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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
- 88
- 89
- 90
Chapter 89: The Pop
The sun slowly rose the next morning over Nibelheim, Midgar, and any other town with a human population. It was January 26, 0008.
The usual morning sounds of birds chirping and everything else greeted Cloud's ears as he awoke. This was a date that he had not expected to happen. He had expected to have been wiped out by Holy the previous night, along with the rest of humanity. Today should have been for the animals and plants only, with no month or date. But, instead, January 26 had dawned on all of mankind that morning.
He got out of bed, and opened the curtains. There was no Meteor in the sky this time; it would be something to get used to. Instead, there was a rising sun amongst an endless field of blue. He could see birds, squirrels, and rabbits in his backyard. The trees beyond the pool were already sprouting apples. Life was thriving.
Cloud was alive as well, but he would not regard himself as thriving. There was still nobody in bed next to him when he woke up, just like the previous two mornings. But, unlike the previous two mornings, it was not Aerith he had been missing. If there had been one thing about this morning that he had been hoping about the previous day, other than that he would still be alive, it would be that Tifa would be waking up in bed next to him and kissing him on the mouth. But that was not to be; she had told him that she could never be his girlfriend ever again. Those words still stung him, and certainly would for quite some time.
Realizing that it would be pointless to wallow in self-pity, Cloud decided to shower. He went into the bathroom, turned on the water, stripped naked, and stepped in. Being alone in the shower did not bother him this time; he was well aware Tifa would never shower with a guy unless she was lawfully wed to him. He quickly cleaned up, dressed, and sat in the parlor.
There was now nothing to do but to wait for Tifa to call or text him. She had promised to explain everything today; whether it would make him feel better or worse would be anyone's guess.
He again thought of the bucket list that Aerith had made, and wondered if he had truly fulfilled it himself.
"Make a huge sacrifice for the greater good."
He had done that in many ways. He had taken Mako poisoning for sure, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. He had sacrificed his old self; he knew that, now that the whole adventure was over, that he would never be the same again. He sighed as he realized that he had sacrificed his fiancée; had he not allowed Aerith to wait outside, she would still be alive. But then, Vincent would be dead, and Sephiroth would have remained much more powerful, leaving it unlikely that they would have defeated him.
There was another sacrifice he had made for the greater good, and he had just realized it: he had sacrificed his romantic relationship with Tifa. It was not something he wanted to let go, but he had to. He was well aware that, if he continued to pursue her, that he would most certainly lose her as a friend as well. It was a sacrifice he would have to make if they were to remain friends.
"Start a new quest."
He had started a new quest when he had been killed and "returned" to 0007. It was not the same quest as before; it was a new timeline. The major stops along the way did not change, but the paths were slightly different, full of different but wonderful surprises. He had fallen in love not once, but twice. He was also aware that, in the future, things would deviate even further from the original timeline.
"Take advantage of a second chance."
This one pained him as well. Of course, the most obvious was that second chance he had been given with Tifa. But, when he thought about it, he had also been given one with Aerith. In the original timeline, Cloud and Aerith had met and flirted with each other, but that was more or less the extent of their relationship. They had certainly not kissed, let alone made love, moved in with each other, or gotten engaged.
As for Tifa, things were different as well. He had never told her that he loved her in the original timeline. Not after she put his soul back together below Mideel. Not after she announced that she was getting married. Not even after she tearfully turned to dust and died. In the new timeline, they told each other. And they kissed. And they woke up next to each other. True, that relationship was over, at least in the romantic sense. But, they had still taken advantage of it. They still had their wonderful times together. The memories would always be there. It was one of those "don't-cry-because-it's-over-smile-because-it-happened" situations.
Cloud also remembered that there were more items on the list that he and Tifa had not gone over.
"Admit I made a big mistake."
