Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Sun Still Rises ❯ A Long-Awaited Kiss ( Chapter 1 )

IT HAD BEEN RAINING for three straight days while Cloud, Tifa, Barret and the others trekked ever onward in search of Sephiroth. Detained by the storm, the troupe had been forced to check into the Ghost Motel for a few nights, until the rain let up. As the respective people checked in and went to their rooms, Cloud stood solemnly last in line behind Tifa. His sword sat crooked on his pack at his side; at that angle, it looked sad, defeated. He stood with arms folded and waited in silence. "212? Okay, thank you," he heard Tifa say, and watched as she walked up the stairs, her small miniskirt-clad rump swaying delicately, just barely covering the real treasures below. He smirked at how attractive she was, but said nothing, and only moved forward to the desk.

"Another?" Mr. Hangman, the puppet-like concierge, remarked. "There sure are a lot of you. As a matter of fact, I don't even know if I have another room available on the same floor as your friends."

Cloud shrugged. "It's okay, I'll take whatever you have."

Mr. Hangman cackled and it seemed to echo throughout the comical haunted house. "All I've got left is our Honeymoon Suite!"

Cloud sighed and bent to pick up his pack. "How much is it?"

"Won't you be lonely in there all alone?" Mr. Hangman was having too much fun to be serious.

"How much is the room?"

"Why don't you ask one of your-" Mr. Hangman stopped when Cloud straightened up and was holding his sword, the giant and magnificent Ragnarok. "-It's 400 gil a night."

Cloud winced, and rummaged through his pack. That was twice what all his friends were paying-and he didn't even have any company to enjoy the spoils of a Honeymoon Suite. He thought about what the hangman was saying, but it seemed to improbable to work out. It would only complicate-everything. He dished out the gil and Mr. Hangman delightedly handed him a heart-shaped key. Cloud suppressed a sigh and started up the stairs. He saw Tifa, standing alone at the top of the staircase. She seemed to be looking for her room. She looked from her key, to the halls, and back to the key.

Cloud joined her and leaned toward her because both his hands were full, and he could not touch her. "Are you looking for your room?" He asked.

She seemed surprised to see him. "Oh! No, I'm just looking for the stairs to the second level."

He gestured with his spiky head. "Come on, let's go together." He looked at the key that was wedged between his pack and his gil pouch in his left hand. "I'm in room 218."

"I heard that you got the Honeymoon suite," Tifa said cheerily, with a hint of teasing. He wasn't offended by her, in fact he smiled inside. It was nearly impossible for Tifa to bother him with anything. "That's a shame. I think you got gypped."

"Nah," Cloud murmured, walking with Tifa down the hall. The stairs came into sight around a left bend. "It's all right. Maybe I'll enjoy some extra room." As he said this, Tifa knew it wasn't so, but he didn't want to complain.

As they topped the stairs and started down the hall, Cloud saw his room. It was the big door at the end of the hall, wide enough for a man to carry a new bride through, with 218 ringed by a heart. It came with a complimentary heart-shaped "Do Not Disturb!" doorknob-hanger. Cloud sighed again and Tifa stopped next to him. "Well, here I am. I'll-see you, Cloud."

Cloud nodded and continued, setting his pack down and unlocking the wide door. He waited until he heard Tifa's door click closed before he opened his own. The room, fortunately, was not as lovey-dovey as suggested. It was bigger than the usual rooms, had a bigger bed, and two windows instead of one. The bed faced the door and the big windows were on either side. The décor was perfectly apropos: metal cauldron, bare lightbulbs, stone walls. It definitely looked the part of haunted house. Cloud set down his things and moved toward the window, and looked out at the expanse of Gold Saucer below.

It seemed like it had been only a few minutes but Cloud found his eyes heavy, his head dropping. He could hear the music from Wonder Square echoing softly up through the glass. Rain spattered toughly against it, but Cloud merely gazed down, unruffled. The golden glow was warm and he decided to turn off the other two lights in the room. The chamber was filled with warm yellowish light, and Cloud returned to his post by the window. Folded arms, he began to doze off again and it seemed like seconds before a soft knock at the door was waking him from a deep sleep. His dreams, in green, still clung to his consciousness and he stepped to the door in a light daze. He opened the door and smiled gently: it was Aeris.

"Hi, Cloud," she whispered. She wore a big, fuzzy pink robe. She seemed vibrant while Cloud was hardly awake. "Oh, I'm sorry!! Did I wake you?"

Cloud shook his head but fatigue hid his youthful face with deep lines and shadows. "No, no I was just dozing. What do you need? Is something wrong?"

