Title: Words

Characters: Cloud, Tifa, Barret

Setting: During the conversation between the three just before Cloud falls into Aerith’s church.

A/N: As you can tell, this collection marks my progress in the game. Or my progress in watching the walk-through of the game. Eventually, I think I’ll start writing actual stories instead of character shots.

And bah, I’m not very happy with this right now.

Excerpt: He has been slipping through her fingers ever since she’d met him.

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“I have so much I want to tell you.” Tifa watches him worriedly. She’s only just found him again, she can’t lose him like this, not yet. Not now.

She carefully teeters on the edge of the bridge. If she could, she’d snatch his arm, the cuffs of his shirt, anything that would keep him from falling down that precipice.

Though, that probably wouldn’t be enough. He’s been slipping through her fingers ever since she’s met him.

(She knows that she’ll try to grab him anyway, that this part of her that wants to save the last piece of her home won’t let her not, and she shifts her stance a little.)

-x-

“I know.” Cloud expected her words, for some reason. It was the way she had looked at him recently, those unworded questions in her eyes, in the puffs of air she breathed out. They waited to be formed and she seemed to be hesitant to start.

He isn’t entirely sure if he wants to know or why he’s concerned over her safety. Perhaps it is because she’s a female, someone who needs to be protected. He remembers that promise made on a starry night and thinks maybe this is his way of saving her.

He asks for Barret to keep Tifa safe and wonders if he is doing this out of guilt or the memory of a childhood crush.

(Those feelings he recalls were real enough back then and if he tries, he can bring them back with him, have them colour his words and thoughts. After a while, they slip easily into place, a key in a lock, and he isn’t sure if he’s acting anymore.)

-x-

Barret watches the scene. “…Alright. Sorry about this.” He still cannot find it in him to like the young man, still sees him as the group he used to represent. But he might die helping AVALANCHE, and for that Barret will fulfill this request.

It follows his own anyways, keeping this girl that means the world to his daughter safe.

And when Cloud falls and Tifa lunges after him, he holds her back. She’ll be a little angry at him, thinking she might have saved her friend. She’ll be a little sad too, thinking of this as another personal loss.

He still keeps her locked up in her arms, away from the crumbling edge.

She is something they all want to keep safe.

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