This one was a no-brainer. He had a beautiful, romantic relationship with Tifa. But then, Aerith was found to be alive, and he had let his lust get the best of him without looking back. Throwing logic aside and basing everything on principle and sex, he moved in with and had gotten engaged to a woman that, while he loved her, was not the woman that he loved the most. And when Aerith died (for real), Tifa would not take him back. He had gambled, and he lost.
But, he was still able to admit he had made a big mistake nonetheless. If only he could undo it somehow.
"Accept who I am."
He was most certainly able to do that; he was never the First Class SOLDIER that he had played himself up to be. It did not matter, though; he had succeeded where Zack had failed. Tifa had accepted him for who he really was. Aerith had accepted him for who he really was. He had accepted him for who he really was.
"Change the course of my life."
His life had been changed in both timelines. He was no longer the solitary loner he had been six weeks ago. He would always have Aerith to thank for that. She would make him talk. She would make him laugh. She would make him break out of his shell and open up. Now, he could open up to almost anyone. In that way, Aerith would always live on.
"Create a new outlook on life."
It broke Cloud's heart when Tifa told him that she could never be his girlfriend ever again, but she did have a point: her life, along with anyone else's, could end at any time. It should be lived to the fullest no matter what. He could not understand, for the life of him, why them being together would possibly hinder that, but he was certain that she would be explaining that in detail later that day. In any event, he needed to live his life as if his days were numbered.
There was one last item on the list, that Cloud had somewhat forgotten. He spent several minutes trying to jog his memory, hoping to figure out what it was.
Live a full, long life, he thought. That has to be it.
But it would be a hard life to live. He understood that he would be alone, at least for the time being. It would be something he would have to cope with. He also understood that, eventually, he and Tifa would go their separate ways. It would be grossly unlikely that they would be fifty-five and living next door to each other. Someday, sometime, she would tell him that her life would be calling her in a different direction. He did not look forward to that day, but, to him, it seemed inevitable. If only they could somehow get back together.
Don't go there, Cloud, his mind suddenly told him. Pursue her, and she'll be gone today.
It would be hard. He sorely wanted her as more than a friend.
You need to be a couple for you and her, his mind continued. You can't be a couple for you.
And then, his phone buzzed. Cloud found it amusing that it did so the moment he had thought that. He knew exactly whom the text was from; nobody else was trying to reach him. They were probably all too busy being overjoyed that his prediction about the fate of humanity had been wrong.
He picked up the phone and checked. Sure enough, it was a text from Tifa.
"Come over," it read.
MOMENTS LATER...
Cloud knocked on Tifa's door.
There was no answer.
He knew exactly why he was there; she would tell him in full detail why they could not be together. He did and did not want to have this conversation at the same time. He knew, however, that it would be a necessary evil to move forward.
Then, his phone buzzed again.
"The door's unlocked," it read. "Come in."
Tifa's house was stone quiet as Cloud slowly entered. The parlor was deserted. The television was off, and nobody was seated on either the sofa nor the loveseat. He remembered how the two of them played together in that room as children. Now, it was dead silent.
The kitchen was deserted as well. The oven was off, and the table was clear, with the chairs all pushed in. He remembered the birthday parties that she had there when they were little. He would never believe how deserted that kitchen could be.
Thinking that she might be upstairs, he mounted the steps. Pictures lined the walls. Some were of Tifa as a toddler, others were of her in her early teens. Cloud appeared in a few of them, mostly at birthday parties. He realized that, despite the fact that their romantic relationship was long over, that they would always be a part of each other's lives.
Moments later, he was upstairs. He checked Tifa's room first. The bed was there, along with her piano, desk, mirror, closet, and the dresser that had been always rumored to contain orthopedic underwear. Nothing else.
The process of elimination placed Tifa in the master bedroom. He checked the room to find the empty sitting area, the deserted bathroom with the open door, and the twin beds-a sure reminder that her parents' marriage had been in trouble. There was still no sign of Tifa.
