#tabbycatscribbles

Finally done with Day 2! Sorry it was so late, since work kicked my ass and this story was too lol I nearly went to description-y on it but pulled myself back to focus on the two main subjects, Noctis and Lunafreya. So, enjoy and have fun and hopefully tomorrow will come out easier to me xD

           “Happy Birthday!” The shouts came from all around him and the party poppers rained down confetti and sparkles. King Noctis just laughed, happy to be surrounded by his friends and loved ones. By some strange twist of fate, or perhaps Bahamut decided to be nice for a change, Noctis had been given a chance to live again on Eos. His beloved home had come a long way in the two short years since he had returned, and three years since he had sacrificed himself. Surrounding him were not just his stalwart allies who had survived the ten years of darkness, but also those who had been saved by his light by curing their daemonification. And the one person he cherished more than he could ever imagine was by his side, hugging him softly around the waist.

           “Another year older, hmm?” His wife and beautiful Queen, Lunafreya, was as radiant as ever in her white blouse and black skirt with the new gray knitted shawl she wore lovingly draped over her shoulders. Noctis had been incredibly shocked upon awakening to see that not only was he alive again but that Luna had been given a chance to live alongside him. Their powers as Oracle and Chosen King were gone, but in their place was their lives. And Noctis figured that was more than enough for him and Luna.

           “Yeah, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Noct just hugged her closer and the party continued into the night with drinks and food aplenty. Galdiolous nearly flattened Noctis into the ground with a few slaps to the back, his smaller wife Floriana chiding him for being so rough while wrapped up in Gladio’s arm. Ignis had joined in the chastising as well, but his fiancé Aranea only told him to lay off, playfully smacking his shoulder from their curled-up position on the couch. Prompto just laughed and snuggled closer to his fiancé Cindy, who was trying to gently calm down him down in his drunken merriment but only wound up laughing along with him. Iris was chatting with Cor and Monica, Talcott close behind her while he conversed with Dino and Coctura, two of the Starcured and close friends to the king among others.

           Luna had soon excused herself to the balcony and Noct had followed with worry etched into his face. Though the city was quiet now after the day’s festivities in the kingdom, the party behind him in his private chambers was as loud as ever even as he walked outside. He found her stroking the window basket filled with sylleblossoms overlooking the city in the cool night air. His queen had looked a bit pale and sickly over the past few days and tonight was not any different. "Luna? What's wrong? You still feeling sick?"

           She then turned to him, with the most joyful smile on her face as she closed the distance between them. "Everything is perfect, my star." Taking his right hand, she placed it on her abdomen and stroked the back of his hand lovingly. "I found out today that, we are to be parents!"

           "What!?" Noctis could hardly believe his ears or touch, but in an instant, it clicked. Wrapping Lunafreya in his arms with a shout of jubilation, it was the best birthday gift he could have ever received. He was going to be a dad! “That is amazing, Luna!” To even emphasize his point he had spun her around in a small circle, oblivious to the world except for the woman carrying his child.

           Luna laughed along with him, holding on for dear life in his arms. “Yes, yes my star! Now please,” she patted his arm to be let down and gasped for breath. “Be gentle. I am as excited as you are, bu-“

           “Gah! I’m sorry Luna, I got ahead of myself.” Noctis softly kissed her forehead and rubbed her back, his eyebrows knit together in consternation. “Are you going to be okay?”

           “I will be fine.” Her demure smile assuaged the fears in his heart and they lovingly embraced. Parting, Lunafreya’s blonde hair shifted with her gaze as she looked over at the now silent gathering behind them. “Though I think we should tell our guests the good news as well.”

           Chuckling, Noct could only agree and started to guide her back to their loved ones. “I think I scared them with how I acted. Some king I am, huh?”

           “You are my king, and my husband.” She squeezed his hand in emphasis and walked steadily next to him. “But most of all, you are Noctis. I would be surprised if you had acted any differently.”

           “True. And guess we better add ‘father-to-be’ to that list too.” The king smiled warmly and his queen returned it in kind, the pair entering the light of the room once more.

           “What’s up?” Gladio cocked his head to the side with his arms crossed. Floriana nearly mirrored her husband’s expression with a hand on his arm.

           “Is aught amiss?” Ignis frowned in confusion, his now-seeing eyes alight with curiosity and Aranea just as curious next to him.

           “Hey, Noct, Luna, everything okay?” Prompto had perked up and was sitting attentively in his seat. Cindy had an eyebrow raised and was perched on the armrest next to her fiancée.

           Grinning together and nodding, they both announced the happy news to their loved ones: “We’re going to be parents!”

