There's really no point in apologising for the late chapter is there? Im sure you all knew I would be ages anyways :P Lol. You may have noticed some of my stories have disappeared. Do not fear, they are on my computer still. I just want to rewrite them and post them up again but I want to finish the ones still on here first. Let's hope you all have a decade to spare :P haha.
Review Replies.
flowerangel050 - haha oh yes they are! Lol!
Drake Clawfang - Yes she is back. Does she think she has a chance? Hmmm...
pinkpower - cliffhangers all the way! xD
Nadiaaa - next chapter is here, finally, lol.
LilyMione_chan - Well cant all be plain sailing for Cloud and Aeris can it? Lol. Yuffie is just such a great character to work with :)
kyos_girl101 - thank you! :)
Princess of the Knight - Aw man I know. Updates never go as planned, something always gets in the way. Grr!
K-9 Style- *evil laugh* Oh yes I have a thing for cliffhangers haha
Lollypop - oh yes she is ;)
Wild Fantasy - I love Cloud and Yuffie's friendship. Oh yes Tifa is back! ;)
Foi - I hope you've not died from the cliffhanger! :P
Ari - yeah I try my best but with college, friends and family stuff happening, fanfiction takes a backseat priority wise I'm afraid. Sorry.
Chapter Twelve
Tifa smiled warmly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at Yuffie, Cloud and Aeris in turn. She tapped her foot impatiently and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you going to invite me in or what? It's freezing out here!" she teased, her eyes locking with Cloud's. Yuffie, her mouth still wide open, turned to Cloud. He just continued to stare for a second before shaking his head and blinking rapidly.
"Um, sure. Come in," he said, the shock still evident in his voice. Yuffie stepped aside and shut the door as Tifa stepped inside and put her suitcase by the coat-rack.
"Well, I've changed my mind. I'm staying after all, cold's bad for me you know," Yuffie announced before walking into the kitchen and pulling up a chair, staring intently at the three people in the corridor. Tifa smiled at Aeris and embraced her in a hug, the two instantly complementing each other's clothes, figures and hair. Cloud stood blankly watching them and turned towards Yuffie, who looked equally disinterested. She had obviously been hoping for drama of some sort between Tifa and Cloud.
"So what's with the party Cloud? Don't tell me things have changed so much that you are becoming socialised," Tifa joked. Cloud smiled faintly and shook his head.
"No. Yuffie just came here to steal my food and Aeris is living here," he replied. Tifa blinked.
"Aeris is living here?" she repeated with a small frown. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yuffie's head suddenly perk up with interest.
"Yeah, she's left Sephiroth because...well, it wasn't working out and she needed somewhere to stay."
"That's putting it mildly!" Yuffie snorted, shrugging as Cloud threw a glare her way.
"So...you two aren't...?" Tifa began, looking between Cloud and Aeris with meaning. Aeris shook her head quickly.
"Oh no! No!" she confirmed with a nervous laugh. Cloud glanced at her and then at Tifa.
"No, we're not."
"There's some spaghetti left over from dinner Tifa, if you want me to heat it up?"
"That would be great Aeris. Thank you," Tifa replied before looking at Cloud. "Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?"
"Sure," he replied, motioning towards the living room door. Tifa smiled and went inside, putting her handbag down on the sofa and sitting on the arm, looking at Cloud thoughtfully. Cloud shut the door behind him and returned Tifa's gaze. The silence seemed to last forever before Tifa suddenly stood up and moved to sit on the sofa properly.
"Sorry, keep forgetting this isn't my house anymore," she explained with a small laugh. Cloud opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. If Tifa had came back a month ago, he would have instantly said, 'yes it is still your house. Stay here with me.' But now? Now Cloud realised that his feelings for Tifa had changed and become more platonic than romantic and, though in some ways, this was still Tifa's house, he didn't want her to stay forever.
"So what did you need to speak to me about?" he asked, sitting down on the armchair opposite. Tifa watched him sit down, a thoughtful frown appearing on her features before it disappeared and she replied.
"Now I'm not so sure."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I came back for a reason," she said, giving a small sigh before locking eyes with him. "I came back for you."
"Tifa...I,"
"But I should have known you wouldn't wait around forever. It was big-headed of me to think so," she continued, obviously not hearing Cloud's interuption. "And you've already moved on anyway."
Cloud blinked in confusion. "I'm not with anyone at the moment. I haven't been with anyone since you."
