Character profiles:
Cloud Strife (21 years old) is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VII. A former member of the elite fighting squad, SOLDIER, he projects a tough guy persona deep down he's insecure, uncomfortable with emotions, and confused about his own past due to unreliable memory. He is recognizable for his spiky blond hair and wielding an enormous sword, the Buster Sword. He has a fit, wiry build and an attractive, boyish face. He wears dark purple pants, a matching turtleneck with the sleeves removed, and brown boots.
Tifa Lockhart (20 years old) is a main supporting character of Final Fantasy VII. She was a childhood friend of Cloud's but was oblivious to his crush and tended to overlook him. When they reunited in early adulthood, she was drawn to him but was perplexed by things he seemed to misremember. She has a kind and nurturing spirit, but she conceals her affections and fears from Cloud. At this point in the story, Tifa has helped Cloud rectify his memories by rescuing him from falling into the Lifestream, and she's finally ready to talk about her feelings. She has long, straight, dark brown hair and the fit build of an expert martial artist. She wears a white crop top that accentuates her famously large and perky breasts, as well as a black leather skirt, long black socks, and brown boots.
Note: This story is an adaptation of canonical events in the original FFVII story. While the intimate scenes are an embellishment of what is shown in the game, they are consistent with the original story. Actual events and dialogue from the game are included in this narrative to aid in fan immersion.
"Everyone's gone."
When the crew of the Highwind left to visit their loved ones before their final fight with Sephiroth, Tifa understood. They'd chosen love over fighting, as Tifa once had - when Cloud was sick from Mako poisoning, she wouldn't leave his side. She knew their companions might not return - probably wouldn't - but actually seeing the empty airship was unbearable, so she'd climbed down the rope bridge to stand among the cliffs and look down over Midgar in the waning light of day. There was nothing like the cityscape of Midgar, towering buildings surrounded by barren wasteland, to remind her of the stakes. The Shinra company had drained the lifeblood of the planet, suffocating the soil for kilometers until finally life resumed, grassy plains encircling the valley of death. Sephiroth wanted to do the same but on a grander scale, sapping all life from the planet to fuel his thirst for power. He was practically a god by now, his shadow looming larger than the massive meteor he'd summoned to destroy the planet, which was hovering over Gaia that very minute. Could they ever hope to stop a god?
Cloud had followed her off the Highwind and was standing behind her. She was glad, for he was heavy in her thoughts.
"Yeah," Cloud said in answer. "They all went home - but I guess the two of us don't have a home."
"You're right." Sephiroth had burned down Nibelheim, Cloud and Tifa's hometown, and killed their parents. Tifa had built a new life for herself, moving to the sprawling metropolis of Midgar and running a bar, Seventh Heaven, in the heart of the Sector 7 slums. It was a modest living, but it was hers; and Shinra had destroyed it all, the entire sector, in pursuit of the resistance movement, AVALANCHE. And just like that, she had lost her second home. She would've lost her mind if not for Cloud - she held herself together for him - and the friends they'd made along the way.
"But - I'm sure someday," she began. "They'll come back, don't you think?"
"Hmm," Cloud said, "I wonder -?" He thought of their companions - where would they be now? Barret would be visiting his daughter, Marlene. Nanaki would be seeing the villagers of Cosmo Canyon, perhaps for one last time. Cid was with his partner, Shera, in Rocket Town. Reeve was in Midgar, aiding and comforting the people. Yuffie with seeing her father in Wutai, giving him a hug and the middle finger for perhaps the last time. Vincent was - who knows where, that man was an enigma. But in any case, they'd each gone somewhere better than here, somewhere they were loved and treasured. "Everyone has an irreplaceable something they're holding on to," Cloud said. He approached Tifa from behind, trying to read her expression from over her shoulder. She was his "irreplaceable something," but how did she feel about him after all this? "But this time," he went on, "our opponent -."
"Hmm -" Tifa interrupted. "But that's alright, even if no one comes back. As long as I'm with you - as long as you're by my side - I won't give up, even if I'm scared."
He stopped in his tracks. His heart swelled with happiness to hear these words. "Tifa," he began, but she continued.
"No matter how close we are - we were far apart - before this. But when we were in the Lifestream surrounded by all those screams of anguish, I thought I heard your voice." She sniffed, and Cloud could see a single tear rolling down her cheek. "You probably don't remember this," she said, "but deep in my heart I heard you calling my name - or at least I thought I did."
"Yeah," he said, willing his words to comfort her. "At that time I heard you calling me. You were calling me back from the stream of consciousness in the Lifestream. After all, I promised. That if anything were to happen to you, I would come to help."
She let that sink in, and it warmed her. Cloud had felt it, too. He was with her then, and he'd be with her to the bitter end. "Cloud -?" she said, almost in a whisper. He stepped closer to hear her. "Do you think the stars can see us? Do you think they see how hard we're fighting for them?"
"I dunno," he said, matching her softer tone. "But - whether they are or not, we still have to do what we can. And believe in ourselves." She didn't respond, and he wondered if she was still tearful. "Someday we'll find the answer," he continued. "Right, Tifa? That's what I learned from you when I was in the Lifestream."
"Yeah - that's right," she said. She turned, and she wasn't crying but was smiling faintly. They were close now, and she looked up into his mako-blue eyes.
"Hey, Tifa," he said. "I - there are a lot of things I wanted to talk to you about. But now that we're together like this, I don't know what I really wanted to say." He turned away, scoffing at his own foolishness. "I guess nothing's changed at all," he said, "kind of makes you want to laugh."
Tifa put her hand on his shoulder. "Cloud," she said, gently turning him back to her. "Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking."Fan art by SPYKEEE, found
here
.
He faced her, a questioning look in his eyes. She'd been unsure of herself so long, longing for Cloud but not knowing if he felt the same, if he was ready to let someone in after all the trauma he'd endured. But this was her chance, her time to take a risk, a leap of faith. She pulled him closer, and awkwardly, she kissed him.
He didn't resist, but he didn't reciprocate either. She pulled back. He looked startled, and his eyes were like craters. "Tifa -" he began.
"Let go, Cloud," Tifa urged. "Don't think." Her hands were on his biceps, holding him close. "Just tell me - do you want me? Do you want to be with me?"
"Tifa, I - yes. I've always wanted you, Tifa. I've always wanted to be with you."
She tilted her face up toward him, and this time he brought his lips to hers. He'd finally said the words, and now they'd let their bodies do the talking.
He was keenly aware of her body, pressing up against his as they kissed. His hands found the small of her back, embracing her, and pulling their torsos together.
Tifa's tits
, he thought. His chest was pressed against her amazing breasts, and he wouldn't be surprised if she felt his hammering heartbeat. Would he finally get to see her tits? Would he finally get to feel them?