Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Premonitions: Uncut	By : Hippo_and_Friends_with_Benefits Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 3901 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, and I am not making any money of of this writing.

Chapter List
- 56
- 57
- 58
Chapter 57: Elephants in the Room
Cloud gasped in shock.
Tifa immediately stopped her massage. "What's wrong?" she asked in concern.
Cloud then realized that it was the moon the was looking at, and nothing more.
"Nothing," he replied as he sighed in relief. "I just thought I saw the Urchin for a second."
Tifa gently stroked his bare back.
"You've been through so much," she said. "But it'll all be over soon. We'll take care of Bestla and Sephiroth. I'm not sure which order, but we'll take care of it."
"I'm just trying to remember how we got through the barrier the last time," Cloud said.
"Whatever it was," Tifa replied, "we'll figure it out." She then got up, faced Cloud, and put her hands on her hips. "You know what? I have a naughty idea for something fun."
And she smirked.
LATER...
"Really, Cloud?" Tifa laughed after he blew away the showering woman.
"Just for old time's sake," he replied.
They were both in their pajamas and on their stomachs on the living-room floor, playing Mousetrap. That was her "naughty idea:" playing the game her parents wouldn't let her play as a kid.
"Don't get me wrong," Cloud continued as he roamed through the house, blasting zombies to bits. "I've mostly grown up, but not in this case."
Tifa sighed. "Remember how Mrs. Miln bought it for her nephew thinking it was an innocent cops and robbers game?"
"Oh yeah!" Cloud laughed.
And then,Tifa began tickling Cloud's bare foot with hers.
"Hey!" he objected. "Stop it! You're making me lose!"
But, of course, she did not stop.
The zombies quickly overpowered him, and the screen faded to red, with a big, black "GAME OVER" displayed.
Cloud dropped his controller and yawned.
"Think you can sleep now?" Tifa asked.
"I think so," Cloud replied as he rose to his feet.
"Good," she said as she did the same.
He took her hand and led her up the stairs. When they reached the top, he suddenly turned around and picked her up by the legs so that she was facing him.
Tifa giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck for support. She then smiled and kissed him. Their lips, and tongues, were together the whole walk to the bedroom. Tifa considered herself a strong and independent women, and she generally did not like being picked up, but it felt different here. Her only disappointment was that his hands were on the back of her knees instead of her butt.
She mentally smacked herself in the face for that.
Keep it clean, Tifa, she thought to herself.
Cloud gently put her down when the arrived in his bedroom. He took one look, and realized something he had failed to consider.
"It's a twin," he said. "We've both kind of grown since then."
"That's ok," she replied. "We can squeeze together."
A few minutes later, they were doing just that. Cloud was on his back, with Tifa's head nestled against his chest.
"Cloud," she began. "I really loved being your best friend for twenty years." She then took his hand in hers and rubbed it gently with her thumb. "But I know I'll love being your wife more."
Cloud kissed her on the forehead and held her close.
"I love you," Tifa said with a smile.
Moments later, she was fast asleep.
But Cloud said it back anyway.
THE NEXT MORNING...
Cloud and Tifa slept soundly through the night. It had been the longest day of their lives, and they ended it feeling as if they could sleep forever.
By the time they finally awoke, it was already eleven.
"Wakey wakey," Cloud said as he gently poked Tifa's shoulder.
"No-ey no-ey," she replied before kissing him. "Sleep well?"
"Next to you, who wouldn't?" he replied.
"Stop it!" she replied as she playfully smacked him. She had certainly heard it before.
She then checked her phone.
"Well, no cities have turned to dust," she assured him. "I'll go clean up."
Tifa stood up and began to leave the room. But then, she stopped. She thought about the time she massaged him, and how the sparks that it set off were still there. She also thought about the urges she had been having ever since they were together. Perhaps she could give in to them just a little.
"Do you want to shower with me?" she mouthed.
