4Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Final Fantasy series including FFVII.
AN: *cough cough* I know this isn't a korrasami fanfic but if you couldn't guess, I just finished the Final Fantasy VII Remake recently and my heart has been blessed! Cloud and Tifa are my otp for this game so I am dying!
Zack x Aerith too ;m;
Ch 1: Seventh Heaven's Miracle
"Come on man! Let's go to Seventh Heaven's together Cloud, you really gotta lighten up man!" His friend excitedly says before slapping his back, "I betcha there's a ton of hot babes at the club."
Cloud jolted from the impact before sighing as he continued sharpening his chef's knife, "I've told you before Zack, bars and clubs aren't my thing."
Zack ignores that he practically almost made Cloud cut himself. "Don't be such a downer man, come on! At least keep me company! Exams are right around the corner so now's the time to party!"
"Ugh…" his best friend has been pushing his buttons for the last hour or two and Cloud has finally had enough. He just wanted to sharpen all his knives in peace but that's obviously not happening so he regretfully says, "Fine."
With a victorious grin Zack practically exclaims, "Yes atta boy! Now come on, let's get you changed so we can go now!"
Cloud deadpanned, "Say what."
"Yup, you heard right! We're going tonight! I got a good feeling that we're gonna score big time."
"..."
Grumbling, Cloud immediately regretted his choice. Especially more so when he took a step into Seventh Heaven. Seventh Heaven was one of the most popular bars out there that turned into a club on the weekends. All the college students knew about it. It was the go to hang out spot where everyone hooked up and this was apparently where Cloud was going to be spending his Saturday night at. Sighing yet again, he rubbed his temples before being dragged over to the bar.
"Come on, you need a drink asap Cloud. You gotta loosen up and lose the frown! Chicks aren't going to come up to us if you're all brutey all the time."
A brow twitched. "I'm always like this."
"Not tonight you aren't. You're gonna be my right hand man cause together, we're the best babe magnets you can find on the block!"
Cloud groans to himself before getting a drink shoved into his hand.
"Bottoms up my friend!"
Zack drank the shot like a champion and quickly ordered another while Cloud regretted everything. He stared at the bronze liquid before taking the shot. Slamming down the shot glass a little harder than necessary, he sighs yet again but this time from the loud booming music that was practically shaking his brains. They ended up chatting some more before they were a few shots in when Zack leaned cooly against the counter.
"Alright step one, drinks. Check. Step two, recon."
Cloud raised a brow. "Recon?"
"Reconnaissance for babes obviously duh, now..." he wrapped his arm around Cloud's neck, "let me know when you see someone your type okay? I'm not the only one who could use a lady friend."
"..."
As Zack scanned the club, he blinked. "Wait who's your type again? I know you told me before but it's been a while so give me a quick rundown."
"... I'm not telling you."
"What why? Don't be like that!"
"No. Who knows what you'd do. Besides, I'm not interested."
"Seriously? Don't tell me you're still in love with that childhood friend of yours? I'm pretty sure you said that you haven't seen her in like what? Five years. You said it yourself, who knows if she even remembers you now."
"..."
Cloud pushed away from the counter.
"Wha- wait where are you going?! Don't leave me alone! Cloud? Cloud. Cloud!" Zack rubs the back of his head as he watches his friend walk away far into the crowd. "What a shame, here I thought we could double team or something." Taking a breather with an optimist smile, Zack cracked his hands before looking into the crowd. "Now let's see…"
…
"Tifa… earth to Tifa! Are you listening to me?" Her friend practically shouts into her ear while waving a hand in front of her face.
"Huh? Sorry what did you say Aerith?"
She rests both her hands on her hips before giving Tifa a look, "I saidddd, are you even trying to look for any guys? I know you still have that crush on that childhood friend of yours but you said it's been five years since you've seen him! You gotta move on!"
Tifa sighs as she swirls the drink in her glass, "Aerith… I said I'd keep you company so you won't get kidnapped or anything but I never said anything about hooking up with someone."
Aerith pouted, "Then don't be such a downer girl, at least try to loosen up. Exams are right around the corner and you won't have fun any time soon."
Sighing to herself, Tifa shifted in her place. "Yeah, I guess. You're right. Guess we should have some fun one last time before the dark times start."
