Name: ____
Age: 19
Hair Color: brown
Eye Color: blue/green
Family: ocicat-- Alpha
You check the basket of lilies you're carrying, then smile a little and look down at Alpha. "Shall we start our work for the day, Alpha?" Alpha lets out a short meow, then jumps into your basket and takes one of the lilies into his mouth. You watch him spring from the basket and run into the crowd with his long, powerful legs, then frown as you see a little girl just inside an alley, crying. 'Oh... It's another one...' You'd seen a lot of orphans lately. You walk over to her and squat down to her level. She looks up at you quickly and shrinks back. You smile at her, then take one of the lilies and hand it to her. "Here." She takes it hesitantly, then pulls some gil from her pocket and tries to hand it to you. You smile and close her fingers over the money, shaking your head. "No. It's a gift." She tilts her head, then smiles and throws her arms around your neck. You chuckle softly and pat her on the back, then stand up straight. "I have to be going now. You be careful," you warn, patting her on the head, then turn and start walking down the street again. Alpha springs into your basket again, grabs another lily, then disappears once again into the crowd. You walk up to the church and sigh, holding a hand to your chest, then walk inside. You look around the ruined church and sigh again, then walk up to where the alter once stood tall and proud. "Aerith, I miss you. Why did Sephiroth have to take you away?" A tear courses down your cheek. You take a few steps forward, then collapse and cover your face, crying softly. Alpha walks up beside you, then rubs his head against your arm lovingly, mewing. You sniff and wipe away your tears, then smile down at him weakly. "I'm okay, Alpha. Really." He mews again. You sniff again, then grab your basket of lilies and stand up, dusting your skirt off. "Hope Sephiroth burns in hell for what he's done-" you murmur, then turn and come face to chest with someone. You stare at the chest in front of you, then slowly look up to find a guy with blond, spiky hair and blue eyes glaring at you. You take a step back quickly, trip over Alpha, then land on your butt. You wince and groan, then close your eyes tightly and cover your chest instinctively as you hear him take a step toward you. "Please don't kill me!" He grabs one of your hands and yanks you to your feet, then coldly asks, "Did you get those here?" You hesitate, then look up at him in confusion. "What? ...T-the lilies? No! I'd never take those! I got them from my garden! Please, you're hurting me!" He glares at you for a few more seconds, then releases you. You take a few steps back quickly. "What are you doing here?" "I... I was just..." Tears come to your eyes. "I was... I'm so sorry!" You sprint past him to the doors of the church and run back out to the streets of Midgar, crying. A few minutes later, you realize you left your basket there. You stop running and frown, then wipe your tears away and sigh quietly. 'I... need to go back and get it. ...I can handle this guy. Just gotta... stick up for myself this time.' You clasp your hands behind your back and turn to start walking back to the church. 'I'm just fooling myself. There's no way in hell I can stand up to a guy like that.' You walk up to the church and frown, then sigh and walk inside, keeping your eyes on the ground. Alpha springs ahead of you toward the basket. You follow him, then gently pick up the basket and turn around. He springs into the basket and settles down on the thick stems of the lilies, purring. You walk toward the doors of the church again, not sure if you wanted to know whether the scary blond guy was still there or not. Alpha suddenly gets to his feet and takes a lily in his mouth. You watch him jump away, then smile a little and shake your head. 'Oh, Alpha.' You walk out of the church and tuck your hair behind your ear. 'And now... I need to go find Yuffie...' You only walk a few more blocks, however, before the raven-haired, brown-eyed ninja pops up beside you. "Hey, ____. I was wondering where I'd find you this time!" she exclaims, smiling at you. You smile back at her, a little surprised, then answer, "Do you always have to pop up out of nowhere?" "No. ...It's just easier than you finding me." You giggle and nod slightly. "You would know that, wouldn't you? ...Oh! I forgot, here!" you state quickly, holding out the basket of lilies. Yuffie raises an eyebrow, then smiles. "Well you and Alpha certainly had a lot of sad looking people, didn't you?" "Hey, I only gave away one! He gave away like... about... well, more than me!" you exclaim, frowning. She tilts her head, blinking, then rolls her eyes. "Oh, ____... Well, ____, here's the basket from last week, I'll bring you this one next week," she states, then reaches for the basket. She gasps as she suddenly catches sight of your arm, then grabs it quickly but gently. "Oh, ____, your arm! What happened? Did someone try to hurt you?" You look down at your arm as well, then blush lightly as you find your upper arm and your wrist bruising up. You look down at your feet and sigh. "I... went to the church, and... this guy got angry because he thought I got my lilies there..." Yuffie frowns, then scowls a little. "Did he have spiky blond hair?" You tilt your head, then nod a little. "Yes, he did." "Ugh! Cloud!" she exclaims, glaring in the direction of the church. You blink, then gasp and hold a finger up. "The one Aerith always told me about in her letters? The one she obviously had feelings for but never out-right told me even though she knew that I'm totally oblivious to that stuff?" "...Yeah. That one." You tilt your head again and put a finger to your chin in thought. "Well no wonder he got so upset. Does he always visit Aerith's church?" "...He sleeps there," she states, then puts a hand on her hip. "I can go beat him up if you want me to, ____." "No! No, no, no!" you answer, waving your hands and smiling like ^-^'. "It's fine! ...Just... don't talk to him about me! Forget I said anything, 'kay? ...I... got these bruises from some monster!" She frowns at you, then groans and rolls her eyes. "Fine..." You smile at her and clasp your hands behind your back. "Thanks, Yuffie, you're the best! I've got to go if I'm going to make it home before dark. I'll see you next week!" you state, then turn and start running toward your house. Yuffie waves at you. "See ya, ____!" Alpha springs into your basket so he doesn't have to run the whole way. You scowl down at him. "You lazy bum!"
