Author’s Note:

Happy Bday! :)

Moments

Chapter 3: with tender loving care

It felt like someone would take a warrior’s axe, heat it up till it’s deadly blade was burning red and took a swing, driving it trough her skull. And then leave it there to cool down.

The saying ‘splitting headache’ got a new meaning.

Her lids were suddenly made of lead and opening her eyes seemed to be the hardest task since … forever probably. But she still managed, and regretted the very moment she did that. Even despite the fact that the blinds were down, the faint light seeping through them made her want to pry her own eyes out. Light was bad. Very bad.

And she was freezing, her body wrecking with violent shivers , her hands and feet icy as she tried to curl up into the smallest of balls she could.

Someone… please… make the world stop.

The noises were muffled, and unclear, coming maybe from downstairs, or maybe it was the room next to hers?

Tifa hated getting sick with a passion.

With a soft grunt she curled even more, trying to hide herself from the cool air that filled her room, the quilt pulled up to her brows.

One of the kids, Denzel most likely, ran down the stairs, the thumping he cause aggravated the little men hibernating in her skull and they began drilling through her already tortured brain with sharp ice-picks.

A low, pained grunt made its way from her throat , and she was sure it ripped the tissue apart on the way out.

Ice cold hands pressed to her eyes, the thin skin of the lids seemed to burn and she was tired of the contrast she was currently made of. Freezing yet her whole body covered with a shine of sweat, parts of her seemed to be licked by liquid fire while others could surely cool down any drink…

The voices, those buzzing annoying voices she loved to hear every other day, faded out, and she wasn’t sure if she really heard the door slam close or was it only her imagination playing feverish tricks on her.

But it was all quiet afterwards and she could hear her lungs protest with each heavy breath she took, as the air seemed to be too heavy and too moist for them.

The door opened with a soft sound of wood against wood, as it slid over the clean floor. The faint smell of herbs reached her dulled senses and she forced herself to open her eyes. Despite the tears that glazed her sight the very moment she did so, her dry lips tried to stretch in a smile.

“Hey…” Cloud placed the steaming medicine on the table, then kneeled next to the bed, fair brows knitting “I sent the kids to Elmyra. I didn’t think you would feel to good with the running around”

Tifa nodded ever so lightly, cheek grazing against the pillow and she winced, as the world spinning. Moving was baaad…

A cool hand pressed to her forehead and she sighed with relief, eyes that shone because of fever closing.

“You’re burning up again…” he frowned, sliding his fingers down her burning face.

“Kh..loud..” his name sounded foreign in her own ears and her mouth twitched with annoy at the sickness.

Strong, but surprisingly soft fingers brushed a few damp strands from her face.

“I’m not going anywhere” he reassured her in more ways than one, adjusting the quilt on her so not even an inch of heated skin was uncovered.

Heavy lids opened again, just in time to see the most gentle of smiles tug his lips upwards, and then they slid closed again.

Those fingers where gently stroking her cheek and for the first time in life Tifa thought that maybe being sick wasn’t all that bad.

“I’m going to be right here when you wake up…” his voice faded as she slipped into a feverish dream.

Not bad at all.