Author's Note: Hi guys! It's been a while since I've uploaded a CloTi thing, huh? But fret not—I still have ideas for my precious OTP! Some other couples are my current muses right now though, to be honest, so CloTi's kinda on the back burner. But like I said, I have ideas with them that I will eventually write out, so till then, stay tuned!

I've had this sitting on my computer for a while so I figured it was time to upload it! The beginning's a little slow, but it'll get interesting! I have two papers and an exam this week, then finals week next week, so please give me some time before the second chapter comes out. But I assure you, updates will be speedy for this story. I hope you like it, and I appreciate your feedback! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line.

Sensory Overload

Summary: Cloud's mako injection bestowed him with heightened senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. Perfect for battle, not so much for home. [CloTi]

Prologue

Fenrir's roaring engine dwindled to a lulling hum. Taking the key out of the ignition, Cloud glanced up at the sky. It was nine or ten, give or take, based on how dark the night sky was. It wasn't perfect, but it was still an early end to his day. There was some time to surprise Tifa and the kids and maybe chat with them a bit before sending the kids to bed.

Cloud opened the door and stepped inside, removing his heavy boots as Tifa had scolded him one too many times about bringing in dirt on her clean floor. He heard soft chatter from the adjacent room—a light voice, like Marlene's.

Rounding the corner, his gaze fell upon Denzel, Marlene and a clash of black and red, with broad shoulders and a placid aura.

Cloud blinked, lifting an eyebrow in confusion. "Vincent?"

The gunman sat at the dining table, a forgotten newspaper laying nearby. Marlene stood behind his shoulder, listing and pointing out specific details of her newest drawing. Denzel stared in awe at Vincent's majestic red cape, mumbling "whoa" and "so cool" as he carefully held the soft material in his hand. When the boy's gaze drifted to Vincent's extremely pointed shoes, his eyes almost bugged out of his head in amazement.

His presence going unnoticed, Cloud cleared his throat. The kids' heads sprang up at the sound, looking at him while Vincent casually glanced over his shoulder.

"Cloud!" Marlene yelled, bouncing over to the blonde before launching herself on his leg.

"You're home early," Denzel added, keeping his hold on Vincent's cape.

Cloud stumbled backwards from Marlene's sudden weight, quickly regaining balance as he placed a hand atop her head.

"Yeah," he said, looking between the two before glancing at Vincent. The man regarded him with his usual blank expression, though Cloud could see the subtle exasperation behind his crimson eyes. Silently understanding, Cloud looked at the children. "Isn't it time for bed?"

Denzel frowned while Marlene looked up at him with large, pleading brown eyes. "Tifa said we could stay up till 10 now!"

"Really?" Cloud replied, digging in his back pocket and pulling out his phone. "Why don't we ask her?"

"We're going, we're going," Denzel mumbled, his shoulders drooping as he took Marlene by the wrist.

"But I wasn't done showing Uncle Vinnie my drawing!" Marlene whined.

Cloud cringed. "'Vinnie'?"

"Yeah, that's what Aunt Yuffie calls him!"

Of course, he thought, shaking his head. "I'll be upstairs in a few minutes. Go to bed."

Marlene pouted while Denzel waved goodbye. "Come back soon, Vincent!"

Cloud watched them leave the room before returning his gaze to the raven-haired man.

"Vincent."

The quiet man stood up, turning to regard his comrade. "Cloud."

"What are you doing here?

"Tifa asked me to come."

Cloud blinked. "Where is she?"

"Out."

"Where?"

"She didn't say."

His head tilted down. "Oh."

A silence settled between them.

"Those kids of yours are… interesting."

He chuckled quietly. "Yeah, they are." He lifted his gaze. "Never knew you were good with kids."

"I'm not."

"They seem fond of you."

"…" Vincent pushed his cape behind him, "You're home now. I'll be going."

Cloud nodded before heading towards the stairs. "Thanks for keeping an eye on them."

"Tell Tifa to be specific next time," Vincent added. "I'm not a babysitter."