Yuffie's POV::: You look down at the basket of lilies that ____ had given you, then scowl and start running toward Aerith's church. 'I'm a bloody liar. Sorry, ____, but I have to do something.' You run into Aerith's church and look around, then scowl as you see Cloud kneeling next to the lilies growing on the floor and walk up behind him silently. You reach a hand back and move to punch him, but he stands up quickly and spins toward you, grabbing your wrist. You glare at him for a few seconds, until he asks, "What do you want?" You rip your wrist out of his grip, then point in his face angrily. "Tell me what she did to deserve you scaring the shit out of her, Cloud! She's a sweet, nave girl! What did she do?!" Cloud raises an eyebrow, then asks, "What the hell are you talking about?" "____! You hurt ____! She just came to the church like she does every week and this time you hurt her! How could you do that to Aerith's cousin, Cloud?!" He frowns. "Aerith's... cousin?" "Yeah, that adorable little idiot that came in here with the lilies!" you exclaim, glaring at him. Okay, so calling her an adorable little idiot may not have been your best compliment, but ____ admitted it! ...Well, not the adorable part, but she admitted she was short and kind of slow on some subjects. "That was Aerith's cousin?" he asks, raising an eyebrow again. You make a fist and scowl. "Don't say that as if it's impossible! And you're lucky you didn't do anything to her other than grab her, or I'd be wailing on you right now!"
o.0
You pet Alpha and sigh, then look toward the shed, where your prized motorcycle was. "I really wanna go for a ride, Alpha. Oh, why do you have to be such a... such a... Well, such a scaredy cat!" you exclaim, frowning at him. He hisses in the direction of the shed, then goes back to purring in your lap. You can't help but smile at him. "Oh, Alpha..." You blink as you hear the roaring sound of engines, then look around, frowning in concern. "Who'd be coming out here?" You lived about five miles from the edge of the city of Midgar. The only person who ever really came to visit you was Yuffie, and... well, let's face it. She usually had better things to do. You stand up, causing Alpha to jump from your lap in alarm, then reach toward the holster on your right hip, wondering if you'd have to use your hand guns and really hoping that you wouldn't. You gasp as three motorcycles suddenly skid into your yard, then catch Alpha as he tries to run up your leg and quickly pull him to your chest. You stare at the three motorcyclists with silver hair and cat-green eyes, nervous, then take a step back as one of them gets off his bike and walks toward you. He walks up to you quickly and grabs your arm. "Where's Mother?" Your eyes widen slightly. 'Mother? Who-?' "I don't know what you're talking about," you answer, trying to pull away from him. He growls softly and refuses to let go of you. "Yes you do! Tell us where Mother is!" Alpha hisses and scratches the guy's hand, making him yelp and let go of you. You turn quickly and start sprinting away, dropping Alpha on the ground so he can save himself. You wince slightly as you hear the motorcycles roaring behind you, then continue running. 'Holy shit! Agh, where's Yuffie when you need her?!' You shimmy up the large pine tree you were running toward, then look down at them, panting. One of the guys gets off his motorcycle and brings his hand back. You gasp as you see him start to punch the tree, then tighten your grip on the branch. He punches the tree. You feel a surge of energy go through the tree, then scream as the trunk cracks where he punched it and starts tipping. You hug the tree for a few seconds, then spring out of tree and roll on the ground a few feet before rolling to your feet and starting to sprint again. You hear the motorcycles start rumbling and roaring again and shiver, then turn and look over your shoulder in confusion as you hear the motors receding. '...They're... gone...?' You slow to a stop, then turn around and tilt your head. '...They're gone.' You walk back toward your house, tired from your sudden mile-long sprint. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty! Heeere, kitty, kitty, kitty!" You look around for Alpha and clasp your hands behind your back. "Alpha, kitty! Come here!" You hear a soft mew and turn to see Alpha's tail sticking out from under the porch. You walk toward the porch and sigh in reilef. "Hey, Alpha, thanks for scratching that guy for me." You reach under the porch and pull him out, then let out a high pitched shriek. He was missing an ear, and half of his face was scraped off. You carry him into the house quickly and put a towel to his face, trying to stop the blood. "Oh my God, Alpha, please don't die! Please don't die...!" you beg softly tears coursing down your cheeks.
"...He looks like shit, ____. I'm surprised he's still alive," Yuffie states, looking at Alpha carefully, then gently strokes his back. "Ya big tough guy, you scared us!" He mews softly, then rubs his one-eared head against your hand. You smile weakly. It had been seven months, and his fur had fully grown back. You rub his head gently, then sigh and look out the window at your still ruined garden. The three men, whom Yuffie had told you were named Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, had driven their motorcycles through your garden, destroying all of the lilies and leaving the garden trashed. "...So nothing's grown yet?" Yuffie asks softly. You shake your head, then turn and smile at her. "No. ...But something will soon, I know it," you whisper, but inside, you're crying. Nothing had grown for months. You felt... horrible. Like everything had been ripped away from you. Yuffie pats you on the shoulder and smiles. "You're right. Something will soon." You nod. "Well, I have to go. Cloud's been kind of moody lately, but we're bringing him around. ...And don't be afraid to come to the Seventh Heaven, okay?" You nod again. "Okay."