I just wanted to say that you are honestly one of the best people I’ve met here on Tumblr, @cinensis. From your kindness to all your fans and people coming to you for advice, to the truly amazing artwork you’ve created, you’re an inspiration. Heck, you helped me get into writing for Cloti Week last year and you’ve really inspired me to seriously consider doing more writing. Thanks Joshua, and have all the tea, cookies, and warm blankets you deserve on your birthday.

But without further ado, here’s your birthday fic! An FF VII/OPM AU with Cloud and Tifa as Genos and Saitama respectively!

The sunlight was harsh and unforgiving as it suddenly flared into the woman’s eyes, causing her a throbbing headache as it intruded into her sleep. Groaning hard and flopping over to her side on her mat, Tifa Lockhart, or “Caped Pixie” as the Hero Association called her, tried to doze off again but to no avail. It seemed like it was going to be another one of those days where the world hated her for no reason. A heavy feeling of numbness fell over the woman for several minutes before a stirring behind her intruded into the depressing fog.

Mechanical whirs signaled the awakening of her so-called disciple/roommate/maybe-boyfriend from his own sleep. A random thought made her wonder if he actually did sleep or if he just had a shut-down mode, given that he was a cyborg and all. Cloud Strife, or “Wolf Cyborg” as he was denominated by the Hero Association, rose to a sitting position and glanced over at his sensei. “Morning, Sensei. I trust you slept well?”

“Mrphgh…” Tifa mumbled, burying her face into her pillow.

“Ah, I see.” Cloud could sense right away that today was going to be one of his sensei’s down days, and knew just what to do to help. “I’ll prepare breakfast then.” Getting up fully and neatly putting his bed in order, he quickly made his way to the small kitchenette in their apartment and started the stove up.

As much as Tifa wanted to say otherwise, the nosy cyborg had found a comfortable place in her once dreary life. Little by little, things were starting to look brighter with the blonde man around. Adjusting her body again so she could watch him work, her field of vision was interrupted by a pair of dark brown eyes.

“Foo’, why you not up yet?” The little cyborg, Barret, poked at her nose impatiently. The other seven of his siblings were waking up all around the pair, hums and clicks a disconcerting melody. Though each of the eight small cyborgs had originally meant to be exact copies of Cloud, a glitch in their processing caused them all to develop unique personalities. As such, Tifa couldn’t stand to have them all share Cloud’s name, and had named them all herself according to how she saw fit. Cloud was secretly happy for the accidental reprogramming, as it brought out a happier side of Tifa that he had not seen ever since becoming her disciple.

“Barret, it’s not nice to tease Sensei like that.” The elder didn’t even turn around to reprimand the little one, focusing solely on getting the rice boiled up along with a healthy serving of eggs.

“Righ’, sorry Papa.” Barret just patted the woman’s face before getting up to go stand next to Cloud in the kitchen, eliciting more grouchy noises from her. He was the one with the darkest skin in the batch, and always had the notion of being a smartass. But when push came to shove, he was the one always looking out for the others and the adults.

A tired sigh once again escaped the woman, who wondered why today of all days her depression just had to flare up. What if a monster attacked? What if another damn meteor decided to make her city its target again? What if some upstart decided it was a good idea to attack just because? It sucked that she honestly couldn’t bring herself to care all that much. Staring at the ceiling seemed to be her only respite, and even that was making her head hurt more.

Another movement by her stomach made her look down and she noticed that the small cyborg dog, whom she had randomly decided would be called Nanaki, had curled up there. Tifa frowned down at the figure, the intrusions of her privacy starting to bug her.

“Sensei need not be sad. We are here.” Came the nonchalant response after he looked up, a gentle smile playing on his red muzzle. He seemed to be the wisest of his siblings and always knew what to say at the right time. He was always a comfort to be around for everyone in the apartment.

Clicks and clatters back in the kitchen drew the reddish brown eyes of the hero once again to Cloud. He was swiftly plating the meal he so delicately created onto the meager assortment of dishes they owned, humming a soft tune as he did so. Barret and one of his sisters, Aerith, helped with getting all of the food set onto the ramshackle table in the middle of the room.

“We’re almost set, you guys! Better get up!” Aerith was the cheeriest one of the bunch, her long brown hair swinging happily with her rhythm. She was sassy just like her brother Barret, but still had a sweet smile to curb some of the edge off of her personality. Her pride and joy was the garden she maintained in the tiny window box one the balcony, with plants as green as her eyes lazily waving in the breeze every day.

Tifa had to admit, the smell of that food was so damn enticing. Her stomach growled in response to the thought which caused Nanaki to start a bit. A hint of a smile finally managed to crack her stony façade as she stroked behind the dog’s ears. Maybe today wasn’t going to be so bad after all. Not with all of these pesky cyborgs around keeping her company.

