Final Fantasy VII, Cloud/Tifa, Change of Heart
Title: Change of Heart
Author/Artist: queenoftheskies
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Pairing: Cloud/Tifa
Rating: R
Warnings: explicit sex
Word Count: 1,473
Prompt: Final Fantasy VII - Cloud/Tifa - Neither one of them is sure of where they stand, but they're both getting tired of it, and their relationship turns physical. A happy/hopeful outlook at the end would be nice.
Change of Heart
At first she’d thought things were better. Cloud was back, the geostigma was gone, and Sephiroth had been defeated…a second time. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that something else would probably arise, something she and her friends would need to protect Midgar-or the planet-from, but she’d been satisfied just to know the worst was over for the time being.
When he’d moved back in with them, Cloud had been responsive: had spent time with the children, paid attention to the business, life had seemed good. But, then he’d withdrawn; not as much as he had when he’d developed geostigma, but sometimes, he just wouldn’t talk and when she looked at him, he’d glance away, his gaze distant.
She’d known then that they were going to lose him again. She was concerned more for the children than she was for herself. They loved him, idolized him, and while she was the first to admit that life was easier when he was there to pull his load, she was strong. She could run the 7th Heaven and take care of the children without him.
She’d long since made peace with the fact that he’d never love her, at least not the same way she loved him. And while it was hard being a sister to someone you’d rather have as a lover, she’d settled for just having him near.
It was on the third Strife Delivery Service call he avoided that she realized she had to put her foot down. What few hopes she’d had left after Aeris had reappeared and disappeared again were gone. She couldn’t take care of Cloud’s business and hers, too. He was going to have to make up his mind: get on with his life, or move out. Maybe both.
Wiping her hands on the towel with which she’d just swiped down the bar, she sighed. It wasn’t doing any of them any good to put off confronting him. She and Cloud needed to settle it once and for all.
With a frustrated snarl, she hurled the towel down the bar and flipped off the lights before making a slow ascent upstairs. It made her heart ache to think of losing him forever. But I already lost him…the moment he first laid eyes on Aeris.
The hallway was quiet; the children had been asleep a couple of hours already. Marlene had crawled into bed before Denzel; Barret was picking her up the next day for a week’s vacation.
Her stomach clenched. Light stained the carpet beneath the door to Cloud’s room. He’s still up.
She crept down the hall, resisting the urge to turn into her own room, resisting the urge to let it go another day. He might be better. He could come around.
Fat chance. She was only fooling herself.
She knocked before she could chicken out, held her breath while she waited. The door opened sooner than she’d expected. Cloud caught her finger-combing her hair, straightening her clothes. A flush crept into her cheeks. She forced a nervous smile for his benefit.
The corners of his lips twitched, his eyes lit just a little. “Tifa.” He sounded surprised.
What little hope remained-and she hadn’t realized there was any-vanished at the sight of the packed motorcycle bags sitting on the floor behind him.
“So, that’s it, is it?” she asked, taking a step back. It hurt, more than she’d expected. “You’re leaving again.” Her shoulders rose and fell. “Just like that.”
He gestured helplessly before stammering, “I…it’s not what you think.”
“How would you know what I think?” Tossing her head, she turned away. “You never even talk to me any more.”
“I…”
She saw him reach for her as she moved away and darted just out of his reach.
“Tifa, wait!” he called after her when she retreated.
She fought back the tears burning in her eyes, clasped her hands over the ache in her chest. She had to reach her room; he couldn’t see her cry.
She threw her shoulder into the door as she turned the knob, revealing a darkness broken only by peripheral light that spilled in from outside. He was in the doorway behind her before she could close it, held it open with one palm planted in the center.
“I…” The words hung in his throat. Pain haunted his clear blue eyes, eyes that watched her every move.
“Go,” she whispered, her voice trembling with the first tears. “I don’t ever want to…ever want to…” Hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. She pressed her hand to her mouth to suppress words she didn’t want to say.
Before she could banish him from her life forever, he seized her and pressed his lips to hers. Caught by surprise, she struggled, muttered against the kiss that held her mouth captive. It wasn’t until his tongue slid inside that she threw herself against him, wrapped her arms around his neck, her tongue around his.
They tumbled backward into the room. Cloud kicked the door shut behind them, struggling with Tifa’s clothes. She tried to help, her lips never leaving his, but he shoved her hands aside. The top resisted. He cursed under his breath, tugged at it until it relented.
By the time they reached the bed, they were shirtless, Cloud’s chest bare, Tifa’s breasts cradled to her chest by her bra. She toppled onto the thick, chocobo down-filled mattress, pulling him with her.