O,O
"I'll kill all fucking three of 'em!" you growl angrily, before kicking the speed of your motorcycle up. Yuffie had called you up and told you to get to Midgar as fast as you could, because Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo were there, using... children against them. Your eyes widen slightly as you see a huge monster flying toward you, before you stand up on the seat of your motorcycle, spring into the air, and watch as your motorcycle crashes into the monster. '...I'll fix that later.' You continue running for the center of the city. Yuffie runs up next to you and says, "I was wondering if you'd come." "Hah, and miss this? I'll kill them all," you answer, smirking. "I thought you would. Just don't hurt anyone who gets in the way," she states, then throws her giant shuriken. Your eyes widen slightly as you see some monsters going after the children, and they weren't running away, then quickly draw your guns and start shooting with deadly accuracy. The monsters turn their attentions on you. You glare at them and shout, "Bring it, bitches!" So they do. They all start either running or flying at you. You tense up and shiver slightly, then figure that if you die, it wouldn't be too bad. Yuffie would take care of Alpha, and you'd get to see your cousin again. You raise your guns once more and start pulling the triggers.
Cloud's POV::: You turn quickly as you start hearing more gunshots, then tilt your head slightly as you see the girl, Aerith's cousin, shooting down monsters like no one's business. She was being swarmed, though, and you knew she wouldn't be able to handle them all soon. 'She doesn't need to die like this.' You run toward her quickly, hoping that you get there in time.
Your POV::: You spin around and take out a few of the monsters coming up on you, then groan and spin again, suffering from a deep cut on your thigh. You let out a short shriek as you feel claws rip into your shoulder, then point your gun over your shoulder and shoot. "Get the fuck off me!" You hear something slice through the air next to you and turn quickly to see Cloud cutting down monsters left and right in an attempt to help you. You remind yourself to thank him if you live, then turn and start shooting again. A flash of silver catches your eye. You turn your head, then scowl as you see Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, and with the rest of your strength, aim one of your guns at Kadaj. You grunt in pain as a monster pounces on your back right as you pull the trigger. "Uhn!" You fall to the ground with the monster on top of you, your gun clattering out of your hand. '...Shit...' You try to look up, to see if you hit Kadaj, but have to give up and let out a loud groan as the monster sinks its teeth into the back of your neck. "Ahhh!" The monster is ripped off of you, luckily, but as you black out you can't help but wonder, 'Am I... going to die?'
O.O
You groan softly, then slowly open your eyes, a dull, throbbing pain at the back of your head. "Ouch..." You sit up, wincing, then rub the back of your neck. "Ouch!" You pull your hand back quickly and bite your bottom lip. Not only had you aggravated the wound the monster had given you, but the stitches there had scratched your fingers (you know, those really stiff stitches? those hurt if you touch 'em wrong!). You touch the wound again, then try to feel how far down the stitches go. "Three... Four... Five..." "Thirty-seven." You look up quickly in surprise, then hiss as this further hurts your neck. Cloud was leaning against the wall and looking out the window. You tilt your head, then look down at your lap and blush lightly. You blink as your long hair falls over your shoulders, then whisper to yourself, "Someone let my hair down." So saying, you start raking your fingers through your hair in an attempt to get the kinks and tangles out. "I can get a brush for you," Cloud states, turning his gaze from the window to you. You blush a bit more, then nod slightly. "Would you please?" He nods slightly and walks toward the door. "I'll be right back." You nod again, then turn your head slowly and look over your shoulder. You could see some stitches running up your shoulder from one of the monster's claws, too. You let a sigh escape your lips, then gently run your fingertips over the stitches, tears coming to your eyes. 'I'm such a lousy fighter... I should have just run when I had the chance, like Aerith always wanted me to...' Cloud walks back in and tosses a brush onto the bed, right in your lap. You blush lightly, then start running the brush through your long, brown hair. You wince as the brush gets toward the end of your hair and gets stuck in a knot, then scowl and start trying to untangle it. "Damn it..." You glare at your hair for a few seconds, then toss the covers off and turn so your feet are resting on the floor. Cloud frowns. "You shouldn't be getting up yet." "I can't brush my hair sitting down. It's too long." "Manage somehow then. You shouldn't be getting up." You scowl at him a little, then pull your hair over your shoulder and gently start brushing it. After getting the ends of your hair brushed to your satisfaction, you start brushing from the top. You bring the brush down to the hair at shoulder level, then wince as the brush catches a few or your stitches and pulls on them a little. 'Shit!' You whimper softly and try to pull the brush away, but one of the bristles on the brush was caught in a stitch. "Ouch...!" Cloud glances at you, then frowns a little and walks over to you, gently taking the brush from your hand. You bite your bottom lip and whimper again. He brushes your hair over your shoulder so it's not in the way anymore, then leans over and gently pulls the brush bristle from your stitch. You wince one last time, then softly state, "Thank you." "...Yeah..." he answers, then hands the brush back to you. You nod slightly. As he turns his back to you, you spot your boots. You reach for them and slip them on silently, then get to your feet. You start to lose your balance because your legs are a little too weak to handle the sudden weight, but you manage to save yourself by grabbing onto the bed. Cloud turns toward you quickly, then scowls. "I told you-" "I shouldn't be getting up yet, I know. ...But I have to move..." you whisper, blushing. "Why?" "It's... stuffy, in here... and it's really small..." He sighs in frustration. You hesitantly take another step toward the door, then yelp as Cloud picks you up bridal style. "Eek! W-What are you doing!" you exclaim, blushing again, and holding your hands to your chest. You really had no other idea of where to put them. "Taking you downstairs. If you keep walking, you're going to fall," he answers, not looking at you. You sigh and look away, feeling very embarrassed. As soon as he walks downstairs, you find yourself in a bar. 'This must be the Seventh Heaven...' You look around, curious, then gasp softly as you spot Yuffie, sitting at a table with some other people. You wave at her and exclaim, "Yuffie!" The somber looking ninja looks up at you quickly, before her face breaks into a grin. "____!" You try to put your feet on the ground, then hit Cloud's chest lightly and exclaim, "Put me down, put me down!" He growls in annoyance and sets you down. You stumble a few steps as Yuffie springs from her seat, before you both run into each other's arms. "Aw, man, ____! You've been out for three days! I was worried about you!" "I'm sorry, Yuffie." You lean back and flash a smile at her, then suddenly jerk your thumb over your shoulder, toward the door. "I'm gonna go home now, 'kay? I'll see ya 'round." You turn and start jogging toward the door. Yuffie frowns and, scratching her head, states, "You're not gonna make it home like that, ____." You look over your shoulder at her and blink, then nod. "Yeah, I know." So saying, you open the door, step outside, and close it behind you. You turn and start jogging toward your house, knowing you were probably going to collapse before you got there, but you really hated being inside the city of Midgar, unless you were at Aerith's church. '...Aerith's church is closer than my house... I can make it there,' you think, turning in the direction of her church. You walk inside the church and look around, then walk over to one of the pews, lay down, and curl up very small.