Aeris looked at him for a long moment, and worked her fingers in the sleeves of her robe. Her muscles were all bridled like she was cold, hugging herself for warmth. Cloud merely looked at her with tired, wondering eyes. As soon as she seemed to find what she was searching for in his eyes, she straightened up and smiled that sad smile. "Oh, no!" She ran fingers through her untied hair and they began to work in that too. "Just came to say goodnight!"

Cloud nodded and smiled, and began to close the door. Aeris knew this was all she would get, so she smiled again, with difficulty, and went to her room. As soon as she left, Cloud's energy came back completely. He seemed to wake up, ten seconds too late. Cloud didn't realize his mistake, but it made no difference. He went back to the window and tried to pick out places he knew from the golden, colorful expanse of Gold Saucer.

More minutes passed, but Cloud did not sleep. Instead he only thought of what would happen soon in the mission: possibilities of what could occur. What is Sephiroth came and found them here? What if he caught them off guard? All these questions plagued him, and his mind began to race faster and faster. Thoughts shot in all different directions, and soon enough he was thinking of his companions. Aeris, kind and sweet; Barret, the tough-guy, who really only cared for Marlene; cold, wise Vincent and the loud talking Cid. Everyone had their role in the group, and he couldn't hide a smile. They really were quite a crew, as Rufus had said. The only one left, he continued to think of. Tifa Lockheart, his friend since…forever. Her face came to him, half in dream, half clear thought. He closed his eyes, but not from fatigue. A soft tugging feeling in his gut began to make his heart quicken. She was so beautiful-so perfectly built, so headstrong and bold. He admired her almost as much as he was attracted to her, and respected her more than both together. However, not being one to voice his feelings too much, Cloud didn't know how to even begin to approach her about it. As he justified before, that would probably only complicate everything.

After just a few minutes of considering the lovely Tifa, his mind's eye pried off the white tank top she wore and filled in the smooth round curves of her voluptuous breasts. He could only imagine their perfection, and as he did, heat pooled, pink under his skin and hard against his trousers. A stray hand pressed it against himself, and soon crept down the waist of his pants and grabbed it completely. Without thought, Cloud loosened his trousers' clasp and undid the buttons, pushing them down just enough to get at what he now ached to relieve. With the left, he held down his pants, and with the right, he stroked his now fiercely hard sex. He bit his lip and the bittersweet pain made images come with the waves of pleasure, Tifa's beautiful head bobbing up and down, her large round breasts jumping as he thrusted. Both the push and the pull were exquisite, and now it was almost becoming too much; he was approaching climax fast with this picture in his head. He allowed a pained gasp to shudder out, and as he did another soft knock came. Fright at being caught in this position (though he was standing in front of a window that viewed the whole Saucer) made the sexual adrenaline ebb slightly; his thickness diminished the faintest bit in his hand.

"Cloud?" Tifa's soft murmur did nothing to help the girth in his hand. Immediately he saw her pleading with him, her eyes half closed in pleasure, begging Cloud, Cloud, please don't stop now-

"Y-Yes?" He called back, still holding himself tightly.

"Can - Can I come in?" He heard her try the locked door.

"Sure, just-just a second." Cloud desperately tucked his renegade organ back into his trousers and boxers, and took a few deep breaths. His blood still coursed fast and hot, his heart pounding in his chest. The tingle of orgasm was still close in his limbs and abdomen and he tried to soothe it with plenty of oxygen. He walked to the door, shaking his hands, as though he were trying to flick off some liquid uncleanness. He unbolted the door and opened it. In the darkness of his room, he could only see her silhouette against the motel's barely lit hallway. Her form alone was breathtaking, and he only saw to a beautiful, curvy shadow. She came in, her feet silent. Nervously, Cloud turned back toward the window and waited for her to come to him. The door clicked softly and the lock was audible.

"Cloud…" She whispered, and walked up close to him. Her hands went to his folded arms, from behind. She drew him close and he felt her bosom pressing against his back.

"I'm sorry, Tifa, if you're-scared," He pushed the words out, but didn't let on any anxiety. "I know this mission is dangerous. And I know I should never have involved you in it."

"It's not that, Cloud." Her voice was gentle. Her fingertips pressed his skin.

"I don't know why you're here, but-" Finally, the nervousness came out, in the form of a sentence-breaking stutter. Tifa pulled him closer against her, and he did not move.

"I want to tell you something, Cloud." She swallowed hard, disheartened by his lack of response. "You don't have to turn around if you don't want to-" He looked over his shoulder, and only saw a dark brunette head and pale shoulder. "-But I want to tell you-it's pulling us apart." He tightened. "Aeris, and you and I-you can feel it too, can't you? I know that you've liked me in the past Cloud," Pink cheeks. "And you know that I've liked you too." Very pink. "But I want to tell you that now-now I know, I, I love you, Cloud." He was silent, but pressed back against her, a difficult response, but a response nonetheless. She got up on her tiptoes, and whispered right into his ear. "And now I want to show you how much."