Tifa smiled slightly and shook her head. "You don't have to be with someone to move on Cloud. Liking someone is a start." She gave Cloud a knowing look when he continued to stare at her blankly. "Aeris," she elaborated.
"What about her?"
"You like her," she stated simply. "I can see it in your eyes. Trust me, I know that look." Cloud fell silent just as Aeris came in with Tifa's dinner. She placed it on the coffee table, followed by the cutlery. Tifa smiled warmly and thanked her before Aerith stated that Yuffie had left and that she was tired and going to bed. Cloud frowned slightly, noticing she hadn't looked at either of them when speaking but he just put it down to tiredness.
"I don't," he started stubbornly but stopped when he saw Tifa frown and purse her lips in disapproval. He sighed. "It's not that simple."
"How? She's single now right?" Tifa replied as she began eating her food.
"Yeah but...you don't understand!" he said. "She won't want....she'll think..." Tifa stared in bewilderment, her fork halfway to her mouth.
"Cloud," she said softly, placing the fork down and looking at him. "What exactly happened between Aeris and Sephiroth?" He met her gaze with sadness in his eyes.
"He was beating her. He almost killed her. If I hadn't found her..." he trailed off, his eyes going wide as he thought about what the consequences could have been. Tifa sat in shock, a long uncomfortable silence passing between them. Tifa started eating again, a thoughtful look on her face as she stole an occasional glance towards Cloud. When she finished, she sighed gently.
"Cloud, do you want to be with her?"
"I'm attracted to her," he answered honestly, chewing his thumb thoughtfully. Tifa held his gaze.
"That wasn't the question."
"Yes."
Tifa nodded, a smile spreading across her face. Cloud knew that the answer must have broken her heart but Tifa managed to hide it quite well as she flicked the hair out of her eyes and replied. "Then go and get her."
"Tifa, I just said..."
"She needs to trust someone Cloud," his friend interrupted gently. "I know you won't let her down. Why should you wait for some other guy to come and fix her when you could do it? That was always your weakness Cloud. No matter how much you wanted something, you always needed someone to push you to get it."
"She won't want a relationship right now."
"Maybe not," Tifa agreed with a shrug. "But it's worth a shot. And you could just explain that you won't push her and she can come to you when she's ready."
"Ok," he sighed dramatically, running a hand through his hair. But a smile was appearing on his features as he met her eyes again. "Thanks, Tifa. You're sure you're okay with this?"
"Don't worry about me!" she answered, waving her hand and returning his smile but it faded slightly. "Cloud, I was wondering if I could stay here for a while? I won't stay long, I promise! Just until I get a job and find a place of my own!"
"Of course you can. Half your stuff is still here anyway," he chuckled. "But won't it be awkward...with me and Aeris...?"
"As long as you don't go at it on the kitchen table I think I can handle it," she replied with a wink. Cloud laughed with a shake of his head.
"The sofa ok then?" he asked. Tifa nodded. "I'll go and get some blankets then," he added, leaving the room. He walked past Aeris' room and noticed the light was on. He knocked gently but there was no reply.
"Aeris? You awake?" he asked gently, nudging the door open. He frowned as his eyes rested on a lump buried beneath the blankets, a mass of brown hair telling him that it was Aeris. For a moment, he thought she had just fallen asleep with the bedside light on and moved to switch it off. However, as he moved around to the side of the bed, his eyes met hers. And to his astonishment, she flinched and looked away.
"Aeris what's wrong?" he whispered, kneeling beside her.
"I can't...I'm sorry," she replied, her breath hitching slightly. "I'll go to my mother's tomorrow." She closed her eyes and Cloud's brow furrowed.
"Why?"
"I heard you and Tifa, just before I came in," she said, her eyes still closed. Cloud swallowed and gently reached for her hand. She opened her eyes at the touch, her gaze meeting his. He smiled softly.
"Ok, well, in that case I may as well just say it. I want to be with you," he stated. She opened her mouth but Cloud continued before she could speak. "But I know you're not ready for a relationship yet and you need to trust me. So, I'll wait for you, as long as it takes. Just stay here, you're safe with me."
"You should have been a bodyguard, you know that?" Aeris answered with a smile. "I'll stay. As long as you promise not to force me into anything."
"I promise," he replied instantly, brushing a stray hair out of her face. "Goodnight." He stood and flicked off her light. As he stepped out of the room, he heard her whisper her own goodnight. He smiled again before going to get blankets for Tifa.