CloTi Story

CloTi part 4

Cloud threw himself on the couch in his newly bought house. Sorrow made his heart heavy. Tears streamed down his face despite his efforts to hold them back. His whole world was crumbling to bits. Tifa found someone to love, and it wasn't him. It was Peter. He sat up and pulled his legs close to his body, resting his head on his knees. "What am I gonna do now?" he asked. "I have nothing now."
"You're gonna give up already?" Zack's voice came. He appeared behind Cloud, leaning on the couch. He shook his head. "Man, you really aren't the Infantryman I used to know anymore. C'mon, Cloud. So she kissed the guy. Big deal. That's not a wedding vow, ya know. You can still change her mind. You just have to do it before Peter asks her to marry him."
"I don't think so. I give up. She cares for him. That's all there is to it. I have no chances whatsoever," Cloud said depressingly.
"So then what are you gonna do?" Zack asked.
"I....don't really know. What can I do?"
Aerith came and sat down next to him. "You can support her. That's what she would want, right?"
Zack looked at her. "Aerith, we're guys. When we like girls, if someone else has them and we can't, we don't support them. We're too egotistical for that." He pushed on her shoulder. "Now go back to the Lifestream. This is guy talk!"
Aerith stood and placed her hands on her hips. "Zack Fair, don't talk to me that way! That's so sexist! And mean!"
"Just go. You wouldn't understand what Cloud is going through, anyway," Zack said in a matter-of-fact way. Aerith huffed and went back to the Lifestream. As soon as she disappeared, Zack jumped over the couch and sat next to Cloud. "Now that she's gone, let's talk about how you can get Peter out of the picture. I'm thinking, tell him you wanna talk to him for a second and as soon as you're out of Tifa's sight, cut his head off! Or maybe take him down to a lake or something and then kill him and shove his body in the river to wipe your tracks. Or you could go to his house and, while he's sleeping, tie a rope around his neck and strangle him. Ooh! How about this one? How about you-"
"Shut up, Zack. Are you some kind of idiot? Tifa would know what happened and then she'd kill ME. I don't know about you, but I don't want Tifa angry with me. Not again. I think I just might as well kill myself since I have nothing to live for."
Zack grabbed Cloud by the shirt. "Oh no you don't! There is no way I'll ever let you take your life! And even if you do, I'll have Aerith or the Goddess send you back! Then I'LL kill you for killing yourself, and then have one of them send you back again! Either way, you aren't going to the Lifestream! You're staying right here and fighting for the one you love! You hear me!?"
Cloud blinked, stunned. Zack never yelled at him before, least of all threaten to kill him. "You really think that I have a chance? I don't even know how I would begin to get Peter out of the picture. And I don't want to resort to killing."
"Then what are you going to do? The choice is yours, Cloud. You can sit back and watch her spend the rest of her life with this.....inconsiderate little midget, OR you can fight! Pick one and follow it. But no matter what, protect your honor." And Zack faded.
Cloud spent the night thinking about what he was going to do. Should he support Tifa? Or should he fight for her? Before he could make up his mind, he heard a knock at the door. "Who could be here at this time of night?" He opened the door and saw a little girl on his doorstep. She had black hair tied into a long ponytail. "Who are you?" Cloud asked the girl.
She looked up. Cloud's eyes widened as he saw her eyes. Her eyes glowed with Mako. "Please, sir," she whimpered. "Help me."
She fell unconscious and Cloud caught her. He took her upstairs into a room and put her in the bed. He felt her forehead. She was burning up. He got a bowl of water and a rag and dabbed her forehead."Who is this girl?" he thought.