Two of the darker haired young ones, the-energetic-as-a-puppy Zack and the spunky-pickpocket-backtalker Yuffie, were still groggily trying to wake up by Tifa’s feet. They were the troublemakers of the lot, given their never sit still attitudes. Zack aspired to be a hero like his Sensei, and trained as hard as Cloud did in order to achieve that dream. Yuffie on the other hand didn’t have a care in the world except money, and she was having to constantly be reprimanded by Papa and Sensei to not steal from the rich people and give it back to the poor.

“Do we hafta…?” Yuffie whined as her joints whirred and popped from sleeping in the wrong position all night.

“If we want some grub before it’s gone, I guess…” Zack rolled his shoulder, working out some of the kinks in it. Nudging the older woman’s foot with his own as he stood up, he offered her a cheeky grin. “C’mon Sensei! Or else I’ll bet ya to it!”

“Zack, what did Papa just say about teasing Sensei?” A huff came from the table where the last three kids had already gathered. The one who protested was Reeve, clutching his cat doll close as he crossed his arms to look more authoritative. He was the timidest of them, and preferred to stay back as the others handled any nasty monsters that came their way. Nevertheless, he was a valued member of the team, and often rallied everyone to keep fighting.

“Agh, quit yer bellyachin’ and jus’ wait for Sensei to get up,” Cid mumbled as he nursed the coffee in front of him. He was the only one out of the eight mini cyborgs who had kept his blond hair like Cloud, but that was as far as the similarities went. He was the loudest and the filthiest mouthed in the group, but he had the biggest heart.

Vincent, the last but not least, sat quietly in the corner between the other two. He never really talked all that much, offering short quips and hiding behind his long black fringe. Chancing a glance over to the now-sitting up woman, he offered her a quirked smile. It was as if to say “Yeah, they wear me out too. Doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it.”

“Ah, what the hell. I’m coming.” Tifa couldn’t really stand the hunger anymore and took a seat at the table as the other three in the kitchen joined the little circle now around the table.

“Dig in while it’s hot, everyone.” Cloud gave a small smile as he watched his family eat with gusto before joining in himself. He was especially attentive of Tifa as she ate with the rest of them. Usually she was distant, always staring off into space or at the TV, and only gave somewhat snarky remarks when she was feeling particularly bold. Even so, the woman had been an amazing teacher to not only him but also to the eight new additions to their duo. Her worldly advice and mannerisms had struck quite the cord within his soul of nineteen years. Ever since their first meeting he never really did let go of that wonderment.

A shrill ringtone pieced the happy bubble and left Tifa grousing at the fact that it ruined her meal. Cloud took a quick glance at the ID and saw that of course it was the Hero Association calling.

“Yes, Wolf Cyborg speaking. Uh-huh, that bad? You sure? Well, all right. Yeah, we’ll be there. What do you mean? Yeah, I mean Tifa-sensei and the kids. Well you did say there was a lot of them. It’s settled okay? We’ll be there shortly. Good bye.” Snapping his phone shut and turning to his family, all eyes were on him. “Looks like we’ve got some hero duty to cover.”

“Damn, guess we better get going.” Tifa ruffled her hand through her short dark brown hair in acceptance. Though she had originally gone bald after her intensive three-year training, it had recently started to grow back after Cloud had brought the kids to stay in her apartment. Or, it was just finally growing back after all this freaking time. Who knew. “C’mon minis. Let’s get ready.”

The eight little ones were overjoyed at the fact that they were going to be able to help and hurriedly took care of the food for later, chattering with each other excitedly. Tifa quietly excused herself to the bathroom to change and to reflect. Pulling the midriff-bearing yellow top on over her head, the twenty-five-year-old realized that she was feeling excitement in her chest for the first time in a long time. It scared her, for sure, since it was something that she had thought she had long forsaken. Snapping on her red gloves and boots and adjusting her cape in the mirror, Tifa decided right then and there that it wasn’t some damn forgotten feeling. The cyborgs outside the room had been the ones to bring it back. Powerful energy enthused her to her very core, and for once, she could feel it beating in her chest.

Taking a step back into the living room, she could see that everyone was waiting for her, and with a nod they took off out the window. Landing in the street they ran as fast as they could through the city towards the distress call. Tifa kept an easy pace with the cyborgs-no, her family as they tore across the pavement as she felt more alive than ever.

Cloud couldn’t help but watch her in amazement as he charged right along beside her, his body easily matching her pace with his own. He hadn’t seen her so elated before, and had the sneaking suspicion that it must have been something to do with him. But that would have to be a discussion for later. For now, as the sounds of destruction and screaming reached his sensors, they needed to focus on their duty as heroes. Together, as a family.