Cloud's POV::: You walk into Aerith's church and sigh, rubbing the back of your head. 'Crazy woman, running around when she's healing-' You turn your head quickly as you hear something clatter to the ground, then blink as you find ____ laying on a pew. You look down at her hand to see a gun held loosely, then raise an eyebrow. 'Well at least she's armed. It would be stupid to be sleeping here without it.' Sighing, you lean over her and shake her shoulder. She gasps and sits up, panting and pointing both of her guns in your face. You blink, then gently grab her wrists and push her arms down. She stares at you, still breathing hard, then whispers, "Sorry. I just... I'll go now..." She gets up and starts to walk away, but you quickly catch her wrist, knowing that if you didn't help her, Yuffie would get mad at you. ...And also knowing, that if you didn't help her, you'd hate yourself if anything happened to her. Maybe it was because she sometimes reminded you of Aerith, or maybe because her personality kept you guessing. She looks up at you in confusion. "C-Cloud?" You sigh, then softly state, "I'll drive you home. Just give me directions." "Oh, but... I... I couldn't ask you to do that, Cloud..." she whispers, starting to blush. You smile a little. She looked cute when she blushed. "Well you didn't ask me to, did you? I volunteered." She looks down in defeat, then nods slightly and looks back up at you. "Alright, but... it's a long way..." "I don't care." She winces slightly, then nods. "Okay." You grab her hand gently and lead her outside, where your motorcycle was waiting. You glance back at her, wondering about her long hair, then blink as you find it once again tied tightly with the pink weave to keep it out of her way. ____ blinks at you, then blushes and quickly wraps her hair around her arm. You raise an eyebrow, then roll your eyes and get on your motorcycle. She gets on behind you and hesitantly wraps her arms around your waist. "It... It's five miles outside the city, that way..." she says, pointing. You nod slightly and start your motorcycle. She squeaks and tightens her embrace on you, and you can't help but smile in content as she does.
Your POV::: You gasp as Cloud starts his motorcycle, then hug him tighter. 'I don't like this! Oh my gosh! I don't like this!' Cloud drives you to your house. "...____... We're here." You hug him for a few seconds longer, then slowly open your eyes to find that, indeed, you're home. You nod slightly. "Thank you, Cloud." He nods back, then watches as you get off the bike and start walking toward the door. You squeek softly as you start to fall, because your body just decided that you couldn't handle anymore stress do to moving, then shut your eyes tightly. 'Oh shit!' You gasp as you feel someone catch you and look up quickly to see Cloud's concerned blue eyes. You blush lightly. "You okay?" he asks in concern, eyes searching for... something in yours. What he was searching for, you weren't sure, but you didn't mind. "I'm fine. ...Sorry..." You look down, then shake your head slightly and try to stand up by yourself. Cloud releases you but stays nearby, in case you fall again. You take another try for your door, then groan and start to fall again. Cloud catches you again, then lifts you up. You blush and grab his shirt instinctively as he carries you up to your porch. "Is the door unlocked?" You nod and tighten your hold on his shirt slightly. "Yes." He opens the door and carries you inside, carefully shutting the door behind himself, then looks around your house and asks, "Where's your bedroom?" You point to the left and answer, "It's up those stairs." He nods slightly and carries you up to your room, then walks over to your bed and sets you down. You reach for your shoes but stop and wince as your stitches get caught on your shirt. "Ouch!" Cloud frowns, then sits down on the foot of your bed and starts untying your boots for you. You blush and wave your hand for him to stop quickly. "Oh, no! You don't have to do that!" "I'm not going to watch you hurt yourself further just to get your God forsaken boots off," he answers, gently untying your boots and loosening the laces. You sigh and put a hand over your mouth. '...I'm such a burden on him...' You watch him start pulling your boots off, then jump slightly as a soft voice, eerily like Aerith's, answers, You haven't asked him for anything. He wants to do this for you. You blush again and gasp softly. Cloud looks up at you in concern. You blush a bit more and smile bashfully. "Um... Sorry. My shirt's just pulling on my stitches." "Oh." You move your leg up and start to pull your sock down, but Cloud suddenly grabs your ankle and pulls your leg back. You squeek a little. "I-I can do that!" you exclaim, trying to stop him as he pulls your socks down. His eyes widen slightly as he sees all of the scars and fresh cuts on your legs, before he slowly turns his gaze toward your face. You blush again, then quickly look at anything but him. "What are these?" "T-they... they're, uh..." You bring your hands up to your chest and stumble over your words, not knowing what to tell him. "They're... from my kitty...?" you finish lamely, looking up at him hopefully. He scowls at you. "Nice try. What are these?" You wince, then slowly turn your gaze on your nightstand. Cloud follows your gaze, then stands up and walks toward it. You squeek and dive toward the nightstand, slamming the drawer closed as he tries to open it. "No!" He turns and gives you a stern glare, then shoves your hand away and pulls the drawer open. You bite your bottom lip as he starts rummaging through your messy drawer, knowing that he would eventually find what you desperately didn't want anyone to see. It takes him a few minutes, but he eventually holds a hand up and stares at it, and you see that it's because he found your well-used razor. You wince as he starts to turn his blue gaze back on you, then quickly flop down on your stomach and cover your head with a pillow, crying. Cloud sits down next to you and hesitantly places a hand on your back. You bite your bottom lip, then start babbling, answering his unasked question. "I just miss Aerith so much! I miss her so much and I didn't know what else to do! I didn't want to do it at first, but it made me feel better! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He looks at the razor in disgust, then throws it back in the drawer and slams it shut. You wince, then tighten your hold on the pillow and cry a little harder. 'I'm so stupid!' Cloud grabs your pillow and yanks it away from you, then grabs your unwounded shoulder and pulls you so you're facing him. You look up at him nervously. When you see he's still angry, you lunge forward and wrap your arms around his waist, crying into his chest. "I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me! I didn't know what else to do!" He sighs in frustration, then gently brushes your hair out of your face and tucks it behind you ear. You hesitate before looking up at him in confusion. He studies your tearstained face carefully, then lifts a hand and cups your cheek, wiping away your tears with his thumb. "You don't have to suffer alone," he states softly, then closes his eyes and leans down, softly placing his lips on yours. Your eyes widen slightly. He breaks the kiss, then manages a small smile. "Okay?" You touch your lips, blushing for the umpteenth time, then hide your face in his chest, embarrassed. He smiles a little more, then rests his head on top of yours and sighs.
O:
You sigh and stare at the last letter Aerith had sent you, which you hadn't opened. It was sent to your address, but it had Cloud's name on it in her tidy handwriting, which you could never hope to have. You trace the letters carefully, whispering his name. "Cloud Strife... Why'd you send this here...?" "Why'd I send what here?" you hear someone ask, startling you. You gasp and look up, then blush as you see Cloud leaning in the doorway. 'I can't believe I didn't hear him ride up!' He tilts his head slightly and raises an eyebrow. "____? You there?" You blush a little more, then stand up quickly. "No! I mean, yes! I mean-! ...Well, it's just that..." You sigh and look away from him. He takes a few steps toward you and grabs your chin, turning your head so you have to look up at him. He raises an eyebrow again. "What's wrong?" You look up at him for a few seconds, then sigh and grab his hand, gently pushing it away and looking down at the ground. In the last few months, Cloud had shared quite a few kisses with you, and... that just made you even more guilty... You hold the letter out to him, still looking away, and answer, "Aerith sent this to me, but it has your name on it, so I'm pretty sure it was intended for you. It was the last one she sent to me. ...I know I should have told you sooner, but-" "How long have you had this?" Cloud asks suddenly, cutting you off. You flinch at the sudden icy tone of his voice but refuse to look up at him. "Two years ago." You stare at the ground for a few minutes, then watch his feet as he suddenly spins around and stalks toward the door. When he gets there, his feet pause, then turn back toward you. You frown a little, then look up at his face to find him glaring at you with so much hatred you felt as if he could make you burst into flame any second. "You don't keep something like this from someone, ____! I don't give a damn what your reason is! You don't keep something like this from someone!" You wince as he slams the door shut, then look down at your feet as you hear his motorcycle start up and bite your bottom lip, gripping your hands into fists. Alpha mews and rubs against your fully healed legs, trying to comfort you. You force a smile at him, then turn and walk up to your room. You look around it for a few seconds, not sure what to do, then suddenly start ripping drawers out and looking through them like your life depends on it. You look through one of your junk drawers and finally smile grimly in satisfaction, holding up your shiny, sharp friend.
Cloud's POV::: You ride to Aerith's church, fuming, and try desperately not to think of ____, though it was kind of hard to do when you were cursing her in your head. 'Stupid, selfish, good-for-nothing-' You stop your motorcycle and look up at Aerith's church, then flip your motorcycle off and walk inside, growling softly. You sit on the pew closest to the alter, then rip open the letter. You smile slightly as you see her familiar, neat handwriting, though in the back of your mind you note that it was nothing like ____'s at all. What she's written, however, stuns you.
Dear Cloud,
If you're reading this, it means that I've died. I want you to know that I love you, and that you deserve the same love from someone else. And if you're reading this, it means that you've met my cousin, ____. She's sweet, but a little nave, so be careful not to hurt her feelings. Also, I don't know how she'll handle my death, so I want you to look after her. If you fall in love with someone again, Cloud, I want you to show you love them. Don't keep mourning for me, because it's not going to bring me back. I love you, and I'm only telling you this for your own good. And don't be mad at ____ if she didn't give this letter to you right away. She's probably forgotten all about it and just suddenly remembered. She does that a lot.
