Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ambiguous noises seem to be an occurrence within the serenity of the Inn. 

An assumption is made by her that she will be able to fall asleep comfortably as her reconciliation with Cloud weighs on her mind. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be accurate as incoherent noises behind a certain wall in her room become unbearable.

These various noises do not aid in her leisure. It is scarcely noticeable at one point and then it develops into this inescapable distraction that persists.  

Since the incident at Nibelheim, the thought of rest has not come easily to her. Comfortability is always favored in her eyes, but comfort has not been readily attainable in recent weeks. 

A sense of anxiety is sparked in her throughout her body once she assumes the noise belongs to a spirit. The illumination in her room is minimal and this causes her apprehensiveness of the situation to extend.  

It is a fear that has been with her since childhood, admittedly, her companions are not aware of this unique characteristic besides Cloud.

Curiosity about the noise incites her to lean closer to the wall and the noise does not seem to be too ominous after she briefly relaxes, so she is not as worried as before. 

A moment of focus on the disturbance behind the wall allows her to detect a faint voice—his faint voice. 

It is not obvious to her, not until now. The noises are breathless and impatient, yet so weak. 

These vulnerable sounds fall from his mouth and only a second passes before she understands the situation. 

Cloud does not have an inherently boisterous personality, so to hear him this intimately is a pleasant surprise. 

“Shit, Tifa—” Cloud whines with a certain sense of neediness. 

The presence of his voice has always been lovely, but the raw noise made when he articulates her name is remarkable . 

As a subtle blush warms her cheeks, she makes an impulsive effort to communicate to him, “Cloud?”

There is an elusive closeness to him that seems to arise. The wall is too thin to be considered secure and she swears it feels as if she is in the room with him, even if it is not true. 

Tifa nudges her ear even closer to the barrier in an endeavor to deduct the ambiguity of his words, “Tifa. Tifa. Tifa. Please, Tifa — ” 

All she can do is breathe, but even that is now a struggle. Tifa still is unaware of whether she should be embarrassed or fascinated.

Fascinated it is.

As the newfound warmth between her thighs gradually formulates, she believes she may be too concentrated on his pleading voice. 

There is not a valid response in her mind to his hushed and hurried demands, which is an indication that she should not say another word.

“Shit.” he rashly whispers and the silence that comes about is surprisingly eerie. 

A soft sob can be heard soon after and she cannot comprehend the reason behind his tears, but she now has an intensified desire to pull him into her arms and whisper in his ear that she cares for him. 

Cloud has deeper personal issues than anyone could have assumed and it is unfair to blame him for it—she never will. A part of her will always cherish him, even if he may not value himself. 

The conversation that took place earlier had been a way to straighten their relationship, but it was also a way to measure his seemingly misplaced memories. 

Throughout all of this, it has never influenced the saturated devotion in her heart for him. 

This time, she decides to speak louder so he can clearly hear her, “I can, uh, hear you through the wall, Cloud.”

A sound of surprise is heard and it is so faint that she assumes a blanket is arranged on his mouth to dampen the noise. 

The indecisiveness behind his response is presumably from embarrassment, so she persists, “Are you okay? Do not ignore me, please.”

Awkwardness will be unavoidable in this situation, but this is not a concern. There is a small piece of her that is flattered by his activities, so she does not take issue with it. 

A moment of patience is all it takes before he finally speaks, “Did you hear me the entire time?”

It was only obvious to her near the end, when the noises that fell from his mouth were louder than her intrusive thoughts. 

“Just so you know, I’m not upset about… that.” she replies with a subtle chuckle. The tension is distinctly noticeable, so she makes a sudden effort to ease it. 

“Huh? You should be upset with me or at least disgusted.” he mutters as the remorseful tone in his words is undeniably present.

There is a nearly intolerable attraction to Cloud that she believes has always thrived within her, but her lack of selfishness constantly reminds her to stay complacent and not to push for more. 

She supposes this may be her chance to be selfish, even if it is not the most optimal time. 

“Well… do you need, uh, assistance with it?” she hesitates as she closes her eyes in incredulity. The words come out more awkward than she foresees. 

It is not likely her most remarkable idea, but she is tired of complacency. This completely salvageable situation will presumably culminate worse than it was before, or lead to an outcome she has continually coveted for. 