"There we go!" She slapped Tifa's ass making her friend immediately snap her eyes open out of shock.
"Hey what was that for?"
She quickly grabbed Tifa's arm in a clingy manner, "Oh come on! You know the drill," she wiggles her eyebrows "we've been dating for three years now and today is our girls day out." With that she gave Tifa a wink before teasingly saying, "Right honey?"
Tifa smiles as she rolls her eyes, "Right the sos call."
Aerith gasps dramatically, "Whatever are you saying my love?" She batted her eyes at Tifa.
"Okay okay, I get it! Come on let's go already."
Giggling, Aerith led them over to the dance floor. However, she immediately noticed Tifa wasn't into it the moment she tried tugging her arm away. "Aww come on let's dance!"
"Aerith you know I don't like dancing!"
"I know I know but come on, I got a good feeling tonight! At least humor me?" She gave her best friend the biggest puppy eyes she could make.
Tifa flinched.
Aerith's eyes were her weakness and were a very effective way of getting what she wanted. Those eyes are also the reason why she has had to run from the Midgar policemen once upon a time or two. Otherwise, she'd be in another pinch that required running away or chasing after someone. Yay fun times right?
"..." Tifa's lips thinned out as she tried staying strong.
At that, Aerith finished her off by clasping her hands together and puckered her lips. Tifa was always a sucker for those. It didn't help that she was also wearing a white dress that made her look like her cat. A few seconds pass before she lets out a breath of defeat.
"Fine. But, we're staying off to the side. I don't want us getting cornered by horrendous guys left and right."
"Yes!" In victory, she continued dragging her friend onto the dance floor, "With you at my arm, we're the hottest pair around!"
Tifa rolls her eyes before they settle off to the side. "Just try to keep your boobs in your dress. I know how you love your crazy moves."
"Oookay dear!" Aerith shouted teasingly, "Come on! Follow my lead!" She starts swaying her hips to the beat of the music. "It's time to partayyy!"
Smiling at her friend's energy, Tifa began to randomly dance alongside her best friend. All jokes aside, she was honestly having fun. It's been awhile since they've both had time to unwind and relax. When they were back at their dorm, ironically enough neither of them could feel at home. They'd always somehow get dragged along by another classmate for whatever reason or the usual bombardment of homework. Sadly, their dorm room was never quiet enough for either of their likings so why not just do the opposite and go all out at a club right? At least, that's what Tifa convinced herself but mostly had the alcohol she drank to thank for that.
…
Bobbing his head to the beat of the music, Zack had a confident grin as he walked down the dance floor. He was checking out his competition and any suitable babes. Whistling to himself, he eventually whispers:
"Looks like the competition ain't much…" he looks left then right, "as for the ladies…" his grin only widened.
Dancing to the beat, he made his way through the crowd looking for any two candidates he could possibly hook up with alongside Cloud. Despite being all gung ho about looking for some ladies, he was actually quite a simple man. Tonight, his goal was a pair of two who were chill to talk to and if they looked hot, then that was just a bonus. He doesn't actually expect to find "girlfriend" material here. Clubs obviously weren't the place for that.
"Hey hot stuff? You alone tonight?"
Zack perked up before turning to see an attractive woman strut her stuff in front of him.
"..."
She was obviously trying to get laid judging from her manners as she leaned forward, pushing up her chest with her arms.
But being the friendly guy he was, Zack smiled warmly. "Hey back, I'm with a friend tonight."
"Ooh," she ran her finger down his arm, "why don't we all split and have some fun together." She quickly got real up close and personal with him. "If you know what I mean cutie."
A brow twitched, sure he was looking for a hookup but not exactly that way. He had more class than that, "I appreciate the offer but I think we're good miss."
"Oh don't be like that! I don't bite," she ran her finger along Zack's chest, "I'm sure we can all have a good time together."
Oh geez. I guess I'll resort to that. Making a charming smile, Zack took a step back. "Sorry if it looks like I'm not being clear enough. I think me and my boyfriend are good tonight. We can have a good time ourselves."
She deadpanned with a shocked face. "Oh… you swing that way. What a shame, you're such a cutie too." With that, she strutted back into the crowd while swaying her hips.
