d done each night he was away from her. The oversized shirt had become her comfort. It was barely a substitute for his presence, but it got her through the nights alone in bed.

She pulled it over her head and hummed softly. Even though she’d washed it a couple of days prior, it still held a bit of his scent, something she loved. Something that was distinctly him. 

Tifa slowly returned to the bed, a sigh leaving her lips as she settled beneath the blankets on her side of the bed. She could have easily slept in the middle, having the whole thing all to herself, but it felt awkward. It had already been a little over a week since they had shared a bed and she missed him dearly. She knew that by the time she adjusted to him not being in bed with her then he’d be joining her again. 

She slowly turned onto her side and reached out for Cloud’s pillow. He had his other one with him in the living room. It, like the shirt she had on, held faint scents of him. It had been what had gotten her through the last week and it would be what got her through their time in two different sleeping spots.

A wave of weariness suddenly washed over her as she started to run the day through her head again. Her eyes closed from the exhaustion that was sinking into her. Caring for Cloud, making lunch and dinner for them, cleaning up the kitchen, on top of the things she usually did during the day, minor cleaning tasks that they’d do together, now she had all of it. 

The thought of leaving Cloud alone, even for the four or five hours while she worked, filled her to the brim with anxiety. She was terrified that he’d push himself too hard. He was stubborn enough to do that and she wouldn’t be here if he fell or busted stitches open.

That stubbornness was a constant source of worry for her. Just the day before, the day he came home, she caught him attempting to carry a bottle of water and a plate at the same time to go to the living room. He had the closed bottle draped over his arm like it was a shelf, even though he wasn’t supposed to lift anything until the doctor cleared him. Absolutely nothing, but also knew how impatient the man could be and sometimes it outweighed his common sense.

The thought of leaving him alone on Thursday filled her with dread. She knew she had Claire’s information but she was hoping to avoid having to ask her for her, but it was necessary. It would ease her mind to know that someone was there, someone that he knew.

And then there was the question of Cloud’s reaction. She knew that she didn’t have to worry about anything happening between them romantically. She knew how much Cloud loved her and she’d seen how Claire and Fang’s interactions went at the bar. So he wouldn’t be upset in an awkward kind of way. 

She worried about his pride. Him getting a “babysitter,” at least for one night while she worked wouldn’t be the end of the world, would it? He’d get over it if he got angry. She knew he’d eventually realize that it was for his own good. A reminder of how serious his recovery was.

She tightened her grip on the pillow and sighed softly. She knew that Cloud was committed to everything he had to do, but he was more stubborn and hard-headed than she was. He fought on almost everything, but always caved in the end. Claire being there would be the best thing for him. Her decision was made. Now she felt like she could relax and let the soft noise of the TV lull her to sleep.

Chapter Text

“I promise, I’ll be okay, Tifa.” Cloud repeated himself as he watched his girlfriend finish getting ready for her shift. It was already the fourth time he uttered those words to her. He could see her anxiety starting to take over and he felt this was the only thing he could do to try to help her. “You made some food earlier. I have plenty in the fridge.” He pointed his right arm towards the kitchen. “All I have to do is put it in the microwave. I can do all that with one hand.”

“I know, it’s just…” she trailed off as her eyes darted towards the clock on the wall. Claire should be arriving any minute. She had finally messaged her the night before, once Cloud was asleep and she was in bed, so Cloud wouldn’t get curious about anything. She explained everything she could to the other woman via message.

“It’s just what?” He asked, having noticed that her voice trailed off and that she never finished her statement. Cloud shifted on the sofa and swung his leg over the edge so he could sit up more.

Tifa’s eyes followed his movements. She caught the way he winced and tried to hide it. It was a small flinch that she didn’t miss. “That… it’s just that , Cloud. I’m so worried you’ll hurt yourself.” She confessed to him.

Cloud sighed softly. He looked back over at her, meeting her eyes. He was about to protest again. Tell her for the fifth time that he would be fine. But there was a sharp knock on their apartment door. “Who’s that?” He asked. He knew he wasn’t expecting any visitors and he was fairly certain that Tifa didn’t order anything.

Tifa glanced up at the clock and breathed a sigh of relief. Claire told her she’d be there at 6:45 and it was 6:45 on the dot. “Right on time,” she murmured as she opened the door, confirming it was the other woman.

Claire smiled at the woman and gave her a small nod. “I always am.” She could blame her time in the military for the punctuality she had for everything.

Cloud strained his neck as he attempted to look. But since the door was behind him and slightly around a corner, all he could see was Tifa’s back. “Who is it?” He asked again, hoping to get an answer this time. He heard the second female voice but couldn’t quite place it.

The strawberry blonde stepped further into the apartment, he slid her purse strap off of her shoulder and hung it on one of the hooks before she looked around a little bit. It reminded her of the apartment she shared with her wife. “Your babysitter,” she finally responded when she was in Cloud’s view. Her words drew a nervous laugh from Tifa.

“Excuse me?” Cloud’s voice rose slightly. His eyes narrowed when he saw the other woman appear.

Tifa sucked in a little breath and finally finished pushing the door. She slowly followed the woman towards the sofa and peaked around to look at him. “I’m going to say she’s more of a caretaker…” she began as she smiled slowly and softly at him. 

“Why?” Cloud jumped in. His eyes remained fixed on Claire for a moment longer. When Tifa stepped forward again, he looked in her direction. “I don’t need a caretaker.”

“You mean babysitter?” Claire teasingly corrected him. When he just grumbled in response, she continued. “Well, from what I’ve heard, you need one to protect you from yourself.”

“And what exactly have you heard?” Cloud’s eyes darted back towards Tifa. “Tifa?” He narrowed his eyes a bit when he saw the nervous smile on her face. Then he heard Claire laugh softly.

“Just that you’re a stubborn mule that hasn’t been listening to anything you’re supposed to be doing.” Claire replied with a playful smirk on her face. She folded her arms across her chest and stared the man down. “Tifa, go ahead to work. I’ll make sure that he doesn’t hurt himself.”

Tifa breathed a sigh of relief. Cloud didn’t seem overly angry, just more irritated. She’d seen that look on his face countless times, and it always faded away. It was all for his own good anyway. Especially given how he did way too much again the day before. She moved closer to the man and leaned down to kiss him softly. “I love you, please behave.” She warned him gently.

“I’m not a child,” he mumbled with a small huff.

“You’ve been acting like it.” She told him bluntly. “Don’t get mad, she’s here to help , Cloud. You’d do the same thing if the roles were reversed.” She quickly lifted her finger, pressing it against his lips when she saw him about to open his mouth. “This is a good thing, Cloud. Just a day or two, then I think I can trust you alone. Your leg’s been hurting all day. And with Claire here, you won’t have to get up as often.”

A slow smirk spread across Cloud’s face, his head tilting to the side so he could see Calire. “So she’s here to wait on me?”

“You wish,” Claire finally let out a small laugh. It was going to be an interesting evening with him, she could already feel it.

Tifa gripped Cloud’s jaw again, forcing him to look back towards her. “Please behave,” she repeated firmly. Seeing his soft smile and little nod helped her to relax. “Thank you.”

Cloud reached up with his right hand and gently gripped Tifa’s sweater to keep her close. “Why her though?” He had to ask.

“Because I offered. I doubt you’d be comfortable sitting at the bar all night while she worked. And you know Fang works the same shift she does, so yeah, it’s me.” Claire interjected as she watched the interaction between the two.

“And because she’s someone you know too,” Tifa added. She kept her eyes on him. “I’ll be home a little after midnight.” She reminded him of her schedule.

“Alright,” he gently tugged her back down, capturing her lips in a soft but lingering kiss. When she attempted to pull away, he tightened his grip. Tifa giggled and leaned back in to meet him for one more kiss. “I love you,” he murmured as he sank back onto the sofa.

“I love you too.” She leaned down and stole one more kiss before she went towards the door. “Please text me if you need anything,” she said mainly to Claire even though she knew Cloud could still hear her. “And I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me.”

Claire shrugged a little bit. “Watching him will be more entertaining than going home and watching TV.” She watched as Tifa went through the door. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt himself tonight.” She told her honestly. She saw another wave of relief wash over the woman’s face.

“Thank you, Tifa repeated one last time. She looked past the woman and saw the top of Cloud’s head peeking over the back of the sofa. “There’s food in the fridge, his plate is already made up, but there’s some extra in there, please help yourself.”

“That sounds good, thank you.” She was originally just planning to order something for herself. “I’ll let you know if he causes any trouble.” She made sure to say it loud enough to earn a groan from the man in the living room. Claire just chuckled softly. Once she had the front door shut and locked, she made her way back into the living room. “You, apparently, haven’t been listening, have you?” She asked him bluntly.

Cloud leaned back against the sofa again, trying to get as comfortable as he could. He wasn’t entirely opposed to Claire’s presence, but he still felt a bit uneasy, feeling like he was being treated like a child. “I’m just used to taking care of myself, even before having surgery.” He started to explain.

“And I can see how much that woman loves you. She’s protecting you from yourself.” She pointed out, a smile on her face. She watched as a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “And she cares about you. If she didn’t, I wouldn’t be here right now. And I won't be here tomorrow either.”

His smile faltered, turning into a small grumble. “Tomorrow too?” He stared at her.

“Probably depends on how much you behave tonight. But I’m already planning on being here tomorrow with you too. She originally said two nights.”

“Why offer though? We didn’t see each other for many years,” Cloud asked, genuinely curious. They’d had two short interactions since learning they lived in the same city again. Once at the bar, then once when she popped in when he was still at the hospital. 

Claire hummed softly as she helped herself to sitting on the armchair that was there. She crossed her legs and leaned back. “We were friends before,” she told him honestly, a small smile on her face. “I… honestly always thought we got along pretty well back then. And think of it as a way to make up for scaring you into thinking I was dead.” She whispered the last part to him.

His eyes remained fixed on her face as she spoke. He respected her honestly with him. He remembered all of the anxiety that he went through when he originally lost contact with the woman. She was the first of their old group of friends in Junon that had been shipped out. And she was the only one from that same group that was still alive. 

“So, you’re here as a sorry?” He asked finally, tilting his head to the side.

“Basically,” she replied with a little chuckle. “And to catch up a little bit more. Figured you can’t go anywhere anyway, so now I can ask you some questions.” She added as she shifted a little bit. When she saw a flash of apprehension on his face, she continued. “Nothing bad,” Claire reassured him.

She had no desire to pull up painful memories for either of them, especially for Cloud. She knew the details of Zack’s death. Cloud told her a little bit when they chatted at the hospital one more before Tifa came in. She didn’t need to know any more on that, nor did she even want to think about the senseless war that was still happening. 

Cloud shifted his weight a little bit, attempting to get more comfortable on the sofa, but it backfired on him. He felt a sharp twinge in his thigh and immediately stopped moving. He found himself unable to lift his right leg back up onto the cushions in front of him. Perhaps Claire’s presence was more of a blessing than a hindrance.

“Need some help?” Claire asked softly, there was no teasing or and judgment anywhere in her tone. She was genuinely there to help him throughout the night.

“Yeah…” he admitted softly and felt a blush of embarrassment was over him. He watched as she approached where he was seated. He leaned back into the corner of the sofa and watched as she gently lifted his right leg by his ankle to get him onto the sofa. He was able to get his left leg up without much issue. “Thank you,” he mumbled.

Claire offered a small, reassuring nod. “You’re welcome. Do you need anything else right now?” She asked since she was up on her feet. When he just shook his head, she didn’t believe him. Her eyes darted around the back of the sofa, immediately spotting a light blanket there that she grabbed to put over his legs. “Just in case.”

“You’re as bad as Tifa is,” Cloud narrowed his eyes playfully at her. “She’s done the same thing since I’ve been home.”

“Is that a bad thing?” She countered. When she glanced back, she caught his small attempt at a smile and just shook her head. Since she was up, she made her way into the kitchen, finding herself a bottle of water from the fridge. “So, have you thought about what I told you at the bar?” She asked as she came back to the living room and sat on the arm chair again.

“About what?” He asked, feigning ignorance. Even though he knew exactly what she was referring to.

Claire crossed her legs after she dug her phone out of her pocket. “About marrying her,” she clarified plainly. She glanced over at him and saw the way he looked away from her. “So you have been thinking about it.” She pointed out and now gave Cloud her full attention.

Cloud had indeed been thinking about it. He hadn’t stopped thinking about it since Claire mentioned it at the bar before his surgery. The image of Tifa as his wife was at the forefront of his mind. He wanted to ask her. He wanted to make her his . “Yeah, I’ve thought about it.”

“Okay, and?” Claire pressed, trying to get him to actually say something to carry the conversation. At least that hadn’t changed from his personality.

Cloud gently bit on the inside of his lip. His eyes moved from his lap towards his arm that was trapped in the sling. “And I want to,” he confessed to her.

She let out a small hum, having caught the way he looked at his shoulder. “Why don’t you then?”

Cloud just scoffed. He turned his entire head to look down at his arm. “There’s a few things in the way right now. In case you didn't notice.” His voice was laced with a bit of obvious frustration.

“All I hear are excuses,” she countered his argument. Her attention was drawn down to her phone, which had just vibrated with a new message. Claire turned her phone over to see it was from Tifa. “She’s already messaging me, by the way.” She unlocked her screen so she could read the entire message.

“Why’s she messaging you and not me?” Cloud huffed. He grabbed his phone from beside him and saw no messages on his screen.

“Probably because I’ll answer her honestly,” she kept her focus on the screen as she worked to type out a response to Tifa, letting her know that Cloud was doing just fine. “So, why are you delaying it? I know you’re healing, but there’s never really a wrong time to do it.” Claire put her phone back down on her lap before she looked over at the man. She could see the gears turning in his head.

Cloud could think of at least a half dozen different times where it would be wrong. He wanted it to be perfect because he knew that Tifa deserved everything perfect in his world. “Who proposed in your marriage?” He asked suddenly, attempting to deflect the conversation away from him.

Claire’s fingers lovingly traced the band of her wedding ring. A small smile graced her lips as she recalled the memory of her own proposal. “Fang asked me,” she replied honestly. “But, we’re not talking about me and my marriage, we’re talking about you and you being a chicken.”

He should have known his attempt at changing the subject away from him wouldn’t succeed. Even all those years ago, she knew when he was attempting to deflect. “We’re both simply focused on my recovery right now.” He reiterated. 

“And? Did you forget that you can do more than one thing at a time, Cloud?”

“I already told you that I do want to ask her. I know I want to ask her. I can’t picture myself with anybody else,” he sighed softly. “But…” he wasn’t a good time. Not to him. He looked down at his lap. 

Claire’s smile softened a bit as she listened to him. She could hear the unwavering love and devotion in his voice. She could see the small smiles on his face as he spoke about wanting nobody but Tifa. “I see it…” she murmured softly, mostly to herself.

But Cloud heard her. “See what?” At least the topic was off of him for a minute.

“Sorry.” She apologized before she continued. “Serah used to tell me there’s this tone that Fang uses when she talks about me whenever I’m not around. I think I see it now. I heard how you talked to Tifa before she left. I saw how you talked to her at the hospital and at the bar. But this… this is different,” she explained. “I don’t know you as well as I once did, obviously, but I know enough to see the devotion written all over your face.”

Cloud’s eyes slowly drifted downwards, trying to gather his thoughts. He had always struggled to articulate his feelings. Ever since he was a kid. It was easiest for him to do it with Tifa, yes. But he always had to work himself up to telling her something new. 

His mind drifted back to their teenage years. Before he left for the military. He remembered the way he would watch her and admire her. He had always been too afraid to ever tell her. 

Then he left and it felt like he had completely lost his chance. He had attempted to move on when he settled in Junon for a longer stint before the war broke out. His relationships with other women, even Claire were short lived. He realized that he was internally comparing everybody to Tifa. He didn’t realize it until things started with Tifa. When he returned home and their relationship started, it all became clear to him. 

“She’s the one that I want,” he finally spoke, his voice firm and unwavering.

“Then, what you do… is you ask her to marry you,” Claire continued to urge him. 

“I don’t have a ring. Nor do I have the money to get a ring,” he sighed. He had no idea when he’d be allowed to start working, if he ever got to that point. 

All she could do was laugh at him. “Not everything has to involve something tangible.” She watched as the gears continued turning in his head. It was written all over his face. “You don’t have to have a ring to ask her to marry you, Cloud.”

“Yeah…” he conceded. 

He wanted to fight her, but he knew, deep down, that she was right. A ring wasn’t required for him to ask her. But the romantic that was buried deep inside of him wanted to have that symbol. Something Tifa could wear to let everybody else know she was off the market.

He pulled the blanket a little higher on his body and shifted back just a little bit to focus on the TV. At least Claire wasn’t pushing the subject with him. It allowed him time to focus on his own bubble of thoughts. Sift through the best time to ask Tifa. If he ever actually did it. He really wanted the ring to give to her. But it would probably be years before he could afford it. 

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Claire’s phone ding with a new message. “Did Tifa message you again?” He asked, curious.

“It’s my wife, if you must know.” Claire laughed softly. “She’s just making sure we’re not actively killing each other.”

Cloud just shook his head. “You used to be a lot more quiet, what happened to you?” He asked. Claire seemed more outgoing and outspoken than she was all those years ago. 

“Fang happened. You’ve talked to her, she has no filter at all,” she replied. She finished typing a response to her wife before she put her phone to the side and shifted her attention back to him. “Tifa filled me in on a lot of things for tonight, what time do you normally take your medicine though? And what time did you want to eat?”

“I take my medicine when I eat,” he replied honestly as he checked the time on his phone. “I should probably take it soon. I took my last round with lunch and I can tell it’s starting to wear off.” Cloud shifted again and felt a jolt of pain from his thigh. “Not going to tell me anything else?”

“Nothing really to tell. She rubbed off on me big time. I started picking up on her bad habits.” She got up and went towards the kitchen. Just as she was about to ask him where it was, she spotted the bottles sitting along the wall, out of the way. “Which one?” She asked as she started to scan the labels on the bottles.

“One of each. One’s the painkiller, one is the muscle relaxer,” he explained.

Claire’s eyebrows arched a little bit when she saw the name of the medication he had. “They gave you the good stuff, didn’t they?” She teased. Claire got one of each of the pills out and got him a fresh glass of water before she moved to him. “I’ll get your food too. Don’t move or anything.” Teasing him was so easy and tempting.

Cloud grumbled softly when he popped the medication into his mouth. He chased both of the pills with a large gulp of water. Then he leaned back against the sofa cushions, “I don’t plan on moving, thanks. Pretty sure you’d yell at me anyway if I did.”

“Damn right.”

She lingered by him for a moment to make sure he didn’t need anything else before she walked back towards the kitchen. A quick glance into the fridge revealed two containers. That much have been what Tifa mentioned. She took the one that had less in it and popped the lid off to put it into the microwave for Cloud. 

“So, I have to ask…” Cloud started when he heard the microwave start. “How did you end up with a woman?”

Claire chuckled. She always remembered Cloud being open-minded, even from his tiny, hard to find on a map village. He had never shown any signs of hatred that she’d ever seen. “Would you believe me if I said it just kind of happened?”

“No, we have time. I want the story. Because… it might have been what, seven or eight years now? The last thing I remember is you were only ever interested in men.”

“Well, that’s because I was.” She shrugged. It took her a moment to continue her response while she hunted the drawers for utensils. “We met at the bar, actually. She’s been there for years.” Claire reached into the microwave to get the container out. “She started flirting with me pretty much from the second she saw me… I turned her down four times for a date.”

“Four times? I’ll give her credit for being persistent then.”

“She is… she definitely is.” She mixed up the food in the container before she started to go in and take his food to him. “It was my sister that convinced me to give it a try. Fang knew right from the beginning that I’d never had interest in women before. And it was a bit of an experiment for me. She ended up taking it as a challenge.” She stopped beside him. “And now, a little over four years later, we’re coming up to our third wedding anniversary.”

And look at you being a softly now,” Cloud teased her. 

“And you’re still an asshole.” She looked down at him, watching as he shifted his position to sit up a little bit more. “How is this going to work for you?” She asked.

Cloud turned to reach for the pillow and stopped when his leg slipped and he felt pulling in his leg. He lifted his shorts a bit to look and make sure he didn’t damage any of the sutures. They’d be coming out in two more days and the doctor had already informed him he could keep it uncovered. When he went to pull his shorts back down, he noticed Claire’s gaze fixed on his leg. 

“Yeah, it’s still ugly looking,” he commented. Cloud pulled the shorts up a little more, revealing the long, bruised incision that ran along his thigh. It was still sunk in around the incision, but he held out hope the doctor’s words were right and things would shift as he continued healing and using the other muscles.

“I see that. I can only imagine what your shoulder looks like.” She shook her head a bit as she looked up towards his shoulder. He had a tank top on that day so she could see the heavy bandage that covered the area. She simply waited for him to adjust again and saw the way he pulled one of the pillows onto his lap. 

“Trust me, you don’t want to see that. Tifa almost cried this morning when she changed the bandage.” He frowned softly. Once he was settled, he gently patted the pillow for Claire to put the food container down. When she did, he carefully adjusted his left arm, attempting to secure the container with his fingers as best as he could. He couldn’t feel anything in his hand still, but he could see when his fingers were wrapped around something to stabilize it.

“And are you supposed to be doing that?” She asked him, her arms folding over her chest.

“Yes, I can do this. I’m not actually lifting anything. I’m just holding it.” He looked at her. Holding something in place was something he could do, something that Tifa allowed him to do.

Claire hummed softly, unsure if she should believe him, especially after what Tifa had told her. “Do I need to text Tifa to find out?” She threatened.

“Go ahead, she’ll tell you it’s okay.” He chuckled softly. He knew he wasn’t supposed to have any weight at all on his left side, not until physical therapy started and they gave him specific instructions. He wasn’t about to get caught and scolded again for doing something he wasn’t supposed to. It made him feel like a child.

“Alright,” she was still leery on if he should be doing that. But the fact that he told her to go ahead and message Tifa tipped her to believing him. She made her way back into the kitchen and got into the other container so serve herself some of the chicken and rice. “How did you and Tifa get started? I told you my story, now it’s your turn.”

Cloud focused on the first few bites of his food as he slowly smiled. “The start was a little rough… I moved back home after my shoulder injury. I couldn’t keep a job in Midgar.” He hated that part, it was a horrible time in his life. “I wasn’t in a good spot, at all when I first got back to Nibelheim.”

“Physically? I know your shoulder was pretty bad.” She asked, watching him until the microwave beeped, letting her know that her food was ready as well. She retrieved it and stirred it as she made her way back out to the living room to settle in the chair.

He shook his head gently. He didn’t respond right away as he felt all those memories hit him hard. It was rare that it came back to the surface anymore, something he was thankful for. “That was only part of it. I was just… I was ready for everything to end back then,” he confessed softly to her. He glanced up to catch her sad nod. He didn’t want to elaborate, and was happy she didn’t push. “Each time I went home before, Tifa and I always caught up like we never missed a day. But then I was home all the time and we just started spending more and more time together,” Cloud shrugged. “Finally admitted that there were feelings, and there had been feelings since we were teens.”

“And to think, you called me a softie.” She smirked playfully at him. “I’m happy you found someone to put up with you though, Cloud. I really am.”

Cloud scoffed softly at her statement. But he didn’t bother to hide the little smile that came to his face. He always had this type of banter with Claire, even when they were together. Having the woman there with him tonight was a welcome distraction. “I honestly probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.”

“Here in Junon?” She asked. 

“No, not just here in Junon.” He left it at that. He heard a soft “oh” come from Claire’s direction and knew she read between his lines. He didn’t have to actually say it out loud, thankfully.

It had taken him months to reach a point where he could mostly talk about that rough point in his life. He still tried to avoid the topic because he wasn’t sure how much it would bring him down. Having someone there that he knew from his past was providing more comfort than he originally thought it would.

Then his mind drifted to Tifa and all of her unwavering support she offered him. Even from the moment he got home. She was there to help him navigate through his demons. He felt that there was no possible way that he would ever be able to show his gratitude for her. 

As he continued eating his meal, the silence in the room was comforting to him. He felt thankful for Tifa asking Claire to keep him company. Even if he felt he didn’t need it, he knew why she did it. And it was nice for him to have someone else in Junon to talk to that wasn’t just his partner.

Tifa slid her key into the lock and tried to suppress a yawn. She felt exhausted. The night dragged on, it was busy enough to pass the time, but her attention had mostly been on Cloud and being worried about him. At least Claire had provided random updates to her throughout the night. She quietly pushed open the front door and spotted Claire in the kitchen at the sink washing some dishes.

“Hey, I’m home.” She announced her presence to the other woman. She didn’t hear Cloud and saw just the top of his head peeking out over the sofa. “He asleep?” She asked, lowering her voice a little bit so she wouldn’t disturb him if he was.

“Yeah,” she nodded. Claire shut off the faucet and put the last of the dishes onto the drying rack. “He fell asleep about a half hour ago, finally.”

“How was he? Did he behave?” Tifa asked. 

She left her shoes and jacket by the door and walked further into the apartment. When she peeked around the side of the sofa, she smiled softly. He was propped up in the corner, his legs stretched out in front of him. She saw his left arm was perched up on the pillow he’d been using to prop his arm up. And she saw the blanket resting against his chest. He looked comfortable. At least for now.

Claire turned and leaned against the counter to watch the other woman. “He did behave. Had an incident with him holding the bowl as he ate. But he claims he’s allowed to do that?” She tilted her head a bit, still questioning the validity of his claim.

Tifa chuckled softly. “Yeah, he’s allowed to do that. Just no lifting at all.” When Claire confirmed he wasn’t holding it, she just nodded. “Okay, good.” She glanced towards the living room again, getting a good view of the sleeping man. “I can’t thank you enough for doing this, Claire.”

“You’re welcome. We got to spend the time catching up, honestly. It was nice. If you need me again, just let me know. I don’t normally do much once I’m home from work. We live a rather boring life.” She chuckled. She was happy with her boring life though. “Oh,” she stopped when she got to her purse and jacket by the door. “I wanted to know how you make that chicken and rice. It was delicious and I know Fang would love it.”

