SW/FF Crack X-Over - Part 18
Characters: Cloud and Tifa, with mentions of others
Rating: T
Cloud never really had the opportunity to indulge in carnal pleasures. As a boy he was an outcast who was beat up by the local kids in Nibelheim; the closest he’d come to knowing pleasure was during the few times he fought back and the rush he felt when his adrenaline kicked in. As a teenager, he remained an outcast until his village burned to the ground and he was taken by Hojo; he definitely knew nothing of pleasure in those four years. The only respite he had was when Hojo left him alone in his cell, where Cloud would lick his wounds, so to speak, and dream a little.
In those precious daydreams, he remembered Tifa with her beautiful long hair and her contagious smile. He imagined that he was far away from the lab, that he was with her and they were together. She had accepted him when they were young, and shortly before the fire he had vowed that he would become someone important and come back for her. He dreamed that a great hero would break him out of his hell and he could be reunited with Tifa. He dreamed of many things in those four years, but they all centered around Tifa in some way.
Now, somehow, he was with her and he knew pleasure. Not the kind a Jedi should know, but the Code could go dive off a cliff for all he cared; Tifa brought him pleasure and peace (and love), and he wasn’t going to trade it for anything.
She stirred, and Cloud opened an eye as Tifa snuggled against his side. “So warm,” she murmured.
He chuckled under his breath as he held her close. “Better?”
Tifa looked up, her chocolate eyes cloudy with sleep. “Mmm. Good morning.”
“Morning.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
She leaned back slightly to get a good look at him. As her eyes cleared, her smile fell slightly. “You’ve been thinking again.”
“I’m always thinking.”
“You know what I mean,” she said. “Of the brooding sort.”
“I wasn’t really brooding. Just looking back.” His eyes implored her to believe him. He really hadn’t been brooding this time. “Sometimes I wonder how I’ll ever repay Zack.”
Tifa frowned. “I don’t think he expects you to pay him back for anything.”
“I know he doesn’t, but…” Cloud shook his head slightly. “He saved my life, and he’s the reason I’m here with you. I can’t just accept and ignore it.”
Her smile pensive, she reached up and stroked Cloud’s brow, furrowed in concentration. “I think you pay him back every day. He got a best friend out of it, and he got to be someone’s hero. Aerith told me once that that’s Zack’s dream: to be a hero to someone. I’m sure he’s aware of how you feel.” She scooted up until they were eye to eye. “I wish I could pay him back. He brought you to me.”
“Unwittingly,” Cloud added dryly.
“Most of Zack’s best moments were performed unwittingly.” Tifa suppressed a laugh at the thought. “It’s a part of his charm, I think.”
A small smile broke out on Cloud’s lips. “True. I don’t think you need to pay him back. According to Mr. Hero, I’ve been less of, I quote, ‘a grumpy-pants’ since we reunited. He’s always told me to cheer up, so I guess that’ repayment right there.”
Now Tifa couldn’t stop the giggling that burst out. “Really? Grumpy-pants? That is definitely something Zack would say.”
They both had a small laugh over it, thinking in fond exasperation of their friend. As the silence hung and the minutes passed, Tifa settled against Cloud’s chest, her eyes closed as if she was going to fall asleep again. Cloud let himself sink into the bed, waiting for her to doze off when she suddenly said, “What about you?”
“Hm?”
“Are you going to be someone’s hero?” Though her eyes were still closed, her tone was expectant.
“You mean Denzel?” Cloud was hesitant to bring it up; every time he thought of it, he remembered Zidane’s reaction in the Temple the other day. “I don’t know.”
“But you seemed so sure before,” Tifa said. “Did something happen?”
Knowing it was pointless keeping it from her, Cloud quickly reiterated to her his encounter with Zidane in the Temple. With a quiet sigh he finished, “I don’t know if the others will take to it any better. Maybe I am wrong in taking on a Padawan.”
“I know Zidane, Cloud. I get the feeling that’s not entirely what’s bothering him.”
“Yeah.” Cloud had thought over Zidane’s words since their meeting, and he had wondered the same thing himself. “A lot’s happened in a short amount of time. Deliberately showing a Padawan a bunch of Jedi breaking the Code is taking things to another level.”
“But it’s not like you’re telling him this is how it has to be,” Tifa said gently. “To be honest, if you tried telling him he has to obey the Code it would be kind of hypocritical.”
“Does that mean I don’t have the right to train him?”
“It means that you’re showing him that he has more than one path.” Tifa hesitated; something was on her mind, but she seemed afraid to say it. Cloud nudged her gently, encouraging her to continue. With her shoulders hunched but her mind resolved, she said, “Cloud… maybe it’d be a good thing if you taught him that. I mean, obviously you and the others don’t agree with parts of the Code. Like Zidane always says, maybe it’s the Code that’s wrong. You teaching Denzel that the Code isn’t necessarily right might be the first step towards change.”