Once she was out of sight, Zack let out a sigh. "Thank god she wasn't that persistent, god Cloud will kill me if he knew. He hates when I pull that card so let's hope he never finds out…"
He scanned the crowd again, "Now, where was I… hmm, looks like everyone's already hooked or alone. I just need a pair of two…" his eyes made it over to the end of the crowd, "oh?"
He spotted a pair of two beautiful women who looked around his age. Then both had long hair but of them was a brunette while the other had a nice sheen of black hair. The brunette seemed to be on the beautiful side of the spectrum, angelic even, while the black haired gal looked pretty hot yet kinda cute. But, judging from the way they were dancing, they seemed pretty close. For a split second, the thought of them being a couple crossed Zack's mind but he ignored it and went with his gut feeling.
Making his way over, Zack walked up to them and made eye contact with the brunette. "Heya, the name's Zack and I think I gotta give god a call."
The brunette gave him a quizzical face as the black haired woman gave him a cautious glare.
Zack made a phone with his hand and brought it to his face. "Hello? Dear sir god, I think you're missing some of your angels, I found two of them." He made a handsome grin and gave them a wink.
The brunette immediately started giggling while the black haired woman rolled her eyes. The brunette nugged her friend's arm and practically wiped a tear from her eye before saying:
"That was corny," she gave him an eye to toe scan, "Zack."
Smiling, he bowed slightly. "Only my finest for you, miss…?"
The brunette smiled back, "Aerith. My name's Aerith."
"Aerith…" his eyes narrowed in amazement, "a name fit for an angel."
Aerith giggles again with a tint of pink on her cheeks. Zack found himself smiling again for some reason. Something about Aerith's smile seemed contagious and that made his heart beat quicker and he was happy to be alive. But, quickly regaining his composure he remembered her friend and looked to Aerith's left.
"And your friend is…?"
She happily chimed in, "My one and only best friend, Tifa."
Giving them both a nod, "Pleasure to make your acquaintances. How about it, you two up for a drink? First ones on me."
Aerith looked over at Tifa and gave her a look. A few seconds pass as if they were having a silent conversation but, thankfully for Zack, it didn't take too long for a response.
"Sure! Second round will be on me!"
"Cool," Zack gave Aerith a happy grin, "Oh, by the way do you mind if I bring a friend over? He's just brutting alone somewhere."
Aerith smiled thinking that was deja vu before giving Tifa a look. Tifa looked at her before looking over at Zack and then back at her. She shrugs, showing a passive opinion of approval.
"Alright then that settles it! Sure, we don't mind."
"Great. Just get whatever you want and let the bartender know it's on Zack Fair, I'll be back in a jiff okay ladies?"
"Okay, we'll meet you there then."
With a wave, Zack disappeared into the crowd in search of his partner in crime leaving the two ladies behind. When he was just out of sight, Aerith practically jumped onto Tifa.
"See I told you tonight's a good night! One of the hottest guys I've seen in the club so far just hit on us!"
Tifa rolls her eyes, "Good for you at least."
They started making their way over to the bar, "Hey he said has a friend, I'm sure any friend of his is bound to be another stud."
Dismissively swatting at her friend, Tifa quickly gave a guy who was going them lecherous eyes the death glare. "Come on, you know it's impossible to find a hot guy that has a good personality. They're a scam. I bet you there's something up with him.".
Aerith put together her hands behind her back as she leaned forward to look her friend in the eyes, "I don't know… there's something about his eyes that gives me this…. feeling."
Tifa rose a brow, "A feeling?"
"Yeah, I don't know how to explain it but I have this feeling that we'll get along pretty well."
Her friend let out a tired breath, "Well do whatever you want, I'll keep an eye on him so nothing fishy happens."
Giggling, Aerith gave Tifa a soft smile. "Thanks! I know I can always count on you!"
Tifa smiled back, "Of course."
…
Leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, Cloud just finished shrugging off another group of girls that came up to him. Everyone that has come up to him has been trying to get in his pants for the past several minutes which felt like hours to him. Stretching his neck left and right, he sighed. He could've finished sharpening all his knives by now. Cooking was a hobby he picked up after rooming with Zack. Who would've figured that getting food poisoned by your roommate's cooking would turn you into a decent chef who liked knives?