Tifa blushed slightly at her compliment. “I’ll send you a message. It’s something my mom taught me when I was growing up… before she passed.” She followed the woman towards the door to walk her out. “I’m going to go ahead and say yes about tomorrow. Just one more day. I’ll see how his leg is feeling in the morning, but it would give me a sense of ease knowing he wasn’t alone just yet.”

“Sounds good, same time?” She saw Tifa nod. “See you tomorrow then.” Claire smiled at her and double checked that she had everything before she bid her a good night and left.

Tifa breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Cloud was safe. Having Claire there ensured that. One more night of supervision wouldn’t hurt him. It would give her a sense of comfort at least and he’d have someone there to help him, even if he was always too stubborn to ask for it. 

She moved back into the kitchen and found the container with the remaining chicken and rice in it. Once she popped it into the microwave, she leaned against the counter to watch the man she loved. His healing process was going to be horribly slow, they both knew that. She hoped that with his physical therapy sessions fully starting next week, it would help progress things a little quicker. 

Only time would tell how he healed and if he regained use of his left arm.

Chapter Text

Cloud reached up with his right hand and gently gripped the strap of his sling that rested against the nape of his neck. He was getting tired of the way it pinched him throughout most of the day. He woke up just last week with a bruise on his neck that looked like Tifa had given him a hickey. 

That was embarrassing at the doctor’s visit.

It didn’t come from Tifa, sadly enough. It came from the damn strap that continued to pinch him. 

When he finally got it into a somewhat comfortable spot, he stood up and made his way into the kitchen. His leg still hurt him, but not nearly as much as it did when he first had his surgery. It was his shoulder that bothered him the most anymore. Reaching into the fridge, he grabbed one of the bottles of water that Tifa had already broken the seal on. Something simple that made his life that much easier. He couldn’t hold the bottle tightly enough to open it.

The past week had been great for him overall. Dr. Sheiran removed the stitches on his leg. That alone was an uncomfortable situation for him. He had feeling in his entire leg, and it showed when the stitches unraveled from under his skin. It was one of the strangest sensations he’d ever had, feeling it being pulled free. Then came the removal of the staples from his shoulder. That was much easier for him. The numbness he had in that part of his body made it easy. There was only one staple that stung a little bit, the one closest to his neck. But now that they were out, he felt more free.

According to the doctor, his recovery was progressing smoothly. He never had any signs of infection at either incision sight. The swelling in his shoulder had subsided considerably. The mobility in his fingers and hand was steadily improving. He was satisfied with where he was with the movements in his whole arm as well. While he still had to wear the sling for a little while longer, he could finally sleep in bed with Tifa. No more sleeping alone on the sofa. He could be near her and the past two nights showed him just how much he’d missed that connection with the woman.

Turning a bit, Cloud reached out to put the bottle of water on the counter then he turned back towards the fridge to see what was in there. The food he was supposed to have, spaghetti, sat in a container on the top shelf. All it made him do was sigh. It wasn’t that it was bad, it was just the same thing he had that day for lunch. He didn’t want it again. He spied some lunch meats and cheese on the shelf as well before he closed it and opened the freezer. There wasn’t much in there. Two frozen meals that they’d gotten to help him sat on the shelf, plus a few other things that didn’t catch his interest.

A soft sigh escaped his lips. Cooking something wouldn’t be too hard, would it? He still had full use of his right hand, so surely he could manage a simple meal. He reached into the freezer and rummaged around a little bit. Nothing appealed to him.

Frustrated, Cloud pushed the freezer door shut and looked at the front of the fridge. He already knew what was in there. Stepping back, he went towards the kitchen cabinets. He saw some canned vegetables, a few cans of soup and their loaf of bread for sandwiches. Soup and grilled cheese sounded pretty appealing to him then. And it should be simple enough for him to complete.

He reached up into the cabinet and found a can of soup that caught his interest. He carried it over to the stove and retrieved a pot and a pan from the cabinet beside the stove so he could make his grilled cheese too.

Then he encountered a problem.

The can of soup was a pop-top lid. Under normal circumstances, opening it would be easy for him. But he could barely grip anything with his left hand now. That didn’t stop him from trying. He turned his body a bit so he could grab it with his left hand. He was able to hold it steady enough to at least get the tab lifted, popping into the can. But, then he tried lifting it, squeezing as much as he could muster with his left hand. 

Cloud tried to lift the tab with his other hand, but the can lifted right out of his left hand too. “Dammit,” he grumbled softly to himself.

Resetting, Cloud leaned down a bit to try to get a different angle on the can. As tightly as he could manage, he gripped it and tried once again to open the top. Again, it slipped right out of his hand. He looked into the original, tiny opening that popping the tab created. Not nearly large enough to let any of the vegetables pass through it for him to cook it.

“Fuck,” he huffed a little louder and resisted the urge to throw the can into the sink. He had it in his hand and wanted to. But he knew that it wouldn’t help him feel better. 

He would just have to wait to have the soup tomorrow. He’d have to wait for Tifa to open the can for him and as much as he wanted it tonight, he didn’t feel like waiting until the woman returned home from work to open it.

With a soft sigh, Cloud dug through another cabinet until he found a plastic container that the whole can could fit into. He sifted through, finding the lid for it before securing it as best as he could to the top to keep it fresh until the next day. He tossed it into the fridge and sighed softly. 

What was he supposed to eat now?

Sure, he still had the spaghetti in there, and it was delicious, he just didn’t want the same thing again. His eyes drifted through the apartment to look towards the front windows that overlooked the busy main road below.

He was allowed to walk further now. The doctor had basically cleared him for as much walking as he could tolerate. Running or excessive stairs were still limited to him because of the strain it put on the still healing area of his thigh. But walking he could do. He could go and get some food.

The craving for soup and a sandwich was still strong for him. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized he could get ramen from the shop just down the road from them. Sure, he wouldn’t have his grilled cheese to go with it, but he could get himself a steamed bun or two.

It sounded good to him so he decided to make his way towards the front door and leaned down to grab his shoes. Once he was settled back onto the side of the sofa he sighed softly. Would Tifa be upset that he was going out on his own? He knew he’d be fine, but he didn’t want to upset her since she’d done so much to help him. Once his shoes were on both of his feet, he grabbed his phone so he could send a quick message to Tifa, letting her know ahead of time.

Cloud: Hey, I’m going out to get ramen, what do you want?

He didn’t expect an immediate reply, but the second he started to get up, his phone vibrated and dinged in his hand.

Tifa: There’s leftovers in the fridge, Cloud.

Cloud: I know that, but it’s the same thing I had for lunch. I don’t want it.

Tifa: So you decided to go out?

Cloud: I decided to try to open a can of soup but I can’t hold it. THEN I decided to go out.

Tifa: Okay, smartass lol. Please be careful.

Cloud: I will.

Tifa: Get me the vegetable ramen, please? And please let me know when you get home.

Cloud: I will, I promise.

Cloud waited for a minute before he stood up. Simply hanging around to see if she was going to message him again. When he received nothing, he shoved his phone down into his pocket and ensured he had his wallet. This was his first trip outside alone since his surgery. Now all he had to hope for was that the Thursday evening crowds wouldn’t be too overwhelming for him.

He grabbed his apartment key from the hook beside the door and shoved it into his pocket. Cloud pulled the door shut behind him. He had been anxious to get some sort of freedom back, but now that he had it, it scared him a little bit. Resisting the urge to rush to the elevator, Cloud took his time. Pacing himself was the best bet for him. The last thing he wanted to do was get down the road to get their dinner and his leg hurt too much to get home comfortably.

The elevator ride down to the atrium level was smooth. As Cloud stepped out into the open area and looked around. It was far more crowded than he thought it would be on a Thursday. His body tensed slightly before he carefully started to navigate the group of people, doing his best to avoid others.

“Careful,” Cloud’s eyes narrowed at the guy in a suit. The man was so absorbed in his phone conversation that he almost ran into Cloud’s bad side. “Asshole,” he mumbled under his voice. Paying attention was hard for some people.

Finally clearing the archway, he stepped out into the cool evening air. Normally, his brief trips outside were only long enough to get to the road and into a waiting cab to go to one of his many appointments. Now, instead of riding around to the other side of the city for his physical therapy, he could actually enjoy the crisp evening air.

His moment of peace and calm was broken by a child that collided with him from behind. Cloud hissed from the sharp jolt of pain that shot through his shoulder. His jaw clenched as he tried to push back the sudden anger he felt. It was just a little kid. His anger fell immediately when the child immediately started to stammer out an apology. Cloud simply nodded down at him before he continued his walk down the sidewalk.

Cloud started to wonder if he should have just ordered for delivery instead of coming out on his own. But, his desire to not eat leftovers outweighed that. Cloud stayed along the building as he walked slowly along the shops. It only took him a few minutes to reach the ramen shop. 

When he went inside, he offered a soft ‘thank you’ to the woman that was exiting and held the door open for him. Cloud made his way to the counter and looked over one of the menus while he waited his turn. Just in that short time, he felt his stomach rumble. When it was his turn, he ordered the two ramens along with some steamed buns for both him and Tifa.

Cloud reached into his back pocket to get his wallet then frowned as he fumbled to get cash out of it. Holding it in his left hand didn’t work. At all. After a moment of shifting through the bills he handed the money over to the cashier. Stepping side to wait for his food, he found himself reaching up to adjust the strap on the sling.

It was a constant annoyance to him. He knew he had to keep it on, especially when he was out of the house and during sleep. Dr. Sheiran gave him a little more freedom to go without it for little bits of time at home. Something he’d definitely taken advantage of. But now, he was stuck in it.

“Sir, your food.” The cashier’s voice broke through his thoughts and made his stomach grumble again.

“Thanks,” Cloud offered her a brief nod. He carefully took the bag in his right hand and started towards the door. Where he hummed softly. Shifting the bag just a bit, he pushed the door open to leave the shop.

Thankfully, the walk back was uneventful for him. Nobody nearly knocked him over, nobody rammed into him. People actually paid attention to him and where they were going. 

When he finally got home, it took him a few frustrating moments to fumble with his keys in one hand before he finally opened the front door and went through his usual routine. Keys hung on the hook, door locked behind him, shoes kicked off by the door. First, he stopped in the kitchen and unloaded everything so he could separate the things he’d gotten for her. He put those containers into the microwave for Tifa later then grabbed his things as carefully as he could to take them into the living room and sat on the sofa.

Once he wrestled the lid off of the ramen container and got his phone out to send Tifa an update.

Cloud: I’m home. Kid ran into me, I’m okay.

Tifa: You sure?

Cloud: Yeah, kid looked terrified about it.

Tifa: You got food?

Cloud looked at his screen to snap a picture of the food that he got. Once he attached it, he typed out a message.

Cloud: Yup, got your ramen too and there’s a steamed bun in the microwave for you.

Tifa: Oh, that looks good. Thank you for grabbing me food. I love you.

Cloud: I love you too. Work going okay?

Tifa: Yeah, so far. Some guy hit on me but he stopped when Fang threatened him.

Cloud: Do I need to come down there?

Cloud places his phone on the coffee table beside his bowl. He grabbed his chop sticks and mixed everything together. He took a bite and quickly regretted it since the broth was still hot. Instead, he reached out for one of the steamed buns and opened it so he could take a bite. Going to get food that night was a good decision he made for himself.

Tifa: And do what? Knock him out with your sling?

Cloud: Well yeah. You know how hard this thing is.

He could picture Tifa laughing or rolling her eyes at him. Knowing her, probably both. He leaned down to take a bite of his food again and put it down as Tifa responded to him again.

Tifa: I love you so much, Cloud lol. Enjoy your food. Don’t forget to take your medicine, you’re almost done with it.

“Oh yeah…” he grumbled to himself. He put his food down and got up to get the medicine from the bottle. He felt like he didn’t need it anymore, but the doctor told him it was important to take everything, especially since he was still healing internally. Just two more days of it. If it wasn’t for Tifa, he would have stopped taking it last week when he felt like he didn’t need it anymore. 

He was almost feeling like he was back to normal. Now to just keep working on his grip, mobility and strength.

Tifa slid her key into the lock to let herself into her apartment. A yawn escaped her lips when she opened the door. She expected to see the light on in the kitchen, but not the living room light, nor the TV. She hummed softly when she heard the soft sounds from whatever show was on. Cloud normally shut everything off out here. Unless he forgot he could sleep in bed now.

When she didn’t hear him say anything, she quietly closed and locked the door behind her. She slipped off her coat and left that and her bag by the door before she went further into the apartment. She wasn’t fully expecting to see Cloud on the sofa still. He’d been so anxious to get back into bed with her. 

But, sure enough, he was there. She spotted a small bit of his familiar blonde hair that peeked over the back of the sofa. Inching her way in further, she tilted her head to look around the side of the sofa. He was nestled into the corner but he wasn’t sitting up as far as he normally did. He was slouched down with his chin pushed down into his chest and his head tilted a bit to the side. 

Her eyes traveled down to see he still had his sling on and one of the blankets was draped loosely along his legs. He didn’t mean to fall asleep out there. Tifa decided not to disturb him just yet. She went into the kitchen and opened the microwave door. She pulled the food out and got everything ready in the ramen before she popped it back in to reheat it. It was never as good reheated, but it would still be good. After she set the timer, she went into the bedroom to change into her pajamas.

She stripped down and changed into some fuzzy pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Just as she opened the door again, she cringed. She’d never realized just how loud the beeping of the microwave actually was. It echoed through the otherwise quiet apartment, drawing Cloud from his slumber.

“Tifa?” He mumbled groggily. Cloud groaned as he lifted his head. His neck hurt from the angle it was at. Once the fog of sleep wore off some more, he looked around and spotted her walking towards the kitchen.

“Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” She spoke softly, watching as he started to sit up on the sofa. “Surprised you’re out here. You were waiting so long to get in bed again.”

Cloud slowly sat up the rest of the way and caught the remote as it slid off his stomach towards the floor. “I was watching a movie. Guess I fell asleep,” he mumbled. His right hand came up to rub along his face before he covered his mouth to try to hide his yawn. “How was work?” He asked. He knew he could go right to bed and let her eat, but he wanted to see her for a few minutes first.

Tifa moved closer to him and leaned down to kiss him softly. She laughed softly when his hand reached out and she felt a gentle tug on her top. “It was okay.” She answered honestly. He finally let her go so she could stand upright again to go get her food. “That guy I told you about started hitting on me again. He didn’t seem threatening, so the second warning from Fang to kick him out worked.”

Cloud reached out to turn the volume button down on the TV. “I told you I could have come over there.” He felt a wave of possessiveness wash over him.

She chuckled softly as she watched him from her spot in the kitchen. She found the second set of chopsticks and opened the package before she made her way over to join him on the sofa. Leaving her ramen to cool a little bit, she focused on the steamed bun first. “Cloud, you can’t feel anything in your left arm,” she reminded him, smiling gently at him. “I appreciate it, I love you. But I also don’t want you to get yourself hurt more just trying to defend me.”

“I know,” he mumbled, a hint of defeat in his voice. He still wanted to do what he could to protect the woman he loved. “People need to know you’re not on the market,” he added as he leaned back on the cushions to get comfortable while she ate her food.

Tifa’s smile widened at his possessive statement. “Trust me, I make it well known,” she told him playfully. “It’s not my fault that they don’t listen to me.” She heard him scoff softly. She could tell some of his frustration was sinking in, but it also told her just how much he truly did care for her. “I’ll be fine. I’ll break someone’s nose if I have to. I’ve almost broken yours a few times,” she smirked, teasing him.

Cloud stared at her for a moment as he slowly cringed. “I try not to think about that. That punching bag hurts when it smacks you in the face.” He shook his head before he lifted his arm above his head, groaning in contentment from the stretching he felt through his body.

“Did you do your exercises today?” She asked. Tifa watched him as he nodded and made sure to examine his face for signs of lying. But there were none. She trusted he actually did it. “Okay, good. And your medicine?”

“Yeah, after you reminded me. There’s only one day left in there.” He was hoping he wouldn’t need anymore pain medication after it was all gone.

Tifa shook her head gently before she focused on the last bite of the bun. “I don’t think you’ll need it. You’ve been doing really good so far.” 

Cloud nodded slightly as a small, genuine smile graced his lips. He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to the woman’s cheek. “It’s weird… I actually feel good. Thank you…”

“For what?” She tilted her head curiously.

“All of this. For suggesting it, for coming with me. Just… thank you,” he murmured to her. Cloud leaned in and kissed her again, a deeper, lingering kiss. “I’m going to head to bed, don’t be too long.” He smiled softly as he started to get up from the sofa.

“I won’t,” she promised softly. She watched as he stretched again and went off towards their bedroom. She knew, deep down in her heart she’d do anything for him. And hearing the way Cloud acted over something as little as someone flirting with her, made her realize just how much he cared about her. 

Chapter Text

Tifa slid the tray of clean classes off of the table in the back. She’d just finished emptying out the dishwasher and loading it with the next batch. There were only three customers at the bar that night so it gave her and Lebreau a chance to catch up on things that needed to be done. 

The snow outside was sending people home instead of out to drink, even though they were nestled safely in one of the atriums, away from the outside weather. However, it didn’t stop the cold from seeping in through the open archways.

When she put the tray on the edge of the bar counter, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket yet again and smiled. Her and Cloud had been messaging most of the night since it was so slow. It helped to pass the time, kept her occupied, and Lebreau didn’t care. As long as the customers that were there were taken care of and everything got done on time.

She shifted and dug her phone out of the pocket. When the screen lit up, she chuckled at his message.

Cloud: I’m bored. There’s nothing on TV.

Tifa: You could always come and get a drink.

Cloud: Then I’m going to be distracted by this gorgeous bartender that I know.

Tifa blushed as she read his message. Instead of responding right away, she put her phone down on the counter and focused on unloading the clean glasses. She lined them up perfectly on the shelf under the counter so they’d be ready to go for their use the next night, where hopefully the weather would be better and it would be busier.

As she finished emptying the tray, she heard her phone start to vibrate along the counter. Leaning over, she dragged her fingers along the screen to unlock it and read the message he sent her.

Cloud: So, I have found some other ways to keep myself occupied when I’m bored.

Tifa: I’m almost afraid to ask. You know you still shouldn’t be doing a whole lot, Cloud.

The woman shook her head slightly. She had no idea what Cloud could be up to at home. Part of her expected him to just show up at any moment. He was free and clear by the doctor to walk as much as he could tolerate now. Something that she knew he took advantage of. He’d taken walks with her in the mornings, and she knew he’d taken a few after she’d gone to work. 

It got him out of the apartment and helped his cabin fever that she knew he was getting a horrible case of. She shook her head of her wandering thoughts then grabbed the empty tray to go and put it in its usually home under the counter so they could have quick access to it.

“Talking to that boyfriend of yours?” Fang leaned against the counter for a moment before she just decided to sit down. She reached across to go after Tifa’s phone and laughed when Tifa snatched it before she could. “Whatcha hiding’ in there? Something sexy?”

“We’re just talking,” Tifa tried to defend herself. But she felt Fang’s eyes burning holes into the side of her head as she unlocked her screen to see the message from her boyfriend.

Cloud: Just things. Found some extra exercises for my hand.

Tifa tilted her head a little bit at the message. He found some extra exercises for his hand? She was glad that he was doing it to help his strength and mobility. But there was something about the way he was wording things that made her question his motives. Even through the messages, she could sense that he was being playful. 

Tifa: Well, I’m glad you’re still doing your exercises, Cloud.

Cloud: Oh no, not that exercise.

The woman’s jaw dropped as she caught up to what he was hinting at. It wasn’t the first time he’d randomly sent her spicy texts, but she normally didn’t see them while she was at work. Or if she did, it was during a break and she was away from her co-workers’ prying eyes.

“Whatcha blushin’ for?” Fang tilted her head as a sly smirk spread across her face. Even in the dimly lit bar, she could still see the hue on Tifa’s cheeks.

“Cloud’s being…” Tifa shyly shook her head. 

“Being what?” Fang pushed a little more. Her eyes never left Tifa. She saw another shy, nervous look appear on the woman’s face. “Oh, I get it. He’s bein’ a man right now, isn’t he?”

Tifa bit her lip and felt her face burn even brighter. “Do you have to say it so loud, Fang?”

“Don’t be shy. Nobody here cares. Might laugh, but some of ‘em will just be jealous. You should see the messages I send Claire sometimes,” she wiggled her eyebrows playfully. 

Still, Tifa quickly shook her head. Back in Nibelheim, people didn’t talk about these things in the open. It was always a private conversation to have away from prying eyes or ears. “I’m afraid to open this message.” She admitted when she felt her phone vibrate again in her hand. 

“I’ll do it then,” she reached her hand out to grab the phone from her. She was surprised when Tifa let her take the phone from her. She couldn’t unlock the device completely, but she could at least read the preview. “It’s something that I’d rather…” Fang tilted her head at the message and smirked. “Something he’d rather you be doing? Yup, he’s bein’ a man.”

“Fang!” Tifa wanted to hide. She didn’t expect the woman to read the message out loud. Thankfully, the only person that was close enough to hear her was Lebreau. “Give me my phone back! Dammit…”

Lebreau grabbed a beer from the fridge near where Tifa was. She returned to the paying customer just long enough to hand it over before returning to her co-workers. “Sexting at work, Tifa? I didn’t know you had it in you.” She winked at the woman who had become a friend to her since she started working there.

Tifa wanted to crawl into one of the cabinets in the back, wait for the bar to close for the night for everybody to leave. That would give her the opportunity to sneak home in the shadows. Just thinking about talking like this to anybody outside of Cloud felt awkward to her.

“Come on, what did he say?” Fang pushed, wanting to know the rest of the message.

Tifa took a deep breath and looked at them for a moment. She turned her back to them and looked down at her phone to unlock it.

Cloud: It’s something I’d rather you be doing.

Cloud: Either your hand or your mouth. I vote for your mouth.

Tifa wasn’t sure she could blush any harder at that moment. Now it was all she could think about. Her mind was filled with images of her wrapping her lips around Cloud. Thoughts she couldn’t be having while at work.

Tifa: Cloud Strife I’m at work!

Cloud: What’s your point? You’re the one responding to me.

And now she tossed around the idea of not responding to him anymore. She quickly cleared her throat and shoved her phone back down into her pocket. When she turned around, she found the other two women staring at her. “What?”

“You need to loosen up a bit, Tifa. We aren’t your small little mountain village around here. If you’re sexting, we’ll just laugh about it.” Lebreau saw a flash of pure fear travel across Tifa’s face and it made her laugh harder. “Fang does it all the time with Claire. You know I give her a hard time every time I catch her.”

Realization hit Tifa. She’d noticed random times when Lebreau was a little more chatty with Fang. Little jabs at her. “You were…” she couldn’t even say the word.

“Sexting? With my wife? Yes. You can say it, Tifa.” She teased her.

Tifa bit the inside of her lip as she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket again. “I’m sorry. We just… we grew up in a place where you didn’t talk about it. Ever.”

“Well, you’re not there anymore.” Fang reminded her. “It’s dead in here right now. Answer him.” She leaned against the counter, watching the other woman. “Plus, he’s a man, it’s easier to make them suffer.”

Tifa lifted her hand to run her fingers through her hair. It was so taboo back at home. Even learning about it in her schooling, the teacher was shy about it, and very few of the kids took it seriously. She had to admit that she was rather curious about what Cloud’s message said. 

“Okay, fine.”

Fang leaned further across the counter, watching the conflict on Tifa’s face. “Ya know… I should bring ya one of Claire’s sex books.”

“Her what? ”

“Those romantic things. Man and a woman, there’s some sex.” She saw it dawn on Tifa as to what she meant. “You should read those things. It’ll help you loosen up.”

“I don’t need romance novels to loosen up…”

“It wouldn’t hurt. Might teach ya a thing or two.” Fang smirked. “I’ll ask Claire which one she’ll recommend and bring it tomorrow.” She nodded mostly to herself. She’d have to remember to ask her wife. “So, do you talk to him about this face to face?”

“No… not really.” She shook her head as she bit her lip. “We tease each other and flirt, but he doesn’t usually say things like this in messages, let alone in person.”

Fang shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose gently. “I’m sure you’ll like it if ya try it. You need a sexting lesson. Give me your phone.”

“No, I’m not–”

“Just give me the phone.” Fang extended her hand for it. She heard the woman huff but soon she felt the device be placed in her hand. “Thank you.” She looked down at the screen and chuckled at his message. 

Cloud: Your mouth works wonders.

Tifa: Maybe I can show you when I get home.

“Here.” She handed it back to Tifa.

Taking the phone, she looked down at what she sent and nearly dropped it. “Fang!”

“What? Just tryin’ to help ya push things along a little bit. Seemed like ya were struggling.” Fang grinned at her before she stood up from the stool. “I know you’re thinkin’ it. All you have to do is type it.”

Tifa stared at the woman, watching as she started to walk away. Shaking her head, she forced herself to look back down at the screen when Cloud sent another message. 

Cloud: Oh really? When do you plan on being home?

Tifa: I’m scheduled til midnight, you know that.

Cloud: I know. I can wait. Especially for that mouth.

Tifa: You’re in a mood today, aren’t you?

Cloud: I’ve been in a mood ever since the doctor said no more sex restrictions.

Tifa’s face scrunched up as she tried to hold in her laughter. She couldn’t though. She just shook her head and put her phone back into her pocket. A customer had come to the counter to get a fresh drink for herself. She couldn’t blame the man for being in a mood. She’d been in one too. They’d gone almost two months with nothing, so knowing they didn’t have to hold back had her wanting more of him too.

She popped the top on a fresh beer and slid it across to the woman. “Thanks,” she nodded at her. When she took the gil from the counter, she saw there was an extra little bit in there as a tip for her. 

She got her phone back out of her pocket and leaned against the back counter. The second she unlocked the screen, it was grabbed out of her hand. “Hey, give me that.”

Lebreau turned her back to Tifa and smirked. “I don’t have anybody to sext, let me have fun with this… Now what did it… oh my.” She tilted her head when she saw the message contained a picture. A picture that left nothing to her imagination. Cloud’s left hand was wrapped around himself. And he was very ready.