Cloud put his hands over hers, and she waited for him to return fire. Silence spanned a few seconds, and she followed her speech with "I'm-I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, or if you don't want this. That's okay. Just-tell me. Tell me something, Cloud." He turned around in her arms, his eyes a good half foot above hers. He looked down and the mako made them shine like stars. Now she could feel the hardness against her upper belly, the erection that had not gone away since she entered. She wore only a clingy white slip, which was a pleasant surprise to Cloud. His fright to look upon her had gone unfounded. They shared a knowing moment. "You… You want this as much as I do, don't you?"

Cloud hesitated, then allowed one of his strong hands to caress the back of her head, through the long fall of raven hair. "Tifa-I want this…" He leaned in close. "More than anything in the world."

Tifa inhaled deep, the scent of his neck intoxicating her. She reached up and unzipped the top of his sleeveless shirt, revealing a gaunt but muscled chest. Peeling off the shirt, she ran hands over his smooth chest, and found it remarkably soft. Tiny strands of light brown hair circled his nipples and traced down his sternum to his belly button. She found his pants already unclasped and looked up at him questioningly.

"You really want to know?" He breathed. "I was thinking about you a little too much before you came by."

Tifa's cheekbones turned bright pink and she bent down to loosen the trousers. She pulled on them gently, so they rode low on his fine hips, showing dark brown curls that reached valiantly up toward his stomach. With his thumbs, Cloud pushed the straps of Tifa's lingerie off, but her breasts held it tight about her. He tugged it down and her ample bosom bounced free. They were even better than he imagined, with the nipples tightening into hard peaks as his fingers grazed them. "Cloud…" Her voice sounded just the way he imagined, pleading and soft. He lowered his head into her chest, and took one succulent tawny nipple between his lips. She moaned as he sucked on it gently, then harder as her moans got deeper. He sunk to his knees and pulled the slip off as he went until it barely stayed around her hips, concealing the last hidden wealth. She cooed as he placed kisses on her firm stomach, her hands resting on his shoulders. Soon, she whispered his name and summoned him back up. He looked at her and the bed seemed the next place to go, naturally. He bent and picked her up, as the new husband and wife, and waked the three paces to the rose colored bed, then set her down gently. She smiled up at him, her breasts perfectly curved and beautiful as they flattened out when she laid down. He began to remove his trousers and she climbed under the blankets.

Though time seemed to go slow, only two or three minutes had passed since she first came into his room. They laid together, naked under the blanket, hot skin against hot skin. Tifa gasped and winced as Cloud first pressed his hard sex into her waiting wetness; he was gentle as he could be, and tried to make his strokes light and shallow. He listened finely to her gasps and moans, and it became obvious that the pain was now pleasure. She dug short fingernails into his shoulders, and as he pushed against her, they wore tiny crescents out of his skin and blood appeared faintly under one or two fingers. After a short time, she began to gasp, soft at first but louder as he stroked deeper and deeper inside. The whole bed shook as they moved in rhythm, the headboard smacking angrily against the wall. As time progressed their movements became more in time, more rapid, and more accompanied by extreme gasping and heavy, fast breathing. Tifa held her thighs up against her chest and allowed him an excellent angle; that plus her moist pink cheeks and red lips were forcing Cloud dangerously close to the edge. "Ti-fa-" he whispered. She gasped with questioning inflection. "What happens when I-When I-" His breaths became more and more quick and the pressure not to let it go too soon was nearly unbearable. Tifa responded in short, gusty moans.

"Just-go on my stomach," She moaned, lips close to his ear. His fine blond hair stuck delicately to her wet lips, and he buried his face in her neck.

"-That's-okay?"

"Yes-yes-yes-" She grunted and moaned and cried out, and before long Cloud had shifted back to a kneeling position, his legs spread out. He slid in and out just a few more deep times and pulled out, quickly grasping his organ as though handling a vicious snake, and pointed it at Tifa's ribcage. He tugged back and forth fast, to keep the heavy feeling fresh, and in a matter of seconds small jets of creamy fluid shot out and made warm lines on her stomach, pooled in the small spaces between her hard abs. Tifa's hips pressed Cloud's thighs, the motion being blissfully familiar. She moaned softly, and Cloud professed quiet apologies. He grabbed the pair of boxers he had worn and handed them to Tifa.

