Forgiveness - Ch.1

Written by Strifegirl

Pairing: Cloud/Tifa

Summary: Lately, Cloud’s relationship with Tifa has been somewhat difficult since Cloud has been gone more than usual and because of this, Tifa was beginning to feel lonely and depressed around the bar; and that's when she met Noctis.

Type: Crossover

Status: Complete

Timeline: Set a year after Advent Children.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII. Square-enix owns Final Fantasy and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended.

"Forgiveness"

That afternoon, Cloud returned early from his deliveries. Tifa, who was still tending bar, was surprised to see him come through the front door and approached to greet him cheerfully.

"You're early." She said with a smile. "How was the delivery?"

"Good." He replied as he placed some boxes on the floor. Tifa raised an eyebrow after hearing his cool response.

"Um... Can I get you something?" She suggested.

"No, thanks. I'm fine." Cloud said no more and simply retired to his room to rest, leaving Tifa a bit confused. Cloud has always been a man of few words, but there was something in his voice that made her think that something was wrong. After a few minutes, Tifa ignored the awkward moment and continued tending the bar. There was too much work to do to worry about what was happening to him now.

A couple of hours later, Cloud came downstairs as usual to do some paperwork at the bar. He always sat in the same bar stool that was close to the kitchen to keep an eye on things in case some of the drunks try to test their luck with Tifa.

Tifa on the other hand, smiled relieved to see him sitting on the bar stool. Although she still felt a little uneasy about their small talk, she didn't let that distract her from her duties. Somehow, it seemed he was upset about something; sitting and watching - his eyes were fixed on her, as if he was studying her every move. She didn't understand the reason for his behavior but decided not to worry about it.

It was almost time to close the bar and she began to dispatch the remaining customers. But just when she thought that she wouldn't have any customers, another man entered the bar. Cloud saw him come in and immediately put himself in alert. He was very different from the other regulars who came to the bar and it seemed strange that Tifa received him without any reproach.

Tifa treated him like any other customer; however, Cloud sensed a different presence could see there was something else there. He was very confident when he spoke with her and Tifa seemed to respond in the same way, as if they were familiar. Cloud didn't take his eyes off of her while the man was there with her. There was something about this guy; the way he looked at her that made him feel jealous.

Tifa, on the other hand, started to feel uncomfortable when she realized that Cloud was staring at her. She tried to avoid contact with his eyes but his gaze was so sharp like a needle piercing her soul. He knew her well, too good to realize her nervousness when something was not right. She was obviously hiding something but didn't want Cloud to realize what it was.

The truth is, it is rumored that Tifa has been seeing someone else while Cloud is out making deliveries. He heard a conversation between Tifa and a ninja girl named Yuffie about a handsome young man who comes every night to drink in the bar. She described him as a tall, dark bluish haired guy with spikes like Cloud's. Despite his appearance, he was very polite among all the other drunken who came to the bar and always stayed with her to keep her company until the bar closed. No wonder why she was struck.

Lately, Cloud and Tifa's relationship has been somewhat complicated because Cloud barely spent time with her because of hours of work and some nights he didn't even returned. Because of this, Tifa began to feel lonely and depressed around the bar. Inside, she was very strong but there were times when she needed a little more attention and that were when she met this guy. Unlike her relationship with Cloud, this man has always there for her, trying to make her feel better after the long day at work. Somehow, he managed to approach her, to the point that she began to feel attracted to him.

Meanwhile, the man felt he was being watched as well and turned his head slightly to look around, noticing a pair of blue eyes with blond spiky hair pointed directly at him. He was sitting on the other side of the bar on one of the stools. Their eyes met for a moment and he felt some hostility coming from his gaze. At first, he was a little confused, but then he realized that he was actually watching him. He then broke eye contact when he heard Tifa call his name.

Noctis. That was the name she said. A name worthy of an opponent, Cloud thought.

Noctis was a very wealthy man. He is the successor of the Caelum family. However, he was isolated due to the city's resistance and had no choice but to hide in another city to protect himself against invading heretics. When he met Tifa for the first time, he denied his title and remained anonymous as an ordinary citizen. But then when he got to know her better, Noctis was attracted to her and came more frequently to the bar.

However, he was no fool. He knew that the reason that the blonde was staring at him was because of her and realized that he was out of place and had to leave the bar to avoid her problems.

"Excuse me Tifa, but I must go now." He rose from his stool.

"But... Why? You just got here..." she asked, bewildered.

"I know, but..." He turned his gaze to Cloud. "There's something that caught my attention and I need to leave for now." He explained.