Cloud chuckled. "Will do. See you."

Vincent nodded, blending with the darkness as he walked outside.

Walking upstairs, Cloud made his way to the kids' room. His sharp hearing caught their hushed voices, muffled through the door.

"I like Uncle Vinnie," said Marlene. Cloud quietly drew closer, standing by the door with his head turned. "Do you think he'll be back soon?"

"Maybe, if Tifa has more dates," Denzel answered.

Dates? Cloud thought, lifting a brow.

Marlene echoed his thoughts, repeating incredulously, "Dates?"

"Yeah, that's why Tifa wasn't here tonight and Vincent came over."

The bed creaked as Marlene shifted her position. "But I thought Cloud and Tifa liked each other."

"I thought so too," Denzel mumbled, "but I guess not if Tifa's out with another guy."

Deciding he'd heard enough, Cloud pressed his weight into a squeaky floorboard, resulting in a loud, obnoxious creak. Marlene whispered a flurry of shushes as the children dashed under the covers, imitating loud snoring when Cloud stepped inside.

"No more lying to get a later bed time," he said, eyeing the two before turning to leave.

Just as he took a step, Marlene popped out from under the covers, blurting, "Do you like Tifa?"

"Marlene!" Denzel scolded, popping out as well.

She looked at Denzel and blinked, her face innocent. "What? I'm just wondering." Then she glanced back to Cloud, her voice prodding. "Well, Cloud?"

The man coughed at the question, scratching the back of his head. "…Uh, I—" He paused, a silence settling before he shook his head. "Go to sleep."

"But you didn't answer me!" Marlene whined.

"Go to bed before I tell Tifa you stayed up past your bed time," Cloud ordered. "Both of you."

"Come on, Marlene! You're going to get us in trouble!" Denzel whispered, curling the blanket around him.

"Fine," Marlene huffed, sighing as she buried her face in her pillow.

Cloud eyed the two before turning the light off, closing the door behind him.

He walked downstairs, taking a seat against one of the stools at the bar counter as he glanced at the time. It was ten o'clock now, and Tifa still wasn't home. It was strange, being home when she wasn't. It almost didn't feel like home without her.

Is this what Tifa felt every night? Waiting anxiously for him when he would come home late, to make sure he's all right? But he had his reasons. The travels for deliveries were far, and it took him a long time to go from place to place, despite how fast he drove.

Spotting some dirty dishes in the sink, he decided to clean them to kill time. His laundry was piling up, so he washed that. An hour went by, and still no sign from Tifa. Fenrir needed some tune-ups, and since he was far from tired, now was as good a time as ever to fix her.

He was in the middle of screwing in a bolt when the door lock clicked open. Standing up, he took a dirty rag and wiped the oil from his hands as he glanced offhandedly at the clock. It was midnight when Tifa arrived home.

At least she came home, Cloud thought, before dismissing the thought to the back of his mind. Of course she came home. Tifa sleeping with someone on the first date seemed completely unlike her.

He scolded himself for thinking such a thing, but he couldn't help it. Some guy took Tifa out on a date, and he had no idea she had even been asked out. Since she came back so late, it obviously went well.

He walked quietly to the front door, seeing her outline as she sighed softly. The moonlight was dim, keeping the room bathed in darkness, but Cloud's enhanced eyes could see Tifa as though it were clear as day, and what a sight it was.

She was a vision in red, dressed in a stunning red halter dress that hugged her curves with a slit that revealed a too tempting view of her creamy thigh. As she bent forward, loosening the straps of her heels, her backside and the smooth, flawless skin of her back were on perfect display for his ogling eyes.

When she turned in his direction, she jumped before immediately crouching low, preparing to attack the invader in her home.

Realizing it was too dark for her to see him, Cloud quickly said, "Tifa, it's me."

She squinted, her red eyes accentuated by her crimson dress and painted lips. "Cloud? Is that you?"

A sparkle caught his attention as his eyes shifted to the diamond studs adorning her ears. Huh, those were new. Were they a gift from the guy she was seeing? They were nice, and looked expensive.