“What did he…” Tifa’s eyes grew wide when she looked over Lebreau’s shoulder and caught a glimpse of the picture. “Oh God! Give me my phone. Stop taking it!” She scolded both of them, making sure her voice was loud enough for Fang to hear as well. 

Lebreau nodded as she laughed openly. “I mean… he’s working with a lot there. I see why you’re happy.”

Tifa finally snatched her phone back from the other woman. She had barely seen a glimpse of the picture when Lebreau had her phone, but it was enough to see it was mostly skin. She turned away from the woman and finally looked at the picture. Her eyes grew wide. Cloud had sent her a picture like that once before, back in Nibelheim. She was working and he’d gotten bored at home. Tifa cleared her throat as she felt a shiver travel straight to her core. Cloud was rock hard, his left hand was loosely wrapped around himself. 

“Please stop.” She pleaded softly with her friend.

Lebreau continued laughing anyway as she looked up at the clock. It was a few minutes after 11. Tifa was scheduled until Midnight. “Go ahead and go home, Tifa. It’s obvious that you have a rather large package waiting for you.” Motioning to the woman’s phone, she bit back a smirk when Fang’s laughter carried from the other end of the counter.

“I hate both of you.” Tifa pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed softly. She didn’t even bother to fight the embarrassment anymore. It was useless. She couldn’t help herself as she glanced down at the picture on the phone again, wanting to get a better look at it.

But Lebreau saw it. “Go home! He’s obviously waiting for you.” She waved her hand in her general direction to chase her out from behind the bar. “It’s quiet tonight, I can handle it. You have something else to be handling.”

Normally, Tifa would have fought her. Even for 45 minutes. She could work, but she had a feeling that Cloud wouldn’t stop. Then, as she expected, she felt her phone vibrate in her hand.

Cloud: Too much?

Tifa: No, trust me. Definitely not. I’m actually on my way home, it’s slow tonight.

Tifa didn’t say anything as she went towards the back to grab her jacket and her purse. As she came back out and went to one of the registers to punch out for the night, she heard Lebreau’s laughter. “Shut up,” was all she said to her.

“Have fun tonight, Tifa!” She called out, ensuring the small handful of people in the bar could hear her as well.

“I hate you,” she muttered.

“No you don’t!”

Tifa shook her head as she zipped her jacket. Once she grabbed her purse again, she made her way around the counter and towards the front door. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, Fang.” She wanted it to be a quick conversation. 

But it wasn’t. 

“I’ll bring ya one of those books tomorrow night. I’ll make sure Claire gives me a good one.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“You don’t have to–”

“Oh, but I do. I think you and Cloud will like it.” She smirked at her when Tifa just walked by her. “See ya tomorrow!”

Tifa shook her head as she got outside. She had to admit that she was curious about the book. She knew they existed and had turned down Aerith giving her one or two in the past because she wasn’t interested in them. But now she was. Being in Junon and around other people, along with stories from Cloud helped her to relax about it. She realized it wasn’t as taboo as it was back home. 

Maybe the book would give her a few ideas for things to try with him. That thought alone made her blush. Things between her and Cloud were already great. But maybe exploring wouldn’t be such a bad thing?

She dug her phone out of her pocket as she walked.

Cloud: I’ll be in bed waiting for you.

Tifa shivered. It wasn’t from the cold air either. She couldn’t stop herself as she started to pick up the pace, walking down the corridor then across the peaceful atrium to the door of their apartment building.

The second she walked into their apartment, she started to look for Cloud. Even though he said he was going to bed, she expected to see him in the living room. He wasn’t. She saw the bedroom door was opened but no light coming from the inside. She forced herself to slow down a little bit, to try to act like she wasn’t excited from their exchange. 

She flipped off the light and walked through the living room to the bedroom door. When she got to the doorway, she licked her lips. Cloud was stretched out on his back in the middle of the bed. Completely naked. She saw him look in her direction and she slowly smiled at him. 

“So, you found a new use for your left hand, huh?”

“Oh yes, a very good use for it.” He moved his left hand down his own body while he watched her pull her shirt over her head. “How was work?” He asked casually.

“Slow.” She unbuttoned her jeans and started pushing them down her legs. “Then you started sending me those dirty, dirty messages.” Her voice lowered a bit. She kept her bra and panties on as she started to climb onto the bed towards him. “Lebreau saw your picture by the way.”

“What?” Cloud felt his mood start to fade immediately from that. 

“She grabbed my phone from me.”Tifa crawled on top of him and settled her hips against his. “She was quite impressed.”

Cloud slowly grinned. His initial panic faded almost instantly from that reassurance. “Good.”

Tifa felt his hands move up her bare back. His right hand fumbled with opening her bra. “Yes, she saw it and told me to come home to handle it.” She dipped down and kissed him deeply when she felt him release her bra. 

Taking care of Cloud all night is exactly what she planned to do.

Chapter Text

Cloud punched the button on the TV, then again, and again. Flipping through the channels looking for something he could watch. He just finished eating his dinner. Once he cleaned up and got Tifa’s plate made for her and put it in the microwave, he found himself on the sofa hunting for something to keep him occupied for the rest of the night.

He had the remote positioned in his left hand. It was something that a year ago, he wouldn’t have considered doing considering he was right handed. But, the simple action of pressing the buttons, even though he couldn’t feel it on his fingertips, worked the muscles in his hand and all the way up to his shoulder. 

It was the little things like that that his physical therapist told him to do on a regular basis. It was rough for him at first, but the repetition had gotten a bit easier for him. He still struggled with times where his hand simply didn’t respond to him at all. 

The doctor continued to assure him that it was normal. He could flex his fingers and hold onto some light things. But what got to him were the times he dropped something. It was going to take a long time for the nerves to heal and he just had to stay patient with everything.

Cloud sighed softly and decided to leave it on the news station. A year ago, he wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving it on that channel. It didn’t bother him anymore. He just turned his volume down and decided to reach for his phone.

8:03 PM.

He wondered what his mom was doing. It was only 2 in Nibelheim, so she was probably cleaning or doing some chores around the house. He hadn’t spoken to her in a little over the week and he missed hearing her voice. He also missed seeing her. Cloud unlocked his phone and got up from the sofa to head towards the kitchen When he got to his mom’s name, he hit the video call button then worked to prop his phone up. He knew she’d want to know how he was doing physically.

Just two rings later, he couldn’t hold in his laugh. His mom answered the call and all he saw was a black screen. “Mom, it’s a video call.”

“It is?” She asked. Cloud saw a blur of motion on the screen and soon his mom’s face appeared to him. “Hi, honey.” She smiled widely at the screen. “How are you doing?”

He immediately mirrored her smile. Seeing his mom’s face made him feel better. “I’m good.”

“Where’s Tifa at?”

“She’s working. Won’t be home until a little after midnight.” He explained to her. He leaned over the counter a little bit and fumbled with the stand on the back of his phone. 

“What are you doing?” Claudia laughed.

“Trying to prop this phone up. It’s not…” he got it to stop falling. “There we go.” He chuckled and leaned against the counter a little bit to look down at the screen.

“So you’re really doing okay? How’s your arm?” She asked him softly.

The man nodded silently. He decided to take a step back from the counter and wrestled his arm out of the sleeve of his shirt. Once it was free, he moved closer to the phone to show his mom the healing scar. “The doctor says that it’ll keep fading over time.” He hated how bright his scar still was. “But mom… it doesn’t hurt.”

“It doesn’t hurt?” She asked, confirming she’d heard him properly.

“No, it doesn’t.” It felt so strange for him to say that out loud. He turned his arm a little bit and showed her the scar that ran down his bicep.

“Can you move it okay too?”

He slowly started smiling. “I can, look.” He kept his eyes on the screen, making sure his left arm was still in view of the camera. Cloud slowly lifted his arm to the side as far as he could then moved it in front of him and swung it slowly behind him. He didn’t have his entire range back, but it was getting there.

“Oh, Cloud. I’m so happy this is all working out.” Claudia took a deep breath. “I was so worried this would all be for nothing.”

“I was too.” Much more than he ever fully let on to anybody. 

“Do you have any feeling yet?” She saw the way he flexed his fingers, moving closer to the camera. 

He frowned a little bit and shook his head. “There’s a little bit up here,” he motioned to his shoulder and just a little bit down his bicep. “What I have stops about here.” He got little jolts throughout the day into his forearm and each of his fingertips. Most of the time that hit him when he was trying to relax to sleep. Night time seemed to trigger all of his nerves firing and he hated it.

But, he’d been patient so far. He could handle this. He’d dealt with worse pain. The shocks from the nerves were nothing compared to before surgery. He was seeing the steady improvements and he loved that it felt like his life was getting back to normal. He almost had his full range of motion back and was positive that it would come back eventually. If the feeling didn’t fully come back, it was something he could adjust to. He would just have to be more cautious with things if he couldn’t feel his hand.

“We haven’t talked in a little while, honey. You have to fill me in on everything that’s been going on over there.”

Cloud decided to pick up his phone. He spent some time filling his mom in on the things that had happened since the last time they spoke. The more he talked, the more he thought back to what Claire had told him a few weeks back. He still felt like he needed advice on it and, to him, there was nobody better to ask than his mom. 

He fully settled onto the sofa and looked at the screen. “I was hoping to talk to you about something too.” He suddenly felt nervous. Maybe it was far too soon to think about any of this, but ever since that night in the bar when his friend teased him, it had been the first thing in his mind. With Tifa at work for the rest of the night, he didn’t have to worry about her hearing anything he said either.

“Of course, honey. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

Cloud looked at the screen and watched as she shifted a bit. He couldn’t hold in his laugh when there was a blur of motion on the screen and soon he was looking at the ceiling. “You okay?”

“Yes! I dropped this damned phone.” She grumbled.

He waited until his mom picked up the phone again and he could see her before he spoke again. “I’ve been wanting to… uh…” he trailed off. He’d only said the words out loud to Claire, during their talk weeks ago. It had been in his mind, the only thing he could think of anymore, but speaking the words caught in his throat. 

“Cloud? Is everything okay? What’s wrong?”

He shook his head a little bit. “Nothing’s wrong, I promise. Everything’s great.” Cloud looked off to the side for a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke. “I want to ask Tifa to marry me.” His voice was soft and at first he wasn’t sure if he’d uttered the words, or dreamed it.

He looked back at the phone and saw a wide smile spread across her face. Her jaw slowly dropped before he jumped. She let out a sudden yet loud and cheerful squeal. “You do? You haven’t done it yet?”

“I do.” He breathed a little sigh of relief when he saw just how happy his mom was about it. “No, I haven’t done it yet.” His eyes searched over his mom’s face through the screen. He knew how much his mom adored Tifa, even back to when they were kids. 

“Oh Cloud, please ask her. I know she’ll say yes to you.” Claudia smiled a little wider. Then she saw the unease that flashed across his face. “What’s wrong?”

“I want to propose to her, mom. But I don’t have a ring. How am I supposed to do it without a ring? I have no idea how to ask her. I don’t know how to do any of this.”

Claudia frowned as she watched him. She could see it written all of his face and knew she had to pull him back from spiraling too far. “You don’t need a ring to ask her, Cloud. Your father didn’t have a ring when he asked me to marry him.”

He saw her sad smile. “How… did dad propose?” He asked gently. He knew it was painful for his mom to talk about his dad. He just wished he had gotten the chance to know him. All he had was a small handful of photos from the time he was born until he was just about one year old.

She took a deep breath before she started speaking. “I was 18 when he proposed. He was 19. He was working in the mines and you know that doesn’t pay much now, it was worse back then.” 

Cloud paused for a minute to do the math in his head. He’d never fully pieced everything together over the years, but hearing how old they were when his dad proposed got him thinking. “You guys got married in May, didn’t you?” He recalled being told. 

“Yes, at the end of May, why?”

“Then you had me in August?” He arched his eyebrow and tried not to laugh at the revelation. He saw the way her mom’s eyes darted away from the screen and he was sure he could see a blush on her cheeks. “You got married because of me?”

“Yes… well, no, not really.” She stumbled a bit over her words. “He asked me to marry him before I knew I was pregnant with you. I figured it out about three weeks after I told him yes.” She explained to him, watching as he fought a grin and laugh about it. “Then we ended up rushing the wedding because our parents thought it was the right thing to do. That we were supposed to be married before you were born.”

“They were okay with the fact that you were pregnant?” He was suddenly curious.

“I try not to remember that conversation, thank you very much.” She smiled when Cloud burst into laughter. Then it dawned on her. “Wait, is Tifa pregnant?

“No, she’s not.” He told her then hesitated so he could think about it. “No,” he confirmed. Cloud was pretty sure she just had her cycle the week before, especially since he made a special trip to the store to get her chocolate. “Mom, I just know that she’s the one for me. I don’t want anybody else.” He changed the subject away from Tifa being pregnant.

That was now stuck in his head. 

And he liked the idea.

“I just want  all of this to be special for her and it won’t feel like it will be if I don’t have a ring or some kind of symbol to give to her.”

Claudia shook her head again. “Honey, I know you think you need one, but you don’t. Like I said, your father proposed to me without a ring. He did it over dinner one night at home. Just the two of us.”

“Really? That was it?”

“Yeah, that was it.” She nodded ever so slightly. “I don’t remember what we were talking about just before. He was probably telling me about his day at work, then he just started telling me…” she trailed off a little bit and took a deep breath to compose herself. She remembered every single word he said to her that night, but that was something she planned to keep for herself. 

Cloud frowned. He’d heard stories growing up from his mom about his dad, and each time it ended in a similar manner. It was too hard for his mom to talk about him and he understood. As much as he could understand about losing someone that close to you. “I’m sorry, mom. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

“Oh, absolutely not. These aren’t bad memories, Cloud. They’re just–”

“Sad?” He interrupted her. He was silent for a moment as his mom just nodded. “I wish I could have known him.”

Claudia took a deep breath then, mostly to compose herself. “I do too, Cloud. You’re so much like he was.” She smiled sadly. “He was quiet most of the time and just observed everything around him. He didn’t have many friends, but those that were close to him meant everything to him.”

Cloud slowly returned her smile. He felt a small pang of sadness in his chest. He thought back to the stories his mom told him growing up. Everytime he felt like an outcast, his mom grounded him again with stories about how his dad was the same way. He didn’t know any different, so he found himself hanging on her every word about him. 

“I’m so happy that you want to marry Tifa, honey. She’s such a wonderful woman and I see how much she’s helped you. That’s not the only reason, is it? Because I swear, Cloud, if it is I will find–”

“Mom, no. It’s not the only reason. It’s one of the reasons, but it’s pretty low on the list, trust me.” He held up his hand in defense. That was the last thing he wanted his mom to think. “I love her, mom. There’s so many other reasons other than her just helping me.”

“Okay, because I will find some way to get over there.” She threatened him playfully.

Cloud chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No need to travel halfway around the world to yell at me in person, mom.” He lifted his legs so he could lounge on the sofa. “You said dad didn’t have a ring when he proposed. Was he ever able to get you one? I’m worried I won’t be able to get one for her for a long time since I can’t work.”

“He did, actually. He was finally able to get me one when you were a few months old. I… still have it.” 

“That was my next question. I’ve never seen it. I don’t think you ever wore it around me.”

Claudia paused to think for a minute. “I did, I continued to wear it for about a year after your father died. Then it went into my jewelry box. You probably don’t remember because you were so young.” She saw him shake his head. Then an idea hit her. “I want you to have it for Tifa.”

Cloud nearly dropped his phone. He couldn’t have heard her right, did he? “What?” He stared at his screen in disbelief. “Mom, no… I can’t.”

“You can.” She shook her head, dismissing his words. “I want you to have it. Your father would want you to have it too, Cloud. I know he would.” She smiled sadly, watching as he opened his mouth again. 

“But mom…”

“No, I want you to have it. I know you can’t get it now, but it’s yours when you two come back home.”

He still wanted to fight her. He felt like crying. He’d never even seen the ring. A ring he didn’t even know existed until just a few moments ago. He wasn’t upset about the offering, not by a longshot. He was happy about it. It felt bittersweet to him knowing that his mom was willing to give him something that he was sure meant so much to her.

“I’m passing it down to you, Cloud. Then maybe… if you and Tifa have a son, she could pass it down to him.” She suggested softly. “If it doesn’t fit, then consider it a gift from me to get it sized properly for her. But, she’s about the same size as I am, so I have a feeling it’ll fit her just fine.

Cloud had to put his phone down beside his leg for a second. He needed a moment to wrap his head around everything. She was willing to pass this on to him and he wasn’t sure how to react to it. He lifted his hand and ran it along his face. The man’s eyes closed for a moment, especially when he felt a sting in his eyes. 

“Cloud, honey? Are you there? What happened?”

“Y-Yeah… sorry… I’m here,” he cleared his throat and took a deep breath before he picked up his phone again and looked back at the screen. “I just spent so much time worrying about how I’d ever be able to get a ring. I had no idea how long I’d have to wait because I won’t be cleared to work for months still.”

“I know that. And your focus should be on that shoulder of yours right now.” She reminded him. “That’s the whole reason you guys are over there. And now that you’re getting better, it’s okay to start thinking about your future. And, from what it sounds like to me, is that you want your future to be with Tifa. Something I wholeheartedly approve of.”

“She’s exactly what I want, mom. I want that more than anything. And honestly?” He sighed softly. “I think I even want it more than my arm getting better.” He admitted.

“Then you need to ask her, Cloud. It doesn’t have to be this huge, grand gesture. Tifa’s been making you watch too many of those romance movies.”

He started laughing and couldn’t fight that one bit. She had been on a romance movie kick lately, along with the novels she’d been bringing home from the bar with her. He found out she was borrowing them from Claire. “I just want everything to be perfect.”

“Okay, honey… Tifa loves you, I know she’ll say yes to you. Don’t talk yourself out of it, please. If this is something that you want to do, then you need to do it before you get too scared.”

Cloud wanted to fight her on that. He wanted to deny that. He wanted to tell her that no, he wouldn’t talk himself out of it. But he knew, deep down, that she was right. Tifa called him out on it over a few things too. “I know, I’m trying not to. I’m so scared she’ll say no. If that happens, what happens to us? I like what we have now, mom. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“But I know you want more than that. I can hear it in your voice, it’s written all over your face. And you should trust me. I’ve known Tifa just as long as you have. You two lived with me for 5 months before you left. I saw how you two interacted with each other. And that was before you went off on your own.” Claudia’s eyes never left the phone as she spoke. Cloud never looked away either. “I know she loves you, honey. Ask her. Let her show you just how much she loves you. Put yourself out there. Don’t talk yourself out of it.”

He slowly smiled at her, absorbing all of her words. He was glad that he decided to call his mom that evening. As much as the idea terrified him more than the morning of his surgery, it also excited him. He felt that he was ready for the next step with Tifa, he wanted that next step with her. He just had to get over himself and actually ask her. Say the words out loud.

Ask Tifa to marry him.

Chapter Text

It had been two days since he had his video call with his mom. She offered him advice and gave him a few suggestions on how to propose to Tifa, but nothing sounded just right to him. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. He ran through a hundred different situations on top of his mom’s suggestions. Half of those scenarios he made up in his head involved Tifa rejecting him immediately. Telling him that she wasn’t ready for that step. The other half involved her saying no simply because he didn’t have a ring to give to her.

He felt like he knew Tifa though. She’d never been into material possessions as far as he knew. They didn’t have much in Nibelheim, just the same as now. So he knew that the fact that he didn’t have a ring wouldn’t change her answer in any way. Knowing that, he felt he could successfully push all those particular ‘no’ scenarios out of his head.

But, he still couldn’t figure out the best time to do it. Everything seemed like a long shot. He didn’t have a job so ‘surprising’ Tifa with a dinner date might put her on high alert that he was planning something. He could do it at the bar, but he was sure that she might kill him for putting her on the spot like that.

Couldn’t marry her if he was dead.

He sighed softly as he leaned against the back of the sofa. From where he was, he could see Tifa in the kitchen. She was moving around effortlessly in the kitchen, cleaning up from their dinner. He couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting down to her bare back when she reached up into the cabinet to get a container for their leftovers. She was comfortable enough that she didn’t bother to fix it when her feet were flat on the floor again.

She was everything to him. 

She was there every step of his recovery. She saved him from himself when he first returned to Nibelheim. When he wasn’t himself.

She was the one .

There had been times when they disagreed about little things. Most of the time, he’d learned, she was right and he was silly to fight her, but it didn’t stop him from trying sometimes. They always found ways to work through any issue they had though. They were able to openly talk about everything.

Cloud knew he would do anything he could to keep Tifa happy and safe. He wanted to be the one she always ran to when she was upset about something. He wanted to be one of her reasons to smile each day. He wanted a family with her. A child or two. A home. To grow old. He wanted all of it with her .

He just smiled at her. His eyes remained locked with her every move. She meant everything to him. He knew he probably wouldn’t be here without her. He wouldn’t be getting better if it wasn’t for her. He hated to admit it to himself, but he knew he probably wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for her. Simply having her nearby grounded him on a daily basis. 

Most of his days were good now. It was rare for him to have any major issues anymore and it was because of her and everything she’d done to help him. The headphones during storms or fireworks. The gentle touch and soft voice when he woke up from a nightmare.

She was his everything.

She was his life.

His head tilted a bit to the side when he heard a faint humming noise. His smile just widened. He could watch her all day long. There wasn’t a care written anywhere on her body as she did probably one of the most mundane daily tasks a person could have. She was putting away leftovers. That was it. But Cloud couldn’t stop watching her. 

She continued to hum to herself as she gathered the remaining pasta into the container. Cloud couldn’t care any less about the food. All he could focus on was Tifa.

He played through all the ways he would word it in his head.

‘Tifa, will you marry me?’

‘Tifa, please be my wife.’

‘I want to spend the rest of my life with you.’

‘Will you–’

“–marry me,” he said suddenly, never taking his eyes off of her.

He saw the way she froze. Every muscle in her body tensed up as she slowly turned to look at him. “W-What?” She asked, unsure if she heard him right.

Cloud felt his heart thumping in his chest. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. This was the moment he’d dreamt about for months now and he didn’t intend to say the words out loud. He was repeating them in his head over and over again, but his mouth betrayed him. He saw the way she stared at him. 

“Marry me,” he repeated himself, trying to keep his own voice steady. The last thing he wanted was for her to know just how much he was panicking at that moment. 

He saw the way her mouth opened slowly. He couldn’t read her expression right now and it scared him. She didn’t run off at least, that had to be a good sign. He locked eyes with her and carefully got up from the sofa so he could move closer to her in the kitchen. 

“I…” he started softly once he was standing in front of her. He reached down and gently took her left hand in his. He heard a small thud and realized she’d dropped the container onto the counter. Just from what he said. He’d caught her that off guard. “I’ve… been through pure hell. I know that I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, Tifa. I want to be with you. I want… to grow old with you. I want to–”

“Yes.” She interrupted him as she nodded.

“Yes?” He repeated softly. He was almost certain that he’d dreamt hearing her say that to him. 

“Yes, I’ll marry you, Cloud.” She smiled widely.

Cloud could still feel his heart pounding in his chest. To him, it was loud enough that he was sure Tifa heard it too. He saw the way her eyes were starting to tear up, but the smile on her face told him everything he needed to know. “Really?” Slipped out. He nodded a little bit and wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her body against his. “I… I don’t have a ring yet and–”

Tifa’s lips were against his. She didn’t give him a chance to explain. She didn’t care about a ring or anything. Her hands moved along his chest and up to grip the back of his head to keep their lips together. She didn’t try to hold back any of the tears she felt sliding down her cheeks.. She’d been waiting for this day. She knew she wanted this with him. 

She pulled back a little bit and rested her forehead against his gently. “You just had to do this right before I’m about to leave for work.” She whispered against his lips. The scold was halfhearted, especially when she pulled him back in and crashed her lips against his.

Cloud turned them a little bit and pushed her gently against the edge of the counter. He felt no resistance from her. “I love you so much, Tifa. I-I want everything with you,” he whispered, every word from his heart. “I want to be your husband. I want to live the rest of my life with you by my side.”

Tifa felt her heart flutter in her chest as he spoke. She wasn’t sure that her smile could get any wider at that point. That was everything she wanted with him. Tifa slowly nodded along with his words. “I want to be your wife, Cloud. I want all of that with you.” She moved one of her hands from the back of his head to cup his jaw gently. “And… d-damn you,” she felt more tears in her eyes. “I have to go to work, Cloud.” She scolded him softly. She wasn’t mad at him, not by a long shot, she just wished that he had better timing with something this big.

“It was playing on repeat in my head…” Cloud smiled nervously before he glanced up at the clock that hung on the wall and sighed. Tifa really did have to leave in about 20 minutes to head to work. “I talked to mom a couple days ago and ever since then it’s been the only thing I could think of.”

Tifa shook her head and gently patted his cheek. “And you just spit it out when I’m trying to clean the kitchen?”

“My mouth kind of betrayed me.” His eyes darted around nervously. He found himself looking everywhere except at his fiance. Just thinking of her as his fiance made him smile. He allowed Tifa to bring their lips back together and smiled happily into her kiss. “I love you, Tifa,” he whispered sincerely.

“I love you, Cloud.” She repeated, never opening her eyes.

Tifa leaned closer to him. Her head lowered to rest against his shoulder and she simply breathed in his scent. She caught whiffs of his body wash and shampoo and something that was uniquely Cloud. Her hand traced gentle patterns along his chest.

“I don’t have a ring for you,” he spoke softly, his fingers moving along her lower back gently. 

“I don’t have to have a ring, Cloud.” Her hand slid up to his shoulder and gently massaged around his scars, a habit she got herself into when he was always hurting and a habit that never actually left her.

“Mom offered me her ring.” He looked down at her and smiled softly. “So… there is a ring for you. I just don’t have it right now. When we go home though, it’s all yours.”

Tifa lifted her head and looked up into his eyes. “You… are something else,” she whispered affectionately. Her hands moved up to cup his cheeks. “Most people don’t just blurt that out, you know.” She was still hung up on how he proposed to her.

