My White Day themed entry for Cloti Confessions 2020

A Sweet Surprise

March.

Tifa liked March. It was the month where the last vestiges of Winter finally gave way to Spring, it would grow warmer and the days would be longer once again.

Of course these past two years hadn't exactly left her with time to truly appreciate it, too busy had she been to rebuild a life and regain a certain sense of normalcy.

Her and Cloud both.

It hadn't been easy, but she felt that now they had finally accomplished it; that normalcy she had craved. That feeling of being a family, with him, Denzel and Marlene.

But—

"Hmm. I don't know..." Tifa said as she held the garment in front of her. "Isn't it a bit much?"

"Being a bit much is the entire point of it!" Yuffie replied, clasping her hands on Tifa's shoulder and giving her a broad grin. "Though if you ask me it should be see-through."

—if someone had told her that would include going shopping for lingerie of all things, with Yuffie Kisaragi of all people, she'd have laughed in their faces and sent them home since they clearly had drank too much.

At Yuffie's words, Tifa felt heat rush into her face and she put the already racy bustier back. Why was she even doing this?

Because Cloud insisted, Tifa reminded herself.

"I think a girls' day out might do you some good," Cloud had told her earlier today after Yuffie had come by for a surprise visit. "I'll watch the kids."

He had sounded so soft when he said those words, she just couldn't refuse when he was like that.

Which was increasingly more often ever since he returned back home, and more so after-

"Oh! Look, those panties are nice!" Yuffie said and held up a pair of black lace panties that didn't leave anything to the imagination.

"Yuffie!" She grabbed the ninja's hands and forced her to place the garment back, her face even redder than before.

"Aww, come on Tifa. I thought we wanted to get you something to show Spike your appreciation for being so good to you these days. And what better way than to put something on that'll knock his socks off?"

"Well, yeah..."

She had noticed another shift in his attitude ever since she presented him with the home made chocolates that she had made for Valentine's day. A very pleasant one to be sure and she did want to show him her appreciation.

"You really think he'll like—" she grabbed another pair of panties that weren't really any better than the one Yuffie showed her. "—these?"

Tifa prepared herself for another one of Yuffie's terrible jokes, but instead got one of her rare, sincere smiles instead.

"Tifa. He'll love whatever you wear," the ninja told her.

Tifa locked eyes with her friend for a moment, before looking back at the garment in her hands. Slowly, she placed it back and took the ones Yuffie had picked.

It couldn't hurt to be daring for once, right?

"Now we're talking! Now we need to find something for those jugs of yours."

"Jugs!?" was all Tifa could say before finding herself dragged off by Yuffie while the other ladies in the store gave the pair curious glances.

A couple of hours later Tifa and Yuffie returned to 7th Heaven, each carrying a small bag in their hand.

When Tifa had asked her friend for whom she had decided to buy something so exotic for she only had gotten a grin in return so she decided to drop the topic.

"We're back," Tifa called out, but only silence answered her. Strange. Perhaps Cloud went out with the kids. With a shrug, she turned to Yuffie. "I'll just put those away, okay?"

"Sure," Yuffie replied and sat down in front of the counter.

As Tifa headed behind it to head upstairs, she halted in her tracks and turned to look at the small kitchen. Someone had used it, she was sure of it.

Guess the kids were hungry and Cloud rose to the occasion, she told herself. It wasn't like anyone but her was banned from cooking, but Tifa was a little protective of the kitchen.

With a little shrug, Tifa continued on her way upstairs and made her way towards their bedroom. As she opened the door, she almost dropped the bag at the sight waiting for her.

Something that looked like a Chocobo egg was placed on top of the bed. Various flowers were strewn over the blanket around it. Tifa felt a flutter inside her chest as she stepped closer and saw the pattern they were arranged in; a heart.

Reaching out her hand, she gently grasped one of the yellow flowers and inhaled the gentle fragrance, her lips curling into a smile.

This was a...nice surprise, she had to admit. But why?

She placed the flower back on top of the blanket and grabbed the egg. It was made of plastic and seemed to be hollow on the inside. She turned it over a few times until she found a little button that made the egg open up with a small click.