With all my love,
Aerith
You reread the letter a few times, then sit back on the pew, frowning. 'She knew...' You wince as a few images flash through your vision, then grip your head tightly, letting out a few soft whimpers of pain. ____'s smiling face. ____'s cut up legs. ____'s healed but still scarred legs. ____'s razor. You sit up straight, suddenly terrified, then sprint for your motorcycle. '____!'
D:
You stare down at the floor of the bath tub and sigh, watching the blood swirling into the water and tainting it a soft pink color. '...Maybe I overdid it this time...' you think, glancing at your legs, which had suffered three times as many cuts as you'd ever inflicted upon them. You sigh softly. 'I don't feel like cleaning these or bandaging them... Maybe I'll just die this time...' You close your eyes and sigh again, then whimper softly as the tears you'd been trying to hold back since Cloud had left break through your barrier and leak out of your eyes, making their slow but steady courses down your cheeks. You turn your head slightly as you hear someone grab the doorknob, then look back down at your feet, watching the drops of blood roll down your calves. 'Go away...' You gasp as the door is broken open and turn quickly only to see Cloud leaning in the doorway, panting softly. You stare at him for a few seconds, then turn back and return your gaze to the cool porcelain. 'He's gonna yell at me again...' You close your eyes tightly as Cloud grabs your chin. He twists your head around and crushes your lips with his. You open your eyes quickly and gasp. He breaks the kiss and slaps you quickly. You sob softly and put a hand to your cheek, then whimper as he grabs your arm and pulls you to your feet. "Ouch!" He wraps an arm around your waist and kisses you again, then slowly backs you up so you're leaning against the counter. You groan softly, then turn your head away quickly after he breaks the kiss, afraid he's going to slap you again. He lifts you up and sets you on the counter. You wince as he grabs your chin and turns your head so you're looking at him, then bite your bottom lip and try to look away. He keeps a firm grip on your chin and frowns, gazing into your eyes. You gulp, trying to hold back another sob, then close your eyes tightly. "Where do you keep your first-aid kit?" he asks softly, leaning toward you. You let out a shaky breath and answer, "I-it's under my bed." He nods slightly, then turns and walks out the door. "I'll be right back." You watch him leave, wait a few seconds, then hop off of the counter and run to the front door. "____, get back here!" You open the door quickly and run outside, ignoring the sharp pain in your legs. Cloud runs after you and wraps an arm around your waist before you can get far. You struggle weakly, then grab his arm and try to push it away. "Get off! Get off!" He wraps his other arm around your waist and holds you until you stop fighting. You whimper and dig your nails into his arms slightly, then whisper, "Please...?" He rests his chin on your head and closes his eyes. "No." You stand in his arms for a few minutes silently, then sigh in defeat. "I'm sorry." Cloud opens an eye and glances down at you, then slips an arm under your knees. You yelp as he picks you up bridal style and carries you back into your house. "Cloud!" You throw your arms around his neck quickly, blushing. He carries you back into your bathroom and sets you on the counter once more, then opens the first-aid kit he was still holding. You bring your hands to your chest and sigh sadly as he starts disinfecting your cuts, then look away quickly as he glances up at you. He looks back at your cuts and murmurs, "You don't have to be ashamed to look at me." You blush again and answer, "I'm sorry, I just... can't..." He slides his hand up your leg slowly and rests it on your thigh. You blush a little more and rest your hand on top of his, then bite your bottom lip and look away quickly, putting your hand to your lips. He slides his hand back down and smirks a little, then starts bandaging your legs. You stare at the wall silently. 'He's so confusing... I don't know what to expect from him...' Cloud finishes bandaging your legs, then stands up and holds his arms out to you. You blink at him, then hesitate before springing into his arms. He wraps his arms around you and kisses your cheek softly, then suddenly reaches down and grabs your butt, making you gasp softly. He pulls you up slightly, then carries you to your bedroom and sets you on your bed. You blush and look away from him quickly. He brushes your hair out of your face and tucks it behind your ear, then stands up straight and murmurs, "I'll be right back." You nod slightly, then look down at your feet and sigh. 'I must be such a nuisance to him...' You hear him coming back up the stairs and quickly hug your legs to your chest. He walks up to you and rests a hand on your shoulder softly. You duck your head a little and whimper. Cloud frowns, then leans his lips next to your ear and whispers, "Look what I found in your garden." You hesitate before looking up at him, tilting your head. You gasp softly and cover your mouth as you see him holding out a beautiful, white lily, then reach to take it. He pulls it just out of your reach and tilts your head up so you're looking up at him. You stare up at him with your mismatched eyes and blush a little, then lean up slightly and kiss him softly. He sets the lily on your nightstand and starts to crawl on top of you. You moan softly, then glance down as he unties your half a skirt and throws it to the side. You look up at him breathlessly, then gasp as he suddenly starts biting and kissing your neck. "Cloud! Cloud, I... Ooh..." You turn your head away quickly. He pulls your shirt over your head and tosses it to the side. You cover your chest quickly, blushing, then groan and shake your head as he tries to pull your arms away. "No, no, no, no, no!" "Let me see, ____. ...Let me see..." You squeek as he grabs your wrists and pins your hands above your head, then squirm a little bit as he struggles to get both of your wrists in one hand. He finally manages to restrict your hands, then reaches down and unbuttons your shorts, sliding them down and tossing them to the side carelessly. You blush a bit more as he eyes your body carefully, then gasp as he suddenly grabs your right breast. "Ooh! Cloud, stop! Ooh... Don't stop..." Cloud squeezes