Cloti Week Day #7

It’s sad to say but this is my final entry for Cloti Week. It’s been a blast and I’ve gotten new followers and people who like my writing, so I’m really feeling accomplished. Once again a shout out to @our-final-heaven for putting this week together, I really never would have done this without the prompts. And also a very special thank you to @cinensis for being one of my absolute favorite artists and person in general. You rock with how hard you fight dude, and I really can’t wait to see what else you come up with in your drawings. And thanks to all of the people here who have liked and reblogged my writing, it really does make me happy that you guys like it! But anyways, this last fic is inspired by this piece of art by cinensis, so enjoy!

The sound of the engine was still ringing in his ears after cutting off the power to the motorcycle. Cloud tiredly rolled his shoulders as he sat up on the seat, exhausted after another long day of making deliveries. He couldn’t really complain much as it helped put food on the table and clothes on his family’s backs and so on. But it really did a number on his body to be hunched over his vehicle for hours on end as he traversed the planet. His spiked blonde hair and clothing were in disarray thanks to the constant wind and wear of being on the road. He felt a serious need for a good shower and a good meal as he started to stow away his travel gear in the travel bags on the bike.

Lo and behold, as soon as his thoughts turned to the comforts of home, the one who made his home worth coming back to every day appeared in the doorway of the garage. The woman gave him the warmest smile he had seen all day as she approached him. She too looked as worn out as he felt, tell-tale signs that she had had a rough day running the bar.

“Hey you,” A swift kiss on the cheek as her arms wrapped around him was enough to bring a smile to his own face. “Welcome home.”

“Glad to be home, Tifa.” Cloud sighed as he held his arms against hers in their hug, instantly relaxing into the embrace. “You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.”

“Well why don’t you tell me once we get you cleaned up?” She winked and helped him get off Fenrir, leaving the motorcycle behind as they made their way upstairs. Once dropping off the blonde’s other equipment and bags in his office, Tifa softly pulled him towards the shower next to their bedroom.

To any other couple, this would be the perfect time to make a move on their significant other for some adult fun. For Cloud and Tifa, it was completely different. Neither of them were really hormonally driven and just enjoyed each other’s company in their more intimate moments. Sure, there were times when the mood was just right and sparks would fly. But for them, a shower together after their exhausting shifts of work was a shared moment of love and warmth. Even if they hadn’t been married for a long time, they had long made a tradition of regaling the day’s events underneath a curtain of water since the early times of their relationship.

It was quick work getting their clothes off and climbing into the frosted glass cubicle that made up the shower. Edge had recently improved the plumbing around the city, allowing for its residents to at last enjoy leisurely hot showers. As soon as the steaming liquid hit his sore muscles, Cloud let out a groan of pleasure as the knots seemed to melt away. Tifa was doing her part too, working some soap into a lather on a washcloth in order to care for Cloud’s back.

“…And then I had to go all the way back to Mideel…” He lamented as his wife scrubbed at the scars that dotted his shoulders, slowly moving up to his sopping hair. Having to go back and forth between Mideel and Edge once was tiring enough, but having to do it again was not something he had look forward to in the slightest. And all for what? A measly couple of boxes filled with Gyshal Greens that had wild chocobos chasing after him for most of the return trip. “…the nerve of that guy, seriously…”

With her nimble fingers working soothing patterns into her husband’s scalp, the brown-haired woman just sighed along with him. “Next time just tell him off. He is such a jerk.” Losing one client out of all the others they had wouldn’t really impact their profits. Besides, having the one and only delivery man of Strife Delivery Service run down by chocobos was not an attractive option for either of the company’s employees. Finishing with her task, Tifa turned around as Cloud did the same cleaning to her, passing the washcloth over so he could.

“Yeah, you’re right. Chocobo Bill doesn’t need to have a supplier as shady as him anyways.” Nodding along with her sentiments, Cloud lovingly washed along his wife’s shapely lines and taking extra care to massage away the tension in her nerves.

They passed more information and observations between each other for a good half hour and emerged soon after immensely relaxed. A chime from the entrance and cheerful voices alerted the couple to the children’s return from school. Getting dressed into fresh clothes, they went down and happily greeted their family. Denzel had done well on his test, Marlene had crafted a new art piece, and Shelke had finally finished her research paper. It was a cause for celebration and as a treat, Cloud and Tifa decided to take the kids out to a new restaurant for dinner.

It was little moments like these that made their relationship special. There wasn’t overdone romantic gestures, gushing confessions of love, or sappy public displays of affection. The smalls things, like a peck on the cheek, meaningful conversations of understanding and acceptance, and just being around each other, is what they felt comfortable with. Cloud and Tifa were never about the fanfare and instead relished in the details. As they watched their kids get grabbing their personal items and chatting happily, Cloud wrapped his left arm around Tifa’s torso and she held onto it with her own left hand. Their wedding bands were plain, but their golden color matched the brightness of the happiness that the two people wearing them felt. They may not have everything in the world, but to Cloud and Tifa, this was all they could ever want.