He shifted the leg he was leaning against before letting out another breath and mumbled to himself. "This sucks."
Closing his eyes, he tried tuning out the banging music before eventually hearing a familiar voice. Cracking an eye up, he saw Zack closing in on him with a huge grin.
"Cloud! You won't believe it I just scored big time!"
He hummed before entertaining his friend, "Did you now."
"You better believe it! I just ran into this angel and she has a friend! Come on," he grabbed Cloud by his arm, "Let's go!"
Grunting, Cloud took his arm back. "And why should I follow you?"
They stopped in place, "Oh come on, you're already here so stop being such a downer. Weren't you gonna be my wingman?
"I never said I would."
Zack huffed, "Well you might as well be! At least keep my angel's friend company while I make my move? I can't take them two v one."
Letting out a deep sigh, Cloud rubbed his temples. "Fine."
With a grin, he pulled Cloud in a friendly choke hold. "That's the spirit! Let's go win some babes' hearts!"
"... yay just my luck."
The two of them swiftly made it through the club and before long, the bar was in sight.
"Oh I see them!" Zack pointed out the two gals with long hair at the end of the bar. "Keep her friend with the black hair busy while I work my magic."
Cloud looked at the counter and saw the two he assumed his friend was talking about. There was a brunette on the left while the woman with the black hair was sitting the furthest from them on the right. "Yeah yeah, I got it…"
They walked up to the two and Zack tilted his head into Aerith's space, "Hey there, I'm back."
Aerith perked up with a smile, "Welcome back, you find your friend?"
Zack pushed Cloud forward, "Yup!"
"..." he glared at Zack before rubbing his neck, "Name's Cloud, nice to meet you."
Clasping her hands together, he bowed slightly."Aerith, nice to meet you Cloud."
Her friend perked up upon hearing that name, "Cloud?" She turned around and made eye contact with him.
Cloud was spacing out until he made eye contact with Aerith's friend. His face practically lit up in surprise, "T-Tifa?"
Tifa immediately had a bright smile on her face as she got out of her seat, "Cloud it is you!"
Both Aerith and Zack exclaimed in unison.
"What? You two know each other!?"
"What? You two know each other!?"
They both ignored them and focused on each other as Tifa continued in a sincere voice, "It's been a long time, how have you been? We've lost contact since you moved out of Nibelheim…"
"Sorry, I just…" Cloud looked off to the side.
With a concerned face, Tifa quickly interjected her own question. "What have you been up to recently? Do you live nearby? You don't plan on moving soon do you?"
Cloud smiled softly, "Don't worry I'll be around for a while."
Zack and Aerith gave each at look before smugly looking at their best friends, "Hello, earth to my friend! You want to add us to this conversation."
"Huh?" Tifa turned around with a slight smile on her face, "Oh right sorry…" her cheeks brightened as she went back to her seat.
Once she was seated Aerith gave her an eyebrow wiggle before getting close to her ear to whisper. "Is that your childhood crush?"
Tifa's lips thinned out as she blushed even more, "N-No!"
Now Aerith had a smug smirk, "He's pretty cute."
"No he's not!"
"Look at you," she nudged her shoulder, "what a catch!" She started giggling as Tifa smacked her shoulder. Her victory was still great even after Tifa mouthed a threat, You better not!
Meanwhile as those two conversed, Zack pulled Cloud into a huddle. He had a smug grin as he whispered in his friend's ear. "So that's your childhood babe huh? You should've told me she was quite a looker," he says while topping it off with an eyebrow wiggle.
Cloud shrugged him off, "Ugh… shut it."
That's when Zack lit up like a light bulb. "Oh I got it!" He got up making Cloud give him a look of distrust.
"What are you doing…"
"Helping you out."
"What—"
"Hey Aerith! Why don't we switch seats so that Cloud and Tifa can catch up?"
Cloud's mouth dropped, "Don—"
Aerith happily responded before he could finish his word, "Sounds perfect!" She immediately got up and smacked her friend's shoulder and winked at her before mouthing, Good luck!
Tifa had a shocked expression as she angrily whispered, "Aerith!"