Was this some kind of joke? Cloud thought to himself as he began to descend the stairs. He had literally searched every room, and Tifa was nowhere to be seen. Even if she was going to explain more of why they could not be together as a couple, he still had good things to tell her. He had fulfilled every item on the bucket list. He had made a sacrifice for the greater good. He had admitted he had made a big mistake. He would now live a full and long life.
Was that the last item on the list? he thought. It seemed to be, but, for some strange reason, he was not so sure. Was it? Or was it something else?
Cloud reached the bottom of the steps, finding himself in the parlor once more. He scanned the room one more time. Where is she? he thought. She isn't here! She told me to come over, but she isn't here!
And then, he noticed. A thumb drive was sitting on the coffee table. Attached was a sticky note that read: "Play me."
She wants me to play a thumb drive? he thought as he picked it up and inserted it into the television. He then stepped back, remaining standing, and wondering what the video would say.
At first, the video did not seem to contain anything; it was simply pitch black. Then, a soft, lyrical piano melody began to play. Seconds later, the screen faded in. Tifa was standing in front of the southern entrance. She was wearing a beautiful purple dress. It covered her shoulders but not her knees. She did not have a stern look on her face as he might have expected; she was smiling. She was holding a sign that read: "DEAR CLOUD."
The shot lasted for about five seconds before fading to the master bedroom that he had just been in. Tifa was standing in front of one of the twin beds, holding a sign that read: "WE MET."
He still remembered that room. He still remembered Claire saying "Cloud, look at the little baby." He still remembered how bald she was, with only a few strings of raven hair on her infant head. It was his very first memory of Tifa. He suddenly felt a wave of warmth and fondness inside.
A few seconds later, the screen faded again, this time to the parlor he was now standing in. Tifa was standing in front of the television, this time holding a sign that read: "WE PLAYED."
Tifa had really been the only person he had played with when he was little. They would play for hours on that floor, and Cloud would always find it amusing that Tifa had an endless collection of action figures, yet only one or two dolls that most girls her age had played with.
The screen faded once more. Tifa was now standing in front of the swing set that had played on as children. Her sign read: "I TAUGHT YOU TO FUCKING SWEAR."
Cloud chuckled. One thing he would never tell anyone was that he had been taught to swear by a girl a year his junior, but that was the way it was. He still remembered her teaching him profanities that he previously couldn't imagine, all while they were both innocently sitting on swings like normal children.
The screen faded to Tifa standing in the bowling alley. Most of the lights were off, but the lanes were still visible. The sign read: "WE BOWLED."
Cloud would never forget that day. Her father had cut them off, and he was quite surprised to be spending her thirteenth birthday with her. He was even more surprised that she had been wearing a crop top. He had never seen her midriff before, and it was around that time that he had first became interested in her. He then realized he needed to immediately banish that from his mind. They were just friends.
Next, the screen faded to the well. He knew that would eventually come up. The sign that Tifa was holding read: "WE MADE OUR PROMISE."
He would never forget that promise. He had promised that he would be there if she needed him, and he was there during the Nibelheim mission five years ago. She was forever grateful.
The screen now faded to what was left of Mideel. Tifa was standing in front of the mako pit, with a sign reading: "WE FIXED YOUR SOUL."
That, as far as Cloud was concerned, Tifa's magnum opus. Cloud had been a broken man, even before they had reunited in Mideel. Here, she had guided him through his subconsciousness, putting him back together again. They were both given an unexpected reward: full disclosure about the future.
And then, Cloud realized what he felt Tifa had been trying to tell him: their friendship was valuable. In fact, it was the most valuable thing that either of them had. These were things they had all done as friends, not lovers. Without their friendship, Cloud's mind would still be in pieces. Without their friendship, Tifa might have died at the Nibel reactor. Had it not been for their friendship, they both might have had a rather boring childhood.
So what if our romantic relationship didn't work out? Cloud thought. It was our friendship that kept us going. It's our friendship that really matters.
Seconds later, that notion was ruined.