your breast carefully, then rubs it gently. You arch your back slightly and whimper. "No... No, Cloud... Ooh... God, you beast..." He chuckles softly and sucks on your earlobe. You whimper quietly. "Cloud..." "Mmf... You don't know how much of a beast I am..." he murmurs, then starts rubbing the entrence to your pussy. You gasp and arch your back. "Cloud!" He starts rubbing faster and gently bites your collarbone, then kisses down to your left breast. He kisses your nipple softly, then starts sucking on it. You moan and arch your back again. He bites your nipple gently, then murmurs, "You get wet pretty fast, don't you, ____?" You start to pant a little as he releases your wrists, then quickly tangle your fingers in his blond locks as he starts sucking on your nipple harder. "Cloud! Oh, Cloud, stop...!" You arch your back again. Cloud sits up and pulls his shirt over his head, then leans down, gently placing a kiss on your lips. You wrap your arms around his neck and moan softly. He pulls your panties down and rests his other hand on your hip. You stare at his chest curiously and tilt your head, then hesitantly rest your hands on his chest and move your fingers slightly so they brush against his nipples. He hisses softly, then breaks the kiss and leans back, quickly unbuckling his belt and unbuttoning his pants. You sit up and press your lips to his chest softly. He grabs the back of your head and pulls you a little closer. "____!" You move your lips to his nipple and suck lightly, then reach into his pants and grab his cock. "God! ____! You little-" Cloud grabs your wrist and yanks your hand away, growling, then pulls his pants and boxers off. You gasp as he shoves you back down, then whimper softly as he bites your neck, almost hard enough to draw blood. "Cloud..." He moves his bites down your neck slowly, leaving a trail of bite marks down your shoulder which would bruise later. You bite your bottom lip and close your eyes tightly, then gasp as he slips his middle finger up your pussy. "Ouch!" He pumps his finger in and out of you slowly, then adds a second finger. You gasp again. "Ah-! Cloud, no, that hurts!" "Shhh..." He spreads his fingers slightly. You whimper softly and grab his shoulders. "That hurts, Cloud! Stop-! Ooh... Cloud..." He spreads his fingers a little more and softly asks, "Is it starting to feel better?" You nod slightly. "Yes..." Cloud pauses in thought, then pulls his fingers out of you and grabs your wrists. You frown as he pins your hands above your head, then look up at him in confusion. He gets both of your wrists in one hand and grabs your left thigh tightly. "Put your legs around me, ____." You tilt your head a little, then wrap your legs around his waist. He releases your wrists and cups your face, gently brushing his thumbs over your cheek bones. You blush lightly. He kisses you softly and wraps his arms around your waist, then whispers, "It's going to hurt for a while, ____, but I promise it will get better. Just... tell me if it hurts too much." You nod a little, then gasp and grab his shoulders as he starts to push his cock up your pussy. "Cloud! Oh my God, that hurts!" He nuzzles your neck gently. "Too much?" You hesitate before shaking your head. "No." "Okay." You wince a little as he continues pushing his cock into you, then whisper, "How much further can you even go?" "Just a little bit more," he murmurs, kissing your neck softly. You groan as he finally stops, then dig your nails into his shoulders a little. "Is it... all inside...?" you ask quietly, blushing. "Yes." Cloud tightens his grip on your waist and sighs, then looks up at you. "I'm going to start moving, okay? It's only going to hurt for a little while longer." You nod slightly, then wince as he pulls his cock out of you and thrusts it back in quickly. "Ooh!" He pauses, then asks, "Was that okay?" You nod slightly. "Yes." He kisses you softly, then repeats the motion. You squeek. "Mm!" He smirks and grabs your hips, then starts a slow but steady rythm of thrusting in and out of you. You gasp quietly, then groan as he takes that chance to thrust his tongue into your mouth and start exploring as if he'd never given you tongue, though he'd explored your mouth many times before. You grab his hair weakly and pull him closer. "Mm..." As the pain slowly fades away, you instinctively raise your hips to grind against his. Cloud gasps softly and opens his eyes. You blink as he breaks the kiss, then tilt your head. "Was that... bad?" He groans softly as you stop, then reaches down and grabs your butt. You blush and squeek again, then moan as he pulls your hips up to grind against his. "Cloud..." "No... That wasn't bad... That was good... Don't stop, ____... Don't stop..." he begs, starting to thrust into you harder. You nod slightly and keep raising your hips against his. "Okay... God! Cloud! How hard can you go?!" you ask, then groan slightly as he begins to thrust into you even harder. "Aaah..." He tightens his hold on your waist and growls. "Much harder." You gasp as he starts slamming into you harder and let out a quiet whimper. Cloud kisses your chest softly. You tangle your fingers in his hair and sigh shakily. "Cloud..." He growls again and starts ramming into you harder. You gasp again, then throw your head back and scream as your pussy tightens around his cock. He licks your neck softly, then nibbles it lovingly. You pant as he continues ramming into you, then murmur, "God, Cloud... You are a beast..." He turns his head slightly and bites your neck again, making you wince, then suddenly rams into you one last time before stiffening. You stare up at him silently, then gasp as he suddenly collapses on top of you, groaning. "Cloud!" "God, ____... You are such a good fuck..." You blush lightly, then flinch a little and push on his shoulders. "Heavy...!" Cloud frowns, then rolls his eyes and sighs, lifting himself off of you. You groan as he pulls his cock out of you, then look up at him as he lays down next to you and wraps an arm around your waist. He closes his eyes and sighs quietly, then pulls the blankets up over you. You snuggle up to him and sigh, then softly ask, "Cloud?" He grunts and tightens his grip on you to show he's listening. "...Are you still mad at me? For not giving you the letter?" He twitches a little bit, face slowly forming a scowl, then answers, "Go to sleep, ____." You wince slightly, then nod and look down. "...Okay..."