And this is fine with her.

At least, she thinks so. 

The silence that ensues after her words is lengthy, but he finally reacts, “Uh, what?” 

Now, she feels a wave of embarrassment as she assumes her proposition was not welcomed, “Forget it, Cloud. At least… try to get some sleep and keep the noise down too, please.” 

“Wait… hold on.” he pauses as if he is in thought, then hurriedly asks, “Are you sure that you are not upset?”

Cloud is tenacious and she normally adores that obvious detail about him, but in this instance, it is only an outrageous annoyance. 

“No, Cloud. I told you this.” she rolls her ruby eyes even though he cannot notice them as her voice upticks in irritation, “Do you want me to be upset with you? Will that make you feel better?”

“Of course not.” he quickly expresses and she can practically picture a pout on his face once he responds. 

Tifa is not seriously annoyed, only a little at the unspoken refusal of her suggestion. But, the denial is not straightforward, so she finds it within herself to ensure that she is not mistaken. 

Yet, that is for another day as for now, she is satisfied with the limbo. 

She hums as she is in consideration of the best approach to end the conversation peacefully, “Go to sleep, Cloud. Today was a long day for various reasons, but you need to rest too.” 

There is a stillness in the air after she speaks, so she assumes he has heeded her recommendation.

But, she is seemingly mistaken once he taps on the wall, “Tifa?”

“Yes?” she replies. 

“I would like to have you with me.” he hesitates in the same manner as her earlier, “To assist me tomorrow, in your room… preferably. Thank you.”

A moment of silence is all it takes before the entire situation is recollected in her mind. 

“Thank you?” she repeats in astonishment, but she does not receive another response. 

~*O*~

Cloud would have never assumed this predicament was attainable, especially not this soon after their reconciliation. 

The first kiss is too ineffective, so he decides to accommodate it with another—and then another. 

There is an incomprehensible amount of embarrassment in the incident the day before, so when she offers to assist him, he assumes he is in another dream. The comfortable warmth of her mouth results in a shiver across his skin that proves that it cannot be a dream.

An unforeseen sense of desperation induces a carelessness to the kiss that he does not intend to occur. 

Cloud aimlessly walks towards her bed as he leads her with an arm around her waist. The bed is not the most comfortable, but it will do for now.

The messiness and roughness of the kiss are not expected, but the delicate sound of her whimper only demonstrates his fascination with her. 

There is no need for her to do this, but he assumes she has tension that needs to be relieved as well—so who is he to deny her?

Cloud tends to be reserved and he tries to do so here, but it is not conceivable once he has a taste of her, “Shit—”

This arrangement is supposed to be temporary and straightforward, somehow it only evolves into a whirlwind of concealed emotions and awkwardness. 

“Tifa?” he mumbles as the warmth of her mouth vanishes into an undesirable coldness. 

A trail of saliva connects her mouth to his once she pulls away and his gloved hand reaches for her waist to haul her closer to his chest. 

She presses a delicate kiss to his forehead and then allows her mouth to hover over his ear as she responds, “I am okay… we are okay.” 

Cloud does not doubt her, but he needs to be sure his admiration of her is not an issue, “Are you sure?”

Boundaries were not discussed before this and an isolated piece of him does not want them, but he has to ensure she is comfortable as this is her idea.

There is not an immediate response from her, but a soft hand reaches for his face as she places her thumb on his bruised lips. Cloud gently bites the tip of her thumb as she wipes away the excess saliva on his lips. 

Tifa offers him a smile as she slowly slides down the bed, pressing delicate kisses along the way, before nestling between his thighs, “This is as sure as I have ever be—”

A voice cuts in through her words and he knows who it is merely from the tone of her voice, “Tifa? Can I speak to you, uh, it’s kinda important?” 

Aerith is regarded as one of his closest friends, but he has never wanted to see her less than this current moment. 

Tifa sighs out of obvious frustration and looks up at him from the carpet on the floor to mouth a word to him, “Raincheck?”

~*O*~

In the middle of the night, after the two of them have separated into different rooms, the sound of a whimper from Tifa can be heard through the wall, “Cloud… ”

Cloud acknowledges that Junon needs to be vacated by them as soon as possible before he breaks.