The screen faded again. Tifa was now standing on the bridge of the Highwind. This time, the sign was something he really did not want to see. Instead of making him feel good about their friendship, it reopened old wounds. It read: "WE ADMITTED OUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER."
Did she really need to bring that up? he thought.
The screen again faded. She was standing in front of the Out of the World Book Barn in Rocket Town. The sign read: "WE HAD OUR FIRST DATE."
Why is she doing this? Cloud wondered. We agreed to be friends!
When the screen faded again, she was now at Gold Saucer, holding a sign that read: "WE HAD OUR SECOND DATE."
Is she mad at me? Is this because I had left her?
She was now on the beach at Costa del Sol. Instead of the dress, she was wearing her trademark blue bikini. The sign read: "WE HAD OUR THIRD DATE."
Cloud almost wanted to close his eyes; it felt like torture.
She was now at the ballroom, wearing the purple dress again. The sign read: "WE HAD OUR FOURTH DATE."
Cloud, at this point, was feeling the urge to simply walk out; it was almost too much to bear.
But something inside him was telling him to stay and watch the whole thing. Perhaps he would get full disclosure from it.
And then, the screen faded to black. Tifa no longer appeared on the screen, but the music was still there. White subtitles in a large font began to appear against the black background.
"YOU WERE A WONDERFUL BOYFRIEND," the first one read.
Were, Cloud thought to himself. In the past tense.
The first subtitle faded, and a second one appeared: "BUT I CAN NEVER ASK YOU TO BE THAT AGAIN."
Cloud lowered his head in sadness. Why, Tifa? Why?
"LIKE I SAID YESTERDAY, CLOUD, LIFE IS JUST TOO SHORT," read the third subtitle, almost as if it could read his mind.
She called me over for this? he thought. It's nothing I don't already know. She couldn't even do this in person? She had to make a video?!
And then, the screen changed once again.
"SO, INSTEAD, I'LL ASK YOU SOMETHING ELSE."
Cloud gasped.
Something else?
His heart began to accelerate. His palms began to feel sweaty. She was already his friend. She had been his girlfriend. He was well aware that, if she could never be his girlfriend again, there was only one "something else" she could possibly ask him to be.
That's why she can't be my girlfriend anymore? he thought. Because she wants to...?!
He then felt a presence next to him.
He turned, and Tifa was standing there, in the flesh, still in the purple dress she had been wearing in the video. Her hands were together, as if she was concealing something. He had trouble figuring out what emotion was in her eyes; it seemed to be somewhere between nervous and hopeful.
Women don't do this! he thought to himself.
And then, out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw the screen change one last time.
"MARRY ME?"
A second later, Tifa lowered herself to one knee, and removed her hands, revealing a ring box. She opened it, revealing a beautiful diamond ring inside. She then made eye contact with Cloud. It was the most hopeful look he had ever seen her give him.
He could not believe his eyes. This woman, whom he grew up with, who had been with him through his worst times, was proposing to him.
He immediately had an answer.
"Yes," he mouthed.
Before she could respond, he bent down, placed his hand on the back of her head, and kissed her softly.
"Yes?" she asked hopefully as she rose to her feet. She had heard him, but she had to be sure her mind was not playing any kinds of tricks.
"Yes," he repeated.
A beautiful smile graced Tifa's face as her eyes glistened.
"He said yes!" she shouted.
And then, tears began to stream from both of her eyes.
"My love!" she sobbed as she threw her arms around him.
They then made eye contact.
Cloud's eyes were streaming tears as well.
And, of course, they both simultaneously remembered the real final item on the bucket list: "Kiss my best friend."
And they kissed again.
AN HOUR LATER...
Cloud sat alone on the sofa in the parlor. The television, having served its purpose, was now off. He was silent, still taking in what had just happened.
"Wow," he whispered to himself. "I've gotten engaged twice. In the same week."
