#cloud strife ff7

cloud strife x bartender fem!reader.

SUMMARY : cloud gets back after a mission goes sideways and notices the bartender he’s never quite spoken to before knows every one of his favorite drinks by heart.

# drabble.ᐟ⸝⸝ acquaintance!cloud strife ⸝⸝ opening up ⸝⸝ canon compliant ⸝⸝ closed off cloud ⸝⸝ sfw ⸝⸝

the usual quiet shift at 7th heaven had settled in. the place wasn’t packed, just a midweek slump after another reactor run that left half the crew nursing bruises and egos. tifa was in the back sorting stock, barret’s booming laugh had already faded out the door an hour ago with the others, and you, the humble bartender, were wiping down the wooden counter for the third time. calm and consistent, that was your role here. you poured the drinks, listened to the stories if anyone felt like telling them, and stayed out of the crossfire.

you’d noticed cloud the first week he started showing up with the avalanche crew. spiky blond hair, that ridiculous sword propped on his back like it weighed nothing, and eyes that glowed just a little too blue under the dim lights. you’d asked tifa about him once, casual and nothing pushy. “ex-soldier. mercenary type. good in a fight.” she’d said it with that soft smile of hers, but the way she glanced at him told you enough. there was history there. you quickly figured he wasn’t the chatting kind. a brick wall had better odds, probably.

so you didn’t push. you just watched and memorized.

he always took the same stool at the far end, back to the wall, shoulders tense like he expected a fight to break out over cheap beer which was ridiculous. there were rarely ever fights at the 7th heaven. tonight was no different. the door creaked open, cool and smoky slum air slipping in behind him, and there he was, boots heavy on the floorboards with the buster sword on his back like always. he looked worn. the mission had gone sideways again. you could tell from the faint blood on his knuckle and the way his jaw was locked tight.

you didn’t wait for him to speak. that was pointless. you grabbed a glass, poured two fingers of the cheap whiskey, neat with no ice, the way he took it when the weight of whatever shit he carried sat heavier than usual. the bottle clinked softly as you set it down and slid the glass across the counter right as he dropped onto the stool.

cloud’s gloved hand stopped it without looking up. a beat of silence. those mako eyes flicked to the glass, then to you. not surprised exactly, but something close to acknowledgment. most you’d get out of him anyway.

“…thanks.” his voice was low. gruff. like the word cost him effort.

you nodded, keeping your expression easy, and polished another glass to give him space. no big smiles, no small talk. that wasn’t how you played it with him. but a few seconds later you couldn’t help yourself and curiosity got the better of you. “rough one out there?”

he took a slow sip, staring into the amber liquid. “not interested in rehashing it.”

you nodded and shrugged. fair enough. you’d heard that tone before, the cool merc front he put up like armor. you let the quiet stretch, the faint hum of the jukebox in the corner filling the gaps. he didn’t leave though. he never did right away on nights like this. he just sat there, drinking in measured pulls, the tension in his shoulders easing a bit with each one.

a couple regulars filtered in and out. you served them the same way you always did, but your attention kept drifting back. cloud wasn’t brooding at the floor this time. his gaze kept sliding your way, brief and almost reluctant, like he was trying to figure out your angle.

you mixed another without asking when his glass got low, a splash of the darker stuff this time with a twist of whatever cheap citrus tifa kept behind the bar. it matched the mood shift. still guarded, but less “leave me to die in the wastes” and more “i’ll handle it myself, thanks.”

he noticed immediately when you slid the fresh one over. one eyebrow twitched, the closest thing to surprise you’d ever get out of a man like him.

“you’ve been paying attention.” it wasn’t a question. still flat as ever, but not annoyed. that was progress, at least.

you shrugged, casual, leaning on the counter a bit. “kinda hard not to when someone orders the same rotation every time. bad day gets the straight whiskey. coming down from a fight gets the sour edge. figured it was easier than making you ask.”

cloud huffed, almost a laugh but drier than the deserts outside midgar. he spun the glass once in his hand, watching the liquid swirl. “don’t need babysitting.”