He blushed a bit, but never took his eyes off of her. “Like you blurted out that you loved me?” He watched her eyes grow in slight shock. “When I was getting clothes out for you that night.”

Tifa slowly smiled again, that memory immediately flashed in her mind. It was cold, they’d just spent time talking on the water tower and instead of expecting anything like her ex used to, he just… got clothes for her to wear that night. “You remember that?”

“Of course I remember that.”

She forced herself to take another deep breath as she tried to push back more happy tears that were threatening to escape again. “I love you.” Her voice was soft. “But I’m also so very mad at you right now. I’m not going to be able to focus at work now, and it’ll be all your fault.”

Cloud felt like that statement should have upset him, but it didn’t. He saw the way Tifa was fighting off a smile as she said it. “I’ll stay up and wait for you to get home. We can talk about how mad you are at me then. How’s that sound?” He suggested, teasing a bit.

“Oh, you know damn well there won’t be much talking tonight.” Tifa heard his laugh before the smile could come to his face. She tugged him back down, capturing his lips passionately. Her tongue explored his mouth briefly, drawing a low grumble from the man. Before she could get too lost in the sensations and desires to drag him to the sofa, she forced herself to pull away and wiggled out of his grasp.

She had to work.

“I’m still saying up until you get home.” Cloud turned and leaned against the counter where she just was. He tried not to laugh when he noticed how slowly Tifa was moving towards the door. She didn’t want to leave, he could tell. He just wished he had waited for a better time to ask her. His mouth betrayed him though.

He could have sworn he’d just said the words in his head. Something he’d done hundreds of times over the past few weeks. He watched as she finally left their apartment. She actually said yes to him, something he’d spend far too much time worrying about. 

She wanted to be his wife.

Tifa spun around effortlessly and scanned the bottles on the rack. Spotting the whiskey she wanted, she reached out and grabbed it before she turned back to the counter. “Is this your first time in Junon?” She asked the customer. A man that looked around her age, someone she’d never seen in the bar before.

He leaned against the counter a bit more. He was watching her every move. When she leaned over to grab something, his eyes immediately darted to her low cut top. “Yeah, this is my first time here.” He subtly licked his lips.

His actions didn’t go unnoticed. She always caught it whenever a man was undressing her with his eyes. She wore the tops she wore not only because she was comfortable in them, but she also knew it brought in extra tips throughout the nights. She ignored his wandering eyes and continued the conversation while she worked on his drink. “Are you doing anything special while you’re here?”

He watched her cap the shaker and lift it to mix his drink. His eyes stayed glued to her chest as it shook along with her arms. “Hopefully you later,” he stated bluntly, a smirk on his face.

Tifa rolled her eyes finally. It wasn’t the first time and she doubted that it would be the last time someone flirted so openly with her. “I’m flatter, but I’m engaged.” She smiled widely as she said it out loud. “Newly, actually.”

His eyes immediately shot down to look at her hand, where he saw no ring. “Really? Are you lying to me to get me to go away or something?”

“I’m not lying. He proposed earlier tonight.” She couldn’t stop herself from telling anybody she could about it.

“Then where’s your ring?” He reached across the counter to catch Tifa’s hand when she put the shaker down. 

As soon as he grabbed her hand, she pulled it away from him. “You don’t need a ring to be engaged to someone.” The original flirty tone she had with him was gone in an instant. She reached under the counter to grab a glass. All Tifa wanted to do was finish making his drink so he would leave the counter.

He pulled back a bit and got his wallet out to get money to pay for his drink. “Can I get your number at least?”

“I already told you I wasn’t interested.” She stated a little more firmly to him since it didn’t seem like he got it the first time. Her eyes darted up, catching Fang’s as she walked by behind him on one of her rounds. She was already watching the guy and Tifa wondered just how long she’d been in earshot.

“Come on. No ring means you’re–”

“She’s taken.” Fang leaned against the counter beside him, staring daggers right at him. “Saw ya grab her too. I don’t like that.”

The man looked at her then back at Tifa before he started laughing. “Taken by who? You?”

“What if she is?” Fang folded her arms over her chest, unamused with the man.

“Well, hot. If you two ever need–”

“You finish that sentence and you’re out of here.” He stared daggers right at him. 

He picked up his drink and took a long gulp of it then looked back at Tifa. “I can show you a much better time.” 

Tifa arched her eyebrows and started to respond, but then she saw Fang take the glass out of his hand and put it back onto the counter so it would break when she grabbed him. 

“Alright, you’re out of here.” She gripped his bicep, not giving him a chance to fight. She’d heard enough from him to decide that he needed to go. Something about him ever since he got there rubbed her the wrong way anyway.

Fang heard the man talking and just assumed he was being a pig and saying something to Tifa. It was loud in the bar that night, fairly busy. She continued to just drag him through the people and towards the front door. Once she shoved him through the doorway she made her way back to where Tifa was. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Tifa glanced up from what she was doing. A fresh drink for a young woman that was where the man once was. Tifa focused on finishing the drink for her and took her payment before she went to the register.

“So he really did it huh?” Fang leaned against the counter, taking a moment away from her rounds to catch up. She’d heard a few words here and there and pieced everything together. 

“He did. Earlier tonight actually. Just… blurted it out.” She heard Fang let out a loud laugh about that and now that she said it out loud again, she started laughing too. Just blurting out something as major as a marriage proposal was something she knew Cloud to be very capable of. “He’s beating himself up because he didn’t have a ring for me.”

“You don’t need a ring.” Fang shrugged.

“Thank you, I told him that.” Tifa turned to get a bottle of water from one of the coolers when she caught Fang pointing towards it. She even opened the top for her as she gave it to her. 

Fang took a small sip before she chuckled. “Ya know, when Claire told me her and him talked about it, she swore he wouldn’t actually do it. Thought he’d chicken out or somethin’.” Fang shook her head a bit. “She’ll be happy with this update when I get home tonight.”

Tifa felt a heat rise to her cheeks. She did wish she had a ring she could show off. But it was also completely okay with her that she didn’t have one. She didn’t need to have that object. She knew what was in her heart. Cloud was in her heart. He was all she ever wanted. “His mom is giving him her ring whenever we go home.”

“What do you mean whenever you go home?” Fang asked. She remembered hearing Tifa’s story when she first started. “Thought it was just a year thing so what? End of the summer or somethin’?”

“It was. And yeah, the end of the summer.” Tifa pressed her hands gently against the counter as she looked towards her friend. “But I like it here and I think Cloud does too. So I think we’ll see what happens when the lease renewal comes up.” She smiled. She hadn’t mentioned anything to Cloud about it because she didn’t want anybody to get their hopes up about staying. So she was stuck waiting for the end of their current lease.

“How cute,” Fang teased her when she noticed the distant, dreamy look forming on Tifa’s face.

“Shut up, go back to work.” Tifa snatched a dishcloth that was nearby and flicked it playfully in Fang’s direction.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Nobody else caused any issues with her. A couple guys did flirt, something she was used to, but they were innocent and just looking for a laugh. Something she was more than happy to play along with. 

When it was time for her shift to end, she gathered her things from the back and stopped at the register to clock out for the night. “Have a good night, Tifa.” Lebreau wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

“Oh, I will.” Tifa grinned. She knew Cloud would stay true to his word and be up waiting for her. She got her phone out of her pocket before she zipped her jacket about half way. “Good night, Lebreau. See you tomorrow night.” 

She was anxious to get home to her fiance. Even just thinking of him as her fiance sent a thrill through her body. She didn’t even want to leave him earlier, but he was the blockhead that decided to propose only 20 minutes before she had to leave for work.

Once she was outside, she shivered from the evening chill. She hesitated for a moment, debating on getting her gloves out. But, if she did, she wouldn’t be able to message her best friend. Which was what she wanted to do on the way home. It had been busy in the bar that night and she didn’t want to drop this kind of news on her best friend when she couldn’t actively talk to her.

Tifa: Please tell me you’re not busy right now.

Aerith: I just finished cleaning up my dinner. Are you okay? Isn’t it really late there?

Tifa chuckled. It was late there, it was after midnight now and normally she didn’t message Aerith this late. A huge smile spread across her face as she focused on her phone. Her fingers traveled along the letters on the screen, typing out a reply to her best friend.

Tifa: I just left work.

Tifa: Cloud proposed to me earlier.

Aerith: WHAT??

As Tifa started to type a response, her phone screen lit up completely with the other woman’s face. Of course Aerith would call her after a message like that. She just laughed and reached up to flip her hair away from her ear. Just as she started to slide her thumb along the screen to answer, she felt a tight grip on her arm that caused her to drop her phone.

“What the–” she was cut off when another hand came up to clamp over her mouth. Tifa’s eyes grew wide, her mind catching up to what was happening. She tried to scream, but her noises were muffled by the hand covering her.

“I still don’t see this fiance you’re talking about. Some guy, lettin’ you walk home this late.”

Tifa whimpered softly. She pulled at the hand on her mouth, trying to get herself free. She even tried biting his fingers but couldn’t get an angle. All it did was make him laugh and enrage her. She felt his other arm finally wrap around her waist and he wrestled her towards one of the side alleys. 

He was too strong for her. She kicked and struggled, but he successfully picked her up to get her where he wanted her. Tifa felt her heart racing. Soon, her front was pressed against the wall. She then felt a body push against her back and her eyes started to burn with tears.

She tried again to scream, but it came out muffled. She had to get out of this. Her stomach turned when the man’s hand moved up to her chest and squeezed one of her breasts. She decided to push her head harder against the wall, she felt the rough surface of the brick against her cheek, but it also pushed his knuckles hard into it as well.

It worked. At least enough for her to get an angle. As he moved his hand away from her mouth and gripped the top of her sweater. When he started to tug on her again, she rammed her elbow back as hard as she could and connected with his ribs. It wasn’t as hard as she could have done it, given the angle she was in. But it was the best thing. And it worked in making him groan loudly and take a small step backwards away from her.

She felt a pressure on her neck, he wasn’t letting go of her sweater. She started to turn to face him, her heart pounding in her chest. She pushed her arm up to get him off of her sweater. When she did, his gripp caused the collar of her sweater to give, ripping. 

Tifa finished facing him completely. She saw him start to recover from the stinging in his ribs. When he took a step towards her, she swung. Her fist connected with his jaw before she swiftly kicked him between the legs.

He dropped to the ground, groaning loudly. One of his hands was against his face where she’d punched him, his other was cupping himself as he rolled on the ground. That gave Tifa her chance to run out of the alleyway. She reached down and grabbed her phone. She didn’t stop running until she was safely in the elevator in her building. That was the same man that tried to hit on her at the bar. The same man that Fang had to escort out of the building because he wouldn’t stop.

“Fuck,” she cursed softly when she looked at the screen of her phone and saw it was shattered. She hit the button on the side of the device and saw the screen was scrambled. 

When the door opened on her floor, she looked up and down the hallway before she hurried to her door and quickly let herself in. She quickly shut the door behind her. She was safe in the apartment she shared with Cloud. She was pretty sure she heard his voice. It vaguely sounded like a greeting, but she couldn’t focus.

She was home.

She was safe.

She quickly locked the door then immediately went into the living room where he was. He was stretched out on the corner of the sofa. Without a word, she hopped onto the sofa with him and curled herself into his chest.

“Hey… what happened?” Cloud asked softly. “Are you okay?” He reached out for the remote. His hand fumbled to find the mute button for the show he was watching. Tifa just shook her head quickly and gripped the shirt he had on tightly. “Okay, what happened? Tifa…?”

“I…”

Tifa buried her head into his chest, trying to get herself to calm down. She had training on defending herself but that was the first time she’d ever been in a situation where she actually had to use it. She was able to fight back. But he still grabbed her, he still touched her. She felt disgusting from that alone. That was when she started to feel a slight burning sensation on her neck and chest where her sweater had been ripped. She lifted one of her hands to touch the area and felt small ridges there. He must have scratched her in the scuffle.

“Some guy…” she finally tried to find words again, but it wasn’t working.

Cloud felt something click immediately. “Some guy did what?” He looked down at her against him. He tried to sit up, to swing his legs over the edge of the sofa, but Tifa just clung harder to his shirt. “Tifa, please… please talk to me, what happened? What did some guy do?” His mind immediately started to go to bad places and he hoped she’d fill in the gaps soon.

It took her another minute to finally get herself to calm down. She felt Cloud shift under her and soon both of his arms were wrapped as tightly around her as he could. She slowly lifted her head to look at him. All she saw was worry written all over his face. “A guy… tried to drag me down an alley.”

“What did he look like?” Cloud’s jaw clenched. “Where is he?”

Tifa shook her head gently. She was sure by now he’d be long gone, it wouldn’t make a difference. She reached up and cupped her fiance’s jaw. That was when she noticed her knuckles were bruising. 

“I punched him.” She told him softly. “He just… it scared me. That’s never happened before.” She gently moved her hand down to press against Cloud’s chest to push herself upright so she could look at him better. She was happy that he was willing to run off and find the guy, but right now, she needed him there with her. 

“Tifa, your sweater,” he pointed out. When the woman sat up, he noticed the collar of it was ripped. Then he saw the scratches down her neck and collar bone, and he spotted a small scrape on her cheekbone. “What the hell happened?” He asked gently. 

Cloud saw her looking down at her hand and saw her knuckles looked bruised. She got a hell of a good punch in it seemed. He sighed softly and got up from the sofa to head towards the bathroom where he knew there were some leftover supplies from keeping his shoulder and leg clean from his surgery. When he turned back around with the supplies, he saw Tifa was standing right there in the doorway.

“Hey… you’re safe here.” He’d never seen her scared like this and it broke his heart. He hated that he couldn’t do more to help her. It never should have happened to begin with. 

“I-I know… I just…” she trailed off softly. Tifa just wanted to be near him.

Cloud nodded softly. “Let’s get some ice for your hand too, okay?” He suggested. He saw her give him a soft nod before she hooked her arm through his left arm, staying at his side as they walked into the kitchen together. Seeing Tifa like this killed him. He hated it. He wanted to go and hunt down the man that dared to touch his fiance. He wanted to scour the entirety of Junon, hunting for the man with a bruised or possibly broken jaw from her punch just so he could finish the job.

He’d killed before…

He could do it again…

Cloud heard his phone ding in the living room but he kept his focus on Tifa. He pushed his wandering thoughts out of his head and reached into the freezer. It only took a second to find one of the ice packs they’d gotten for when he had his shoulder surgery. Without a word, he grabbed one of the dishtowels and led her back into the living room to sit down.

“Here…” he wrapped the ice pack in the towel and pulled her hand onto his lap gently. “Keep that there…” he caught a little nod as he placed the ice across her knuckles on her right hand. 

Then his phone dinged again. 

Again, he ignored it. “Can you look up for me?”

Tifa nodded and lifted her chin so she could look at him and let him examine her. “How bad is it?”

He leaned in closer to her and examined the scrape on her cheek then the scratches down her neck. “It doesn’t look too bad. It should be gone in a day or two.” He carefully pulled the ripped portion of her sweater so he could see how far down the scratches went and made sure nothing was bleeding anywhere. “Did you recognize him?” He asked. 

Tifa watched him open one of the alcohol pads and frowned. She knew it was going to sting, but he needed to do it. “He hit on me at the bar.” She closed her eyes and flinched when he touched her cheek. “Yeah… that burns. I’m so sorry for doing this to you when you had surgery.”

Cloud chuckled dryly. “It doesn’t last long.” He encouraged her. Then his phone dinged again, causing him to look at it. 

“Shit, can you message Aerith? Is that her?” She suddenly remembered. “She tried to call me right when he grabbed me. My phone got busted.” She frowned.

“It is?” He reached out to grab his phone and saw it was several messages from Aerith.

Aerith: Is Tifa with you? She didn’t answer my call and stopped responding to me.

Aerith: Cloud? You there?

Aerith: Okay, I really hope you two are having sex right now!

He laughed softly at the messages and handed his phone to his fiance. 

“Phone’s completely shattered.” She turned hers around to show it to him. “He… grabbed me and dragged me down the alley.” Tifa finally started to explain. “Pinned me against a wall…”

Cloud froze. “He didn’t do anything… right?” He asked cautiously.

She quickly shook her head, knowing exactly what he was hinting at. She hissed again when he reached in to drag the alcohol pad along the scratches. “Okay, that burns a lot.”

“Sorry…”

Tifa closed her eyes and tilted her head to let him finish. At least he was right, it didn’t sting for that long. When he finished, she looked down at his phone and unlocked it, seeing the message thread from Aerith. She chuckled halfheartedly at the tail of the last conversation Cloud and Aerith had. It looked like he was asking her opinions on candy that she liked or might like. And the date was a little over a week ago, about the time of her last cycle.

She shook her head about it and started to type a response, then just decided to hit the call button. She placed the phone onto her thigh and put it on speaker. 

“Cloud? What’s going on, is Tifa okay? ” Aerith asked immediately when the call connected. 

“It’s me. I’m okay.” Tifa sighed softly. “My phone’s busted.”

“Busted? What happened? We were talking. You messaged me that Cloud asked you to marry him, which, finally… then you don’t answer my call. What the hell’s going on?”

Cloud gently lifted the ice pack from Tifa’s knuckles and lifted her hand. He coaxed her to flex her fingers a few times before he heard her respond to Aerith. He opted to stay quiet, at least for now. 

“Let’s just say it’s been a day…” she winced a little bit. The pain from punching his hard head was starting to sink in a bit. “I’m home though, save and sound.”

“Okay, now you’re scaring me a little bit. What’s going on?”

“If you’d let me talk a little bit.” Tifa heard Cloud let out a small chuckle beside her.

“Hi Cloud, since I’m on speaker.”

“Hi, Aerith,” he responded. He placed the ice back onto Tifa’s hand and moved it over onto her own lap. “I’m going to grab you a new shirt.”

Tifa nodded and watched as he got up to go into their bedroom. “Some guy grabbed me when I left work.”

“What!?”  

She jumped when Aerith practically screamed at her. “I’m okay though. He ripped my sweater and scratched my neck. I got free though.” And she was still thankful for that. She was able to compose herself long enough to focus and get free of him.

“Please tell me you ripped his dick off.”

Cloud arched his eyebrow and tried not to laugh. He had never heard Aerith speak like that and it caught him slightly off guard when he came back out of their bedroom, a fresh shirt in his hand for Tifa.

“No, I didn’t rip his dick off.” Her eyes darted up to look at Cloud and tried not to laugh at the look on his face. “I kicked him in the dick though.” She watched her fiance’s face scrunch up at that thought. “I promise I’m okay… I need a new phone now, but I’m okay. I’m home. Cloud’s taking care of me.”

“That’s nice of your fiance.” She teased.

Cloud rolled his eyes as he sat down beside Tifa. “Her hand’s bruised up pretty badly. Wouldn’t surprise me if she broke his jaw… I hope she broke his jaw.” 

Aerith’s sigh filled the living room from the phone. “Please take care of her, Cloud.” Her voice was firm.

“He is. As much as he can anyway.” Tifa watched the way Cloud moved the ice off of her knuckles again to give them a break from the cold. “I think he knows what he’s doing. We had some practice with his shoulder.”

“And I had practice in the military.” He added on as he caught her smile.

“Okay, good. Now take me off speaker please.” Aerith demanded.

Cloud arched his eyebrows. “Too good to talk to me too?” He teased.

Aerith scoffed playfully. “I missed it when you just sat there quietly.”

He couldn’t hold in his laughter at her comment. He knew she did have a point. When they first met, he didn’t talk that much to her. Now though, she got a lot of the same smartass comments that people close to him got. 

“Hold on,” Tifa rolled her eyes a bit and looked down at the phone. Cloud’s phone was slightly different from what she was used to. When she found the button and tapped it, she lifted it to her ear. “Okay, you’re off sp–”

“It’s about time he proposed!” She yelled, nearly making Tifa drop her phone.

“I can still hear you, you know.” Cloud commented. He leaned back on the sofa and pulled Tifa’s right hand into his lap to continue flexing her fingers. His hope was to keep them from getting too stiff. He’d dealt with injuries to his own knuckles when he was in the military and had learned what helped him. 

Tifa slowly leaned into Cloud’s side and watched as his fingers moved over her hand. She hissed when he caught one of the bruises, but didn’t pull away from him. “He proposed earlier today… as in right before I left for work.”

“Tell him I said he’s an asshole.”

“I can still hear you.” Cloud turned to look at Tifa when he felt her shake with a small bit of laughter. 

“Good, you’re an asshole!”

Tifa giggled. She turned her head and pressed a soft kiss to Cloud’s shoulder before she settled back into his side. “He’s not being an asshole right now though.” She smiled, knowing that Aerith was only teasing him. Over the past year, she knew they’d actually developed a good friendship. Something she was very thankful for given Aerith was her best friend. 

A short silence fell between them. Cloud didn’t say anything. He simply rested the ice against her knuckles again, hoping to keep the swelling down. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Aerith asked, her tone full of worry.

“I promise I’m okay.” Tifa nodded a little bit. “I’m just shaken up… But I’m home, and Cloud’s here. I’m okay.”

“Please call me tomorrow? When things calm down a little, when you’ve calmed down a little. Then we can talk about your new fiance.”

“I will, I promise. I’ll give you a call tomorrow morning your time, is that okay?” Tifa asked her friend. When she got a confirmation of what time would be good for Aerith, she wrapped up the phone call and just put Cloud’s phone beside her on the sofa. “I need to get changed.” 

She looked down at her hand and took the ice pack back off of it. She was sure her fingers were going to hurt in the morning, along with her whole hand. Hitting someone’s face was much different than hitting a punching bag. When she reached over to grab the shirt, she noticed Cloud starting to get up with her, to keep her company. All she did was shake her head at him. She wanted a few minutes alone to herself.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek before she finished getting up and went towards the bathroom. Once inside, she flipped on the light and shut the door behind her. She sighed softly and looked at the mirror, she immediately focused on the red marks on her neck and the ripped sweater.

She liked this sweater.

Tifa finally took her jacket off. She didn’t even notice she still had it on. She was mostly concerned with getting into her home and into the safety of Cloud’s arms. Turning, she just hung it on the hook on the back of the door. She’d deal with it later. 

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess from the struggle. The little bit of makeup she had on had started to streak from the crying. Tifa then leaned forward to examine the marks a little better. There were three that trailed down her throat and stopped near her collar bone. 

She didn’t want to think what could have happened to her if she wasn’t able to break free.

Shaking her head of those thoughts, she pulled the sweater up and over her head then removed her bra and grabbed the t-shirt that Cloud had gotten for her. She smiled when she realized it was one of his. He never failed to amaze her with how observant he was about everything. She never recalled telling him that wearing his shirts made her feel better. He’d noticed it on his own.

She pulled it over her head and grabbed her ruined sweater to leave the bathroom. On her way into the kitchen, she threw the sweater into the trash can and sighed. Cloud was putting the ice pack back into the freezer. 

“Can we just go to bed? Please?”

“Yeah,” he nodded softly. Cloud walked over to the light and flipped it off, their usual routine for the end of the night. Only a few minutes later, he was barely settled on his side in bed with Tifa curled against him in front.

“I want to start going back to the gym, Cloud.” Tifa told him. She wrapped her arm around his waist and nuzzled her head into his chest. She felt him nod. “I haven’t gone since we’ve been here.”

“You didn’t have to stop because of me.”

“I know… but I would have felt bad leaving you here just to go to the gym. Because I know you, you’d want to go with me.” She lovingly poked his side.

Cloud couldn’t deny that. He knew he would have tried to push to go with her and that was a huge no-no for him right when he had surgery. However, now was a different story. “I can come with you now. Even just walk on the treadmill and just watch you or something.” He shrugged a little bit.

Tifa slowly closed her eyes, breathing in Cloud’s scent. She could feel her body starting to relax. “I would like that.” She told him honestly. It was something they could do together, or at least at the same time in different areas. “Cloud, if I didn’t break free…” 

He caught the way her voice trailed off. His arm tightened around her as much as his shoulder would allow him. “I know…” it was all he said to that, knowing exactly what she meant by it. “I’m going to come and walk home with you for a while.” He told her, leaving no room for her to argue with him. 

All Tifa did was nod. She felt that she could protect herself, but if that guy had a friend… She sighed softly and tried not to think of that. She would be more than happy to have Cloud walk home with her for a little while. It would give her some comfort and make her feel safer.

Chapter Text

Cloud sat up on the mat at the gym. He was proud of himself for keeping pace with Tifa during a round of sit-ups. “You’re not taking it easy on me like you’re supposed to.” He teased her as he tried to catch his breath. His abs were screaming at him and all she did was laugh at him as she flopped onto her back on the mat beside him.

“Your back and stomach didn’t have surgery.” Tifa grabbed her towel and reached over to smack him with it gently. “You ready to head home?” She asked, still in no rush to get up. 

She loved that they were starting to have more of these days together. He couldn’t keep up with her with the punching bag or most of the weights right now, but that was okay. She caught him a few times at the crossover machine. He had one of the handles in his left hand working the muscles in that arm.

Instead of responding to her, he decided to lie back and relax for a minute, his head resting near hers. “Stretch first?” He suggested. The last thing he wanted was for his body to hate him even more the next day.

She hummed softly, knowing he was right. “Alright, stretch.” She decided to stay on her back, pulling one of her legs towards her chest. 

Without a word, the pair stretched their muscles and Tifa helped him stretch his left shoulder a bit more before she stood up first and offered him her hand. 

“I need a shower.” He took her hand as he stood up and kept his in hers while they walked towards the door to head out.

“ You ?” She stared at him. “I sweat more than you did today.” She squeezed his hand playfully. 

All Cloud did was laugh about it. He still had to be limited in the things that he did at the gym. He could feel his strength returning on his left side and still dreamed about getting sensation back. “We can share when we get home.” He lowered his voice to speak only to her. 

She couldn’t help the shiver that rolled down her back as she thought about that. “I also promised my dad I’d call him today.”

“Yeah, there’s still time.”

“I told him by 3,” she dug her phone out and looked at it. “Which is in 10 minutes.”

“Well, what if you meant 3 his time.” Cloud grinned, hinting. 