The more he stared, the more he realized the earrings actually bothered him. It wasn't as though he didn't want Tifa having nice things like that, but he wanted to be the one to give it to her, as it was the least he could do for her having to put up with him. But he'd probably have to take a few high-risk jobs to save enough money to buy something that nice, and even then, what if she didn't like it? He had no experience when it came to buying fine jewelry, hell, he wouldn't even know where to begin—

"Cloud?"

His eyes flickered to her face as he snapped out of his thoughts. Her beauty struck him as he drank in the sight of her, making him almost forget his slight annoyance that she left the kids with Vincent instead of calling him.

Right, that's why he had waited for her—to ask why she didn't call him. The kids were his family too, and the idea that she went to one of their comrades instead of him made him feel unreliable.

Tifa pursed her lips as she tilted her head. "What are you doing here?"

Cloud blinked at her tone. "Nice to see you too."

She gave him a pointed look. "You know what I mean. You said you were going to be gone for two days."

"I delayed the deliveries for a day," he explained. "A sandstorm sealed off the main routes, and it's not good for Fenrir to drive in those conditions."

Tifa laughed quietly. Typical Cloud, worrying about his precious Fenrir. Giving a short nod, she walked passed him to the counter, putting her purse down. Her sweet perfume flooded his nose as she brushed by him, distracting him for a moment with an aromatic daze.

"Uh…" he mumbled, his mind blanking on what he was going to say. The purse buckle clinked against the counter as Tifa turned and glanced at him.

"Cloud?" she questioned, tilting her head.

That scent, that delicious scent was intoxicating him, making him forget how to properly speak. He subtly shook his head, clearing his throat once again.

"Where were you?" he asked. However, his eyes betrayed him, moving away from her face to travel down those long lovely legs of hers. Did they feel as smooth as they looked? His fingers unconsciously curled at the thought.

Despite how distracted as he was, he caught the way she hesitated before answering with, "Yuffie." She nodded, "I was out with Yuffie. Girls night out, you know." Idly, she tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear.

As she looked away from his eyes, he noticed how long and thick her lashes were. Granted they were accentuated with mascara, but the thickness of her lashes brought out the stunning crimson shade of her eyes, and her cheeks, painted with subtle blush, complimented her striking ruby lips.

Cloud never thought much of physical beauty, but he couldn't overlook how stunning his childhood friend looked. For as long as he had known her, Tifa rarely dressed up or wore makeup. During their travels, such a thing was a huge inconvenience, as they were always fighting monsters and hunting after Sephiroth.

Even when running the bar or taking care of the kids, she always dressed casually and sported no makeup. Though with her natural beauty, no one paid any attention to the clothes she wore.

Maybe it was the makeup, the nice dress, or the way the moonlight gave her an ethereal glow that made Cloud unable to take his eyes off her.

"…Cloud? You're staring…"

It took a moment to hear what she had said, too engrossed in his thoughts to notice her speak.

Self-consciously, she raised a hand to cheek. "Is there something on my face?"

Oblivious to the darker shade of blush on her cheeks, Cloud tore his gaze away, shifting his eyes back and forth from the corner of the room and her face.

"No, it's nothing," he mumbled, clearing his throat again.

"Oh… okay, if you say so," she answered, brushing her hair over her shoulder as she glanced at the clock. "It's getting late." Her voice grew a little softer as she asked, "Were you waiting for me?"

"Yeah."

She tilted her head. "Is something on your mind?"

He paused for a moment, choosing his words. "About tonight, with the kids…"

She blinked. "Yes?"

"Why'd you call Vincent instead of me?"

She lifted a brow. "You said you were going to be gone for a few days," she replied. "I wasn't going to ask you to cancel your deliveries to watch the kids." Her head tilted as she placed a hand on her hip. "Is that what's bothering you? That I didn't call you?"

"They're my responsibility too," he replied, fixing his eyes on her. "If someone other than you is taking care of them, I want to know who."