Chapter Text

This constant ache in his heart is not a normal occurrence for Cloud. The ache feels like he may crumble at any moment; all he can do is think of her.

The circumstances would be seen as pathetic in the eyes of most, but he comes to understand that he does not care.

Cloud is not flawless, no one is.

There are subtle touches that occur when no one is around. Tifa ensures that it is not obvious to the others, but he knows it is on purpose. A moment of weakness on the vessel to Costa Del Sol causes his resolve to crumble. The faint teases of her touch are intentional and enacted to arouse him, so he tries to tease her back.

A kiss here, a kiss there. Cloud never approaches her like this in front of others and he ensures the kisses are abrupt but so harsh.

The entire situation only causes him to want her more, but the resolve in his head continues to convene before he ceases his retaliation. The tension is noticeable, too noticeable. Aerith and the rest of the crew are not oblivious, so he decides to control his irresistible desires. The desire for her is reduced with masturbation, so the few moments of seclusion in the bathroom are his sole chance for release.

Cloud is still aware of his sincere affection for Tifa, this will never be impacted as the desire in his heart will never weaken the passion he holds for her.

Arrival at Costa Del Sol solves some of these personal issues, and a few adventurous hours at the beach is all it takes before she knocks on his door, alone.

Cloud shifts to the side to allow her to enter as he closes the wooden door behind her and now there is no one else in the room besides her. It is only him and her: Cloud and Tifa. There is no need to stress over possible disturbances, all his concentration can be on her.

The clothes on her are not supposed to be seductive, but it draws him to the point where he wants to devour her—with her permission, of course. Tifa notices his stares, so he tries to ease the seemingly awkward tension as he focuses on the subtle blush that seems to warm her cheeks, “You do not have to be here. I would never want you to be somewhere you would not want to be.”

Boundaries of this new connection were never addressed in Junon, so perhaps his interpretation of the situation is inaccurate.

“Do you want me to be here?” Tifa voices as she settles down on the bed.

Cloud supposes the answer is not obvious, yet he does not expect to have to reassure her. There is not a world that exists where he would not want to be with her.

“Want you? I need you, Tifa.” he whispers as he closes the distance between them and rubs her cheek with his rough thumb.

There is a moment of silence as the two of them try to gather themselves, and then she responds to him with a hint of a smile, “Okay, then. Prove it.”

A comfortable warmth surrounds his thumb once she sucks it into her mouth and then she stirs on the bed to lean into him. He roughly kisses the side of her neck, slowly bruising a small amount of the skin to mark her.

It is not out of possessiveness, but to remind her of him.

“Can I, uh, take this off of you?” he asks as he messes with the thin band of her bra, the close view of her breasts and her reaction are all he can concentrate on.

Tifa nods, “Do you know how to?”

Cloud smirks, then he kisses her forehead, “No, but this is why you are here. You can teach me.” 

The removal of her bra is effortless—with her assistance, at least. There is not an immediate reaction from him as he is stunned by the sight of her, and he also must attempt to limit his excitement. Tifa stares at him to determine his reaction—as if he could ever be disappointed with her--so he shifts his angle to mouth at the unattended breast from earlier, “Uh, Cloud?”

Cloud makes sure to take his time with her. One of her nipples is enclosed around his mouth so gently, while the other is roughly fondled by his hand. The sounds from her mouth guide him to ensure that the experience is pleasurable for her. Soft whimpers of pleasure from her mouth fill the air as he switches between each breast, but he gradually pulls away after a few moments before he loses control. 

Cloud stares at her from a distance and he only wants her more, “Do you not see how pretty you are? I could see the way you reacted, Tifa. You are—”

Tifa cuts him off with a hurried kiss as she proceeds to shove him onto his back on the bed.

She quickly mounts him, then leans down to whisper into his ear, “There was no reason to rush before, but I need you—now.”

A few moments are all it takes before she hurries to her knees in front of him, but he hesitates when she places her small hand on his waist, “Tifa… have you ever done, uh, this before?”

At Junon, it was a mess of rushed emotions and expectations. As time has passed, there is an opportunity to examine this unclear connection between them. Cloud never wants her to have to do this for him and he can admit that he is not as comfortable when the situation is concentrated on him, so he is much more cautious this time around. 