Cloti Week Day #6

Well, this is my sixth writing piece for Cloti Week I’m putting here on Tumblr and what do ya know, it’s time for the famous Highwind Scene. Cloud and Tifa are one of my favorite couples of all time and with this scene I’ll be writing about and my own little two cents at the bottom I’ll explain why. This fic is heavily inspired by @cinensis comic and even though I don’t know how he ended it (or quite remember all the details), I’ll put my own spin on the whole thing!

After seeing everyone off to their own destinations, all who remained were two people underneath the huge metal frame of the Highwind Airship. Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart didn’t have any place to call anymore and so were left behind by the others. It was a cold winter’s night with a bitter breeze blowing though the clearing that the man and woman stood in. Though the sun was nearly down below the horizon, the angry red glow of Meteor left the evening sky looking foreboding.

Cloud Strife heaved a sigh as he ran his gauntlet-covered left hand through the blonde spikes of his hair, staring at the bloody sky with a scowl. The past several months, hell, years, were all a blur of chaos in his mind. He had spent a good few weeks in a catatonic state recently and the man was still trying to come to grips with what had happened. Being lead along on hunches and murderous impulses did not do well for the mind as Cloud had found out and it had taken the gentle hand of his childhood friend to coax him out of his self-made delirium. He only wished that he could find peace from the pain he had endured, but that wouldn’t end until the final battle with his nemesis…

A sneeze behind him snapped him out his thoughts and he turned, his blue-green Mako glowing eyes landing on the figure accompanying him. Tifa Lockhart drew her strong arms around her upper body, shivering lightly against the cold as she wiped her nose lightly against the gauntlet encasing her right hand. The passing days and months of the years gone by hadn’t exactly been kind to her either, but she had made due with fighting for what she thought was right. Sensing Cloud’s gaze on her, the woman lifted her warm reddish brown eyes to meet his with a smile as she walked up to him.

Cloti Week Day #5

Yay, a really cute prompt! Well, it’s not that I didn’t like the other prompts, I just have a really good idea for this one. I like to think that every now and then Cloud and Tifa get some alone time together and Cloud just spoils the crap out of Tifa whenever he can. It’s usually something smallish but it’s the thought that counts and it brings them closer together. So yeah, headcanons abound but it’s all fluff for once! Be warned this one’s a bit of long read, but it’s a good one. Promise.

The streets of Edge were barely recognizable underneath the four feet of snow that had accumulated over the past few weeks going into the last month of the year. Icicles hung precariously from window sills and roofs as people hustled about in heavy winter gear, bracing themselves against the frigid winds. Children were out in the cold having snowballs fights without a care in the world and altogether the people were in a cheerful mood. The celebrations of the end of the year were soon approaching and it did wonders to the spirits of everyone that a new year would soon begin.

Pushing his way through the wet build-up on his motorcycle, Cloud Strife was immensely happy about his foresight of having new tires put on the vehicle. It made for navigating the now treacherous roads a bit easier though every time hit a patch of ice wrong it made his stomach lurch. He was bundled up in a warm tan longcoat in addition to black insulated pants, thick navy blue gloves, new snow boots, a woven maroon scarf courtesy of Elmyra, and even a matching woven cap he wore over the unruly blonde spikes of his hair. Shuddering once more to dislodge some of the built-up snow on his figure, he managed to spot his destination not too far off.

The Seventh Heaven bar was all decorated and lit up for the upcoming holidays, a welcome beacon of light and coziness amid the harsh chills of the world outside. Cloud and the kids had worked hard to put the baubles and trinkets up and had even spent a couple of days each week keeping the walk outside free of slush and any other potential hazards. From the looks of it, the bar was packed with patrons looking to escape from the flurries that raged on. The blonde man honestly didn’t mind the company now as it helped keep the bar busy and it was nice to see so many people had come flocking back to the city after the Deepground Incident over a year ago. The voices of merry conversations drifted out even from the closed door and windows, inviting the weary delivery man into the mirth.

Cloti Week Day #4

Family is one of THE most important things that anyone could ever have. I know this from experience and I love every bit of my family no matter how crazy they get. That being said, I am so happy that Cloud and Tifa are able to have a family with Marlene and Denzel along with Barret when he comes around and down below I’ll be writing about one of my favorite moments with them. After all they went through, Cloud and Tifa get to be a family and it is one of the sweetest things.

