Fiery Nights

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

Characters: Cloud and Tifa.
Progess: Ongoing.
Summary: Cloud takes Tifa on a date.
Location: Luca.
Date: September 25 1804.
Warnings: Wibbles, overload of romance, possible angst.
Note: Sorry it's late, Pied. I got sick. :(


It was their first date since Tifa had come back from the Lifestream... and their first date for quite some time. With children, pets, jobs, battles and everything else in between, Cloud and Tifa rarely got time alone together. They had a few minutes before they both passed out for the night and perhaps a little while in the morning, but they needed this. It was a chance to be together and not worry about anything or anyone but each other. A chance to just be happy together. They deserved it.

Cloud had booked a table at a fancy restaurant in Luca's bustling city, he'd dressed up nicely for his fiancee and he planned to make the night something she'd be thinking about for weeks. Checking on each of the children before leaving, Cloud leaned against Fenrir as he waited on Tifa to be ready. The restaurant was across the other side of Luca, it was better they drove. Besides, it was always funny watching the city dwellers freak out at his bike.

Comments

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

Wearing a dress plus riding on Fenrir was not an ideal combination. Wearing a dress plus killer heels plus riding on Fenrir was an even worse combination. It hadn't stopped Tifa from doing both though and she gave Cloud a grin as she stepped out of the house. Despite all the family drama, she was feeling really upbeat tonight. They hadn't been on a date in so long.

"Try not to drive too fast," she said. "I don't want anyone to get an eyeful."

She climbed on the bike behind him and spent several minutes adjusting her skirt until she was sure it wouldn't flap too wildly.

"Okay," she said, sliding her arms around his waist. "Let's go."

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

Cloud settled on the bike, starting the engine while he waited for her to adjust everything and get comfortable. Her comment made him smile a little and as soon as her arms were around him he squeezed her hand lightly. It was nice to even just have this closeness, knowing she was safely behind him and nothing would happen to her.

"I'm glad we're doing this." Sliding his riding glasses on, he lurched the bike forward, heading off through the streets to get to the restaurant.

Cloud smirked at the reactions people had, a lot of people just staring after them as they rode by. It was nice to not be stared at for who they were for a change.

Skidding to a halt outside the restaurant, Cloud removed the goggles, looking back at her. "Did anyone see your underwear?" His smirk was almost juvenile.

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

"Cloud!" She smacked him on the arm before climbing off - carefully, of course. Failing at the last hurdle would be embarrassing for sure. Smoothing down her dress, Tifa smiled at him. "There we go."

She waited for Cloud, being the gentleman that he was, to escort her into the restaurant.

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

He laughed faintly, glad they were both in such high spirits. It was rare for them and it felt good. Cloud was sure he had that light feeling he had once he was sure he'd forgiven himself for the things that happened. It was a releasing feeling.

Holding out his arm, once she'd taken it he led her inside, quiet as they were seated and being the perfect gentleman as he pulled Tifa's chair out for her, seating himself afterwards.

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

Tifa sat down and glanced over the menu, every now and then looking up at Cloud.

"So what do you think? Should we go the whole hog - starter, main and dessert?"

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

Cloud looked over the menu, sighing contentedly. He was glad to be out with her, happy enough that they could just go over the top.

"The whole hog. I'm hungry enough," he decided, looking at the meals and making his decision, informing the waiter once he'd arrived, after Tifa had told him her choice.

Of course, he ordered wine as well.

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

Tifa ordered too, and took the liberty of pouring them both a generous amount of wine when it arrived.

"Do you remember the last time we did this?"

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

Cloud had to pause to think about her question, watching her pour out their wine and sipping his own, even if he was more of a hard liquor man. It didn't hurt to be classy sometimes.

"Was it... when I proposed? I can't remember a time since..." But his memory was patchy in places.

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

Tifa nodded. She still remembered that evening well. It had all felt so perfect, but nothing had quite worked out the way they had planned. In hindsight, they should have realised that. The signs had all been there.

"Back in February. A lot's happened since then..." She sipped her wine, feeling that she might need alcohol if they were going to talk about this. Maybe it was best not to. "Is there still a lot you don't remember?"

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

Cloud nodded too. Too much had happened for his liking. People dying, people vanishing, he'd vanished too... but he'd came back and that was what was important. He was happy to be back, at least until he was able to go home with everyone else. Otherwise, he didn't want to go back. Not without Tifa, Marlene, Denzel, Shelke... everyone.

"I remember... most things. Just little details I forget. Dates, small conversations..." He shrugged a little, sipping his wine a moment later. "Tifa... you still want to marry me, right?"