She was sorely tempted to repeat it aloud. It would be a perfect romantic idea. They would be naked together, kissing and caressing passionately, but it would not be actual sex. She would still be honoring her mother...kind of.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
No, Tifa, she reprimanded herself. It would be too tempting; it could easily lead to something else. Not only that, but seeing each other naked for the first time would be even more special on their wedding night. It could wait.
"N-nothing," she replied as she resumed her walk to the shower.
She was both happy and upset with her final decision at the same time.
LATER...
After showering and dressing (separately), Cloud and Tifa went across the street to the diner they had gone to years before. It was now run by an ex-Shinra employee (who insisted she would get bored to death if she quit), and the food was different, but, as neither Cloud nor Tifa could cook to save their lives, it would have to do.
Cloud still had what he had decided the previous night on his mind. Of course, he would have to disappear for a small interval to obtain what he needed.
"Mind if I go somewhere after breakfast?" he asked.
"Not at all," Tifa replied. "Where are you going?"
"I can't tell you," he replied defensively. "At least not now."
"Oh," she said.
Inside, her heart began to flutter. She was a smart woman, and was quickly able to deduce what he was planning.
Of course, she would say "yes." She began to fantasize about walking down the aisle in a beautiful wedding gown as all her friends looked on. But what she fantasized even more about was the fact that she would be a wife.
Maybe even a mother.
That idea really struck her. She wanted children, and often wondered what kind she would have. Secretly, she hoped for sons. With all her physical activity, she could certainly bond with the more.
"I'll only be a couple of hours," Cloud promised.
Tifa nearly gasped as she was brought back to reality.
"Take all the time you need," she assured him.
He began to wonder if she knew what he was up to.
After breakfast, he walked her back to the house and kissed her good-bye.
Tifa went inside and lay down on the couch, smiling.
She had been swept off her feet.
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER...
Cloud had traveled through Mount Nibel and arrived in Rocket Town, remembering that there was a jeweler near the entrance. His heart was beating faster already. He had no doubt that she would accept, but he had never been engaged before, neither in this timeline nor the original one. He had expected to be a loner all his life. It was a new experience for him.
His heart continued to beat quickly as he entered the shop. There were more rings than he could count. There were rings with yellow gold, white gold, and ones that were made of silver. Some had diamonds, while others did not. He would certainly have a difficult time deciding which one was right for her.
And then, one ring stood out. This one was fourteen-carat gold, but that was not exactly what had grabbed his attention. The rock was not diamond. Instead, it was emerald; her birthstone. It was as if it had been designed just for her.
Cloud knew that the rest would write itself. He would return home and propose to her, presenting the ring on one knee. She would accept. He would then tell her how they could elope, and throw in something naughty, like the fact that she would never need pajamas again.
Such irony, Cloud thought, that Tifa was the most modest in bed, in contrast to Aerith, who was quite the sexaholic.
Aerith.
Cloud sighed. He had tried to forget and move on with Tifa, but the elephants remained in the room.
That woman in leather certainly resembled her. He hair and body shape were identical to Aerith's. She did not speak, and nobody saw her face. What Cait Sith had said had originally made sense; that the woman was not the original Aerith, but a clone created for procreation.
But the more Cloud thought about it, the less sense it made. Why was there only one clone instead of at least several? Maybe she was a prototype, but even that would fail to explain why the Shinra would begin a cloning program when Meteor was a high priority.
In any event, there were still two loopholes. First, there was the missing body at the bottom of the pond. True, the fish had to eat, but Aerith had been dead for less than a month. There was no way they could have eaten her entire body, and it was impossible for them to eat her bones. Her body could have been stolen, but there would not have been a reason for that to have happened, except for the aforementioned, less-than-believable "clone" theory.
The second loophole was even more profound. Aerith did not appear in the Lifestream. She would have to have had an extraordinary reason not to; she loved Cloud with all her heart. She would at least want to give him a heartfelt goodbye.
It's possible, Cloud thought to himself. Hell, it's getting more and more likely that Aerith is still alive.
He knew exactly where to begin; he would have to find the woman in leather. He last saw her running into the Shinra Building. He knew she had stolen the grappling hook. He had no clue what she would need it for, but it was doubtful that she remained in the building.