Tifa hummed softly. She laced her fingers with Cloud once they were outside into the atrium together. Spending the last two hours at the gym with him had been wonderful and she was very thankful to have this back into her routine. “So, you’re suggesting a shower when we get home?” She continued to skirt around the idea even though she knew she’d give into him because if she didn’t, she would feel disgusting during her call with her dad and that was the last thing that she wanted.

“Yes, I am. Your dad will still answer the call no matter when you call him.” Cloud wiggled his eyebrows a little bit.

Tifa rolled her eyes as they walked together. Instead of heading right home, she led them outside to the main road. The weather was great that day and since she wasn’t going to be calling her dad right away anyway, she wanted to enjoy it a little more before they went home.

Ever since her incident coming home from work, she’d been going to the gym twice a week. Cloud had been joining her on her Wednesday trips, working to build back his strength he lost from the lack of use of his left arm. It was a slow process, but she could see his little improvements. 

“We need to go to the beach sometime. When it’s a little warmer outside.” She suggested. From where they were walking, she could see a few brave people were set up in the sand, enjoying the sunny day. 

But to her, it was still too chilly outside for that. She was okay with the walk though, even with the occasional gust that made her shiver. Together, the pair made their way along the road before they looped back into the atrium and started to go home. 

“So… shower,” Cloud brought up when they walked into the elevator together. He hit the button for the fourth floor and looked towards Tifa who stepped on with him. 

“You need to behave. Because I did promise I’d call dad today.” She pointed at him when she leaned against the wall.

Cloud took a step towards her as the door closed. “I am an innocent me.” He pressed his body gently against hers, a smile on his face.

Her hand came up to rest flat against his chest, gently pushing him back some. “You’re also a liar.” She started laughing, keeping her hand against his chest when he tried to lean in to kiss her. “No, go.” She pushed a little harder when the elevator came to a stop on their floor.

Cloud just laughed softly. He let her push him away and just reached out to take her hand in his, gently dragging her with him towards their apartment. When they finally got to the door, he reluctantly pulled his hand away from hers and got his keys out. Fumbling through them, he felt her gentle touch along his lower back. 

“I thought I needed to behave?”

“Yes, that was you.” Tifa gently hooked her finger at the bottom of his t-shirt, lifting it just a bit before she stepped back, letting him get the door open. 

He stepped in first, lingering by the door. The door barely clicked shut behind them before he pushed Tifa against it. His hands went to her waist and slowly slid under the sides of her tank top. His head dipped down where he found her eager lips waiting for him. 

Her hands moved along his chest and up into his hair, keeping him against her. Then she gripped his hair and tugged him back a little bit. “I told you to behave.” She struggled to hold in her smile.

“How am I supposed to behave when you’re doing that ?” He groaned softly when she gave his hair another tug. He pulled her away from the front door, guiding her in the general direction of the bathroom. 

Tifa giggled when her back hit the wall right beside the door. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he started moving a bit. Then there were two thuds as he kicked his shoes off. “Behave in the shower,” she tried to warn him again.

He leaned down and captured her lips in his own. His arm tightened around her waist. She moved just a little bit and kicked her shoes off as well. Then Cloud blindly guided them through the bathroom door. 

“Is this behaving?” He muttered against her lips. 

One of Tifa’s hands moved down his neck and onto his chest, forcing him back a little bit so she could catch her breath. “No, this isn’t behaving. Getting there though.”

Cloud hummed when she tugged him back down, crashing their lips together. He groaned into her mouth. His hand shot out to turn the light on then he pushed the door shut so they could have their shower. 

Together.

Tifa hummed to herself as she came out of the bathroom. Her first stop was the kitchen to get herself a bottle of water. When she stood back up, she heard footsteps and soon two strong arms were wrapped around her waist, making her squeal. 

“Cloud! I have to call my dad, stop!” She cracked up laughing.

“There’s still time.” He leaned in and kissed along her neck, earning more laughter from her. 

“The shower wasn’t enough?” She wiggled enough to turn around in his arms, finally getting her arms up to push on his chest. “No.” She told him as firmly as she could manage. “You should go do some more stretches.”

Cloud just started laughing. He knew that tone, she was serious enough to make him stop for the moment. “Will you help me?”

Tifa stared at him and shook her head. “No. I’m calling my dad. And I’m telling him that you proposed.” She saw the expression change on his face to one of fear. “Why don’t you stay out here with me for a few more minutes. I’m doing a video call with him.”

“Nope, I’m going to stretch.”

The woman burst into laughter. She figured that would do the trick. It wasn’t that her dad and Cloud hated each other. Her dad had come around a lot over the past year, and even several months before that. With her living next door to him, he was able to see a lot more of the interactions she had with Cloud. 

He finally started to understand how well Cloud treated her and just how much she loved him. 

But…

Hearing that he proposed might wake up that old demon in her dad. She was excited to tell him though. She’d told just about everybody she interacted with that she was engaged to the man of her dreams.

Tifa watched as he finally vanished into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. 

She got back into the fridge and grabbed one of the bottles of water before she went to sit down on the sofa with her phone out. She looked back up when the bedroom door opened a bit. “Tifa, can you–”

“Nope. Calling dad now.” She saw the waistband of his boxers were slightly lower than usual, trying to entice her. She proved her point by hitting the call button for her dad. 

He heard the ringing through the speaker and shut the door behind him, making Tifa laugh. She loved when he was in moods like this. Just generally happy. If she could see it everyday it would just be perfect.

“Hey, honey.” Brian’s voice came from her phone. “Thought you were gonna call earlier.” 

Tifa pulled her attention away from the closed bedroom door and looked down at her screen. Her dad’s voice pulled her away from her wandering thoughts. “We were at the gym earlier.” She reached up and ran her fingers through her still wet hair. “I said I’d call you by 3.”

“I thought that meant your time.” She tried to deflect a bit. She did promise to call him early in the morning, but her fiance successfully distracted her. 

Brian just rolled his eyes and shook his head. “And then you had a shower.” He stated before he realized what he said and changed the subject quickly. “How’s everything out there?”

Tifa started giggling at the look on his face. At least he didn’t immediately go to anger whenever anything sexual was even referenced between her and Cloud. “Everything’s really good, dad. I still like my job. Cloud has almost a full range of motion now. He was using some of the machines at the gym.”

“So that surgery actually worked then?” Brian asked, a shocked look on his face. 

“Yeah, we think it did. He still has issues holding onto things sometimes, but that’s getting better too. And no feeling, but he’s adjusting to that.” Tifa smiled widely. Their trip halfway around the world wasn’t for nothing. They’d made a couple of friends, and his surgery worked. They had a decent amount saved up as well from her job. 

“That’s good I guess.”

Tifa rolled her eyes and stared at the screen. “Oh stop that. You’re happy that it’s working too, stop pretending like you don’t like him.”

Brian just hummed softly at her. “Pretending is easier.” He finally cracked a small smile about it. “He’s not that bad.”

“What was that?” Tifa tilted her head playfully towards the screen. “Can you say that again for me?” She reached out to put her phone down for a second so that she could open her water. 

“Don’t you tell him I said that either, Tifa.” He rolled his eyes.

Tifa picked her phone back up, a wide smile on her face. She wouldn’t tell Cloud but she knew that he already knew. He’d seen the change in her dad too, even before they left and moved to Junon. “So, the past couple of weeks have been exciting.” She knew she needed to tell him. And since Cloud was in the bedroom, she wanted to tell him before the man decided to come back out.

“Exciting how?” Brian’s eyes narrowed a little bit. “Exciting like you’re planning to come home soon?” He suddenly got hopeful.

“No, dad. Not yet. It’s only April now and our lease isn’t over until September.” She reminded him.

“So, did you plan something for your birthday?” He continued guessing.

Now she found herself wondering what Cloud might plan for her birthday. It wouldn’t surprise her if he was already thinking about it, even though it was still three weeks away.. “I don’t have anything planned, Cloud might though.”

“Then what is it? I don’t want to play guessing games with you all night.” Brian laughed softly. 

Tifa bit her lip gently before she spoke. “Cloud proposed to me.” She spoke, a wide smile appearing on her face. As she watched the screen, she focused on his face. Normally she could read his expression. But right now she couldn’t and it partially scared her.

“What?” Brian’s voice was flat.

Tifa glanced up when she heard the bedroom door open. She smiled softly as she watched Cloud walk out. He’d put some pajama pants on but not a shirt yet. This was the man that asked her to be his wife. He was looking down at his phone typing and briefly wondered who he was talking about.

“Tifa Lockhart. He proposed to you? When? Why?”

She pulled her attention away from her fiance and looked back down at the phone in her hand. “You heard me, dad. He asked me to marry him.”

She looked back up again, her eyes meeting Cloud’s. She watched him shove his phone into his pocket and stare right at her. He must have heard her dad from where he was getting himself a drink. It didn’t surprise her, especially with how loud her dad was talking at that point. 

“And you said no, right?” He frowned when all she did was laugh at his question.

Tifa’s eyes darted up to Cloud again before she focused on her phone. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see he was moving back towards their bedroom, probably so he could avoid the potential demand to see him. 

“I said yes, dad.” She watched his face. She watched his eyes scrunched up and his other hand came up to rub across his face. Then she heard the grumble. “I love him, dad. I want to marry him.”

Brian let out a huff. “I don’t have a say in any of this, do I?”

“Nope, you certainly don’t.” Tifa watched the way he was still unamused about everything. “I love him. You like him too, even if you won’t admit to any of it. We all know.”

“Fine… let me see the ring.”

Tifa hesitated a little bit at that. “There… isn’t one. Not right now.” She watched his expression change to something else she still couldn’t quite read. “Claudia offered him her ring.” There was a flicker of understanding that showed on his face. He knew what she was referring to. “And he still can’t work right now and probably won’t be able to for a few more months so he couldn’t buy one himself.”

“You’re not pregnant are you?” Brian asked so suddenly that Tifa almost dropped her phone.

“What? No, I'm not pregnant. Why do you think I’m pregnant?”

“Because he asked you to marry him, Tifa. You two haven’t been together long enough for that.”

Tifa just rolled her eyes with a small laugh. “Dad, we’ve been together for almost two years, you know. Just because he asked me to marry him doesn’t mean that I’m pregnant. I would tell you if I was.” She told him honestly. She liked the idea, but now didn’t feel like the best time. They had other things on that felt like more of a priority for them. 

“Two years isn’t that long.”

“Dad, it is. August will be two years for us.” She stared at him through the phone. “But we’ve known each other basically our entire lives. So yeah, dad. This feels right. I want to be married to him.”

Tifa watched his face for a moment, trying her best to read his facial expressions. At one point, she was sure she saw his jaw flexing because he was fighting off a smile. 

“Please, dad? Be happy for me. I’m happy.”

“Fine,” he conceded, lifting his free hand in defense. “Just please do me one favor.”

“What?”

“Don’t run off and get married while you’re there, please? I at least want to walk you down the aisle. I want to be at your wedding.” He finally started to lose his battle with his smile. 

“Of course, dad. We’re not going to just run off somewhere. There’s no need to rush right into a wedding anyway. We’ll be back home for it.” She told him sincerely.

“You better be.” Brian sighed softly. “As long as you’re happy, Tifa. That’s all I want.”

“And I am happy.” Tifa watched as he shifted to get comfortable on the chair he was sitting on. 

She loved having these calls with her dad. She got to catch up with him and see him. See that he was okay with her own two eyes instead of just blindly believing everything he’d message to her. 

She spent the next hour on the sofa talking with her dad. After promises to call him again next week at about the same time, she was able to wrap up her conversation with him. Tifa put her phone to the side and lifted her hands high above her head to stretch her muscles out in her back. 

With a tiny groan, she got up and made her way into the bedroom. She saw Cloud lounging on the bed, watching something on TV. 

“How’d the call with your dad go? I didn’t hear much yelling.” He grabbed the remote to pause the show. 

Tifa lifted her arms above her head again before she leaned one way, then the other. “The only loud part was right when I told him. I got him to say that he’s happy if I’m happy. So you can hold that over his head now.” She teased.

Cloud rested his hand on his stomach, watching her as she stretched a bit. “He’s not that bad anymore. He doesn’t hate me as much.”

“He doesn’t hate you at all.” Tifa climbed onto the bed with him and grabbed his phone since she’d left hers in the living room. “We need to figure out dinner. I’m hungry.”

The man looked down at her, smiling when she rested the back of her head high up on his chest. He watched as she loaded the food delivery program on his phone so they could look at it together. 

“He does like you, Cloud.” Tifa repeated to him. She glanced up and saw he was looking at the phone too then he reached out and poked the list for the pizza place. “We just worked out this morning.”

“Exactly why I want pizza.” He looked down at her as he loosely wrapped his arm around her. His hand landed right on her breast. 

Tifa chuckled at the placement of his hand, but she wasn’t complaining. She scrolled through the options, finding what they’d ordered last time. A large with some breadsticks. “So now both of our parents know we’re getting married.”

“All the important people know.” He slowly started to tug on her shirt. He looked down, watching as she finished the order and submitted it. 

She sat up suddenly and pulled her shirt back down, having caught what he was doing. “He made me promise that we wouldn’t elope.”

“He thought we’d do that? I don’t want to die by my mother then have your father chop up the pieces. No thank you.” Cloud shook his head quickly. “I’m not that stupid.”

“You’re not stupid at all.” Tifa tilted her head to the side then to the other side. “I’m going to go and stretch out there while waiting for our food to get here.” She inched away from him and climbed off of the bed. When she turned to leave through the door, she heard loud laughter behind her. 

She loved every single time she got that noise out of him. And she was excited to know she’d get to hear it for the rest of their lives.

Chapter Text

Cloud wrestled a t-shirt over his head then looked down at his left hand. He wasn’t exactly sure why he decided to suggest this. Mainly because he didn’t know how well his hand would work that night. But, something inside of him told him to suggest going to the arcade with Tifa. He remembered back to when they first got there and how excited she’d been when she saw it.

Then it was never brought up again. 

Even if it had been, he wouldn’t have been able to do much there anyway with just one hand. He flexed his fingers and sighed. He had no sensation in his palm or his fingers, but he figured he’d be able to handle most things at the arcade. Besides, it didn’t really matter how well he did at things, as long as they were having fun together.

Tifa’s birthday was the following day and he wanted to spend the day with her today. She had to work the following night, so, to him, that meant they got to celebrate the day before. That was when he suggested the arcade. Something different, something he would probably be awful at. But seeing the way her face lit up with excitement made it worth it to him. He’d very willingly make a fool out of himself if it meant she was happy. Or at least entertained.

Then it was her idea to suggest they go out to dinner afterwards. There had been a restaurant that Tifa heard about from the customers at the bar. It was on the other side of town and based on what everybody had been saying, Fang and Claire included, the food was wonderful. And to her, it sounded like a great place to have her birthday dinner. They even had reservations set up for 8 that night.

Tifa glanced up from her spot on the sofa when she saw Cloud come out of their bedroom. He went into the bathroom and shut the door. Part of her wished that she’d decided to take her birthday off, but Cloud assured her several times that it was okay. They could celebrate now and all day tomorrow before she had to go to work anyway.

She heard the toilet flush in the bathroom and soon the water kick on. That was when she finally got up and went to grab her shoes by the door to slip them on. With his hand it took him longer to get ready than it did her. Which she sometimes teased him about when she was feeling playful. 

She really had no idea what to expect at the arcade. She’d never had video games growing up, she’d only seen them on TV or in movies. Except that one handheld game that Cloud had when they were kids. She sometimes got to play it, but she never had one of her own. 

“Are you ready?” Cloud asked when he opened the door and flipped the bathroom light off. 

“Yup, just got my shoes on.” She went to grab her purse from the hook, but Cloud’s hand was in front of her, stopping her.

He shook his head a bit when she gave him a quizzical look. “It’ll be easier at the arcade if you don’t have that. Just get your ID out and have your phone.” He had some case on him and knew they could always withdraw a little more for them to spend that evening.

“If you’re sure.” She shrugged.

“Yeah, if it’s busy, don’t need anybody grabbing it and running either.” He explained. Cloud looked down at himself, feeling satisfied. He’d opened to grab a solid black shirt to throw over the plain t-shirt he had on. It made him feel a little more dressed up for the restaurant later that night. 

“Okay, I’m not going to fight.” She laughed softly. Tifa had a feeling that him paying, even though the money came from the same account, made him feel better. She knew he still had some moments where he felt horrible because he couldn’t work and couldn’t provide that much for them.

Cloud walked out of their apartment first and waited for her to join him before he pulled the door shut and locked it. He didn’t expect it to be that busy out given it was a late Wednesday afternoon. And his suspicions were confirmed when they got down to the atrium. Most people had already made their way home for the night, or were having food or drinks with loved ones. 

He slipped his hand into Tifa’s as they got outside and enjoyed the late afternoon air walking towards the arcade. Even the arcade seemed slow, something Cloud was thankful for. It made the loud noises from the building more tolerable for him. 

They walked through the door together and his body tensed, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Tifa. “You sure you wanna do this?” She asked softly, feeling him start to relax as soon as the words left her mouth.

“Yeah, just… didn’t expect it to be that loud at first.” He chuckled nervously. He was sure he’d be okay with the noises, it was a steady sound. Nothing like fireworks or thunderstorms were.

Tifa hummed softly and kept her eyes on him for a moment, making sure he wasn’t lying to her. She watched the way he looked around then started to lead them towards a change machine. He seemed like he was okay, at least for now.

“What do you want to play first?”

Tifa watched as he got his wallet out and proceeded to feed a couple bills into the machine to get coins for them. “Uh… a game?”

“I know that.” He reached down and gathered the coins before he took her hand gently. “Come on, let’s just walk around until we find something.”

Tifa liked the sound of that. Her eyes darted around to the various brightly colored games that were around. She spotted a snowboarding game along the wall, she saw a few sports games. That one looked like you threw a ball. She briefly wondered how good she’d be at that one. 

“Oh, what about that?” She pointed to a racing game. It looked like two beside each other that were attached. “We can both play together.” She announced as she slid into one of the seats.

He couldn’t stop the chuckle that came out of his mouth. Seeing her so excited made him smile. He slowly moved around to the other side and slid onto the hard plastic seat. He looked at the controls in front of him and laughed again. He’d driven plenty of vehicles before, but none of them were nearly as simple as the game was. He leaned closer to Tifa and fed a few coins into the slots for both sides.

“Turn the wheel to the right,” he instructed her gently when options popped up onto her screen. “Then hit the gas pedal to pick.”

Tifa looked at the screen and gave him a little nod. She selected ‘two player’ and pressed on the gas pedal. “I’m gonna kick your ass.” She told him suddenly, a huge smile on her face.

The man just stared at her for a brief moment. “We’ll see about that,” he challenged her right back. He looked back at his screen and started going through the options for the race. He made a few choices and out of habit, from times at the arcade in the past, he chose manual for the car’s transmission. His left hand rested on the game’s gear shifter that sat beside him. “Shit.”

She leaned over to look at what he’d done, then she realized his hand was down on the gear shifter. His bad hand. The one he couldn’t feel. “See, you should have paid attention.” She teased him.

The woman turned to focus on her screen again as the track loaded on it. When the countdown started, she pressed her foot onto the gas pedal. Green light flashed and her car shot forward. Beside her, she heard a soft grumble and all it did was make her laugh. She knew he wasn’t actually upset over it. It was his own fault anyway for not watching the screens like she did.

Tifa did her best to keep control of the car on the screen. The first two turns she was fine, but on the third curve, she was going too fast and slid right off the track and into the field. “Shit.”

“See, you should have paid attention.” Cloud mocked her, holding in a smile. He’d been able to mostly get the gear shifter to cooperate with him. His grip faltered briefly when he tried to push on the stick to change gears. It took a moment for it to change for him. 

Tifa looked at his screen as her car finally finished respawning and saw he’d just passed her. A new wave of determination hit her as she pressed onto the gas pedal. She did her best to keep pace with him, them both having their fair share of slipping off the track. Then suddenly Cloud’s hand slipped off the shifter when he changed gear again, leading to his game car being stuck in neutral and coming to a near stop. 

“Dammit.” He huffed when Tifa’s car darted past him. He got himself back into gear and finished the race after her.

“I win, you lose.” Tifa taunted him, a huge smile on her face. She saw the way he just arched his eyebrows at her. “What?” 

“Nothing.”

She slid out of the chair and moved around to the back of the game so she could look around. Soon, she spotted another game, it looked like a fighting game and she grabbed Cloud’s hand gently to lead him towards it. She wanted to check out as much as she could that day. Especially with the man she loved. 

The pair spent two hours playing various games together. Eventually, Tifa was able to convince Cloud to play one of the shooting games with her. He was leery at first because of the gun, but when he realized it was just monsters and fiends in the game and no enemy soldiers or anything that resembled humans, he was okay with it.

Tifa’s aim was horrible as she aimed the rifle towards the screen and missed most of her shots. Cloud, on the other hand. She watched him in amazement. Even in a video game, his aim was impeccable. 

“How did you get so good?” She asked in between stages.

Cloud lowered the rifle a bit, old habits kicking in for him even though it was a video game. He gave her a nervous smile. “I liked spending time at the range… when I had some downtime between shifts.” He explained. 

Tifa saw the small smile that appeared on his face when he talked about it. To her, it sounded like he had a hobby when he was in the military. One he didn’t have anymore. One that she had never even known about until just that moment. She started to wonder what else she still didn’t know about him.

That thought made her smile. 

“Might wanna watch.” Cloud lifted the gun to shoot something that was flying towards Tifa’s side of the screen.

Tifa looked back at the screen just as it flashed red from getting hit. “Dammit.” She heard her fiance laugh beside her and just smiled. He was the reason they made it through four more stages. “I didn’t shoot anything.” She burst into laughter when she saw the final scores flash on the screen. 

“You got a couple points.” He commented with a smirk on his face. His score had an extra digit compared to Tifa’s. Cloud put the game rifle back onto the mount on the front and checked the time. “We should head out soon, we have that reservation.”

She got her phone out of her pocket to look as well. They had about twenty minutes for the reservation. Plenty of time to get over there. “Thank you, Cloud.”

“For saving your ass?” He pointed at the game.

She started laughing as she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck loosely. “For all of this. I had a lot of fun.” She pulled him down to kiss him softly. 

“I did too.” He smiled against her lips. “Let’s go get dinner.”

Tifa looked over her menu once they were seated and felt her mouth immediately start to water. Pasta, chicken, steak, even seafood options. And she had no idea what she was in the mood for. Her attention was pulled from the options a moment later when a waiter approached their table and introduced himself. 

Once getting their drink orders, a simple beer for Cloud and wine for her, he smiled at them. “We have a special appetizer this evening.” He explained, looking between them. “A soup made from fresh Gongaga mushrooms.”

Tifa tilted her head, she could see the gears turning in the man’s head. What she wasn’t expecting however, was the fact that Cloud ordered it. “Soup?” She asked him with a head tilt. She started laughing when she spotted the smile on his face. She opted for a salad for herself. When their waiter turned to leave, she looked back at him. “Why are you smiling over a soup?”

Cloud looked back down at his menu for a moment. “I haven’t heard about Gongaga since we’ve been here.” He felt another smile hit him, this time a little more somber. He figured Tifa might not remember. “Zack was from Gongaga.” He reminded her. 

The moment he said the man’s name, he saw the realization spread across hers. “I’ve never had a chance to try them before.”

Tifa took a moment to look over the menu, deciding on what she wanted for dinner that night then looked back across at her fiance. “He really spoke highly of them, huh?” 

“He did, every single time he came home from leave.” Cloud shook his head a bit. “I’m still mad at him that he never brought me any back with him. Always said they weren’t as good unless they were fresh.” Cloud looked up when their waiter came back around with their drinks for him. 

“Well, these aren’t going to be fresh.” She reached out for her wine as he grabbed his beer to take a little sip.

“This is probably as close as I’ll ever get to having fresh ones. I doubt I’ll ever get to that region of the world. So, I’ll take what I can get.”

“I’m curious now too. Will you let me try a bit when it comes out?” She asked softly.

Cloud nodded without a word. He decided to look back down at his menu, having changed his mind on getting himself a streak. He opted for one of the pastas for himself instead. Something he wouldn’t have to cut in order to eat. He didn’t mind asking for help from Tifa when they were alone, but not in public. He didn’t want others to see that he had to have someone else cut his food in order to eat it.

Soon, their waiter came back around to their table and placed Tifa’s salad in front of her first before the bowl of soup in front of Cloud. He lingered for a moment to take their entree orders then grabbed their menus to leave them alone again.

Cloud looked down at the soup in front of him then reached for his spoon. It smelled delicious and looked good too. He carefully stirred it a bit before he scooped some, ensuring he had a decently sized mushroom to take a bit of it. He hummed softly and took his time tasting the food in his mouth. It reminded him almost of home. The mushrooms were a little sweeter. Something he wasn’t expecting. 

“How is it?”

“Not that much different than back home.” He told her honestly. Reaching across the table, he offered her his spoon then slid the bowl closer so she could taste it. “Why would he say they’re the best thing ever? Unless it’s just me,” he chuckled.

Tifa took the spoon and scooped a little bit out for herself. After she gently blew on it, she took the bite and leaned back on her chair as she tasted it. He was right, it didn’t taste much different than what they were used to back home. “Might have been a nostalgia thing for him?” She suggested. “It’s good though.” She leaned over and took another little bite. “Didn’t you have something that you raved about to the others?”

Cloud paused to think about her words. He laughed softly when she took one more bite of his soup then finally gave him his spoon back. “Yeah, mom’s pot roast.” He admitted honestly. 

The more he thought about it, the more her words made sense to him. Maybe, to Zack, they were the best thing ever. They were good, yes, he could easily admit that. All of the men and women around him would talk about food from home when they came back from leave. 

“See? And you probably talked about your mom’s pot roast a lot too, didn’t you?” She saw him nod shyly. “And did you ever bring any back with you?”

“No,” he shook his head,” because it’s not–”

“–fresh?” Tifa finished for him. She let out a small laugh as she picked up her fork to start eating her salad. “I never knew him. I wish I could have gotten the chance… but I really think that’s why he said what he did about them. It was something that reminded him of home.”

