#beefa

Cloud is a quiet, grumpy, lanky organist with great talent and a deep obsession/love for his instrument.

Sephiroth is a former prodigy at the same instrument who went coocoo for Coco puffs due to his father/coach, the hooj, and has started to send Cloud creepy letters and flowers. He claims he was born from an organ (pun fully intended) named Jenova. Guy is cracked.

Cloud's good friend (and crush) Zack begs him to hire a bodyguard, and he digs his heels until Zack brings Tifa to meet him. She's a professional bodyguard with her girlfriend Aerith, and he reluctantly agrees because he knows her and she knows him and pushes all the right buttons to get him to agree.

Cloud: I'm just an organist, I don't need a bodyguard.

Tifa: the police have been helpful with your stalker?

Cloud: ...no, but-

Tifa: And the stalker would never escalate, I'm sure.

Cloud: ...

Zack: He started sending chocolates recently.

Tifa: So you and the people you love are gonna be totally fine, right?

Cloud: *squirm*

Tifa: And the walk from the church to your home is all on busy streets at the time you go?

Cloud: *SQUIRM*

Tifa: Maybe I can come over like just a sleepover. Catch up and be bros for a while, yeah? Or you can stay with me and Aerith for a bit, until this cools down. I'm sure Claudia would like that.

Cloud: ....Kay. But Zack needs protection too.

Tifa: Can do.

BEE-FA, BEE-FA, BEE-FA!

Buff Tifa.

Cloud is still stubborn and dumb, and finds himself rejecting her help one night and saying he's fine, then storming off to his apartment down some back alleys. Then he hears footsteps.

Cloud: *dials*

Tifa: Hello? Cloud?

Cloud, strained: Hey, uh, I, um, might have been wrong earlier. Sorry.

Tifa: Something's wrong. Can you talk?

Cloud: A little.

Tifa: I'm coming, are you about at Main and 5th?

Cloud: Close, yeah.

Tifa guides him over the phone to a well-lit area with cameras while she catches up, making a lot of noise to scare off Sephiroth. It works and she gets to Cloud.

Cloud, high-pitched: Hey!

Tifa: He's gone, I scared him off. It was him, he dropped a paper swan without a note on it. You ok? *Checks him over*

Cloud: Not hurt. Sorry. Sorry for yelling. I was wrong. Sorry.

Tifa: Shh, Cloud, you're in a bit of shock, you're shaking. Come on, let's get home. I texted the group, he'll be there, ok? Here, you left your jacket, put it on. You're ok, I'm ok, deep breaths.

Cloud shakily obeys and lets her take his arm, leaning on her a little and shaking while she makes it look like they're just walking normally.

The police (Turks?) finally take it seriously when one of the paper swan notes burns Cloud's hand before a big recital. Cloud performs anyway, but in agony, and Zack is so worried and is waiting in the wings to catch him when he stumbles, which he does.

Tifa's not amused by Cloud, but she respects his choices and hauls his butt to medical with Zack.

Eventually, they run into Angeal and Genesis, who are looking for their friend who they lost touch with when Genesis got cancer while Sephiroth was going through some shit. This escalates Seph again, and he breaks into Cloud's apartment while he's not there, leaving scary messages.

Zack: Hey Cloud! You're up!

Cloud: Yeah.

Zack: How ya doin? Feeling better? Your stats look better.

Cloud: Yeah.

Zack: Den says hi, he came in for a checkup today!

Cloud: mm.

Zack: I grew a tail over the weekend.

Cloud: Yeah.

Zack: and wagged it so hard it knocked over a pipe.

Cloud, attention caught: Pipe?

Zack: There he is! It wasn't my tail, I just had a pipe sitting around cuz I thought it looked cool. Not a pipe organ. But I did knock it over! With my butt. Scared the living daylights out of me, and Aerith laughed her ass off, haha!

Cloud: oh

Zack: Can I hold your hand?

Cloud: *hands him the burned one* s'fine.

Zack, who wanted to just hold his healthy hand: ...I'll take it, I need to check anyway. *Chatters while he looks it over* OOO, looking good! Look at you healing up! Very nice, very demure. *Wraps it again* Now can I hold your other hand? Just friendly like?

Cloud, surprised: uh, sure

Zack: Sweet! Thanks! I'm kinda a touchy guy, makes me feel close. I like feeling close to you, you're a cool dude.

Cloud: tch

Zack: "tch"? What do you mean "tch"?! Did you not know you're cool??? Dude...

Cloud: I'm a burden. Dragged you into this. You shouldn't be here, you should stay away.

Zack: BZZZT! You didn't drag me anywhere, you're not a burden, I should be wherever I wanna be, and I'm sticking like glue. Try again.

Cloud: Zack! You literally had to carry me here! Literal burden!

Zack: I'm buff! You seen these guns? *Rolls up his sleeve and flexes* Literally not a burden!

Cloud: *blushes* But you have to live with Aerith because of me. I know you're paying them. I can't afford their normal fee and you're making up the difference.

Zack: I love having Aer around! Even if she's a merciless tease.

Cloud: *blushing harder* Are you...do you...like her?

Zack: Yep, love her. WAIT NO, NOT LIKE THAT, CLOUD NO! Like an annoying sister! I've got my eye on someone else ;)

Cloud: ..oh.

Zack: You.

Cloud: Me what?

Zack: I like you.

Cloud: uh, I like you too?