^-^ You know the drill. Prologue in the results.
You sigh and hold up the plate your washing, then wince as Cloud grabs your chin from behind. He tilts your head a little bit so he can kiss your cheek, then whispers, "I'll be back tonight." You smile weakly and nod. "Okay." He kisses your cheek again, then gives you a small smack on the butt as he walks toward the door. You jump a little, then blush and look back at him. He waves slightly before shutting the door. You look down at your feet, then sigh and go back to washing the dishes. 'I gave him Aerith's letter months ago, but... everytime I ask him about it, he still gets mad...' Alpha hops onto the counter and starts washing his face. You smile at him and flick some water so it lands on his nose. He yowls and jumps back, then falls off the counter. You gasp softly, then laugh and squat down, drying your hands on your skirt. "Oh, Alpha, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you fall!" You pet him with your still damp hands. He hisses at you, then runs under your table. You chuckle and stand up, then sigh sadly and walk into the bathroom. 'I'm between a rock and a hard spot...' You open the medicine cabinet and look at the used pregnancy test, then sigh and pick it up. 'They can't both be wrong... Can they...?' You bite your index finger nervously, then look at the box of pregnancy tests. '...Maybe they're both wrong...?' you think hopefully, pulling out a fresh pregnancy test.
Cloud's POV::: You groan and rub the back of your neck, then walk up to ____'s house and push the door open gently. 'God, my neck...' You look around the house silently, then ask, "____?" You hear something clatter to the ground in the bathroom and walk toward it. "No! Shoot!" You grab the doorknob and start to pull on it, but she locks it before you can. "No! Don't come in!" You frown slightly, then lean your ear against the door to see if she's muttering to herself, like she does a lot. "No... No...! What is he going to say...! *sniff* Oh my God, he's going to be so mad at me... He'll never want to speak to me again...! I mean he hasn't- *sniff* ...He hasn't forgiven me about the letter yet... He's going to hate me...!" You frown again, then lean back and stare at the door in confusion. "____, are you crying?"
Your POV::: "____, are you crying?" You gasp softly, then start trying to clean everything up. "Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot!" You throw the pregnancy tests back in the medicine cabinet and slam it closed, then try and wipe away your tears. You hear Cloud sigh and start fiddling with the doorknob and start to panic a little. 'Oh my God...!' You turn the cold water on and splash it on your face quickly, just as he opens the door. You sit up and turn the water off quickly, avoiding Cloud's gaze, and grab a towel to dry your face off. Cloud grabs your shoulder and turns you around so you're facing him, then grabs your chin and tilts your head up slightly. You blush and stare at his eyes nervously, then push his hand away and look down. He frowns. "____? What's wrong?" You bring a hand to your chest and sigh, then walk past him, shaking your head and running your fingers through your hair anxiously. "No, I just can't..." Cloud sighs, then reaches for the medicine cabinet, so he can get some asprin. You walk into the kitchen and open a cupboard so you can start making dinner. You gasp as you hear something crash in the bathroom and spin around, then hesitantly take step toward it. 'What... what if he found the tests...?' You bite your bottom lip and look down at your feet. "...____, could you come here for a minute..." You close your eyes tightly, then let out a large sigh, trying to calm yourself. 'He had to find out sometime.' You stare at your feet a few more seconds, then walk toward the bathroom. You stop just outside the door and hesitantly look up at him. Cloud stares at the three pregnancy tests he's holding, then slowly turns his blue gaze on you. You flinch slightly but manage to hold his gaze. He glances down at the tests, then looks back up at you. "They're all positive." You nod slightly. "I know." He frowns at you for a few seconds, then asks, "Were you ever planning to tell me?" You nod again. "Eventually." He pauses again. "...Is that why you were crying?" You shrug. "Yes and no." "Why yes and no?" You sigh, then finally look down at your feet. "I was crying because I knew I needed to tell you, but I didn't want you to be mad at me for hiding it for so long, and I knew that the longer I waited, the angrier you'd get. ...And you're still mad at me for not giving you the letter so late, and I didn't want you so mad at me-" "____, you idiot, I wasn't mad at you," he snaps, pulling you into a hug. You gasp softly in surprise. He kisses your neck softly, then leans his head against yours. "I was mad at myself." You frown in confusion, then softly ask, "Why?" "Because Aerith told me to look out for you and to be careful not to hurt your feelings and I didn't. I hurt you, and you cut yourself. It was my fault and I shouldn't have stormed off like I did." You look down sadly, then gasp as he suddenly bites your shoulder. "Ah!" "So don't be afraid to tell me anything. It's better to know beforehand than to know just as it's happening. Right?" You nod slightly. "I guess." He turns and kisses your ear softly, then whispers, "So how far are you along?" You blush and answer, "About two and a half months." You expect him to be a little angry with you, but instead he just kisses your cheek. You blink in confusion, then lean back and frown a little. "Cloud?" He rubs his thumb over your cheek carefully, then smiles. "I guess we'll need to make an appointment to see a doctor soon then." You tilt your head, then grin and nod, throwing your arms around his neck. "Yes! Oh, God, Cloud, I thought you'd be so angry with me!" He kisses your cheek again and hugs you tightly, deciding it was better to just stay silent.