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

It was the obvious question, but it still took her by surprise to hear it stated so plainly. Tifa sucked in a breath. It was a good thing she had put the wine glass down at that moment, otherwise she would have choked on it.

"I do," she said, looking at him - she couldn't not look him in the eye at this moment. "I do... And I'm sorry, Cloud, I know that we haven't talked about it as much as we should, about setting a date..." She paused, twisting the ring on her finger while she tried to think how to explain. "I was about ready to hide it away, you know, when you disappeared and came back. I thought you would have forgotten. We just... haven't had time to work out where we are, have we? Not with everything shifting the way it has."

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

Cloud listened to her, his gaze rather unreadable for the moment. He was waiting for the 'but'. The reason she didn't want to get married or couldn't see it working out between them. It was frightening, in a way, to sit here and wait for her to decide the fate of whatever their relationship was right now.

"I understand... don't apologise. We haven't had time to do anything but focus on death and war and..." He shook his head. She knew everything they'd faced recently, there was no need to list it all. "I... did forget for a while, but I remembered and that's what matters... right?"

He sighed, not sure what good it would be to say what he was feeling right now. Regardless, it was better she knew. "I wasn't sure. Coming back to Gaia to find out I'm engaged... it was a really heavy thing... but then when I lost you I realised I couldn't be without you." He reached for her hand, squeezing it lightly. "If you still want to marry me... we could do it this winter."

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

Tifa nodded, a slow smile spreading across her face. So he still loved her. He still wanted to get married. Years of uncertainty about that, all the recent months of ups and downs, had stopped her from being quite sure until he said it.

She squeezed his hand in return. "That was always the plan, right, Cloud?" There was a twinkle in her eye as she said it, but she immediately became serious again. "It was the same for me when I lost you," she said quietly. "If I've had doubts, it's because of where we are. All this uncertainty... Not knowing if any one of us might vanish at any time, living somewhere so far from home... I thought maybe we should wait until we got back. If I don't believe that we can go home... I don't know what I'll do. I've been here so long..."

She sighed. "It's getting harder to believe that. But you're right about one thing you said... It was something that stayed with me. About Zack and Aerith. It would be so great if they were there, if they could see us get married. The only thing is, whatever date we set, we can never be sure that they both will... if anyone will. That's what scares me."

This was a perpetual fear of Tifa's, which she rarely stated openly. But she had to be honest with Cloud in this moment. They'd spent too long making mistakes over not communicating.

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

Everything she said made sense to him. He was afraid of never going home or of being entirely alone on Gaia with no one he cared for with him to ease the pain of it all. Yet, right now, they had so many people with them that they loved and could remarry when they got home, if they ever did.

"It scares me too, Tifa. That one of us could end up without the other here... I don't want to think about being without you..." He looked down at the ring on her finger, smiling lightly. "I think that... even if not everyone is here with us when we do this... we can do it again at home." He knew that at least at home Zack and Aerith would be able to watch over them, even if they couldn't be part of it all.

The meals were brought over and Cloud released Tifa's hand to make room, thanking the waiter with a nod. "Do you... want to set a date today? Or do you want to wait some more?"

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

"Yeah... that's true." Tifa nodded thoughtfully. She paused to smile and thank the waiter, suddenly realising that she was hungry. "I think... yeah, why not? We've put it off for so long. When do you think we should get married, Cloud?"

She started her meal, smiling at Cloud as she waited for his answer. It felt good to be able to ask that question. Good to move forward.

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

Cloud shrugged lightly. Wasn't wedding stuff more the girl's thing? But he didn't want everything to be planned around him without his input. "Hmm... December? Or is that too early?"

He didn't know how long it took to plan a wedding. Probably a couple of weeks, right? "Where will we even get married?" He didn't know if the church was still in the ruins of Midgar, but that was where he'd hoped to be married if he ever got there.

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

"December..." Tifa nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, we can do that. It'll be a rush to book a venue, but - yeah, let's do it! I know there's a church in Lindblum. It's not too far, it'd be convenient for everyone to get to..."

She trailed off, looking at Cloud for his opinion.

[loveandstrife.livejournal.com]

Cloud nodded at her suggestion, a small smile on his face. He was axcited. This was something they could do and prove to everyone that their bond was that strong, even through the hell they'd faced both alone and together.

"The church in Lindblum sounds perfect. Especially now the Rooks have been removed." It would be a relief for him to get married and not feel like he was going to throw up.

[heartofheaven.livejournal.com]

She nodded again. "Yeah, I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise. I'll find out when they're free. You just leave it all to me, Cloud. I can arrange this."

Bless him, she loved Cloud, but she didn't think he'd be much good at organising a wedding. He'd probably be better off just doing as he was told.