It all made sense now. She had told him she could never be his girlfriend anymore because she had wanted to be his wife. She had wanted to catch him off guard, and it worked. Of course, he forgave her for the façade; it allowed for one hell of a surprise.
A few moments later, Tifa came down the stairs, now dressed in her usual tank-crop and mini-skirt (although barefoot this time), sat down next to Cloud, and put her arm around him, kissing him on the cheek as she did so.
Cloud wrapped his arm around her side. He had sorely missed holding her.
"I'm so sorry I scared you," she began. "I just wanted you to feel as much joy as possible when I popped the question."
He was understandably curious.
"How long were you planning this?" he asked.
"As soon as you told me you wanted to be with me back at the Northern Crater," she replied. "Cloud, now that we're together again, I want to tell you everything."
"Go ahead," he permitted.
"When I saw you at the Northern Crater, all I wanted to do was to throw my arms around you. I wanted to hug you, and tell you how much I missed you. I didn't want to overstep, but, Cloud, when we were apart, I badly missed you."
"I know," he replied as he kissed her again.
"Cloud," Tifa continued as she took his hand and squeezed it, "I hid it the best I could, but I was brokenhearted that we weren't together. Now, please don't apologize. I only wanted you to be happy. You did commit to her first, and even I think you did the right thing. But when you pulled me into that cave and told me that you were choosing me and that you wanted to come back, I felt a joy beyond anything I had ever felt before. And I wanted you to feel that, too."
"Hence the façade?" Cloud asked.
Tifa giggled and nodded.
"It worked," he informed her. "I couldn't see it from a mile away."
"Girls should propose to guys more often, anyway," she said.
For a few seconds, Cloud and Tifa simply gazed into each other's eyes.
"I want to hold you," Tifa then began, "but I don't think we can both fit on this couch."
"We could squeeze together," he suggested.
"I have another idea," she said with a smile.
Tifa took his hand and led him upstairs to her room. She guided him over to her bed, and they laid down together. She immediately began to kiss him as soon as they were settled. She then nestled her head against his chest.
"I'm starting to wish we were married right now," she said, and laughed.
"Why's that?" he asked.
"Because I'd take my skirt off right now if we were," she replied.
It was the sexiest thing he had ever heard her say. It made him realize, all over again, that they would become sexual partners. Looking at the mirror, he was treated to an excellent view of her butt, covered by her skirt. He imagined them being married, himself looking in the mirror, and indulging in a wonderful view of her in her panties.
Keep it clean, he reminded himself. There will certainly be time for that later.
They continued to kiss and snuggle for hours. Eventually, they grew hungry, and decided to go to the diner for dinner.
It turned out to be nice to have a meal that they knew would not be their last.
LATER...
They crashed at eleven that night. Cloud had changed into his pajamas, and was already laying under the covers. Tifa was in the other room, changing into her pajamas in privacy. That was one thing that had not changed, but Cloud was happy to respect that; he knew they would be married sooner rather than later. That being said, he was, at this point, forcing himself to remain awake.
"You coming?" he playfully asked.
"Just a minute!" Tifa responded in the same manner. "I'm so tired I'm struggling to pull my pants up!"
The sound of a thud out in the hall more or less confirmed what she had said.
Moments later, the bedroom door opened, and Tifa appeared, dressed in the shimmering blue pajamas Cloud thought he would never lay eyes on again. Smiling lovingly, she walked over to the bed, turned out the light, and climbed in.
"Of course," she continued, "when we're married, I won't have to wear any to bed."
It was another sexy comment Cloud found hard to resist.
"Hey," she said, changing her tone to a serious one.
"What is it?" he asked.
"You're the love of my life," Tifa replied before kissing him on the forehead. "From this night on, we'll be going to bed together for the rest of our lives."
Moments later, they were both asleep. The two of them slept in each other's arms; something for which they had both been longing for more than two weeks.
They were finally back together.
- 88
- 89
- 90
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Premonitions: Uncut