Breathless, he stripped off her remaining clothes while she fumbled with his belt and was down on her before she could even free him from his pants. His hands and lips explored her. Eyes closed, he tasted her, molded his hands to her curves, dipped inside her with fingers and tongue. And, when she climaxed, he gathered her into his arms and held her, kissing her lips and throat until the trembling subsided.
She tipped him, then, back against the pillows, his head raised enough to watch her while she worked her way down his chest, across his stomach, down to the waistband of his pants. Slowly, she unzipped them, freed him, and took him into her mouth. He hardened beneath her fingers and tongue, moaned as she kissed and licked. He exploded with a lurch and a moan, spraying his seed far back into her mouth.
Collapsing atop him, her head pillowed on his stomach, she longed for more. Tears filled her eyes and, before she could stop them, spilled onto his bare skin. There were no questions as he sat up and took her in his arms, only a hug that seemed to last forever and the soft touch of his lips against her temple.
“I know you love her,” she whispered against his chest. “I know you always will.”
“I was thinking of someone else I love,” he murmured in return. “Not someone already gone.”
With a sniffle, she pulled back, brushing a stray strand of blond hair back from his forehead before she looked into his eyes. “What are you saying, Cloud? Why were you leaving?”
“I’m no good for you,” he said with a tremor in his voice. Turning away, he released her, crawled from the bed. “All I ever do is hurt you and I thought...” His shoulders slumped. “I thought it was better this way.”
Tifa followed him, captured him before he reached the door. “I’ve loved you forever.” She never thought she’d tell him, never expected to utter those words. “But you...sometimes I don’t think you even knew I existed.”
“I was stupid.” He whirled to face her, to take her again in his arms. “I was...used. I know that’s not an excuse, but...”
She silenced him with a kiss. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what they’d done to him, how they’d made him SOLDIER. Maybe some day she would, but not now. All that was important now was that he was with her, that he stay with her.
“Come back to bed,” she urged, tugging gently on his arm.
He followed without protest, but she didn’t miss the glimmer of tears in his eyes.
“I’ll make you forget her,” she vowed as she turned back the blanket. “I’ll make you forget your tears.”
“The tears are a part of me.” He slipped out of his pants and followed her into bed. “If I forget them, I forget all the reasons you make life worth bearing.”
They fell into a comfortable silence, Tifa cradled in Cloud’s arms. And, they cuddled, warm and secure in one another.
Just before she rolled into his warmth and closed her eyes, he kissed the top of her head and whispered against her hair. As she fell asleep, he whispered again and this time she heard it. “I love you, Tifa, and I always will.”
Author/Artist: queenoftheskies
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Pairing: Cloud/Tifa
Rating: R
Warnings: explicit sex
Word Count: 1,473
Prompt: Final Fantasy VII - Cloud/Tifa - Neither one of them is sure of where they stand, but they're both getting tired of it, and their relationship turns physical. A happy/hopeful outlook at the end would be nice.
Change of Heart
At first she’d thought things were better. Cloud was back, the geostigma was gone, and Sephiroth had been defeated…a second time. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that something else would probably arise, something she and her friends would need to protect Midgar-or the planet-from, but she’d been satisfied just to know the worst was over for the time being.
When he’d moved back in with them, Cloud had been responsive: had spent time with the children, paid attention to the business, life had seemed good. But, then he’d withdrawn; not as much as he had when he’d developed geostigma, but sometimes, he just wouldn’t talk and when she looked at him, he’d glance away, his gaze distant.
She’d known then that they were going to lose him again. She was concerned more for the children than she was for herself. They loved him, idolized him, and while she was the first to admit that life was easier when he was there to pull his load, she was strong. She could run the 7th Heaven and take care of the children without him.
She’d long since made peace with the fact that he’d never love her, at least not the same way she loved him. And while it was hard being a sister to someone you’d rather have as a lover, she’d settled for just having him near.
It was on the third Strife Delivery Service call he avoided that she realized she had to put her foot down. What few hopes she’d had left after Aeris had reappeared and disappeared again were gone. She couldn’t take care of Cloud’s business and hers, too. He was going to have to make up his mind: get on with his life, or move out. Maybe both.
Wiping her hands on the towel with which she’d just swiped down the bar, she sighed. It wasn’t doing any of them any good to put off confronting him. She and Cloud needed to settle it once and for all.
With a frustrated snarl, she hurled the towel down the bar and flipped off the lights before making a slow ascent upstairs. It made her heart ache to think of losing him forever. But I already lost him…the moment he first laid eyes on Aeris.
The hallway was quiet; the children had been asleep a couple of hours already. Marlene had crawled into bed before Denzel; Barret was picking her up the next day for a week’s vacation.
Her stomach clenched. Light stained the carpet beneath the door to Cloud’s room. He’s still up.
She crept down the hall, resisting the urge to turn into her own room, resisting the urge to let it go another day. He might be better. He could come around.