It had been a long day at the Seventh Heaven Bar in the new city of Edge, and Tifa was just finishing up getting the bar shut down when the roar of an engine greeted her ears. A smile spread across her lovely face as two figures charged down the stairs and through the door leading to the garage with a chorus of “Cloud’s home!” A muffled grunt followed the thuds and peals of laughter as the two kids greeted their dad enthusiastically.

Wiping the suds off her hands with a dish rag, Tifa also made her way over the garage door and was greeted by the sight of her family all in a big heap on the floor beside a monstrous motorbike. The rider in question was chuckling quietly, his arms around the two children who had sent him crashing to the floor giggling right along with him. Joining in with their laughter, she amicably placed her hands on her hips as she raised a sharp eyebrow. “Now now kids, you had best let him up or else he’ll be late for dinner.”

“Awe c’mon, Tifa!” The little brown-haired girl piped up after rolling off of Cloud’s chest with another giggle. “We were just saying hi!”

“Yeah. Cloud loves it when me and Marlene come say hi, right?” The other brown-haired child, a boy, grinned hugely down at the blonde-haired man as he sat up to ruffle the boy’s hair.

“Yeah, you got it, Denzel,” Cloud agreed as he offered one of his rare small smiles, giving the boy one more gentle nudge before turning his gaze up to the woman watching over them. “Hey.” He offered her a short greeting, but his bright blue eyes spoke all the words he needed to say.

“Hey you. Welcome home.” Stretching out her hand, she helped him up to his feet with a warm grin and a peck on the cheek. The little show of affection made Cloud blush, the redness going to his ears as Denzel and Marlene giggled even more behind his back. The displays between the two of them were few and far between, but everyone one of them were special in their own way. “Let’s get you cleaned up before I get finished with dinner.”

Nodding, Cloud followed her into the kitchen with Denzel and Marlene tagging along right behind the adults. Ever since Denzel had joined their little family only a couple of months ago, this had been the normal routine. It was actually one of Denzel’s better weeks, his Geostigma barely affecting him as he helped to set up the main table for the meal. Marlene was overjoyed at the thought of having a brother, and the two kids had hit it off extremely well. They worked in tandem as Tifa checked the chicken once more in the oven, placing dishes and silverware here and there on the tabletop.

Tifa happened to glance over to see Cloud set up his paperwork and routes for the next day on the side table, and she was suddenly struck with how at home he looked with the children, done with the place setting, flanking his sides. It was more so than he ever had over the past few weeks as she turned back to the counter to continue scrubbing more dishes. Her reddish-brown eyes followed the man’s fingertips as he guided them over the maps spread out before them, pointing out landmarks and features. The kids asked so many questions and lit up when he answered them as faithfully as he could. He really did look as if he was a slightly young father teaching his kids about the world, and she couldn’t be happier with the image before her.

“Hey Cloud,” Denzel reached across one of the maps and pointed at the large island in the south, “is that where you’re going tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ve got somethings to deliver to Wutai. Probably won’t be back until later in the night.” Cloud offered the boy a sheepish glance, but the boy didn’t seem to mind. The man was being honest, and it was all he could ask for. Their relationship was a special one among the family, as it was because of Cloud that Denzel had come to live with them after rescuing him in front of the old church.

“Cloud! Isn’t that where Yuffie lives?” Marlene patted his arm to get his attention, the question alight in her big brown eyes. “Could you say hi to her for me and tell her I miss her?” The little girl had been through thick and thin with the group that had helped protect the world not so long ago, and in turn each of the members were endeared to her. Being the tender age of 5 helped immensely with the fact that she warmed her way into their hearts.

He nodded, sending his blonde spikes bouncing as he did, and gave her a small grin in response. “Sure thing. Wouldn’t want to disappoint you.” Though he ran a delivery business and was often away from the bar, Cloud always came back to his family at the end of the day. It was his only solace after everything he had been through.

Marlene gave him a hug around his arm and nuzzled him with happiness. Ever so quickly though, her head shot back up with another inquiry. “Oh! Has Daddy called you? Do you know when he’ll be back to see me?”

The man frowned then, not knowing how to respond to the little girl. After a small beat he simply told her, “Haven’t heard from him yet.” Barret was another old friend of Cloud and Tifa along with Yuffie, and was currently out looking for a purpose in his life. From time to time he would come see his daughter, Marlene, much to her joy.

Noticing how crestfallen his sister looked, Denzel tried to lighten her mood. “Hey Marlene, I’m sure he’ll be back soon. He said he was almost done with his prospecting last time he was here!” Giving her a thumbs up and a nod, he continued on with a smile. “Don’t worry! You’ve got us.”

Tifa giggled at this insistence and caused the attention to soon be diverted to her. “Denzel’s right, you know your dad will come home in no time.” A ding sounded off behind her and with that, the food was ready. “And speaking of time, dinner is served!”