They all reshuffled and Cloud bashfully sat next to Tifa. Aerith stepped around him and went over to his left, sitting down with Zack on her left. They both looked at each other before looking at their best friends and then back at one another. With a pleased look on both their faces, they fist bumped each other.
"..."
"..."
Cloud and Tifa awkwardly looked at each other.
"So—"
"So—"
"No you go first—"
"No you go first—"
"Ladies first—"
"Please I insist—"
"..."
"..."
Both Zack and Aerith couldn't keep a straight face any more and started laughing out loud. They kept on laughing, making the two give them a death glare.
"You're gonna regret this."
"You're gonna regret that later."
Cloud and Tifa looked at each other before feeling embarrassed and looked away with a smile on their faces. Meanwhile, Aerith and Zack were having the time of their lives watching their best friends struggle before Zack downed a glass of beer. Deciding not to bug his best mate anymore, he refocused his attention to Aerith.
"So, what do you do for a living?"
Cloud's brow twitches before he gives up and gives Tifa his attention. As he did so, Aerith giggles as she plays with her cocktail, "Tifa and I have been friends since high school and we're actually both attending the University of Midgar. She's a freshman and I'm a junior."
Tifa's pout left with a sigh before she rubbed the rim to her glass. She figured they had enough of teasing them so she gave her attention back to Cloud.
"Hmm," Zack set his elbow on the counter while resting his cheek on his palm. "What a coincidence, Cloud and I pretty much became friends sometime in high school too. Ah, we're both students at Shinra Academy by the way. Cloud's a sophomore and I'm a senior."
"Ohhh…" Aerith's interest peaked, "So you're older than me huh?"
Zack gave her a grin, "I guess so."
They both smiled at each other.
Restating his comment, Aerith says, "Shinra Academy huh?"
"Yup." Zack popped his "p" on purpose.
Aerith took a sip of her drink, "Sooo, would that mean you're a sporty boy? You know, since Shinra Academy is known for its amazing sport programs."
Zack blinked before chuckling, "Yeah. Yeah I am a sporty boy. We're actually both on the kendo team and not to brag or anything but I'm the vice captain."
"Wowwww, look at you! But only vice though?"
"Hahahaha, yeah. I'm only the vice captain but hey, fortunately for my team, we have the star of our generation, the great Sephiroth!"
"Sephiroth? Isn't he like the great 'war hero' or whatever that means. I've heard about him on the news before."
Zack laughed before looking up to the corner to think, "Aah yeah… that was actually supposed to be a joke. Within our team, we'd always call him the war hero since he's basically a one man army. I guess it got leaked to the media somehow but that's what his nickname became."
"Oh really?" Giggling, Aerith tilted her head to the side. "Well enough about that, I wanna get to know you more. Tell me about yourself, where were you born? Birthday? Why are your eyes so blue?"
With a bright smile, Zack happily answers. "You wanna know about good old me? Heh, I'm an eighty-four baby from Gongaga! As for my eyes," he leans forward into Aerith's space so she could get a clear look of his eyes. "These ocean blues are my mom's gift."
There was a moment of silence as if a spark ignited. They were both absorbed into each other's eyes and only after a moment passes, Zack speaks up.
"How about you? Where did this angel descend from?"
For some reason, Aerith had a smile plastered on her face as she shakes her head slightly, "Just a plain old Migdar baby. February seventh of eighty-five to be exact."
Zack chuckled, "Then what are you into? You look like a city gal but not the usual kind."
Faking an offended look, Aerith raised a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Quickly raising his hands up, "Oh no! I mean no harm or anything, it's just you have this pure and light aura… I'm not sure how to put it but you make me feel cosy for some reason."
She rubbed her glass while laughing slightly, "I'm just kidding but thank you, that was sweet. But hmm," she stretched her arms out forward, "I'm studying to become a nurse. I love helping others and other than that, I love planting flowers too."
"Hmm…"
"What the 'hmm' for hmm? Unimpressed? Well what about you then mister vice prez!"
"No no no, I was just thinking about how perfect we are. You got tooks of an angel, dreams of an angel, and hobbies of a saint! You can totally help the people while I protect them! After all," he pumped his chest up out of pride while pointing at himself, "You're looking at one of Midgar's future finest detectives!"