"I didn't think about that," she admitted, scratching her cheek. "Well, it was just Vincent. Don't you trust our friends?"

"It's not about trust," he shot back with slightly narrowed eyes. "It's about staying informed."

"Right," she muttered, her gaze falling to the floor. "Sorry. I guess I'm still not used to you… being home."

Unconsciously, Cloud glanced at his left arm, the very arm that was plagued with Geostigma several months ago. He sighed quietly.

"Tifa—"

"I know, it's in the past," she interrupted before flashing a small smile. "And no more living in the past, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

Her smile grew. "Okay. So from now on, if anyone other than you or I are with the kids, I'll let you know. Is that all?"

He nodded again, and she turned around to grab her purse.

"Good. In that case, I'm going to head off to bed." She began to walk towards the stairs, brushing by him. "Goodnight—"

Her heel caught in one of the loose floorboards, making her trip. A small gasp escaped her as her eyes shut instinctively, but instead of hitting the floor, her hands landed against something warm and firm, prompting her eyes open as she lifted her head.

Her gaze met Cloud's cerulean eyes, glowing in the dim light. He held her by her forearms, keeping her steady.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking her over.

Tifa blushed in embarrassment, slowly nodding as she straightened herself. "I knew I should have taken these things off the second I got home. It's been so long, I forgot how to walk in them."

He released her arms, watching as she placed one hand on his shoulder for balance while the other reached back to grab the heel from her popped foot. She lowered her leg and lifted the other one, removing the pair from her other foot. A smile curved her lips as her shoes dangled from the straps around her fingers.

Cloud eyed her shoes with distaste, recalling with a frown how he had to wear those godforsaken things while disguising as a woman to rescue Tifa from Don Corneo.

"I don't know why you like those things," he mumbled. "They're damn uncomfortable."

Tifa blinked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Quickly realizing what he was referring too, she burst out laughing at his sour face.

"You know, you looked really pretty," she teased.

He rolled his eyes before feeling her arms suddenly wrap around his neck. He blinked in confusion as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"…Tifa?" he mumbled.

"Thank you," she murmured softly.

His eyes widened slightly. "For what?"

She was silent for a moment as her arms tightened around him. "For everything," she answered before she drew back, giving him a radiant smile.

Feeling a blush creep on his cheeks, Cloud turned his head away, racking his brain to think of a response. Suddenly he felt her lips ghost over his cheek, officially scrambling his thoughts as he found himself at a loss for words.

He looked at her with surprised eyes, finding her smiling shyly with flushed cheeks.

"Goodnight Cloud," she whispered, brushing by him as she walked up the stairs.

His body froze, unmoving for several moments before his fingers raised and brushed against his cheek. He took a side step, glancing over his shoulder to find Tifa already disappeared into her room.

A blush warmed his face. She… thanked him? Tifa, the girl who always put everyone else before herself, thanked him? He should be the one thanking her. She helped him find himself, was always there for him even when he abandoned her, continued to be there whenever he needed her. Why would she thank him?

He drew a breath, only to catch a whiff of her perfume, temporarily making his mind draw a blank.

She had told him she was out with Yuffie for a "girls' night out", but Denzel knew she was on a date. He probably misunderstood—after all, he was still a young boy.

But the way she looked, the way she smelled… Tifa wouldn't dress that nice for Yuffie. Maybe the spunky ninja made her dress up for whatever they went out to do. Or maybe, Cloud sighed, maybe she was on a date, something he didn't even want to think about.

He glanced at the clock, finding it to be about one in the morning. It was late; he could see Tifa was tired while he spoke with her. He wanted to know why she lied to him, but maybe that could wait till morning.

Walking up the stairs, he made his way towards his room and reclined against the bed. He drew a deep breath, finding the scent of her perfume lingering on his clothes evoking the same chill that shot up his spine when she kissed him on the cheek.

Though he normally slept in his boxers, as a shirt and pants were often too bothersome, perhaps tonight, while bathed in this sweet scent, he'd make an exception.