“Yay!” The kids quickly pulled Cloud away from his work and got him to sit at the table as Tifa brought the steaming pot filled with chicken and vegetables over. The man gave the food an appreciative once over and a “Thanks” to the cook as he began to carve up the bird. Sitting down next to him and helping to distribute the meal to the two hungry children, the woman couldn’t help but feel loved by these three people in her life.

In all honesty, Tifa could scarcely believe that at the young age of 23 she had a family, let alone one with her childhood friend turned…lover? It still puzzled her on what exactly her and Cloud were after the fighting was over, but there was one thing for certain that she knew. She knew that Cloud really did care for not only her, but the kids as well, and cared for all three of them deeply. Whenever he would smile at them with the tiniest hints of an upturned corner of his mouth or would laugh with short chuckles, she knew little by little he was getting there. He was getting back to the Cloud she knew and loved, and she and the kids would be there every step of the way.

Cloti Week Day #3

It took me awhile to figure out which alternate versions of Cloud and Tifa I liked the best aside from the original game, but I finally decided on the one I’ll be writing about below. Even if they only interacted for a few scenes in the game, it really was heartwarming how Cloud went out of his way to save Tifa. So yeah, a bit more angst incoming but hey, hope you like it!

It felt like he was waking up from a bad dream when he had saw her.

His feet pounded hard against the uneven terrain as he ran, the breath catching in his throat due to his effort. Cloud just had to reach them and stop the madman from harming her. Kefka’s words rang in his ears, mocking him in the most painful of ways as he continued his charge through the wilderness. Finally, he reached where he heard the intimidating voice of his nemesis-turned-supposed-ally threatening her. Oh how he had wished that the clown had been lying but alas there she was. The light of his life was facing down the blade of the Masamune…

Or, was he only falling deeper into the nightmare?

Unbidden in his rage, he charged down the rocky slope, commanding the silver-haired man to stop his onslaught. The other man only looked on at him in surprise before taking his bravado seriously. The fight had been brutal but in the end Cloud had won. Sephiroth, his silver hair swaying in cool agitation, swore that he would exact revenge on the blonde man before taking his leave. The woman sighed in relief and thanked the man before her, introducing herself as Tifa and wondering if he was one of Cosmos’ warriors. So she didn’t remember him then, or what they had once had.

She should not even be there, fighting for who knows what cause or reason.

When she had asked his name, Cloud felt another dagger stab into his heart. Still, he figured he should try to play the part of whatever it was he was meant to do and gave her his name. It was warring within him on whether or not to just fess up and confess everything about who he really was and what they really were. But in order to keep her from further danger, away from him, he lied. It felt horrifying to him that he had to keep who he really was from his love, but he had to.

He had been condemned to this hell and by the Goddess’ will she would not be forced to suffer with him.

Cloud could only stay silent as she marveled on about how he had fought, and how he had rescued her from a terrifying fate. He nearly lost it when she mentioned him being a hero charging in to save the girl. No, she couldn’t know who he really was now. He was no hero, he was just a man trying to do what was right for once and to escape this damndable place. He warned her against meeting him again, the words like sandpaper on his tongue. He hated doing this but he needed to in order to make sure she would be safe, that she would survive. As Tifa left, the brown-haired angel who had saved him more times than he cared to count, he steeled himself for his next objective. He knew what he had to do before time ran out for her.

He marched onto the God Chaos’ throne and challenged the deity himself to battle.

The god himself merely laughed at him for trying to escape the cycle of war, but he did not understand the true reason for his pawn’s behavior. The blonde man did everything in his power to take the being down. Slice after slice, blow after blow, he poured every ounce of strength he had into his blade. Once again Chaos mocked the man for trying to fight against the inevitable and struck him down with a simple flick of his hand. Cloud fell defeated into heap on the floor, his wounds too great to carry on. He had tried and failed to do anything. He should have known that fighting like he did was reckless, but he had no choice.

Anything to save her, anything to save…his friend…his…love…

As he laid exhausted, Cloud wondered brokenly about how in the end he couldn’t keep his promise. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It just wasn’t. But he had no room to whine and cry about it. Before he could completely dissolve, he called for Tifa to be saved. It was the least he could do for her, since he couldn’t be there for her anymore.

His plea reached out to whoever would listen as he faded into the darkness once more like countless other times.

The Goddess Cosmos herself heard the words of the fallen man, and was touched by his devotion to her warrior. In all honesty she wished she could guarantee the safety of the woman. But even with her immense power nothing was a certainty. Instead, she chose the fallen warrior, Cloud, as her next champion, and hoped that this cycle would end in her favor. That way, the two warriors, Cloud and Tifa, may be together once more.