He slowly nodded again. It all made sense to him. His mom’s pot roast was the best he’d ever had and it was probably the same way for Zack. Food was something simple they could all hole onto from their homes. Even when everything else around them felt like it was crumbling, they always had that comfort they could cling to.

Cloud’s eyes traveled up to the ceiling for just a moment. Tifa caught it. She caught the deep breath that the man took and simply watched him. She wished she could have had a chance to meet the man that was once Cloud’s best friend. From the stories he’d shared with her about Zack, he sounded like a wonderful guy. He seemed like a carefree, friendly guy that got along with just about everybody. From everything he’d described, she understood why he had so many problems with Aerith at first. They were similar.

“Thank you for suggesting this tonight, Cloud.”

“I suggested the arcade, you suggested the restaurant.” He shot back with a small smile.

“You know what I meant.” She laughed. Tifa stabbed one of the tomatoes from her salad and reached across the table to offer it to her fiance, knowing how much he loved them.

“Well, you’re welcome. And happy birthday.” Cloud finally leaned over to take the bite off of her fork, then finished closing the gap so he could press his lips gently against her cheek.

“My birthday isn’t until tomorrow,” she reminded him.

“Well, considering that you work tomorrow night, we’re celebrating now.” 

Their waiter had been walking by their table, taking care of another customer, but he paused, having heard part of their conversation. “Celebrating? What are we celebrating tonight?” He asked, genuinely curious.

“Her birthday,” he pointed his spoon in her direction and smirked softly.

“Well, happy birthday,” the waiter looked at her and smiled. “Would you two like fresh drinks while I’m here?” He asked, having noticed they were both running low.

They both agreed, Tifa to her wine and Cloud to his beer. When they were alone again, Tifa narrowed her eyes a little bit at him. “Why did you look at me like that when you told him it was my birthday?”

The man simply shrugged and did his best to look confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Mmhm,” she hummed. She felt like he was up to something. She knew the man well enough to know the looks on his face that he got.

And sure enough, about an hour later once they finished their meal, Tifa heard loud noises. Her hand flew up to her mouth when she spotted their waiter and three others coming towards their table. They were all singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her at the top of their lungs. She wanted to crawl into a hole, but she couldn’t stop laughing about it. Their voices carried throughout the entire restaurant so she was sure everybody that was watching or at least trying to watch.

Her eyes darted across to Cloud when the group finished. They’d brought a piece of chocolate cake for them to share and there was even a lit candle on it for her birthday. Tifa thanked them softly when they each wished her a happy birthday then leaned down to blow out the candle. 

She was sure her face couldn’t be any more red at that point.

“Happy birthday, Tifa.” He smiled at her.

“You knew they were going to do that, didn’t you?”

“I had a feeling.”

Tifa stared at him for a moment. She saw him start to reach across to the plate that had the cake and quickly grabbed her fork to poke the back of his hand. “I feel so embarrassed right now.” She started laughing because it was all she could do about it.

“A lot of places around the city do things like that for birthdays, or anniversaries. Anything worth celebrating. Zack did it to me once, then I stopped going out to restaurants with him near my birthday. I learned.”

Tifa just laughed again and shook her head at him. “Are you trying to warn me about doing this again with you?”

He just shrugged. “Zack did it to me. Claire tried once, I always wanted to do it to someone else though.” Cloud leaned against the table and watched her closely. “And I knew I could get away with it with you.”

While she was embarrassed about it, she wasn’t upset. She thought it was cute that he’d do something like that for her. She finally got a bit of the cake on her fork to try it. She hummed immediately and got another bite to offer it to Cloud.

“This takes me back,” she commented softly, a smile on her face.

“When uh… we were still figuring out what all of this was?”

“In your mom’s kitchen.” She smiled. Hearing that he remember that too, even though he was at the height of his mental spiral, warmed her heart. It meant enough to him to keep it locked away in his mind. “Only difference was, it was your birthday back then, not mine.”

“I remember that.”

Tifa’s eyes met his for a moment as she alternated bites of the cake with her fiance. Having seen the change in Cloud over the past two years had been incredible. To her, it felt like he was almost back to the same man that she knew before he went to war. Before he had to murder. Before he watched his friends die in front of him.

She knew that he’d never fully get back to that man. He still had his nightmares. Granted, they were rare anymore, something she was incredibly thankful for. But each time he had one, she was wide awake with him. Seeing him break, broke her. 

It made her even more thankful for moments like this with him. Not a word needed to be said. They could sit in silence, sharing little glances as they ate together. She reached across to feed him another bite and laughed when she partially missed and some of the icing ended up on the corner of his mouth. “Sorry!”

Cloud quickly lifted his hand to catch the small piece that fell so he could pop it into his mouth. “See, you should have paid attention.” He smirked, repeating her words from earlier at the arcade.

“Okay, now you’re just being mean.” She laughed a little louder, shaking her head. She leaned over closer to him then and reached out to gently grip his shirt. “You have some icing…” she trailed off and tugged him a little closer to her. Leaning in, she pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth. When he smiled, she moved her lips to press against his gently for a lingering kiss before she sank back.

“I love you,” she told him softly.

“I love you too, Tifa. Happy birthday.” He reached over and took the fork from her so he could take over alternating bites between them. He couldn’t wait to get home and spend the rest of the evening alone with the woman he loved more than anything.

Chapter Text

Cloud had always been one to wake up early. It was a habit he acquired in the military, and one that rarely failed him now. He carefully slipped out of bed and turned to adjust the blankets over his naked fiance. Even after celebrating her birthday the night before, he was awake at 7 in the morning. 

He lifted his arms above his head to stretch a bit and make sure he didn’t disturb Tifa. He watched as the woman just snuggled further into their bed, staying sound asleep.

Good.

Moving around the room quietly, he grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt to pull on. He rushed through his morning routine before he found himself in the kitchen. 

He searched the cabinets and frowned. There were three different teas up there. He couldn’t remember which one she liked to have first thing in the morning. Staring at them for what felt like an eternity, he opted to make them both a pot of coffee instead. It wasn’t the first thing she’d go to in the mornings, but to him it felt better than choosing the wrong tea.

A few moments later, he had the coffee brewing, he opened the fridge to figure out what he wanted to make. He grabbed one of the eggs from the container then the package of bacon before he got the pancake mix out of the cabinet to make. 

He’d done this before, cooking for himself was rather easy now for him and he was thankful for that. Cloud measured everything out and mixed the pancake batter. Then his focus went back to the stove. He grabbed two pans, one for bacon, one for the pancakes and put them onto the burners.

He started the bacon first and grabbed some empty plates to put the cooked food onto. Then he picked up the bowl and found a ladle in one of the drawers. The first pancake was a success. He scooped it off of the pan and put it onto the plate. Then, without thinking, Cloud went to pick the bowl back up with his left hand. The bowl almost immediately slipped out of his fingers. 

“Fuck!” Cloud quickly cringed, hoping that his yell or the bounce of the bowl on the floor would wake his fiance. 

He sighed softly as he looked down at the mess below him. His shirt was covered, as were the bottom of his legs from the bowl splattering on impact with the floor. He turned and found one of the few dish towels they had so he could scoop off the batter from his t-shirt, flinging it back into the bowl. Then he leaned down and started to do the same with the mess that was on the floor.

As he worked on cleaning the mess he’d made, he started wondering what else he could make for his fiance’s birthday breakfast. He was pretty sure there were enough eggs in the fridge for both of them and he could make some toast to go with it. Wasn’t what he originally planned, but something that would still be just as good.

Cloud nearly jumped out of his skin, dropping the towel when the smoke alarm started blaring nearby. “What?” His head darted around, immediately spotting the black smoke billowing from the top of the stove.

The bacon. He forgot about the bacon.

He scampered back to his feet and saw the pan was starting to burn. He quickly moved it off of the burner and turned the stove off. The blaring alarm near him was making his ears ring through. Cloud knew he had to stop it. He could feel his anxiety starting to rapidly climb from the piercing noise. 

He quickly grabbed their broom from beside the fridge. 

“What’re you doing?” Tifa yawned as she walked out of the bedroom, having just grabbed his shirt from the night before to throw on. She watched as he wrestled with the broom and reached up, hitting the button on the front to get the noise to stop. “Cloud… goodness, what are you doing out here?” Tifa waved her hand in front of her face, finally catching a whiff of something that was burnt. 

He felt a crimson heat shoot all the way up his neck and cover his entire face. “Uh… I’m cooking?” He smiled nervously at her. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“And did you forget how to cook?” She laughed softly. Tifa slowly walked towards the kitchen. When she got closer, she lifted the shirt a bit so she could cover her nose. Then she got close enough to spot the black charcoal bacon that was in the pan and the remnants of batter on the floor and up along the front of the stove.

Cloud lifted his hand and scratched the back of his head nervously. It was supposed to be a nice breakfast in bed for her, but his hand had other ideas. “I dropped the pancake batter,” he explained.

“I see that,” she giggled softly. She waved her hand a bit more before she reached up and turned the vent above the stove onto high to try to help clear some of the smoke. That was when she spotted one good pancake sitting on the plate beside the stove and started laughing. She couldn’t hold it in anymore at that point. “Oh, honey…”

He hung his head, shoulders slumping a bit. “Happy birthday… I just wanted to give you something nice in bed.”

Tifa saw how defeated her fiance looked and all it did was make her smile wider. “This is so sweet, Cloud.” She reached out and broke a piece off from the pancake that looked good and popped it into her mouth. “Okay, now I’m sad that you dropped the batter, because this is good.”

Cloud sighed softly as he moved back into the kitchen and stood near her. “I can cook… I just dropped the bowl.” He pointed down to where the bowl still sat on the floor. He still had a mess he had to clean up and mopping the kitchen wasn’t how he expected to spend the morning of Tifa’s birthday, but here he was.

She shook her head a little bit. Without a word, she moved around him to get the syrup from the cabinet and grabbed a fork. Returning to Cloud’s side, she added some to the single pancake and picked up the plate. “Cloud, this is perfect.”

“How is it perfect?” He watched her every movement and saw the way the smile never left her face. She cut into the pancake and took another bite before she offered him a piece. 

“Because you tried. You failed horribly, but you tried. And stuff like this only makes me love you even more.” She told him. She fed him another bite and saw a small smirk threaten his face. 

“How about we go down the road to the diner for breakfast?” He suggested. 

Tifa pretended to think about it as she ate another small bite of the pancake. While she would have loved to have an intimate breakfast with her fiance. The apartment needed to air out. The idea of having someone else cook their breakfast sounded more appealing to her than staying in a smoke filled apartment.

“Yes, but we both need a shower first, especially you.”

Cloud looked down at himself, seeing the splotches of batter that covered the bottom of his pajama pants and his t-shirt. It looked like it was starting to dry already. “Why don’t you join me?” He hinted. “No use in wasting water.”

She didn’t say anything as she leaned in closer to him. “Now that is a much better way to start the day than a smoke alarm.” She watched the way his head started to roll back and heard his groan. 

“I said I was sorry.”

“I know.” She reached out and offered him the next to last bite.

He accepted it and watched as she took her time. He could tell she was doing it on purpose. He knew her and her antics. She dragged the last piece of pancake painfully slowly around the plate, gathering and and all of the leftover syrup that was there before she ate it.

“You’re such a damn tease,” he commented with a small laugh.

“It’s my birthday, so I can to do what I want today, mister.” She playfully poked the center of his chest then moved her hand down around his waist. The second it got there, she made a face and jerked her hand back. “Ew.” There was still wet batter there and now it was on her hand.

He looked down to see what had her making that face and just started laughing. He reached down to take her hand so he could lead her towards the bathroom. “I’ll clean the rest of this up after we shower.”

Tifa slipped her fingers through Cloud’s once they got outside and started walking down the sidewalk together. Her legs still felt like jello. Cloud kept her pinned against the wall in the shower barely half an hour ago. She couldn’t shake those images from her mind and she didn’t want to either.

It was a much better start to her day than jumping out of bed naked, tripping over the blanket, grabbing the first shirt she could find and seeing Cloud was trying to burn down their kitchen.

“Thank you for all of this, Cloud.” She rested her head gently against his arm as they strolled down the road. She was in absolutely no rush to get to the diner at the far end of the road. It was Thursday morning so it seemed as if most people were already at work. 

“For trying to burn down the kitchen?” He looked down at her, arching his eyebrow.

“No, not for that. Though… that was a very, very memorable way to wake up in the morning. Not the best way, but very memorable for sure.” She tightened her arm around his as she laughed.

Cloud lifted his other hand in an attempt to scratch the back of his head. “I said I was sorry. I really just wanted to make you breakfast in bed.”

She stopped walking and gently tugged on his arm to get him to stop with her. She looked up at him and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. “It’s okay, Cloud. I promise. I think everything you tried to do this morning was sweet and loving.” Tifa gave him a gentle tug on the back of his head to pull him down for a gentle kiss.

He slowly smiled against her lips. “As long as you’re sure.”

“Memorable is a great way to describe my birthday.” She hooked her arm back through his and continued down the sidewalk with him. “It’ll be a great story to tell the kids someday.” She mused.

“Kids?” That was the only word that she said that Cloud zeroed in on.

“Uh… yeah… maybe someday.” Tifa blushed. She dared to look up at him, thinking that she would see he was panicking. But all she saw was a tiny smile on his lips and a thoughtful expression covering his face. “Is that okay?” She asked softly, realizing that kids were something they hadn’t actually talked about yet. They were engaged, yes, but she had no idea if he ever wanted to have children or not.

Cloud decided to pull his arm free and wrapped it around the woman to bring her into his side. When he did, her arms wrapped around his waist in an instant. “I love that idea. I was thinking… two?” He suggested.

“Two?” She mused. “A boy and a girl, hopefully?”

He nodded slightly, letting out a soft hum at hearing that. This was probably a conversation they should have had at home, but even the fact that they were having it had him smiling. He liked the idea of all of that. “That way neither of us will be outnumbered when they’re old enough to start taking sides.” He smirked.

Tifa’s head rolled back as she let out a very loud laugh. When she did, she heard someone near them laugh as well because she was so loud. “Already planning on turning them against me to get your way?” She poked his side playfully.

Cloud tried to hold in his own smile. He pulled himself free from Tifa and reached out to grab the door for them. “Maybe.”

She gently smacked his stomach when she walked by him and into the diner. Just as she had suspected, it was quiet in there. A few people here and there sipping coffee and enjoying their breakfast. 

“Where do you want to sit?” She turned back to look at him then back into the diner, scanning for a spot.

He hummed, also looking around before he pointed towards an empty table near the back wall. He led her through the few tables and pulled her chair out for her with a little wink.

“Why thank you, kind sir.” She teased as she gently cupped his jaw and leaned in for a soft kiss. When she sat down, she picked up the little paper menu that was there to figure out what she wanted that morning. “So… kids? You’re serious about that?”

Cloud sank into the seat across from her and looked down at the paper in front of him. “I am, actually. When I talked to mom, before I asked you to marry me. She asked if you were pregnant.”

Tifa’s eyes grew wide. “Why would she ask that?”

“Well, because apparently she was already pregnant when my dad asked her to marry him.” He saw the look on Tifa’s face. “Yup.”

Tifa opened her mouth to respond but their waitress came over to get them started with drinks. They had both selected their meals pretty quickly and ordered them as well then she looked right back at her fiance. “So she assumed that you only asked me because…”

“Yup.” Cloud started laughing softly. “But, when she asked me that, I didn’t panic. I didn’t want to run away. I liked the idea of it.” He reached across the table to take her hand gently. “So yes, I’m serious about the kids thing if you are.”

Tifa felt her heart flutter. She would love that with him. “Maybe after we get married?” She continued to muse with him. All she saw was a smile spread across his face. He didn’t share his thoughts, but it was written all over his features.

The thought of having a family with Cloud someday made her smile. She wanted that with him. She wanted all of that with him.

Chapter Text

Cloud followed Tifa across the street that ran along the front of their apartment building, heading towards the dividing wall that led to the beach. Over his left shoulder, he carried a bag that held some towels and a few extra articles of clothing if they were needed. In his right hand, he carried a small cooler that had some drinks and some sandwiches in it for their day.

Tifa glanced back at him when she was across the road, making sure he didn’t slip too far behind her. She had her own bag over her shoulder and hugged a light blanket against her chest. She smiled at him softly. “You’re slow today,” she teased.”

“You made me carry everything.” Cloud laughed softly. 

“You volunteered to carry everything, let me correct you.” She turned to continue down the sidewalk when he joined her. 

They were ready for the day at the beach. Tifa had a wide brimmed hat on her head and sunglasses over her eyes. There was a light wrap that was around her hips. Something sheer that was more for show than to actually cover up, according to Cloud. But she liked it. It went with the top she had on over her bikini. 

Cloud wasn’t as dressed up as she was. He had on a pair of black and blue swim trunks and a simple tank top over his chest with some sunglasses over his eyes. 

“Lots of people came out today.” She stopped briefly when they walked out onto the sand and looked around to find a spot. “How about over there?” She leaned into him a little bit and pointed down the beach a bit where they looked to be an open spot they could claim as their own for the day.

His eyes followed where she was pointing before he nodded. “Looks good to me.” He trudged through the sand, walking beside her through the people that already had spots of their own until they reached the clear space.

He went to put the bag down carefully that had been on his left shoulder, but it slipped right out of his hand and landed on the ground with a soft thud. At least there wasn’t anything breakable in that bag. Once he put the cooler down, he went over to Tifa to take the blanket from her so they could start to spread it out on the sand.

“Do you want to get an umbrella?” He asked as he started to unfold the blanket.

Tifa hummed softly as she put her bag down beside their things. She looked back towards the stall by the wall they came through. “Maybe later. I want to get some sun first.” She knew they’d probably get one later, but right now she wanted to enjoy the sunny day.

Nodding, he focused on stretching out the blanket then. She grabbed one side of it to help him. Then he grabbed the cooler to put one one of the corners to keep it down before he sank down onto his knees on it, watching his fiance. Tifa pulled her hat off and tossed it onto the blanket. He’d already gotten his first glimpse of the dark blue and white bikini she had on. They hadn’t even realized their suits were close in color until they got dressed that morning to come over.

He watched as she lifted her tank top up and over her head, humming as most of her exposed skin came into his view. He planned on taking any and all looks at her that he could get throughout the day. 

When she stretched her arms high above her head, something she did often at home, he heard some whistling near them. Cloud’s eyes narrowed a bit as he turned to look. Sure enough, there was a group of guys watching Tifa. They looked like they were teens.

“Keep it moving,” he grumbled in their direction.

Tifa just rolled her eyes when she heard him. Her eyes flicked up to the boys and she just ignored them. “Let them look.” She reached down and untied the wrap from around her hips, drawing another whistle from them. 

Cloud continued to give them death glares though. He couldn’t help it. Tifa was beautiful, yes, but it was disrespectful to just whistle at someone and he hated it. 

“They shouldn’t be treating you like an object.” He muttered. Then he felt Tifa’s hand on her jaw, turning his attention towards her. Cloud didn’t realize she knelt on the blanket with him and was now right in front of him. 

“I’m here with you , not them.” She told him as she leaned in and kissed him gently. When their lips met, she heard a frustrated groan from the group. “And see, most people stop when they realize I’m off the market.” She teased.

Cloud watched her as she leaned back. He hummed in appreciation when she started to lean back, showing off more of her body to his hungry gaze. 

“They’re not allowed to make noises at me, but you can? That seems a little counterintuitive, Cloud.”

“That’s because I don’t treat you like a piece of meat.” He reminded her. He saw a small smile come to her face and knew he was right. “I’m the only one that gets to admire you.”

“Look at you being selfish.” She teased him gently, a smirk on her face. “Cloud, no. Behave,” she lifted her hand when the man started to inch towards her. 

He continued moving for a moment before he just sat down beside her, laughing. He saw the way she pointed at him and knew better than to push his luck. “Fine.” He caved. 

Cloud shifted and started to pull his tank top up. Then he heard a hum beside him and spotted Tifa’s eyes glued to him. He exposed his stomach to her slowly, then when he finally got his tank top to his chest, she started laughing. “What? You were the one watching me. I had to give you a show.”

She reached around him and grabbed one of the bags to pull it closer to her so she could dig out the sunblock. “You’re sexy, and you’re mine, so yes, I’m going to watch you.”

Cloud haphazardly folded his tank top and tossed it down onto the far corner of the blanket, right along with where Tifa threw her cover-ups. “And I get to be the one that helps you with that sunblock.” He wiggled his eyebrows again in her direction.

“Is everything sex to you today?” Tifa didn’t bother to hold in her laughter. “I know that look on your face, Cloud.”

He shrugged. “I’m engaged to the most beautiful woman around, so you can’t blame me for my mind drifting a bit.”

The woman just shook her head at him. She put the bag to the side and opened the bottle of sunblock to start applying it to her arms. First her right arm, then she started on her left arm when Cloud grabbed the bottle from her. She knew that he was playing and his words made her smile. She knew he always read the mood she was in before he pushed things too far with her. Something she was thankful for.

Tifa loved seeing this side of him more and more over the last year. She could tell he was genuinely happy since his shoulder started healing and he stopped having all of his pain. “What are you doing?” She asked, tilting her head a bit when he tugged one of her legs across his lap.

“Helping you.” He put some of the cream onto his hand and reached down to start spreading it along the top of her foot. Then he started to work up her calf and to her knee. Cloud looked up and watched her as he started to lean closer to her and worked both of his hands up onto her thigh a bit.

“Alright, I can get the rest,” she scolded him lightly, pulling her leg away from him so she could get the top portion of her thigh. She accepted some of the lotion from him and watched as he started working on her other leg.

Cloud made sure to take his time. His hands squeezed around her calf as best as he could and started massaging her ankle. When his hands started to move towards her calf again and eventually up to her knee, she laughed. Her leg shifted out of his lap almost immediately. 

“I told you to behave.” She didn’t try to hold in her smile though as she turned to face away from him. She didn’t want to give him too much time to work himself up, so she wasn’t letting his hands anywhere near the front of her body.

“Where’s the fun in that?” A smile spread across his face when she laughed. He loved hearing that noise, even if he knew she was laughing at him. He reached out to take the bottle again to gather a little bit more. “Move your hair.”

She did, once she moved it over her shoulder, he leaned in closer. Starting at her shoulders, he spread the sunblock along her skin. He lingered a little too long along the side of her torso, right beside her breast. Something that didn’t go unnoticed by her either. 

He laughed when she gently elbowed back into him, encouraging him to move along to another part of her back. “It’s not like I was actually grabbing you.”

“Don’t give yourself any ideas.”

“I can behave in public.” He tried to convince her. He worked down the woman’s back then took the excess sunblock to work into his forearm.

Tifa looked over herself, making sure she was covered before she turned back around to her fiance. “Come here,” she gently patted the blanket in front of her. “I don’t want you to have splotches all over you.” She chuckled softly, teasing him. 

“My hand…” he trailed off with a sigh. 

“I know,” she smiled softly at him and patted the spot again. “Come here.” She encouraged. Once he was settled in front of her, she shifted onto her knees and kissed the back of his head gently. Then she started the process of working the sunblock along his shoulders.

Tifa couldn’t help herself as she started to tease him. She knew all of his spots. She knew where he was sensitive and where he wasn’t. She twisted her finger just enough so her fingernail could catch a crease in his skin from how he was sitting that was near his shoulder blade. She smirked at the way his back arched and he rotated his neck a little bit. 

“Two can play this game, honey.” She grinned.

Tifa did it again, this time dragging her fingernail along his other shoulder blade. She started laughing when he leaned forward to get away from her. 

“Please stop. I can’t hide it like you can.” He muttered.

Tifa heard him take a slow, deep breath and smiled to herself. “Okay, fine.” She worked down the rest of his back. “Lean back more.”

Cloud looked over his shoulder with questioning eyes then decided to just listen to her. It was better that way for him. He leaned back, eventually resting the back of his head against the tops of her breasts. “One of my favorite places to be.” He smirked up at her.

All Tifa could do was look down at him and laugh. Then he nestled himself more into her chest and she had to pause to compose herself. Shaking her head, she proceeded to reach down over him to make sure his chest and stomach were covered as well. 

“Are you comfortable?” She asked teasingly.

“Oh yes,” he closed his eyes then and settled in more against his fiance.

Tifa placed her fingers on his forehead and pulled him back a little bit so she could see his face. His eyes opened and a smile started to spread across his face. “I love you.” She whispered before she dropped her head to kiss his forehead softly.

“I love you too,” he smiled up at her. He saw her dip her head and felt her soft lips against his forehead again before she pushed on his shoulders. “I was comfortable.” He shifted over anyway and stretched out on his back beside her.

All Tifa could do was shake her head at him. She watched him get comfortable then moved to lie on her stomach beside him. Her arms rested under her torso to prop herself up. She felt his eyes on her as she reached out for her bag that she brought.

“Did you bring a book with you?” He asked. His head rolled to the side to watch her as she dug through the bag. He knew Fang had been providing her with a steady supply of books from Claire and she’d even found a small library she could get some from. 

“I did… or at least I thought I did.” Tifa did everything short of dumping the bag out in front of her before she sighed. “I guess I left it sitting on my nightstand. I should have sworn I grabbed it.”

“So it’s right where you left it?” He laughed when her hand shot over to smack his side. “What’s that book about anyway?” He asked, turning his head back in her direction to watch her.

“Why, are you going to get jealous about it?”

“No.” He shook his head. He couldn’t help his reaction the first time she read one of those books. Tifa read one of the paragraphs to him and it made him feel inferior. But she reassured him the rest of that night. “I’m just curious.”

“It’s another trashy sex book as you call them.”

His eyes darted around briefly, making sure nobody heard her say that. “Because that’s what they are.”

Tifa got herself comfortable on her stomach again and looked over at him. “Well, how about we talk wedding plans?” She suggested.

“The only thing we know for sure is that it’ll be back home. Because I don’t want my mom to murder me, and I also don’t want your dad to murder me.” He made sure to point out. He and Brian got along, probably as much as they ever would, but it would take much less than a wedding for Brian to want ot murder him all over again.