He realized that he would have to go to Midgar and ask around.
More painfully, he realized that Tifa would have to wait.
He put the ring down, gave a nod to the perplexed owner, and left the shop.
There was still a loose end to tie up.
BACK IN NIBELHEIM...
Tifa was sitting at the kitchen table when Cloud entered the house. Her eyes beamed, and she had a big, beautiful smile on her face.
Cloud replied by simply giving her a sad, small one. He knew exactly what she was thinking. She would certainly be devastated once he did what he was about to do.
Tifa could feel the vibe, and the smile faded from her face as well.
"You came home empty handed," she observed.
"Yeah," Cloud replied sadly. "I know. I didn't exactly find what I was looking for."
The irony was that it was not a lie; he was looking for the truth.
"Still no sign of Bestla?" she asked.
Cloud shook his head.
It was useless to strike up a conversation. Tifa knew Cloud so well she could easily detect his feelings. This was a first; she had never seen them change so suddenly in the absence of a major incident. It made her feel uneasy almost immediately.
Cloud could sense her discomfort as well. He took a deep breath, pulled a chair, and sat down across from her. It would be cruel to make her wait; he needed to do this now.
"Tifa," he began, "there's something important I need to talk to you about."
Tifa immediately felt sick inside. That comment, and the sudden change of mood, could only mean one thing.
"We need to hold off on any wedding plans," he said.
Tifa was silent. Deep down, she suddenly wanted to kick herself for thinking they would just live happily ever after. That would have been too good to be true.
"I do love you," continued Cloud. "And I am in love with you."
"There's a 'but,' though, isn't there?" she said.
He nodded. "Evidence that Aerith may be alive has been mounting."
"I know," Tifa replied solemnly. "I don't believe a word Cait Sith said. They wouldn't clone her during a crisis like this. Their own existence would be a top priority. Not to mention, we didn't see her in the Lifestream, and her body was missing." She paused, and looked at him with sad eyes. "Cloud, you're not wrong to suspect she might be alive. I think she might be, too"
"But I committed to Aerith first," Cloud replied. "And if she is, in fact, still alive..."
Tifa nodded in sadness. "I know. Look, Cloud, I just want you to be happy. Nothing more."
Cloud closed his eyes and nodded. "I have to be sure," he said.
Both were silent. Neither of them had a more difficult experience. Not in this timeline, at least.
"Well..." he began. But he could not finish. He was somewhat sick of what he had decided, but it was a necessary evil.
He slowly got up out of his chair and pushed it in.
Tifa did the same. She had her head slightly down, and she was avoiding eye contact. She did not want him to see the tears threatening her beautiful eyes.
Cloud gently pulled her in for a hug.
She hugged back as several tears escaped her eyes. She was hoping he would not notice. She wanted nothing more than him to be happy, but that did not prevent her heart from breaking.
Cloud released the hug and began to walk towards the door.
"Cloud," Tifa called.
He turned to look at her one more time.
"No matter how this turns out," she continued, "I'll always be there for you."
"Thank you," he said.
He then turned again and disappeared out of Nibelheim.
Without further ado, Tifa went into her own house and lay in the fetal position on the couch.
She was now free to cry.
Which she did.
MEANWHILE...
Cloud had dried his tears and composed himself as land once again came into view. He had flown the Highwind across the ocean to the Eastern Continent, ready to begin his search.
He had a lot on his mind. There was, as for now, little way of telling for sure whether or not Aerith was still alive, but he was strongly suspicious that she was. If he turned out to be wrong, he would go straight back to Nibelheim and tell Tifa that he wanted to marry her. But if he was right, he would have some very complicated days ahead of him. But, for now, there was little way of telling Aerith's current status.
There was also little way of telling whether Bestla was still in the area.
This time, of course, Cloud could not simply parachute into the city. He would need to dig a tunnel under the wall. To do that, he would need a shovel. And the nearest place to get a shovel would be Kalm.
Realizing this, Cloud set a course for his first stop.
- 56
- 57
- 58
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Premonitions: Uncut