A card slipped out and onto the bed. Tilting her head to the side, Tifa put the egg away and picked up the card to read it.

Barret's taken the kids for the day.

Meet me at the plaza.

It was written in Cloud's very familiar handwriting.

What are you planning? she wondered. After putting away her purchase, Tifa headed back downstairs.

"Can you watch the place for a bit?" she asked as soon as she entered the bar again.

"Sure. But why?" Yuffie innocently asked.

"Cloud wants me to meet him."

"Oh, does he now?"

Tifa cocked an eyebrow at the clear amusement in Yuffie's voice, but otherwise didn't comment on it as she headed for the door. She better not let Cloud wait longer than necessary.

While the door closed behind her, Tifa didn't notice her friend's snickering while she pulled out her phone.

The walk to the plaza wasn't a long one, and she spotted Cloud easily enough amongst the people going about their business and the construction workers rebuilding the old Meteor monument, leaning against Fenrir while checking something on his phone.

He looked up from what he was doing when he noticed her approaching him, sending a small smile in her direction that made her body warm up pleasantly.

"Well, here I am. So what's so important that Barret took the kids?" she asked him, placing a hand on her waist and giving a teasing look in return, but her voice betrayed her curiosity.

"I thought today would be a good day for a picnic," he said.

"A picnic?"

"Mhm."

"Just the two of us?"

"Yup."

A rush of excitement went through her at the prospect of the two of them spending time together. Alone. "I'd love to have one."

"Let's go, then," he said and got onto Fenrir. Tifa sat down behind him, her arms immediately circling around his waist, and they drove off.

Leaving Edge behind, they rode through the wasteland until they arrived at a hillside where it was starting to become green again, now that the Mako reactors weren't sucking out the planet's lifeblood anymore.

While she walked and had a look around, Cloud was busy opening Fenrir's trunk and pulling out a small case and a blanket, which he spread out on the ground.

Something about this place seemed familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"So what brought this on?" she inquired, folding her hands as she looked out towards the clear, blue sky.

But he didn't answer her. Instead, she heard his steps coming closer before she found herself hugged from behind.

"Cloud? What are you doing?" she asked as he started to nuzzle the back of her head.

"Hm. Didn't you tell me at this very spot that words aren't the only way to tell someone how you feel?"

Eyes widening in surprise, she looked around the area once again and found herself going down memory lane to that early evening over two years ago now.

This was the place where they confessed their feelings in their own special way.

Her lips parted to say something, but was silenced when Cloud held out a small box in front of her.

Gingerly, she raised her hands to take it.

"What's this?" she asked while opening it, revealing a variety of chocolates to her.

"I talked to Yuffie a few weeks ago, and she told me that it was custom for the man to give something in return a month after Valentine's day. So I made these for you," he told her, a note of embarrassment in his voice. "They didn't exactly turn out like I hoped."

Indeed they were a little bit misshapen, and some were smaller than others, but Tifa could tell that he had put great care into them. She pulled one out of the box, the milk chocolate top slightly cracked, and slowly popped it into her mouth.

A smile of appreciation at the rich taste of buttercream formed on her lips as she slowly chewed the small morsel.

"Tasty," she said after she swallowed, fingers already itching to take another one, but she decided to save them for later. Tifa turned around in his arms and presented him a warm smile.

"So you did all this for me?" she asked, holding up the box, then pointing at the food placed on the blanket behind him. It looked like bento boxes.

"Yuffie helped a little. The recipe was hers. But yeah." He nodded, a small blush staining his cheeks pink. "...Do you like it?"

"I love it," she replied, before leaning in to capture his lips in a kiss.

"I'm glad," Cloud said after their lips separated again, resting his forehead against hers. She gently took hold of his hand, interlocking their fingers as she did so, and walked with him towards the blanket.

And you'll be doubly glad tonight, that small devious part of her mind said. Yuffie might not have been wrong for taking her to that store earlier today.

But that was for tonight. Right now she wanted to do nothing more than to enjoy the rest of the day with the man she loved.