“Yeah, they would.” Tifa hummed thoughtfully. “Especially dad.”

“It wouldn’t take much for him to want to murder me again.” He chuckled.

Tifa knew she couldn’t fight that. She knew that he was right about it and all she could do was laugh. “I was thinking.” She tilted her head a bit, changing the subject away from her dad for just a moment. “What if we stayed here? Not for the wedding, we go home and have the wedding there. But part of me really wants to stay here… permanently.”

Cloud kept his eyes on her. It wasn’t something he’d thought about until now. The original plan was to come to Junon, get his shoulder fixed, then go back home to Nibelheim. He watched the way she looked down at the blanket nervously. “If I can get cleared to work soon,” he shrugged. That was still up in the air though.

The random shocks down his arm and into his hand caused his fingers to flex and relax, leading to things being dropped still. While he wished he could get cleared, he also didn’t want to push it and risk running into the same issues he had in Midgar where he couldn’t keep a job, no matter how hard he worked.

“I’d like to stay wherever you’re at.” He finally continued, smiling warmly at her.

Tifa’s lips slowly curled into a smile. “Always a sweet talker. I knew there was a reason I said yes to marrying you.”

“Yup, that’s the only reason.” He wiggled his eyebrows a bit and noticed the way she was leaning closer to him. “I have my moments.” His voice lowered a bit.

“You definitely do.” She finished closing the gap between them and captured his lips gently with her own. “So, you’d really be okay staying here too?” She asked, wanting to confirm that he was being serious and not a smartass about it.

Cloud rested his head back against the blanket and let his eyes close. He focused on the sun warming the exposed skin of his body. Something they couldn’t do in Nibelheim. “Yeah. I would be okay staying here. I like it. There’s always something to do, and if I can start working soon, there’s plenty of places to find a job. But we have to wait for the lease renewal to see what that says.”

Most days he still felt useless at home. Even though he did a lot of the shopping for them while Tifa slept in in the mornings and he kept himself busy with cleaning when she did work. Or he’d busy himself with a walk. He still felt like he wasn’t contributing anything to their home because of the fact that he still couldn’t work. His stipend didn’t last long once it hit their account.

A familiar poke on the side of his head made him realize that he had been quiet for too long. Cloud slowly smiled and cracked his eyes open to look at her. He didn’t have to say anything to her, just as she didn’t have to say anything. The pokes she gave him, he used to find them annoying at first. But now, he’d grown to love them. It was a subtle way for her to pull him back from spiraling too much.

Cloud stretched his arms above his head when he stood up. Then he reached his hand down to gently take Tifa’s, helping her to her feet as well. He waved his hand in the direction of their things. They’d be fine until they got back. Once Tifa was on her feet, she didn’t pull her hand away from his, instead, she laced her fingers through his.

They’d spent the entire day together at the beach and now that the sun was starting to set, most people had already gone home or back to their hotels for the night, leaving mostly couples leftover on the sand. Tifa was the one that suggested the walk for them. Something Cloud was more than okay with. 

As he walked with her, he started to feel the warmth in his shoulders and chest. He felt a little bit of stiffness and knew he was probably going to be a little burnt the next day. But, he was also sure it wouldn’t be anything he couldn’t handle.

He was happy for the day. The entire day was spent with his gorgeous fiance. Together they chatted about their wedding. They talked about what they’d do if they had to go home or how they’d try to stay there. And Tifa even mentioned kids. They were far down the road, but he really liked the idea of being a father.

“I’m glad you suggested this,” he finally spoke.

“The walk?”

“All of it. The walk, the beach day.” He looked over at her and smiled softly.

Tifa pulled her hand away from his then but only for a moment. Instead of holding his hand, she opted to hook her arm through his. “I figured we needed it.” When she leaned into him, she paused briefly. “Cloud, you’re really warm.” She commented lightly, a laugh trailing behind. Her hand came up to press against the skin on the front of his shoulder then over onto his chest.

“I might have some sunburn tomorrow,” he shrugged. “How come I ended up getting burnt, but you didn’t?”

“I reapplied the sunblock.” She turned and pressed her lips gently against his shoulder then continued walking beside him. “That must have been when you went to get us ice cream.” She bit her lip shyly. 

“And you didn’t remind me to put more on.” He nodded a bit. “You wanted me to get burnt.” He kept his voice flat. 

Tifa lifted her head to look up at him. She examined his face closely. Most people wouldn’t notice the tiny curl he had on his mouth on the left side. “You’re an adult, you can remind yourself.” She smiled when he let out a loud laugh. “You know that sarcastic, straight faced stuff doesn’t work on me–”

“–as much.” He chimed in. “It still works sometimes.” He knew it was mostly his fault. He’d gotten back to her with ice cream just as she finished putting on more of the lotion. And he’d completely forgotten about it by the time they finished the ice cream cones. He shifted to look at his shoulder. “It shouldn’t be too bad tomorrow.”

“You hope.” She added. Tifa turned her head and kissed his shoulder again. “We should do this again. Nice day like today, it wasn’t too hot. I really liked it.” She told him honestly. “And maybe we’ll get the umbrella a little sooner next time. Save you from getting burnt.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be okay.” He brushed it off. 

“I want to stop at the shop on the way home and find some aloe for you so you won’t be as miserable tomorrow.”

He chuckled lightly and looked down at himself again. He saw the red on his chest and biceps, but even then it wasn’t that bad. At least to him. 

A little further down the sand, Cloud looked out over the water. “I should have proposed out here.” He told her suddenly. Cloud came to a stop first and turned to look at her face. His arms gently wrapped around her waist to keep her close to him. 

Tifa ran her hands up and finally wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m kind of glad that you didn’t, honestly.”

“Why?”

“Because this isn’t you.” She started, seeing the confusion on his face. “I think it’s something that should be more between us. We didn’t need an audience.” She slowly ran her fingernails along the back of his head. “The way you asked me to marry you was you .”

Cloud continued to stare at her, his head tilted a bit to the side. He still felt highly confused by her words. “What do you mean that it felt like me?”

“Your personality. Cloud, I’ve known you for a very long time and I know you’re not one to make a big show out of everything. So, it makes sense to me that you wouldn’t make a big show out of proposing to me. Even something as big as that.” She tugged him down gently and pressed her lips against his. She let the kiss linger for a few more seconds before she pulled back.

“So, you’re not upset by how I asked you?”

“No, I’m not upset… I mean, you did kind of blurt it out, though,” she started laughing. “But–” she moved her hand up to press her fingers against his lips before he could start speaking again. “I blurted out that I loved you in the middle of your bedroom.” She reminded him.

“So, we’re even?”

“We’re even.” She pulled him down again and kissed him again. She wouldn’t change anything about how Cloud proposed to her.

Chapter Text

Cloud breathed a sigh of relief when he slipped his suit jacket on. He flexed his arms a little bit as his mom taught him while he was growing up. Something simple to ensure that it wasn’t too tight in his shoulders. And it fit. It fit him well. He’d gotten it years ago for a military event and had taken it back to his mom’s house when he visited for her birthday one year. That was where it stayed ever since. Cloud knew he’d gained some weight over the past few years as well, that’s why he was worried.

But it fit and he could button it without feeling like it was suffocating him. Slipping it back off, he tossed it lightly onto their bed before he went to the closet to hunt for the matching slacks. That was easy for him to find. Then he went back in to look at the shirts that he had. He felt torn.

“Hey, Tifa?” He called out for her.

It took a moment before she appeared. “Yeah?” She popped her head around the corner into their bedroom, still running her brush through her hair.

He continued to start into the closet for another moment then grabbed two shirts to hold them up in front of himself. “Which one do you think?” He asked. One of the shirts was a solid white button down while the other was a baby blue one.

She hummed softly, looking between them. “Are you wearing a tie tonight too?” She asked. Tifa didn’t even know if he had a tie, she was surprised enough to know he had a suit.

“I got a black one yesterday.” He saw her smile and couldn’t stop himself from returning it. Knowing they were going out tonight had pushed him to go to one of the shops the morning before and find one for himself.

“Go with the blue one then. It really makes your eyes pop,” she winked at him before she vanished from his view. A moment later, he heard the blow dryer kick on in the bathroom. 

Cloud looked down at the shirts and smiled softly. He knew just how much she loved his eyes. He always caught her looking at him, even when he wasn’t looking at her. He turned to toss the blue one onto the bed then returned to his closet to hang the other one up.

It was his birthday. His 30th birthday. Five years ago, when he was deployed to Wutai, he lost faith that he’d ever make it home. He’d only just turned 25. He had so much of his life ahead of him. But he’d seen the number of people that simply left and never came back. Then he was there and witnessed people he cared about die, several right in front of him. He didn’t think he’d make it to 26.

Then he had a birthday again. One he couldn’t celebrate because he was still on Wutai. He turned 26, then a short time later he was injured. He nearly bled out before he was able to get assistance. Then he didn’t even remember the transport they threw him on. He woke up on a cot in a tent, just briefly though. Then during the trip to Midgar to the hospital there, he woke up once more. The time from his injury to when he woke up in Midgar was still a giant blur to him, even to this day.

His time in Midgar nearly ended on multiple occasions. Thinking back now, he still had no idea how he managed to hold it together when he was completely alone in the city. He knew nobody in Midgar. He couldn’t remember the names of anybody he interacted with during his time there. To him, Midgar meant nothing.

He survived the hospital there and was sent out on his own, completely unaware of how to even be a civilian anymore. All he knew was the military. Then somehow, he managed to make it to 27. That was one of the worst lows in his life. He spent that entire evening trying to find a way to get to the rooftop of one of the tall buildings on the upper plate. It was in Sector 5. He went inside the shop there, even bought something as he looked for some door to slip through, but nothing. Then he ended up behind the building.

There was no fire escape that he could reach and the maintenance door was locked. He was unsuccessful.

That was still a story he kept completely to himself. Tifa didn’t know of it. He’d alluded to it a couple of times over their time together, but he never flat out told her he was looking for a way to end it. 

That was quite possibly the worst point in his life. He’d been horribly injured. He was basically abandoned by Shinra once he was discharged. There was nothing around to help him. Nobody was around to help him. He was all on his own and had to figure out everything. Figure out how to be a regular person. He had to figure out how to get through his episodes all on his own. 

His 28th birthday wasn’t much better. The only thing that made that one manageable was Tifa. His mom helped too, but he knew it was mostly Tifa.

He’d barely been home in Nibelheim for a month and had to adjust to a whole new life again. It was more quiet. It didn’t have all the sounds or even the smells. The only difference being that he actually was around people that he knew. But they know the man he was before he was deployed. They knew the teen he was before he left. They knew a man that, at that time, Cloud didn’t think he’d ever get back to.

But he did it. He survived another year.

Then he hit his 29th birthday, just a month before they left for Junon. He was actually able to have a birthday party in Nibelheim. Something he hadn’t fully been able to enjoy since his 25th birthday. Zack and Claire, along with some others, had taken him to a bar in Junon to celebrate that particular birthday. He couldn’t remember the name of that bar or even where it was, but he remembered the night. It was fun. The last bit of fun he had before everything started to spiral for years.

Then he made it to another one.Today. His 30th birthday.

He made it to his 30th birthday and he actually felt like the man he once was.

For his 30th birthday, instead of wanting everything to end or fearing that it would, he had been smiling most of the day. Tifa had given him a wonderful way to wake up that morning. He’d been fielding messages all day from people that cared. All of them wishing him a happy birthday.

He was pretty sure that Tifa had told Fang about his birthday because even she had messaged him. A number that he didn’t have saved in his phone. He’d only met the woman a handful of times, but she still cared enough to wish him a happy birthday.

There were people around him that cared for him. He had friends now. He had a support system around him.

Cloud finished buttoning the last button on his shirt and worked to tuck it into his pants before he grabbed his tie on his way next door to share the bathroom mirror with Tifa. 

“Do you need a hand?” She asked him when she caught his reflection in the mirror. 

“I think I can get it.” He nodded a bit, mostly to convince himself. He was determined to get it on his own.

He put the tie around his neck and fumbled with it a bit. He couldn’t feel his fingertips so it was still hard for him to tell how tightly he gripped something. That was what the mirror was for.

He hummed softly when he lost his grip for a second. He closed his eyes briefly, pushing away the moment of rage that threatened him. It was frustrating and he had to remain patient.

Again, he started working on tying it. Then he caught Tifa watching him in the reflection of the mirror. “I got it.” He reiterated to her.

“Okay, I’m going to get my shoes then.” She gently patted his shoulder as she walked behind him and left the bathroom.

“Dammit,” he grumbled to himself and pulled the tie loose again so he could start over. 

He was determined to do this on his own. He could finally tie his own shoes again. His fingers worked enough to grip the shoelaces. It was still a process for him to get it to cooperate with him, but he could get it. 

As he worked on his tie, he felt his mind start to wander again. He felt like he was finally able to live his life now. Two years ago, when he reconnected with Tifa, he was lost. He was just a shell of his former self. Back then, he didn’t even want to go outside. Anybody he spoke with was lucky to get a handful of words out of him. But now, he had no issues doing things. He could go out for walks on his own. He could carry on light conversations with the people that he interacted with. He didn’t feel the urge to hide anymore.

Cloud focused on gripping the knot with his left hand and slowly fed the tie through it. He smiled when he got it and nothing slipped out of his grasp. He was able to get the tie on by himself. He stood upright again and pulled it tight before he adjusted his collar down over it. Looking at himself once more in the mirror, he briefly noted that his hair was growing longer and he needed to go and get it trimmed soon. 

He’d kept the long spikes for years and when he finally made the decision to cut it all off, he felt like it was one of the best decisions he’d made. At least at the time. It was a way to reinvent himself and basically start fresh. 

“Tifa, I got it!” He announced as he walked out of the bathroom, a huge smile on his face as he looked at her.

Her smile mirrored his as she pulled her second heel. She approached him and reached out to smooth her hands over his dress shirt. “I knew you could do it.”

“No you didn’t,” he teased her. “You were waiting for me to give in.” He looked down as her hand moved along his chest then it wrapped around his tie to pull him closer for a kiss. 

“You’re right, I was.” She smiled softly when she pulled back. Tifa straightened his tie for him since she just grabbed it and moved around him to go into the bathroom. 

“Good to know you had faith in me.” He continued to tease and looked over his shoulder. He caught Tifa’s eyes in the mirror, glaring at him. “I seem to remember someone telling me, on their birthday, that it was their day and they could do as they pleased? What happened to that?”

“Yeah, but that was me, on my birthday.” She clarified for him. Tifa grabbed her eyeshadow and saw the way he leaned against the doorframe to watch her finalize her makeup for the night. “Doesn’t work for you on your birthday though.”

Cloud caught the twinkle of mischief that appeared on Tifa’s face though. He just admired her for a moment as she leaned closer to the mirror to do her makeup. “But, it’s my 30th. Don’t I get the same courtesy? I never thought I’d make it here.”

“I guess you can have a pass.” Her lips curled in a smile. “ Just today though.” She pointed her makeup brush at his reflection playfully.

“Just today?” He pushed himself off of the doorframe and moved through the bathroom again. He walked behind her so he could grab his cologne off of the counter. Cloud heard her hum softly when he sprayed himself and smiled. He knew how much she loved this one and now it was the only one he planned on buying.

Tifa’s eyes followed him in the mirror. She always found herself distracted by him when he was near her, but seeing him dressed up like this did something else to her. 

“You’re watching me.” He pointed out.

She decided to just change the subject away from where it was going since she knew she was already busted for watching him. “Did you talk to your mom today?” She asked, forcing her attention back to the mirror.

“I did.” He grabbed his comb and looked at the mirror so he could fix his hair. He noticed some of it sticking up in the back. “She called me at about noon. So the second she woke up apparently.” With the time difference, the sun was barely up in Nibelheim when she called. “Aerith messaged me about two hours later, about the same time as Barret.” He reached out to put his comb down and just leaned against it to watch her. “Claire messaged, then even Fang messaged me. Which I’m sure someone mentioned it to her at work.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, it was probably Claire that told her.” Her eyes darted over in time and caught the unamused look on his face. “Okay, fine, yes. I might have mentioned it Sunday before I left. Told her how excited I was about going out tonight.”

He hummed with a nod. Cloud moved back behind his fiance and stopped. He gently rested his hands onto her waist and moved them gently over the silver fabric of her dress. “Did I tell you how stunning you look tonight?”

She pulled her hand away from her eye and checked herself in the mirror. Tifa was satisfied with how it looked. When she stood upright some more, she felt him pull her back against his front and his arms wrapped around her waist. “Not yet.”

“Well, you look amazing,” his voice lowered a bit. His head leaned down onto her exposed shoulder as he looked at them in the mirror. “Thank you for being here with me.” He saw her slowly smile before she turned her head to look at him. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She whispered. Tifa leaned in and kissed him softly. When she pulled back, her hand reached back to wipe the tiny bit of her lip gloss off of the man’s lower lip. Instead of her getting it though, he licked his own lips, causing her to laugh. 

“Tastes like raspberry.” He commented. He smacked his lips together a few times, savoring the loud laugh that it drew out of his fiance. “We could always just skip dinner tonight.” 

Tifa almost gave in when his hand moved up to brush her hair away from her neck. Soon his lips pressed against the skin of her shoulder then up onto her neck. “Cloud… I made this reservation two weeks ago.” She cleared her throat and forced herself to turn in his arms. 

All he did was chuckle about that. “But when we get home?”

“Oh, then I’m all yours.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Dinner had been amazing. The food was delicious, and now they waited for their desserts to come out. Cloud picked up his glass and sipped the remaining wine in it before he scooted his chair back a little bit. He saw Tifa watching him out of the corner of his eye. When they’d gotten to the restaurant and the host brought them to the table, he spotted a dance floor.

Then he stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. “Will you dance with me?” He offered Tifa his hand, a smile on his face.

She stared at him then. Her eyes shifted between his outstretched hand then up onto his face. She saw he was sincere about it. “Yes, I would love to.” She scooted her chair back and slipped her hand into his as she stood up. 

She walked beside him, fingers laced through his, making their way through the tables and towards the dance floor. Her head tilted a bit to the side, a soft smile on her face as she moved her other hand up onto his shoulder. Tifa expected to have her foot stomped on when they started moving, but she was pleasantly surprised to see that he seemed to know what he was doing.

“Where did you learn to dance?” She asked him softly.

“I danced in my bedroom a lot.” He saw the shocked look on her face. “Growing up. I spent all that time alone, so I found things to do.” He shrugged. Then he saw the sad look that flashed across her face. He quickly shook his head and moved both of his arms around her waist to hold her body against his as they moved to the music together. “I liked being alone back then, mostly.”

Tifa knew better. She knew he was sad all the time too. She remembered the times he simply didn’t talk to her and ran off on his own and she wished she could have changed that part of their past together. “Well, you’re not alone anymore and you never will be again.”

“Good.” He tightened his arms around her waist and leaned in to press his lips against hers softly. Cloud then rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, enjoying the rest of the dance with his fiance. Then the rest of the night with her at home.

Chapter Text

Cloud thanked the man that was coming out of the building and held the door for him since his hand was full of bags. He adjusted his grip on them a little bit once he was inside. He had told Tifa he was going to the store to grab a few things while she rested. When he left, she was wrapped up in a blanket in the corner of the sofa, cramping and miserable. He’d given her a fresh cup of tea to keep her settled for a while as well.

He used the trip to gather some things for dinner that night, as well as grab her tampons and he even grabbed three of her favorite candy bars. Something she didn’t ask for, but something that he knew she’d appreciate.

He reached down to put the bags down on the floor for a moment so he could get his keys out. Flipping through them, he found his mailbox key and opened their little box by the front door. He reached in with his left hand and picked up everything that was in there before he pushed the door shut and reached down with his right to grab the bags again. 

He was happy that his left hand was working most of the time now. The only thing that got to him were the random, sharp shocks that traveled into his hand and all the way down to his fingertips. The doctor assured him several times that it was normal. It was a sign that the nerves were still healing and there was a good chance that he might regain some or all of his feeling in his fingers. Something he found he actually missed having.

Once he grabbed the few envelopes that were in there, he pushed the door shut. He didn’t bother looking at any of them just yet and simply reached back down to shove those envelopes into one of the bags then grabbed them to head towards the elevator. 

Just a few moments later, he was walking off of the elevator and heading towards his and Tifa’s apartment. Once inside, he didn’t hear anything from Tifa and just assumed she’d fallen asleep while he was gone. He knew she didn’t feel the best that day and whenever she had a bad month, she just liked to sleep as much as she could. 

And he let her.

He kicked off his shoes and made his way towards the kitchen to put the bags down. That was when he heard his fiance’s voice. “Hey, did you grab the tampons for me?”

“Yes, they’re in one of these bags.” He looked over at her and saw the way she threw the blanket off of her. He heard her soft groan when she got up. “Is the heating pad helping you any?”

When he got a grumble in response, that was the only answer he needed. Cloud started to unload the bags onto the counter. Some things for dinner that night then he put the box of tampons onto the edge closest to her. He caught her thankful look when she moved around beside him. Then he produced one chocolate bar, then a second, then a third. 

Each time he placed a candy bar onto the counter, Tifa’s smile grew a little bit wider. She didn’t ask for that, but he got her some anyway. She made her way around the counter and wrapped both of her arms around his waist, watching while he unpacked the rest of the items.

“I knew there was a reason I loved you.” She buried her head against his chest, right under the crook of his arm. Her eyes traveled along the items, seeing what all he grabbed. Some vegetables and some fish that looked really good. 

“This is the only reason,” he teased her and wrapped his left arm around her while he continued unloading what was left. “And I got ice cream too,” he showed her the small container. “They didn’t have your favorite, so I hope that this one’s okay.”

She turned her head a little bit so she could see the label and smiled at him. “I like that one too, so good choice.” She leaned up and pressed her lips against his cheek then forced herself out of his arms so she could grab one of the candy bars he’d brought home for her. When she looked back over, she saw him place some envelopes onto the counter. “Anything important?”

“I didn’t look yet. I just grabbed it and threw it in the bags to come up. Cloud gathered the bags and folded them up to put away for later use then started to thumb through the mail. Nothing looked important until he saw something from their landlord. That was the one he focused on pulling free from the other envelopes. “The lease is up soon, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, at the end of September.” She leaned against the counter and opened the wrapper of the candy. When she took a bite, she hummed loudly. “Oh, I love you right now. I hope you know that.”

“Oh, just right now?”

“Yup, just right now.” She teased him just before a cramp hit her that made her face scrunch up briefly. “What’s the letter say?”

Cloud unfolded it and looked over the paper. He started reading, seeing it was a reminder about their lease renewal. They had the option. It let them know that if they didn’t give notice by the end of August then it would automatically renew. Then his eyes slowly widened. “Uh…” was all he said as he leaned closer to her and showed her the paper, his thumb pointing right to the new rent value that would start October first.

Tifa mumbled a few of the words of the letter to herself as she looked over everything, then she got to the number Cloud was pointing to. “Cloud, we can’t afford that.” She frowned. They could but it would be a stretch, one that would just lead to unnecessary stress on both of them. “Almost another 1000 gil a month? What are they thinking?” She finally took the paper from him and frowned at it, reading everything again.

They were being forced to go back to Nibelheim. With Cloud still not having feeling in his hand, it made gripping things hard for him and the doctor still hadn’t fully cleared him to work because of the tremors he still got. Dr. Sheiran wanted him to get to a full year before giving him the okay to go back to work. The shocks of pain had slowed over the past few months, but they hadn’t stopped.

Cloud would be okay if it was like that for the rest of his life. He could handle that. But finding a job would be nearly impossible for him and he knew that. “Well…” he sighed softly and reached out to wrap his arm around her loosely.

“I guess we’re going back home then, huh?” She murmured, feeling a little heartbroken. “I really wanted to stay around here.”

“I know.” He sighed softly. “Maybe I could still find a job somewhere? Someplace I can stock or something that doesn’t have anything breakable.” He wondered out loud and saw the way Tifa shook her head. “Why not?”

“Because you shouldn’t push yourself, Cloud. You told me how much you struggled back in Midgar.” Tifa felt bad for bringing up bad memories for him, especially when she saw the flash of pain cross his face. “You’re still getting shocks down your arm.”

Cloud wanted to fight her more about it, but he knew that she was right. His shocks now were nothing compared to what he dealt with before, but it would still make things rough on him. He didn’t want any of those memories flooding back to him. He didn’t want a repeat, bouncing job to job until he eventually had to give up and go back home. 

If they went home together, it would give him more time to recover. They’d have more peace and quiet around them, and he would be able to heal. And he was sure he could start helping out Barret again at the inn. Especially based on what Cloud knew from his random conversations with the man back home. The teen that Barret hired to replace him didn’t work out. He ended up quitting to go work in the mines because it paid more than what Barret could.

“Well, our parents will be happy to hear that we’ll be home soon. I know dad’s been asking me every time I talk to him.” Tifa reached out to flip through the other envelopes, seeing mostly advertisements. 

“Mom’s asked the last few phone calls too,” he added.

“Maybe in another timeline.” Tifa let out a humorless chuckle and focused on eating her candy bar. She hummed softly and turned it around to look at the label to see which one it was. “You asked Aerith for hints again, didn’t you? This is a new one.”

Cloud blushed softly at being caught. He reached out to grab some of the food from the counter to put into the fridge for later. “Maybe. I know what you like, but most of the time I can’t decide on which flavor to grab. Especially… this time of the month.”

Tifa leaned against the counter again and watched him. She ignored another smaller cramp that hit her. If the whole day was like that then she wouldn’t be as miserable as she was. “Further proof that you, Cloud Strife, are a very smart man.” She pointed out playfully. 

She broke off a small piece of her candy bar and held it in his direction when he started to come back towards the counter. He paused before he grabbed the package of fish and leaned over to take the bite gently from her fingers. “Oh, that one is good.”

She nodded softly in his direction and took another small bite of it. “Get this one more, please. And we’ll have to ask to see if Thomas at home will start ordering these.” She mused softly. Thomas always did what he could to get people what they wanted requested.