Cloud blinked in surprise. “As in change the Code?”
“Possibly.” Tifa looked up at him, her mouth set in a serious line. “I know it’s been the same for a long time, and it’s tradition, but maybe it’s also out-dated a little. What I’d love is to see some parts of it rewritten. I’m sure Rinoa, Rosa, Yuna, Garnet, Aerith and Lightning’s sister feel the same.” She paused, and then added quietly, “I have a dream, too.” Her eyes glanced down at his chest, embarrassed to look at him. “I want to someday say, ‘This is Cloud. I love him, and I’m proud of him because he’s a Jedi.’ Don’t you think Rosa would love to say, ‘My husband is a Jedi’ or Lightning’s sister wants to say, ‘I’m proud of my big sister for being a Jedi.’ If we could say that one day… I think we’d all consider it a dream come true.”
It had never occurred to Cloud. He knew how much hardship Tifa, Aerith, Lightning’s sister and the senators endured for them, but it had never really struck him that they wished for the Code to change. It made perfect sense, though. “I don’t think I’d mind, either.”
“I know a full front rebellion would just end badly, but maybe by taking it one step at a time like this, one day it’ll bring about the end of the Code - or the parts we don’t like, anyway.”
“Maybe Zidane thought of that, and it worried him.” It was one thing to have a small band of people who were breaking the Code. They were just in the group as a means of comradeship and keeping their secrets hidden. But it was an entirely different story to bring about such a massive overhaul of the Code. It certainly wasn’t what Zidane and the others had in mind when they first banded together. “Something worth talking to him about. I think there are things on both sides not being said.”
“The repairs on the plumbing should be done by tomorrow,” Tifa said. “I’ll open as soon as they’re done. You guys can talk then.”
“I’ll let the others know then. Lightning needs to be broken in and taught the ways of Seventh Heaven.” Cloud paused, a small smile emerging as he added, “So says Bartz.”
Tifa laughed, burying her face into Cloud’s chest. “Oh my - what would we do without those guys?”
“My life would be a lot more boring.”
She affectionately smacked his arm. “That’s mean. They’re your friends!”
“Yeah.” Cloud almost shook his head at the thought. How he ended up making such friends was beyond him, but he supposed he couldn’t complain. “They are. Though I still think this means the Force has a twisted sense of humor.”
“You have a twisted sense of humor.”
“That too.”
Rating: T
Cloud never really had the opportunity to indulge in carnal pleasures. As a boy he was an outcast who was beat up by the local kids in Nibelheim; the closest he’d come to knowing pleasure was during the few times he fought back and the rush he felt when his adrenaline kicked in. As a teenager, he remained an outcast until his village burned to the ground and he was taken by Hojo; he definitely knew nothing of pleasure in those four years. The only respite he had was when Hojo left him alone in his cell, where Cloud would lick his wounds, so to speak, and dream a little.
In those precious daydreams, he remembered Tifa with her beautiful long hair and her contagious smile. He imagined that he was far away from the lab, that he was with her and they were together. She had accepted him when they were young, and shortly before the fire he had vowed that he would become someone important and come back for her. He dreamed that a great hero would break him out of his hell and he could be reunited with Tifa. He dreamed of many things in those four years, but they all centered around Tifa in some way.
Now, somehow, he was with her and he knew pleasure. Not the kind a Jedi should know, but the Code could go dive off a cliff for all he cared; Tifa brought him pleasure and peace (and love), and he wasn’t going to trade it for anything.
She stirred, and Cloud opened an eye as Tifa snuggled against his side. “So warm,” she murmured.
He chuckled under his breath as he held her close. “Better?”
Tifa looked up, her chocolate eyes cloudy with sleep. “Mmm. Good morning.”
“Morning.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
She leaned back slightly to get a good look at him. As her eyes cleared, her smile fell slightly. “You’ve been thinking again.”
“I’m always thinking.”
“You know what I mean,” she said. “Of the brooding sort.”
“I wasn’t really brooding. Just looking back.” His eyes implored her to believe him. He really hadn’t been brooding this time. “Sometimes I wonder how I’ll ever repay Zack.”
Tifa frowned. “I don’t think he expects you to pay him back for anything.”
“I know he doesn’t, but…” Cloud shook his head slightly. “He saved my life, and he’s the reason I’m here with you. I can’t just accept and ignore it.”
Her smile pensive, she reached up and stroked Cloud’s brow, furrowed in concentration. “I think you pay him back every day. He got a best friend out of it, and he got to be someone’s hero. Aerith told me once that that’s Zack’s dream: to be a hero to someone. I’m sure he’s aware of how you feel.” She scooted up until they were eye to eye. “I wish I could pay him back. He brought you to me.”