"Sorry, I-I know you said it was all right, but-I'm sorry." Cloud watched Tifa's panting mouth, it smiled and motioned him to come closer. He laid down beside her, partially afraid to touch her perfect creamy skin, her smooth dark hair. She had been a fantasy for so long, it was hard to do all the things he had only dreamed before. He put his arms around her, as she tossed the boxers off the edge of the bed in a balled-up heap. She rolled toward him, and smiled knowingly. She still hadn't spoke since their desperate act came to a close.

"Cloud…" She whispered, hardly audible.

"Mm?" Cloud looked straight into her, and caught his breath at her beauty.

"Could you…?" She rolled back to being on her back, and parted her milky thighs just slightly. Cloud understood, and smiled. He began to move down the bed, but stopped halfway. She looked at him, curious.

"What is it you want, Tifa?" His usual boldness was returning, but his voice still gave away nervousness. He caught her off guard, however, with this one. She hesitated and her pink face blushed an even darker shade of rose. She nervously ran fingers through a strand of hair.

"I was-wondering if you would-" She balked and he smiled down at her parted legs. A small patch of dark curls rested atop her concealed wetness, but the folds that hid her real treasures had begun to shine with moisture. She was obviously anxious, and any time he spent being nervous or uncertain would draw away from her pleasure. Cloud moved as though in a dream, his movements down to the breath executed as if they had been prophesied ages before. He slid a hand down the inner part of her right thigh, fingertips gently stopping against her warm wet seam. He gently stroked up and down, watching her muscles stiffen and back arch. "Cloud-" He inserted the first digit of his longest finger. "Oh, Cloud, please…" Her head rolled to the side and she took deep, heaving breaths. Not wanting to torture her on this, their first consummate night together, Cloud obliged to his love's desire. He gently crept between her spread legs and lie down on his stomach, lips and chin just inches from her warmth. Softly, he leaned forward and met the soft lips with a kiss worthy of them. His unknowing tongue meandered, inexperienced, over the foreign structures of skin. Surely, it would become familiar with practice, but this first time, his confidence was fairly low.

Much to Cloud's surprise, as he kept on, Tifa began to writhe and squirm and moan even more than she had when they were making love. He couldn't fathom the pleasure she was feeling, but his cheeks burned with pride to know that it was he who pleased her so. After a few minutes of watching Tifa try to contain herself, Cloud decided to try something, and slipped one of his moist fingers inside her just below his chin. The results were welcome indeed. Tifa, shocked with pleasure, arched her back and gasped out his name in high soprano. She murmured and gasped words of appreciation, telling him how good it was, how much she loved it-as her words and praise became more heated, he sped up the pace of his finger plunging in and out. He teased her with the tip of his tongue on top of this, a small spot that he had found Tifa responded to best. He gave it a long, sensual kiss, and her juices started dow run down his hand and chin. Suddenly, it seemed, Tifa was grabbing his blond head with fierce hands and pulling his mouth hard against her pubic bone. She screamed out, her voice shrill. She gasped hard, over and over, and her writhes became so violent that he nearly had to back off. "Cloud-!!! I'm-!" She whined and pulled back on his head, trying to extract his face from where it joined to her. She moaned, breaths deep and sharp.

He laid down next to her once again, feeling much more content with his ability to please. Tifa's skin was hot and wet as she curled into his embrace, but he welcomed the contact. She was shuddering in his arms and though he knew she was trembling with pleasure, he felt an innate and undeniable need to comfort, protect, and hold. He pulled the blanket below their hips up to shoulder level, and snuggled closely into Tifa. Her hands clasped around his, and they lay there entwined a good few minutes.

Shortly thereafter, Cloud spoke. "Tifa," She responded with a soft murmur. "Come here… look at me."

She rolled over, her skin and body still close. Her deep red eyes were half-closed, and she looked peaceful, but exhausted. "Hmm?"

"Kiss me," his words had just enough force to make her oblige immediately. Their lips met tenderly and they each tested the other's mouth with their tongues just slightly. It was a perfect kiss, a long, sweet, matchless expression of love. As he pulled back, Cloud looked down at his lover and smiled. "I love you," his words came out with no effort.

"I love you." Tifa's words came out a soft whisper, and before he could make any more pillow talk, Tifa had fallen asleep in his arms. She breathed deep and slow, and her heart had finally slowed to a more suitable pace. Cloud held her close, still wanting to keep this in reality. He dreaded secretly that this was all just a dream, something his perverse mind had conjured to tease him; it was not. Tifa was as real in his arms as she had been as they made love, as he kissed her, and as their mutual orgasms made for a complete state of physical nirvana. Cloud sighed into Tifa's dark hair, which smelled faintly like hickory smoke. She was beautiful, and he loved her. And now, finally, they belonged.

*