Zack: oh my giddy aunt, Cloud, I like you, like, LIKE you! I wanna go on a date! With you! I think you're hot! And cool!

Cloud: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅 *heart monitor going off*

Zack: But only if you want to! And I'm happy to be friends! And if you're not interested, sure I'll be a little sad, but I still wanna be your buddy! If you don't mind! You're awesome!

Cloud: *error.exe*

Zack: ...shit I did not mean to dump that on you while you're sick, sorry man.

Cloud: But, I have a stalker?

Zack: Yup, I am aware.

Cloud: And geostigma? I'm probably going to die soon? And be weak until then?

Zack: I know you have geostigma and I know the odds. I still think you're hot and cool. Like that pop song but better.

Cloud: I play the fucking pipe organ???

Zack: I love the way you play the fucking pipe organ, especially when you make it go "BWAAAAAAAAA!"!

Cloud: And you're a whole-ass doctor and hot and smart and funny and-

Zack, fanning himself and blushing: whoo! Spread those compliments out fam!

Cloud: I HAVE A STALKER.

Zack: I have a stalk of celery in my fridge that I haven't dared to look at for like 8 weeks because I know it's gone bad but the thought of touching it is so squicky I can't.

Cloud: you literally just handled an open wound.

Zack: with GLOVES!

Cloud: THEN WEAR GLOVES TO GET THE CELERY!

Zack: SHIT THAT'S A GREAT IDEA! THANK YOU!

Cloud: YOU'RE WELCOME! *Coughing fit*

Zack: SORRY! Sorry. Anyway, wanna go on a date?

Cloud: *chokes, coughing renews* *nodding frantically* Y-eah *coughing* fuck it, yeah. Yes please. I think you're hot too. 🍅🍅🍅 And cool. 🍅🍅🍅

Zack, squeaking: Awesome!

Tifa is outside listening at the door and pumping her fist.

Aerti later when Zack spills the beans:

Sephiroth is unhappy about Zack and Tifa. That is HIS little chocobo.

He gets to him after the burn incident, because Cloud catches an infection and has to go to the hospital due to his issues with geostigma.

Aerith forces Zack to go home and rest, and Tifa steps into the hallway to take a call. Sephiroth slips in through the window and this happens:

Cloud is hallucinating from the geostigma and thinks Sephiroth is part of the hallucinations, until he feels the hug, but by that point he's too scared to make a sound.

Fortunately, Tifa's spidey senses go off.

Tifa: Vin, I gotta go, something's off...*bursts into the room* OI! *Throws the 6'7" hulking crazyroth off her boy and gets between them, slamming the alarm in the process* HELP!

Sephiroth hears the footsteps running down the hall and spits blood at her before jumping back out the window. He is SO PISSED at her now.

Tifa slams it shut and locks it as Nurse Kunsel comes in.

Kunsel: Hey, what's going on? Is that blood? Whose blood? Mr. Strife, you ok?

Cloud can't hear him, he's just trembling and muttering about swans, clutching his own arms in a vice-like grip.

Tifa: Call security and the police, his stalker got in through the window somehow. That's whose blood it is. I think Cloud's ok, but let me check, he's still hallucinating and he knows me and hates hospitals.

Kunsel nods and gets to work.

Tifa: Cloud? Cloud, hon, he's gone. Tifa kicked him out, ok? Did he hurt you? Let Teefs see...there, let's relax this hand...good. Other hand...ok, I don't see any marks. What are you seeing and hearing?

Cloud: T-t-teef...s-swans, they're still here, they're all over, don't move, they'll hurt you, be careful, Tifa, be careful

Tifa: Ok, I'll be careful. Are you hurt?

Cloud shakes his head.

Tifa: That's great Cloud, you're doing great. Did he give you anything? Shots, drinks, food, lotion?

Cloud shakes his head again.

Cloud: N-no. Tifa left *whine*...

Tifa: I'm back, I'm right here, holding your hand.

Cloud: He came through the-the window, he came in and *closes his eyes and shudders* said...stuff...I thought he wasn't real, I'm sorry, I thought he was like the swans, I didn't know, he hugged me but I didn't know, I was scared, I thought, I thought...

Tifa: It makes sense Cloud, it's ok. I don't blame you. It's ok. I thought something felt off and came right back, you're safe now.

Cloud: I thought he wasn't real but he was, but then Shiva came in and threw him out. Are...are you Shiva?

Tifa: I'm Tifa, but probably Shiva too, in this case.

Cloud: Can I...hug?

Tifa: Of course, Cloud.

He timidly buries his burning head in her neck and cries, clutching her shirt at her sides.

Tifa: Can I hug you back?

Cloud: yes!

Tifa, careful not to replicate the way Sephiroth did it, hugs him close, murmuring reassurances.

Zack is miffed and worried in the morning when he finds out nobody woke him up, but he gets it and Cloud is safe in a different, more secure room. Tifa is also staying with him except for breaks where she swaps with someone else.

The incident did NOT help Cloud's health, at all. He has dark bags under his eyes and is even more twitchy today, and the hallucinations won't leave. His fever is still high and the geostigma is still raging under all the stress.

Seeing Zack DOES help, and he's finally able to get some sleep. Zack stores that little fact firmly in his mind to gloat over in private, once this is all sorted out. He lets a hint of it slip to Aerith and she teases him mercilessly.

Tifa and Aerith when they start getting more details from the boys about the stalker. They are taking no shit and kicking all the Sephi-ass they can.