“Maybe if you ask him nicely he’ll order them just for you.” He winked at her, earning a laugh. He finally grabbed the last of the cold things to put away before he got himself a drink.

“He always did have a soft spot for me.” Tifa smiled, feeling proud of herself. She knew that most of the village adored her, and she wasn’t above admitting that she used that to her advantage sometimes. 

The smile quickly faded from her face though and she let out a groan. A strong cramp hit her. Without saying anything else, she pushed herself away from the counter and made her way back into the living room to where she had her blanket. 

Cloud watched her from where he was in the kitchen. He watched the way she leaned back against the sofa and propped her legs up. Then the heating pad was placed right across her lower abdomen. “Do you want to see how much the boat trip will cost? Then hope we can find someone willing to let us hitch a ride back to Nibelheim.”

“Maybe we can still find something in Junon?” She asked, feeling a little bit hopeful. She looked over at him and watched as he finally started to come towards her. He stopped long enough to grab their tablet from the corner of the counter. “I really want to stay here if we can.”

“I know, I do too.” He told her. Cloud liked that there was always something that they could do. Whether it be together or separate. Going back to Nibelheim would be another adjustment they’d have to make. He knew they’d both gotten used to the city life in Junon. “Let’s look around here first to see if there’s anything else.” He suggested, agreeing with her that it wouldn’t hurt to check the area.

She had her fingers crossed and did her best to remain hopeful. But seeing the price increase that they were getting had her worried that they wouldn’t be able to find a place to move to with the income they currently had. Her eyes stayed on him as he finally got to the sofa. 

Cloud put his drink down on the table before he sat down. The second he propped his feet up on the coffee table, she shifted and tucked herself under his arm so they could both see the screen together. It took a moment to find the network page they originally used to find their current apartment on.

“Alright, uh…” he muttered as he tapped on the drop down to look at the list of suggested prices. “1300?” He questioned and felt her nod against his chest slightly.

Tifa reached down and adjusted the heating pad on her stomach when she was hit with another bad cramp, then she saw the screen. “That’s it?” It showed only two options for them under that price.

Cloud sighed and tapped the screen, moving their view around the map. There was nothing else popping up, just those two places. He decided to push it a bit and added another 100 to the max. Just one more place showed up as available. “It didn’t look like this last year,” he commented.

She reached out and touched the screen to move it around too, just double checking. “No… it didn’t. We had our pick last year.” She zoomed in a little bit and tilted her head. “Where even is this?”

“On the far side of the residential area. You’d have to take a taxi to work every single night. It would be too far for you to walk.” And that on top of it being at their max, wasn’t feasible for them.

Sighing softly in defeat, Tifa rested her head back down onto his shoulder. “Well, I guess we have to use that little bit of money in the savings account to get back home. Hopefully those prices haven’t doubled too.” She remembered roughly how much they paid to originally get to Junon last year and as long as it was close to that, they’d be fine.

Cloud shifted so he could type on the screen, searching for the information for the ship from Junon to Rocket Town. Once he found it, he filled in all their rough dates and made sure to mark it as flexible to find the cheapest day to leave for them. “Okay, this isn’t that bad.”

“It’s almost the same as last year, thankfully.” She breathed a small sigh of relief as she looked over the options to see which day was the cheapest. Together, they decided it would be best to leave Junon on a Wednesday morning and it would get them out to Rocket Town sometime early Friday.

“We’ll have to find a delivery truck to hitch a ride back once we get there.” He told her. Cloud knew that getting from Rocket Town back home shouldn’t be too hard for them. There were always trucks traveling up and down the main road.

“I’ll talk to dad, or Aerith. I’m sure one of them can help us figure that part out so we’re not stuck asking everybody we see.”

“Yeah.” Cloud agreed with a little nod before he focused on the screen again. He simply held it in place and let her take over controlling the screen to get their tickets booked for their return home. He gently rested his free hand on her side and started to inch it under the heating pad, where he felt that she had it turned up near max heat.

Tifa groaned when she felt his fingers press into her lower abdomen. “Careful…” she warned him.

“Bad this month?”

“Yes.” She groaned again then felt herself start to relax as he worked to gently massage her stomach. It felt nice and it provided a good distraction from her cramps. “I wish… just for one month, that I didn’t have to worry about this anymore. I’m not looking forward to dealing with this for 20 more years.” She shuddered at the thought.

“Well, they’re not all this bad, are they?” He frowned, wondering if he’d missed it in past months. 

“No, thank goodness.” She leaned into him more and put the tablet on the other side of him. “I’m sure when we tell our parents when we’re coming home, they’re going to scream. Or, your mom would scream, I don’t think my dad would.”

“He’ll be happy though.” Cloud continued pressing his fingers into her lower abdomen, trying to help her relax. “We’ll figure it all out.”

“We always do.” Tifa just decided to wrap her arms around Cloud’s waist and turned to cuddle into him. “Can we stay here and watch a movie today?”

Cloud nodded without a word. He heard her soft protest when he stretched forward to grab the remote, but he quickly settled back where he was and brought up the guide on the TV to find something for them to watch together that day.

Chapter Text

Tifa looked around the bedroom, seeing if there were any other random stacks of clothing that still needed to be packed away to take home. When she saw there were none besides the one directly in front of her, she felt relieved. All of the packing had been draining both of them. 

She grabbed the stack of sweaters from the corner of the bed and turned to put it into the suitcase she was working on filling. They’d spent the last week going through all of the things they’d accumulated over the past year. They donated a few things, trashed a handful of things and packed up the rest. 

When Tifa stood back upright, she felt a wave of nausea hit her. She closed her eyes and focused on taking a slow, deep breath. She felt this hit her the night before. Tifa didn’t know what it was, but it was the worst time for it to hit her. They were leaving in three days. They were spending two days on a boat heading back to Rocket Town. 

Three more days in Junon before they returned home to everybody they knew. They’d already bid farewell to everybody that they knew. Claire and Fang had taken them out to a nice restaurant the night before. Tifa and Cloud both promised that they’d stay in touch with them. Tifa also assured them that they’d send them a wedding invitation. 

They didn’t know if they’d be able to make it, but Tifa still promised to send them an invite when they got around to setting a wedding date. They’d both become incredible friends to them and Tifa was thankful for that little piece of Cloud’s history that they ran into. A piece of history that gave the man some much needed closure.

Her emotions felt like they were all over the place the past few days. Lebreau threatened her. It was a friendly threat though. She told her that if she didn’t stay in touch, she was going to ‘attempt to find Nibelheim on a map’ and come see her in person. Playing the woman’s words in her head made her smile. Tifa might not have known her for that long, just like Claire and Fang, but they’d all become good friends to her and to Cloud.

Tifa looked back down at the suitcase on the floor and realized it still had a little bit of room in it. She went towards the closet and pulled the last few things out of it, leaving just enough clothes for them for their remaining days there. Tifa was kind of mad at herself and Cloud. Not in a bad way, but they’d accumulated so much stuff over the past year. It was something that neither of them thought about until it was time to go around the apartment to gather all of their things.

The day before, before they went out to dinner, Fang came by to help them carry three boxes to the post so they could ship them back to Nibelheim. Something she was very thankful for because she couldn’t juggle two of the boxes and neither could Cloud. Neither of them wanted to make two trips either if they could avoid it while trying to pack everything else they were taking with them on the boat in bags and suitcases.

Tifa leaned down and put the last few shirts into the suitcase before she flipped it shut. She put her knee on it to help keep it shut as she zipped it. When she stood back up, she stopped and groaned softly. Her eyes closed again. The nausea hit her again. It felt like it was getting to the point she was losing the battle. At this point, she was sure it was just all the nerves about heading home and making those adjustments again to being back in Nibelheim.

“Hey, Tifa,” Cloud started as he walked into the bedroom. “Our dinner just… got… here. Are you okay?” He frowned when he saw the way her eyes were closed and how her head was tilted backwards, aimed up at the ceiling. He heard the deep breath that she let out.

“Yup,” she told him quickly, her answer short and to the point. She rested her hands on her waist and focused on her breathing until she felt the wave that had just hit her start to fade away.

Cloud took a few steps towards her. “Are you sure that you’re okay? You were sick yesterday too, Tifa.” He noticed it the night before but she’d assured him that she was fine then too.

“Yeah, it’s probably just a bug, Cloud. I’m fine.” Still, she decided to go over to the bed and sit down. “That suitcase is full,” she pointed to the one she’d just closed. “How’s it going out there?”

“We’re going to have another box to ship, it won’t be as big as the other ones were though,” he chuckled softly. “I’ll take it over tomorrow whenever I get up.” He kept his eyes on her. “I just popped in to tell you that pizza just got here.”

The moment she heard him mention pizza, Tifa felt the wave hit her again with a vengeance. She tried to swallow back the lump that was bubbling up in her throat but she couldn’t. She felt herself rapidly losing this fight and got up to leave the room quickly, heading right to the bathroom next door.

Tifa groaned as she knelt in front of the toilet. Her eyes stayed closed and she focused on taking deep breaths. She felt each passing wave hit her and waited for the dam to finally break. But thankfully, it never did. Nothing actually came up.

“Tifa, we should really try to get you to the doctor before we leave.” Cloud followed behind her and leaned against the doorframe to watch her, a worried expression written all over his face. 

“Cloud, we leave in three days.” She reminded him. She stopped to take a deep, slow breath again, doing what she could to ensure the rest of the nausea waves had finally passed. Once she was sure, she got back to her feet and went to wash her hands. Tifa glanced up at the mirror and caught his worried look. “I probably just got a big from someone at the bar. I’m fine, it’ll pass,” she tried to reassure him. She felt fine outside of the nausea.

“Fine,” he caved, not wanting to fight her on it. “But please rest, okay? Try to relax. I can get a lot of this done myself.” 

Tifa turned to dry her hands on the towel and stepped closer to him. She rested her hand gently on his chest and nodded. Normally she would fight him more on it, but she didn’t want to feel like her stomach was still turning. He had a good idea. If she could take a nap, or at least relax for an hour or two, maybe she’d feel better. “What did you say you ordered for dinner?” She asked.

“Pizza, pepperoni. Kept it simple. So you can reheat that whenever you’re ready to eat something.” He gently pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. Cloud heard her hum softly before he let her go so she could go towards their bedroom. 

He saw the door shut most of the way behind her and sighed. He’d never seen Tifa sick like this before and just hoped that it was simply a stomach bug like she claimed it was.

–

Cloud cringed a bit at the louder clank of the pot that he placed into the sink. His eyes darted over to look at Tifa. She seemed to be sleeping now and he didn’t want to bother her as he worked to clean up the kitchen from dinner. She had skipped out on most of her dinner that night because her stomach was still turning.

He was happy to see that she’d eaten a few bites, but it almost immediately came right back up and it worried him. He wished she would have tried to go to see the doctor. But now, it was far too late. They were set to leave the following morning.

Sighing softly, Cloud found a lid for the container that held their leftovers. Since Tifa didn’t eat much, there was more than enough leftover for them to split in the morning for an odd breakfast. But it would take away one less thing that they had to worry about in the morning on the way to the docks, juggling their luggage.

Their ship was scheduled to depart at 9 in the morning. People could start boarding as early as 6. He and Tifa talked about it the night before. Their plan was to get to the docks as early as possible so they could find their room and get settled. He hoped they could beat a lot of the rush of people. That meant getting up at 5 in the morning the next day so they had time to eat their leftovers and get over there. 

He wasn’t looking forward to getting up that early, but they could relax once they were in their room. 

Cloud closed the container after finally fishing out the right lid for it and turned to toss it onto the top shelf of the fridge. He still had to do the dishes, but those could wait for a moment. Instead, he turned and leaned against the counter, watching Tifa on the sofa. 

She’d settled into a little bundle on the corner of the sofa to watch TV after she got sick. Cloud wasn’t quite sure when she fell asleep, but now her head dipped to the side a bit and her eyes were closed. He was worried about her and was kicking himself for not pushing her harder. She could have gotten a doctor’s appointment, and if not, they could have gone to the hospital. Now they’d have to travel with her feeling like she was.

Two days on a boat. Something that he was already going to struggle with. He couldn’t sleep on boats, never could. The original trip to Junon had been horrible for him. Thankfully she didn’t have any issues on the boat coming over. But now that she was sick, it was going to make it a horrible trip for both of them. He’d be too worried about her, and she’d be stuck battling some unknown illness.

What confused him the most was that it seemed to be the worst in the mornings for her. The past two mornings, she woke up before he did, which was already a rare occurrence because she was used to working late and sleeping in a bit in the mornings. But he woke up and found her in the bathroom. Then throughout the day, she seemed to be okay except for one or two waves that would hit her. Then he’d learned that the mention of food or her eating food seemed to trigger it too.

The only thing he could do at that point was hope that it wouldn’t make their trip hell for her. He could handle his lack of sleep, it wasn’t the first time he dealt with it, but his focus was entirely on his fiance and ensuring she was safe.

Cloud finally pushed himself away from the counter so he could go to the sink and work on washing the dishes that were dirtied from dinner. She reassured him several times that she was okay and that she would be okay, but at this point, he felt like he was starting to doubt it. Something else was going on with her and he wished he could help her figure out what it was.

Chapter Text

Cloud blinked a few times, trying to push away the sleep that tried to finally take him. Sleep that avoided him over the past two days. He’d been able to take a nap here or close his eyes there, but now as they leaned against the wall, waiting for the doors to open with many other people around them, all he wanted to do was sleep.

“How’re you feeling?” He asked Tifa before he adjusted the strap of one of the bags that was across his chest to carry. The other he’d set down by his feet. 

“I’m ready to get home. It was really nice of your mom to let us move back into your old room.” She decided to wrap her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder. Tifa was thankful that she hadn’t felt any nausea that day so far. They also hadn’t eaten anything yet.

“You sure you’re doing okay?” He asked softly and felt her head nod against his chest. Cloud decided not to push the topic. He’d asked her several times over the past two days and he knew he was probably starting to annoy her.

“Cloud, I’m fine. I’m just tired now and I know you are too.” She reluctantly pulled away from him when she saw people in front of them start to move. 

Thankfully, the people flowed smoothly through the door and down the pathway to the dock. “Aerith said she was meeting us here, right?” He adjusted the strap again, groaning softly when it rubbed against his scars and pinched his neck.

“Yeah, she said she was here… so, she’s somewhere.” Tifa stayed by his side as they continued up the dock and eventually she pulled him off to the side so they could have a moment so he could put something down. “Please put that down, you’re hurting, it’s all over your face.” 

Cloud didn’t fight her. He put the bag in his hand down and moved the strap off of his shoulder. “It was pinching.” He reached up to rub his shoulder as he just put the bag down beside the other on the pavement below him. 

Tifa got her phone out of her pocket and sent Aerith a message asking where she was out. “She said she would be right here.”

“I’m sure she’s here somewhere,” he added with a small shrug. If she wasn’t, or if something happened to delay her, then they’d figure it out. 

“Cloud! Tifa!” A loud, familiar voice carried over the noise of the people departing the ship.

Tifa’s head shot up when she heard her. She rested her hand on Cloud’s arm gently to keep her balance as she lifted up onto her toes, trying her best to look over and around people. Then she spotted her. Aerith’s arm was up waving in their direction. That was all it took for her to leave her fiance’s side. 

“Aerith!” She left him with their bags and quickly weaved her way through the crowd of people until she got to her best friend. She wrapped her arms around the woman tightly and felt a wave of emotions hit her. 

Sure they had video calls and talked all the time, but this was the first time she’d seen her best friend in person in a year. She missed her so much. 

“I’m so happy you guys are back.” Aerith murmured as she clung to the woman. After another minute, she finally pulled back so she could look at her. “How was the boat ride?” She slipped beside the woman and wrapped her arm around her. “And where’s that fiance of yours?”

“Left him with the bags.” Tifa guided her towards the railing where she knew Cloud was still lingering. “And it was long. I was sick the entire time.” She frowned. 

Aerith stopped to look at her, her brow furrowing a bit. “Sick? What’s wrong?”

“Just a bug. I think it might have finally passed. I’ve been okay today.” She continued guiding the other woman to Cloud and smiled when Aerith pulled away and went over towards the man.

“Well, hopefully you’re okay, we still have an hour drive and you guys will be right back home.” Aerith pulled away from her friend and bounced over to Cloud when she spotted him. “Welcome home, Cloud.” She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck to hug him.

The man wrapped his arms loosely around her, returning her hug. It still felt a little awkward to hug someone that wasn’t Tifa or his mom. But, he was happy to see a familiar face. “We’re not home yet, Aerith.” He chuckled softly.

“Close enough.” She rolled her eyes at him. Then she looked down at the bags that were beside Cloud and arched her eyebrows. “You’re coming back with more than you left with,” she pointed down to the two extra bags she didn’t remember them leaving with.

“We accumulated a few things.”

“A few?”

“Okay, a lot.” Tifa watched as Aerith picked up one of the bags and threw it over her shoulder before she grabbed another one. It left Cloud with just one to deal with and she could handle the bag on wheels.

“We had to ship a few things back too.” Cloud added in. “Well, four boxes worth.” He reached down and picked up the other bag, slinging the strap over his shoulder. “Did you already line up a truck to get back?” He asked, following the woman towards the edge of Rocket Town where one of the parking lots was.

“Zander thought it would be a good idea to just let me use his truck, as long as I put fuel in it, which I did when I got here.” Aerith explained. “I was going to try to catch a ride on a delivery truck, but Zander overheard me and said he wouldn’t allow it. Everybody in town knows you guys are getting back today and they’re excited.”

”I figured. It was probably mom telling everybody she could, wasn’t it?” Cloud asked.

Aerith didn’t say anything, but the smile on her face told him all he needed to know. It didn’t surprise him that his mom was excited. He knew Brian was too, but he didn’t show it like his mom did, at least from what he’d heard during Tifa’s phone conversations with him. 

When they got to the old, beat up truck, Cloud lifted his back into the back before he turned to help Tifa with hers. “Do you think they’ll let us nap when we get back?” Tifa asked him.

“Knowing our parents… no.” He laughed dryly. A nap sounded incredible, but he knew neither one of them would be able to get one on the way back. Tifa was going to be too busy chatting with Aerith the whole time anyway.

Tifa had been so thankful to make the trip back to Nibelheim with no nausea. She thought it had passed. She thought whatever bug she had had finally worked its way out of her system. But no. As soon as they got back to town, she was able to get through a few pleasantries before she had to excuse herself and went right into her dad’s house and right to the bathroom. 

Now, as she finished the last bit of dinner, she felt it hitting her again. The dinner that Claudia made was delicious and she hated that it was about to come back up. Or, at least it was threatening to come back up. 

She excused herself from the table after Cloud had come back over to grab her plate. She watched him take the plate into the kitchen before she finally stood up and went down the hall towards the bathroom. Her stomach had been turning for the past ten minutes and she had a strong feeling that she wasn’t going to win this fight, no matter how hard she tried.

She felt eyes on her and knew it was Claudia because her fiance was busy doing the dishes from dinner. Tifa barely made it into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. The moment she knelt in front of the toilet, she lost everything she’d just eaten.

She hated feeling this way. It had been nearly a week that she fought this feeling. At first, she was convinced that it was just a stomach bug that she’d picked up from someone at the bar. But as each wave hit her now, she felt herself starting to worry that it was something more.

One last heave and she finally started to feel her stomach settling. Once she was sure the waves completely passed, she reached out to flush the toilet and got to her feet to rinse her mouth. Three little cups of mouthwash later, she felt better. Tifa nearly dropped the bottle when there was a sudden knock at the door.

Tifa sighed softly. “I’ll be out in a minute.” She called out to whoever was there.

“Tifa, honey, it’s me.”

It was Claudia. 

She bit the inside of her lip gently and reached out to crack the door open. “Is everything okay?”

The older woman slowly smiled through the crack in the door. She held up a pregnancy test to show it to the woman. When Tifa got sick out of nowhere earlier in the day, almost immediately after they got back to the village, she had a feeling she knew what it was. Especially when Cloud told her that it hit her randomly. She’d watched her throughout the rest of the day and saw how Tifa seemed perfectly fine otherwise. It reminded her of when she was pregnant with Cloud. The first 6 months were pure hell for her.

“What’s that?” Tifa felt her heart skip a beat. 

“I think you should take it.” She waited for Tifa to open the door more so she could step into the bathroom. “It would at least knock out one thing it could be if it’s negative. But… something tells me that it won’t be.” She leaned against the doorframe and watched her future daughter-in-law take the box from her finally. “Cloud doesn’t know that I bought it.”

“When did you buy it?” She flipped it over to look at it. 

“When you two took a nap. I went to get some things to make dinner, and grabbed that from the shelf. I know it’s not a fancy one like you’d get in Junon, but it’ll still get the job done.”

Tifa looked back down at it and bit her lip. With a silent nod, she waited for Claudia to take a step back so she could close the door. She sat on the closed toilet lid for a few minutes and read over the directions. Her heart raced the entire time. This would change everything if she were pregnant, but it would explain so much. 

The moment she finished taking the test, she put it on the counter and washed her hands. Then she realized she hadn’t had her period. She figured that it was just the stress of moving that delayed it.

But, a couple of minutes later, when she picked up the little stick and looked at it, she now knew the reason. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she opened the bathroom door and went towards the living room. Her eyes met Claudia’s briefly before she looked at her fiance. “Hey, Cloud?”

“Yeah?”

She waited for him to look over the back of the sofa at her. “Can we talk?” She tilted her head a bit towards the hallway and waited for him to get up. When he was on his feet, she continued down the hall and went into their bedroom to wait for him.

“Everything okay?” He asked the moment he walked into the bedroom. He saw her hands fisted together on her lap as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Tifa?”

She waited for him to push the door shut before she felt a smile come to her face. “Come here,” she patted the bed beside her. She stayed quiet as he hesitated to join her. When he finally did, she reached over and took one of his hands. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” He replied honestly, staring at her. Then he looked down at their hands and realised she’d placed a pregnancy test into his palm. His heart jumped into his throat as he stared at it. Two pluses was positive, wasn’t it? “Wait… you’re…?” He couldn’t find words. “When?”

Tifa watched as he stared at the test. “Yeah. I wanted to come and tell you. Your… your mom bought it when we took a nap earlier. She saw me run off and…”

Cloud suddenly surged over and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “We’re having a baby,” he whispered. His head rested against hers as his eyes closed. “This is why you were sick then?”

“Yeah, and why I’ll be sick for the next several months.” She laughed nervously. “We’re having a baby.” She pulled back a little bit and rested her forehead against his. She closed her eyes and felt herself relax. She had no idea how to raise a child. But at least they were home and close to his mom and her dad. They’d surely help them figure it all out.

“Cloud, come here for a minute.” Claudia called out to him from her room. She knew both he and Tifa were in the living room watching a movie together. 

A moment later, his head popped around the corner. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, come here for a minute.” She pushed her bedroom door open a bit more and waited for her son to join her. “I haven’t had a chance to give you my ring yet.”

With everything else that had been going on with their move home, then finding out the reason Tifa was sick was because she was pregnant, he’d completely forgotten about the ring. “Mom, are you sure?”

“If you ask me that one more time, Cloud… I swear…” it was an empty threat to him that didn’t go unnoticed when she saw his smile. “I promise. I want you to have it.”

Cloud lingered by the door as he watched her go towards her jewelry box. She reached into the back of the bottom drawer and produced a small ring case. “I’ve never seen it before.”

“I know.” She moved in front of him and opened the case to show it to him. 

His eyes landed on the ring. A single, small cut diamond set on a white gold band. “Mom, it’s beautiful.” He gently took the case from her to examine it a bit more closely. “Are you–”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Claudia rested her hand gently on his arm. “Go give it to her.”

Cloud breathed in a deep breath. He could do it right this time. “When I asked her, I just blurted it out.” He finally told his mom. He’d avoided the topic about how he asked her and felt like he needed to come clean.

The older woman stared at him. “Really, Cloud?” She shook her head but smiled anyway. It sounded like something her son would do. “Go ask her properly.”

“Yeah, I think I will.” He snapped the case shut and turned to leave the room. He took a deep breath as he moved around the sofa. Tifa hadn’t moved at all from when he got up. She was still bundled up in a light blanket with her legs tucked behind her, waiting for his return. “Comfortable?”

“Very, would be better if you sat back down… what are you doing?” She saw the man kneel down in front of her and felt her breath hitch in her throat. She caught a glimpse of a solid black ring case.

“I don’t think I did this right the first time,” he laughed, mostly at himself. “We grew up together here. We had some ups and downs when we were younger, then we got the chance to reconnect when I came home.” He lifted the box and showed it to her before he popped it open. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can’t imagine myself with anybody else, Tifa. You mean everything to me. I want to marry you and I hope you’ll still say yes. Will you marry me?”

Tifa swallowed back the lump in her throat and tried to fight back the tears she felt building in her eyes. The way he proposed the first time wasn’t perfect. This though, this felt perfect. “Yes, I will always say yes.” She offered him her hand and bit her lip as he took the ring from the case.

Cloud watched carefully, worried that it wouldn’t fit. But then he slid it onto her finger and saw it was perfect. “Mom, it fits!” He called out loudly. Tifa’s head rolled back as a loud laugh came out of her mouth.

“Good!” Her voice carried down the hallway.

Tifa leaned forward and cupped Cloud’s cheek. She pulled him in close and kissed him softly. “I love you so much. Even if you are a dork sometimes.” She playfully poked his forehead, laughing along with him. 

“I love you too, Tifa.” He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers one more time before he got up from the floor and slid back into the spot he vacated when his mom called for him.

Tifa immediately sank into his side and found herself examining the ring. She knew that it once belonged to Claudia, given to her by Cloud’s father. It was something that meant a lot to Claudia and she passed it along to him. It was gorgeous and it just felt right . She rested her head on Cloud’s shoulder and focused more on his breathing than the movie. She had been on the brink of sleep when Claudia’s voice carried from her room. 

They were both worried about coming back to Nibelheim. But now they were here, and they learned the day before that she was expecting their child, it all felt perfect. She was happy to be back home, surrounded by people that they both knew. In a place that they grew up, and now their family could grow up in.