“You were always supposed to be my first… so no.” she frowns, “Is that an issue?”

There is no issue with her response, but he is stunned at her straightforwardness, “All those years, and you still wanted me?” 

Tifa traces the outside of a faint scar on his waist and then she chuckles, “Not specifically for this scenario, but yes. It has only ever been you.”

Cloud tucks her hair behind her ear while he tilts her chin up towards him so he can kiss the tip of her nose, “Do you want to continue?”

There is a moment of silence as she stares at him. The silence is not uncomfortable, but he is slightly worried about her response after his comments. A few seconds fade before he understands he has no reason to be worried—not with her. 

She winks at him to tease him, then gradually removes the remainder of the clothes on him. She inhales and exhales before she takes his cock in hand and whispers, “Use your words, Cloud. I want to hear from you.” 

Cloud does not understand the distinction in her demeanor. A sense of nervousness is usually attributed to Tifa, but recently, she is an irresistible flirt who seems to be so much more comfortable.

Subtle movement of her soft palm on his cock is slightly rough, so he pulls away her hand to spit into her palm. A moment of confusion causes her to hesitate with her lubricated palm before she understands the purpose of his actions.

Cloud would have told her, but he wanted to see her reaction.

Once her hand takes hold of his cock, the delicate movements start with sluggish and tense strokes. A considerable amount of patience is required as she starts to figure out his weaknesses, she focuses on the head for a few seconds and then moves onto another side. All it does is build his pleasure to previously unreachable levels, but he knows that he will not last.

“You could have told me… use your words.” she insists. The difference in comfortability is noticeable in her touch, yet there is a sense of fear in him falling apart in front of her. 

“Shit… Tifa.” he moans as she places both of her hands on his cock, one on the head, and one on the shaft.  

The slick from the top of his shaft moistures her other hand and she pauses to taste a drop of it that remains on her finger.

Obscene sounds fall from his mouth as the pleasure overwhelms him when she lubricates his cock with her saliva. The sight of her tongue dancing around the silt of his cock is unbearable, but she quickly pulls away to stroke him ever so faster while one of her own hands trail down to between her thighs.

Cloud can hear her touching herself; it is not as loud as he assumed it would be, but he can hear it through his pathetically hurried moans.

A pleasurable release for him is seconds away and her subtle actions only make it easier to achieve. There is a sense of nervousness because he has never felt this before, he is breathless and close to being overwhelmed.

It is easier when alone, not with another—not with her.

She surrounds his waist with an arm to keep him still, while her unrestricted hand continues to stroke him. Cloud’s heartbeat pounds in his ears as his vision blurs, and he breaks under her touch, “Tifa. Tifa. Tifa.”

She watches him fall apart with a confident sparkle in her eyes, “Are you close? You are so good for me, Cloud.”

“Tif—” he tries to warn her, but unfortunately, he is not able to.

Cloud’s cock pulses four times as she strokes him throughout each pulse, it is a mess as he continues to cum on her hand—but she does not seem to care. It is almost a minute before he calms down, but he is able too once she leans towards him and starts to murmur in his ear, “Next time we do this, it’ll be in my mouth.”

The entirety of his cock twitches after her words are heard and a shiver runs through his body, she pulls away to wipe her messy hand on a blanket on the mattress as he smiles, “Are you sure you’ve never done this before?”

“As sure as I have ever been.” she says as she straddles him once more, placing her seemingly exhausted arms around his neck. 

There is a comfortable silence as she leans her chin forward and settles into his neck. Cloud never wants her to be unsatisfied with him, so he asks a question that he has patiently waited to ask, “Do you want me to help you out, too?”

Tifa shifts positions to scan his face, then giggles at him as if she can see a certain look in his eyes, “Another time, Cloud. The others are probably searching for us.” 

Cloud is willingly to do anything for her at this moment, so he is slightly disappointed that she does not want him to at least touch her.

“You sure? I saw you earlier while you were, uh, assisting me.” he puts emphasis on it, but she nods in response.

“There will be a night in a few days where it can be only us.” she presses a kiss to his warm neck before she moves off him to lay beside him on the bed, “Me and you, no distractions, or interruptions.”

A night that she described does not even seem possible at this moment, but he trusts her so he will do as she says.

Cloud does not think he can last much longer, though,