"Detective?"
"Yup! I'm about to get my master's in criminal justice."
"Your masters? Wow that's impressive."
"Yup, you see, ever since I was little I've always dreamt about helping and protecting people! Since Gongaga was kind of in the middle of nowhere, there'd always be more danger so I always wanted to get stronger. I just want to protect what's important to me and even…"
Zack and Aerith easily talked about their passions and hobbies. They clicked just like that and neither of them had to worry about losing a topic to talk about. It was as if they knew each other in their past lives and had much to catch up on. Compared to them, Cloud and Tifa were taking it… slow.
"..."
"..."
Tifa's eyes narrowed as she finished her drink, "Have you… you know, visited Nibelheim recently?"
Cloud didn't answer and took a sip of his drink.
"I have…" she continues slowly, "it's really strange you know. The town really looks the exact same before the fire happened but I don't know… I just… it doesn't feel like home anymore." She twiddled her fingers together, "Ever since you left, things were pretty much the same. Life carried on but when the fire happened, things just got…"
"Chaotic."
Tifa glanced over at Cloud and he had the same look she's seen before, the same look she's seen in her mirror countless times. She smiles sadly before swinging her legs slightly. "Yeah, chaotic."
"..."
"..."
Staring at her reflection in the drink, Tifa gripped the glass tighter before turning around to look Cloud in the eyes. "Are you… are you doing okay?"
"I know the last time we saw each other a long time ago but you seem… different. More…" she paused to think carefully, "more aloof?"
Cloud took another sip of his drink. "A lot of things… happened." He wanted to leave it at that but after seeing the worried look Tifa had, he continued. "It's a long story but… to sum it up, I'm okay."
At that Tifa smiled since she wasn't shut out completely. "And I have a lot of free time… I would love to catch up with you. What have you been doing recently? Any fun news or stories?"
"..." he took another sip before glancing at her, "I'm studying criminal justice. I should be joining the police force in about three years or so if everything goes well. Shinra has a good enrollment rate after all."
Tifa's face lit up in excitement, "That's amazing! So your dream is finally about to come true huh? Who would've thought the little boy I knew would grow up to become an officer, enforcer of justice!"
Cloud mumbled to himself, "Not quite…" I just wanted to protect you.
"Hm? What'd you say?" With a smile, Tifa got up close to Cloud's face.
Blinking from their sudden closeness, Cloud had a stiff expression which made Tifa laugh for some reason. Being irked by her reaction, Cloud quickly shook it off before asking back.
"What about you? What have you been up to?"
After her laughter settles down, Tifa smiles as she comfortably grabs her elbows while leaning against the counter.
"Well, I'm actually studying child care. For some reason, I just find helping kids to be relaxing and rewarding… especially after the fire. Something about watching over them comforts me… I just want to protect their childhood and innocence you know? Since ours was kind of taken away from us in a way I just wanted to…"
Cloud smiled softly, "Yeah. I get you."
"..."
"..."
Ignoring the club's music and Zack and Aerith's exchange, there was a comfortable silence between them. Just sitting next to each other like the good old times. It had a calming effect and the both of them needed this. A moment where they didn't have to explain their pains. They knew they each had their stories and scars but that was for another day. Just sitting next to each was all they needed at this moment. After a while, Cloud found some confidence within himself and broke the silence first.
"Hey, Tifa… I… there are a lot of things I want to talk to you about." He shook his head slightly, "But now that we're together like this, I don't know what I really wanted to say. I guess it's just been so long but I guess nothing's changed at all… kind of makes you want to laugh…"
Tifa smiles before shaking her head, "Cloud… words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking…"
They both looked at each other. It felt as if years of pent up emotions and worries melted away. Like their frozen heart's were thawing for the spring. For some reason, they felt stronger… they felt better as if everything was going to be…
Everything's gonna be okay.
Everything's gonna be okay.
With a soft smile, Cloud looks into Tifa's eyes and says, "I guess you're right."
AN: Side note, I was planning to make this a one shot but decided to write two more chaps! Hint hint, they're going on dates~
P.S. for those who have been leaving kind comments ;m; thank you! They mean a lot and brings a smile :'DDD