“didn’t say you did.” you kept your voice light, no challenge. “just doing my job. and you tip better when you’re not completely wrecked.”

that got a flicker. the corner of his mouth twitched, barely there. he took another drink, then set the glass down with more care than usual. the bar had emptied out again. you lost track of how long it’s been. slow night.

for a long minute, there was silence while you organized the drinks on the self with your back turned to him. then—

“you’re not like the rest of them.” his voice was quieter. not exactly softer, but it was less edged. he didn’t look at you, staring at the shelves instead. “you don’t push. don’t ask stupid questions about SOLDIER crap or the planet.”

you smiled faintly, polishing a glass and setting it down. “pushing a brick wall gets you nowhere. learned that quick.”

he glanced over then. his eyes held yours for a second longer than necessary. something unspoken passed there. recognition, maybe. or just the exhaustion cracking through the facade.

“…yeah.” he finished the second drink, pushed the glass back. stood up, rolling his shoulder like all that talking had tired him out somehow. but he paused, gloved fingers drumming once on the counter. “next time… whatever you think fits. saves me the trouble.”

it wasn’t much. but coming from cloud? it might as well have been a full conversation. he headed for the door without another word, the bell jingling behind him as the door swung shut.

My favourite part of these games is when cloud is actively loosing his mind

A/n: Cloud drabble bc I realized i haven’t written for him DESPITE BEING NAMED CLOUDLUVR 😭😭 

(spoilers for cloud lore + rebirth beginning i js havent seen ppl write for him in this way) Angst lwk 😭😭

--

Cloud was alone, he felt like he was always alone. Even in Nibelheim when he sees the other kids' mom whispering to stay away from him, since his dad wasn’t around.

Also because he was different. 

He always wanted to play together of course. But he always played by himself, looking towards the kids playing tag while he played with his action figures. He just wanted one of them to come up and ask to play, of course he wasn't going to ask first.

It followed him up until he was found at the station by tifa, and suddenly decided he was a merc. He felt the need to distance himself even when so close to tifa, to prove that he can be the best without others. 

And yet he didn’t need to prove himself to you, you could see right through him. Through the tough walls he unknowingly put up, the masks pulled up on his face. He talked to you briefly in Midgar, and in the slums. He only knew you were close with tifa, and ran the bar when everyone was out on a mission. 

Not until Kalm, it was the second night he’d briefly quarrelled with Tifa and expected to see her on the roof. 

Instead he spots you, leaning on the railing. Hearing his footsteps you look over, “heard what happened with tifa” 

“...She told you?”

“Yeah, she seemed pretty upset” he avoided your gaze facing the clock tower, “...I didn’t know what to tell her, Sephiroth got to my head and truthfully… I can’t remember much past the day she found me.” 

A small silence followed, the wind softly rustling his spiky hair, his eyes everywhere but meeting yours. 

“You can’t tell her that?”

“I promised to protect her-”

“You’re hurting her cloud.”

He finally met your gaze with one of sadness, “sometimes I don’t know whose memories I have, they don’t feel like mine you know? Like I was living them through another person”

You give him a somber look, "and so you've said, there's nothing we can do until we get to him" Cloud knew that, he knew he didn't feel right or act right since he had appeared.

"Do you wanna walk around tomorrow, don't think we have anything planned" you say holding his hand, "sure, if you wake up on time" he sighed bashfully going back to his usual self.

"Only if you promise to make up with tifa"

"fine"

"it's a date" you smile leading him downstairs as he let out a small gasp at the familiar words.

"it's a date"

Cloud didn't know what you both were, but he didn't mind it. With conversations he couldn't have with others, stolen kisses, and small moments alone. Maybe he'd prefer doing couple things with Tifa, but for now you were okay.

--

might write a full length fic later :P