“Unwittingly,” Cloud added dryly.
“Most of Zack’s best moments were performed unwittingly.” Tifa suppressed a laugh at the thought. “It’s a part of his charm, I think.”
A small smile broke out on Cloud’s lips. “True. I don’t think you need to pay him back. According to Mr. Hero, I’ve been less of, I quote, ‘a grumpy-pants’ since we reunited. He’s always told me to cheer up, so I guess that’ repayment right there.”
Now Tifa couldn’t stop the giggling that burst out. “Really? Grumpy-pants? That is definitely something Zack would say.”
They both had a small laugh over it, thinking in fond exasperation of their friend. As the silence hung and the minutes passed, Tifa settled against Cloud’s chest, her eyes closed as if she was going to fall asleep again. Cloud let himself sink into the bed, waiting for her to doze off when she suddenly said, “What about you?”
“Hm?”
“Are you going to be someone’s hero?” Though her eyes were still closed, her tone was expectant.
“You mean Denzel?” Cloud was hesitant to bring it up; every time he thought of it, he remembered Zidane’s reaction in the Temple the other day. “I don’t know.”
“But you seemed so sure before,” Tifa said. “Did something happen?”
Knowing it was pointless keeping it from her, Cloud quickly reiterated to her his encounter with Zidane in the Temple. With a quiet sigh he finished, “I don’t know if the others will take to it any better. Maybe I am wrong in taking on a Padawan.”
“I know Zidane, Cloud. I get the feeling that’s not entirely what’s bothering him.”
“Yeah.” Cloud had thought over Zidane’s words since their meeting, and he had wondered the same thing himself. “A lot’s happened in a short amount of time. Deliberately showing a Padawan a bunch of Jedi breaking the Code is taking things to another level.”
“But it’s not like you’re telling him this is how it has to be,” Tifa said gently. “To be honest, if you tried telling him he has to obey the Code it would be kind of hypocritical.”
“Does that mean I don’t have the right to train him?”
“It means that you’re showing him that he has more than one path.” Tifa hesitated; something was on her mind, but she seemed afraid to say it. Cloud nudged her gently, encouraging her to continue. With her shoulders hunched but her mind resolved, she said, “Cloud… maybe it’d be a good thing if you taught him that. I mean, obviously you and the others don’t agree with parts of the Code. Like Zidane always says, maybe it’s the Code that’s wrong. You teaching Denzel that the Code isn’t necessarily right might be the first step towards change.”
Cloud blinked in surprise. “As in change the Code?”
“Possibly.” Tifa looked up at him, her mouth set in a serious line. “I know it’s been the same for a long time, and it’s tradition, but maybe it’s also out-dated a little. What I’d love is to see some parts of it rewritten. I’m sure Rinoa, Rosa, Yuna, Garnet, Aerith and Lightning’s sister feel the same.” She paused, and then added quietly, “I have a dream, too.” Her eyes glanced down at his chest, embarrassed to look at him. “I want to someday say, ‘This is Cloud. I love him, and I’m proud of him because he’s a Jedi.’ Don’t you think Rosa would love to say, ‘My husband is a Jedi’ or Lightning’s sister wants to say, ‘I’m proud of my big sister for being a Jedi.’ If we could say that one day… I think we’d all consider it a dream come true.”
It had never occurred to Cloud. He knew how much hardship Tifa, Aerith, Lightning’s sister and the senators endured for them, but it had never really struck him that they wished for the Code to change. It made perfect sense, though. “I don’t think I’d mind, either.”
“I know a full front rebellion would just end badly, but maybe by taking it one step at a time like this, one day it’ll bring about the end of the Code - or the parts we don’t like, anyway.”
“Maybe Zidane thought of that, and it worried him.” It was one thing to have a small band of people who were breaking the Code. They were just in the group as a means of comradeship and keeping their secrets hidden. But it was an entirely different story to bring about such a massive overhaul of the Code. It certainly wasn’t what Zidane and the others had in mind when they first banded together. “Something worth talking to him about. I think there are things on both sides not being said.”
“The repairs on the plumbing should be done by tomorrow,” Tifa said. “I’ll open as soon as they’re done. You guys can talk then.”
“I’ll let the others know then. Lightning needs to be broken in and taught the ways of Seventh Heaven.” Cloud paused, a small smile emerging as he added, “So says Bartz.”
Tifa laughed, burying her face into Cloud’s chest. “Oh my - what would we do without those guys?”
“My life would be a lot more boring.”
She affectionately smacked his arm. “That’s mean. They’re your friends!”
“Yeah.” Cloud almost shook his head at the thought. How he ended up making such friends was beyond him, but he supposed he couldn’t complain. “They are. Though I still think this means the Force has a twisted sense of humor.”
“You have a twisted sense of humor.”
“That too.”