Fat chance. She was only fooling herself.
She knocked before she could chicken out, held her breath while she waited. The door opened sooner than she’d expected. Cloud caught her finger-combing her hair, straightening her clothes. A flush crept into her cheeks. She forced a nervous smile for his benefit.
The corners of his lips twitched, his eyes lit just a little. “Tifa.” He sounded surprised.
What little hope remained-and she hadn’t realized there was any-vanished at the sight of the packed motorcycle bags sitting on the floor behind him.
“So, that’s it, is it?” she asked, taking a step back. It hurt, more than she’d expected. “You’re leaving again.” Her shoulders rose and fell. “Just like that.”
He gestured helplessly before stammering, “I…it’s not what you think.”
“How would you know what I think?” Tossing her head, she turned away. “You never even talk to me any more.”
“I…”
She saw him reach for her as she moved away and darted just out of his reach.
“Tifa, wait!” he called after her when she retreated.
She fought back the tears burning in her eyes, clasped her hands over the ache in her chest. She had to reach her room; he couldn’t see her cry.
She threw her shoulder into the door as she turned the knob, revealing a darkness broken only by peripheral light that spilled in from outside. He was in the doorway behind her before she could close it, held it open with one palm planted in the center.
“I…” The words hung in his throat. Pain haunted his clear blue eyes, eyes that watched her every move.
“Go,” she whispered, her voice trembling with the first tears. “I don’t ever want to…ever want to…” Hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. She pressed her hand to her mouth to suppress words she didn’t want to say.
Before she could banish him from her life forever, he seized her and pressed his lips to hers. Caught by surprise, she struggled, muttered against the kiss that held her mouth captive. It wasn’t until his tongue slid inside that she threw herself against him, wrapped her arms around his neck, her tongue around his.
They tumbled backward into the room. Cloud kicked the door shut behind them, struggling with Tifa’s clothes. She tried to help, her lips never leaving his, but he shoved her hands aside. The top resisted. He cursed under his breath, tugged at it until it relented.
By the time they reached the bed, they were shirtless, Cloud’s chest bare, Tifa’s breasts cradled to her chest by her bra. She toppled onto the thick, chocobo down-filled mattress, pulling him with her.
Breathless, he stripped off her remaining clothes while she fumbled with his belt and was down on her before she could even free him from his pants. His hands and lips explored her. Eyes closed, he tasted her, molded his hands to her curves, dipped inside her with fingers and tongue. And, when she climaxed, he gathered her into his arms and held her, kissing her lips and throat until the trembling subsided.
She tipped him, then, back against the pillows, his head raised enough to watch her while she worked her way down his chest, across his stomach, down to the waistband of his pants. Slowly, she unzipped them, freed him, and took him into her mouth. He hardened beneath her fingers and tongue, moaned as she kissed and licked. He exploded with a lurch and a moan, spraying his seed far back into her mouth.
Collapsing atop him, her head pillowed on his stomach, she longed for more. Tears filled her eyes and, before she could stop them, spilled onto his bare skin. There were no questions as he sat up and took her in his arms, only a hug that seemed to last forever and the soft touch of his lips against her temple.
“I know you love her,” she whispered against his chest. “I know you always will.”
“I was thinking of someone else I love,” he murmured in return. “Not someone already gone.”
With a sniffle, she pulled back, brushing a stray strand of blond hair back from his forehead before she looked into his eyes. “What are you saying, Cloud? Why were you leaving?”
“I’m no good for you,” he said with a tremor in his voice. Turning away, he released her, crawled from the bed. “All I ever do is hurt you and I thought...” His shoulders slumped. “I thought it was better this way.”
Tifa followed him, captured him before he reached the door. “I’ve loved you forever.” She never thought she’d tell him, never expected to utter those words. “But you...sometimes I don’t think you even knew I existed.”
“I was stupid.” He whirled to face her, to take her again in his arms. “I was...used. I know that’s not an excuse, but...”
She silenced him with a kiss. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what they’d done to him, how they’d made him SOLDIER. Maybe some day she would, but not now. All that was important now was that he was with her, that he stay with her.
“Come back to bed,” she urged, tugging gently on his arm.
He followed without protest, but she didn’t miss the glimmer of tears in his eyes.
“I’ll make you forget her,” she vowed as she turned back the blanket. “I’ll make you forget your tears.”
“The tears are a part of me.” He slipped out of his pants and followed her into bed. “If I forget them, I forget all the reasons you make life worth bearing.”
They fell into a comfortable silence, Tifa cradled in Cloud’s arms. And, they cuddled, warm and secure in one another.
Just before she rolled into his warmth and closed her eyes, he kissed the top of her head and whispered against her hair. As she fell asleep, he whispered again and this time she heard it. “I love you, Tifa, and I always will.”