"I see. Well, I guess I'll see you another time." She gave him a warm smile.

"Yeah, you can count on that." He took money from his pocket and let her payment. "Thanks again, Tifa." He said goodbye warmly and then headed for the door.

Cloud followed him with his eyes until he was gone. If looks could kill, he would probably be dead by now. Noctis ignored him as he walked past him and Cloud could feel his blood boiling with anger. He then turned his head toward Tifa who was still tending the bar and waited until the bar was closed so that he could talk to her in private.

An hour later, Tifa closed the bar and locked the door. She leaned against the door for a while and sighed deeply; exhausted by the long day at work and all she wanted to do was rest. Cloud however, was still sitting on the bar stool waiting for the right moment to approach her. Tifa went to the counter to finish cleaning and went back to the sink to wash the glasses. Cloud got off the stool and walked over to her. Tifa felt him coming and could feel his stare on her.

"Tifa..." He called her. Tifa turned her head to look at him. His eyes were fixed on her and couldn't help feeling nervous. Again, she returned her attention to the dishes in order to avoid his gaze and tried to act normal.

"So now you want to talk?" She said in a sarcastic tone. She was still a little bit upset from his behavior and she just ignored him the same way he did. "Well, I'm sorry. I'm kinda busy now, so I'm gonna have to ask you to-"

"You think I don't know what's going on?" He interrupted her abruptly. Tifa was surprised at his sudden reaction and turned around to look him in the eyes. She left the dishes in the sink and dries her hands.

"What are you talking about?" She said puzzled.

"You know what I mean..." His gaze pointed to the chair that Noctis was sitting on. Tifa followed his gaze and that's when she realized what he meant. He was talking about Noctis. Her tongue froze in her mouth and she couldn't say anything at that moment. "You really thought that I wouldn't notice?" He said with a serious look. Tifa closed her eyes as she pressed her lips and then turned back to his eyes to explain.

"It’s not what you think..." She responded.

"Don't lie to me," He tapped the counter with fury and Tifa started. "Is it true?" He looked at her. Tifa lowered her head and said nothing in return and Cloud's face became more serious.

"Fine..." He turned around and went to his bedroom. Tifa was surprised at his reaction and stood there for a moment trying to process what had happened. She had never seen him so upset and didn't know what to do so she went to the kitchen to wait for him to calm down so she could speak with him.

While she waited, Cloud was upstairs in his room trying to calm down. He was filled with anger and started breaking things and throwing papers in the air. He tapped one fist against the wall and all I wanted to do was get out of that place. Obviously, he wasn't thinking clearly because of his jealousy.
He lay down for a while to calm down and after a few minutes, he finally came to his senses and sat on the edge of his bed. A tear ran down his cheek and he quickly wiped his face as soon as he heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Tifa entered the room and saw the mess on the floor. She saw him sitting on the edge of his bed and slowly approached him. She sat on the other side of the bed, facing him. Cloud didn't turn his head at any time while she was there. Tifa waited patiently and his name slipped from her lips like a sigh.

"Cloud..." She said softly. His heart was crushed with the sound of her voice calling his name. He was devastated and wanted nothing to do with her now so he got up from the bed and turned his back. Tifa looked puzzled and was speechless.

"I'm leaving." He said suddenly. Tifa snapped when she heard those words coming from him and immediately reacted.

"Don't go! Please, I beg you..." She paused for a moment and Cloud turned his head slightly. "I know you're upset, but please, don't go away." She lowered her head. Cloud stood there without saying anything and Tifa looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry." Her voice was breaking.

He lowered his head and said nothing in return. He wanted to believe her but his anger took over and he simply walked away. Tifa couldn't believe what was happening. Her worst nightmare was becoming a reality and she didn't know how to stop him. All she could do now was to stay there and mourn bitterly.

Cloud went downstairs and took the Fenrir’s keys. He exited the front door with tears forming in his eyes. His vision was blurred because of the tears, but that didn't stop him from driving aimlessly in the middle of the night. As he was driving fast through the city all he could think about was her. Her smile, her skin, her hair, her lips, her eyes... those beautiful brown eyes that always made him shiver with one look. He knew she was heartbroken by all this, and to think that she was now crying for him, made him feel worse. He hated it when she cried when all this time, he was the one who made her cry - he didn't know what else to do. He needed to be alone for a while, and the only place he found peace and quiet was in the church in the slums.

When he arrived at the slums, he stopped in front of the church and stood there for a minute until his cell phone rang. He took the phone and saw the incoming call but didn't answer. The messaging service took over the call and this left a voice message.

It was Tifa.