Maybe this time, he could save her.

Maybe this time, she would have her promise fulfilled.

Cloti Week Day #2

What’s any relationship without a little angst? Though this moment I’ll be writing about may look like a bit on the light side of angst, but it’s total pain for Cloud and Tifa. Sure, there are some other fluffy or emotional scenes that I could have written about, but this following scene really struck me in particular. It’s the first time Cloud and Tifa have seen each other in a while and one that really hits home. So, without further ado, here we go!

How long had it been since he’d been home? Weeks? Months? Cloud had lost track of the time gone by as he made his way into the run-down church, his encounter with the ailing president still fresh in his mind. His heavy footfalls echoed across the empty hall of the church’s atrium as her neared the flowerbed in the center, his weary glances around doing nothing to assuage his fear that something was off. The air had an uncertainty to it that made him feel jumpy, even more so than usual after all of the recent tragedies. People were dying left and right of an incurable disease, and as if misfortune was out to get him, Cloud had caught it too. Geostigma. The name meant the tainted mark of the planet, but it was much more sinister than that. It was the will of an appaling enemy, long since thought defeated over two years ago…

He soon stopped short of the flower bed, a chideful voice playing in his head about not stepping on the flowers. It sent a tinge of pain through his head at the remembrance of the voice’s owner, but the pain was soon forgotten once he spotted the figure lying among the foliage. The brown hair…the dark clothes…no, it couldn’t be!

His heart thundering in his chest, the blonde man ran straight through the garden and dropped to his knees, taking the prone woman in his arms. It really was her…

“Tifa!” He called out, giving her the slightest of shakes. How had she ended up like this? Dirt covered her face and clothing, the telltale signs of a battle having been fought. His heart gave a wretched pang at the sight of her. She was the love of his life, and what had he done? Just left her behind, ashamed of his disease, ashamed of how he had done nothing but fail at protecting what matters most. The one time he decides to come home after so long, and he finds her beaten into unconsciousness. “Tifa!” his voice rings out with anguish, pleading for her to open her beautiful reddish-brown eyes as he jostles her once more.

A small groan escaped her lips, and Tifa soon stirs in his grip. Cloud feels a shock of relief, but it is soon smothered out again by the worry and anger he feels at the sight of how utterly defeated his love looked.

“You’re late,” Tifa says in a course whisper, groaning against the arm of the man holding her. Everything in her body hurt after the brutal fight with the silver-haired man, and it hurt even more that Cloud hadn’t kept his promise. She was in a bind and needed his help, but her hero hadn’t been there to save her. It stung the both of them more than either of them could imagine…

“Who did this?” A slight snarl had crept into his tone as he assessed the damage done to her. He wanted to find whoever had hurt her and make them regret it.

All Tifa could manage was a weak shake of her head. “He didn’t say…” A hazy replay of the battle flashed through her mind until one image settled into place as clear as day. It was that of a frightened young girl with big brown eyes, walking slowly back from the man who had attacked them…

“Marlene!” The woman gasped, lurching up as the thought of her adoptive daughter being harmed forced her into action. She-She had to save her…! It was too much for her worn-out body though, as all she could do was to try and hold her head against the dizziness before the searing pain caused her to black out once more into her love’s arms.

What? Marlene? Why would Tifa say that…? Cloud looked around the building after Tifa’s outburst, panic starting to grip him. The pews destroyed, the room in even more of a disheveled mess than before, and his supplies…The materia chest was gone!

“Damn!” He growled, cursing his own foolishness. How could he have been gone for so long?!

Any other thoughts he might have had were cut short as a horrendous seizure ripped through his left arm, nearly sending him drowning into a dark abyss. He fought as hard as he could against the imposing will that threatened to rip his mind apart, but it was all in vain. The one moment he had despaired over not being able to save the woman he loved was enough for the disease to exact its terrible hold. The tremors shook through his arm into his body as the black sore on his left deltoid oozed horribly disgusting pitch gunk. The pain built and built until it was too much for him to bear and soon he too collapsed into the flower bed, clutching his infection in anguish.

Any other normal observer might assume that the two people lying in the flower bed had simply fallen asleep while gazing at one another, their curled positions doing little to dissuade the fact. But there was much more to the scene than had met the eyes. Cloud and Tifa were in serious need of medical help, and of a heart-to-heart talk. It had been too long since they had last seen one another, and the pain and fear they each had been feeling were threatening to leave them in shambles. A soft glow seemed to envelop them as they laid unbidden among the flora, a gentle hand as if from beyond giving them a bit of the solace they needed as two more figures rushed to their aid. For now, they slumbered in the cold embrace of the unconscious, but soon, they would need to wake up to reality. Their planet was crying out, and needed its heroes once more.