A Very Long Engagement (Cloud Strife Two-Shot)

Part 1

Cloud burst into Seventh Heaven like a man possessed, surrounded by his friends in the Avalanche group. They were all in a panic, but none so more than Cloud – he was hysterical. He held the limp body of his fiancé close to his body, tears streaming down his face as he willed you to stay alive.

Please. I can't bear to lose anyone else.

I couldn't survive it.

Desperation took over his legs as he charged up the stairs behind the bar, gingerly laying you down on the bed in the first available room.

"No no no!" He choked out, frantically trying to stop the bleeding in your abdomen and legs with whatever sheets and quilts were nearby.

"Cloud," Tifa said, a hint of urgency in her voice. She placed a hand on his shoulder as he sobbed over your semi-conscious form, trying to pull him away from you so she could begin assessing the damage.

You had been on a run-of-the-mill mission for Avalanche, but the group had been split up and you had ended up being jumped by a group of hounds in the Shinra complex. Normally, you had no problem taking care of yourself, but they had caught you by surprise, and you had paid for it big time. Even in your half-asleep state, you could still hear Cloud's anguished cry as they sunk their teeth into your flesh.

"Cloud." Tifa repeated, more sternly this time, "Let me work."

"Y/N... Y/N Please... Please don't leave me," he murmured to you quietly, not paying attention to anything else that was going on. He was shaking like a leaf, and he felt a tightness in his chest as he struggled to get air in.

"Cloud! Get out of the fucking way before she bleeds to death!!" Barret shouted, horrified that Cloud had allowed himself to become so distraught that all his common sense had gone out the window. You needed medical attention – and fast.

Finally, Cloud turned to face the group, his pained eyes looking utterly lost and helpless. All he could manage in response was a nod, shuffling towards the head end of the bed and kneeling down on the floorboards beside you. He took your hand and held it tightly, kissing it just below where your engagement ring was sitting. It was a beautiful turquoise-blue stone set in silver, with filigree patterns engraved on the band, and you loved it because the gem reminded you of Cloud's mako-infused eyes.

With his other hand, Cloud gently brushed your hair away from your clammy face as he looked down at Tifa, who was grimacing as she assessed your wounds. Cloud's stomach dropped as he bit his lip and dropped his head, fearing the worst.

At that moment, you let out a weak cough and opened your E/C eyes, gazing over to Cloud.

"Y/N!" he exclaimed, placing a palm to the side of your face gently.

"Stay with me. Stay with me. You're back at the bar. We're gonna fix you up," he said softly.

"Cloud, she's haemorrhaging. We need to stop the bleeding and stitch her up, ASAP," Tifa said quietly to him. She didn't want you to overhear and panic.

"Where's the healing materia?" he snapped at her under his breath.

"We don't... We don't have any," she replied sadly. Cloud looked to the rest of the group desperately, his eyes pleading with each and every of them. They all hung their heads.

"I'm sorry, Cloud," Barret said, looking to the floor whilst Aerith let out a sob, grabbing onto Biggs.

"Just save her... Please." Cloud begged, turning back to you with worry consuming his features.

There was a small commotion in the background as the team leaped into action, with some mutterings about fire materia, bandages and antiseptic. Cloud, desperate to keep you conscious, continued whispering sweet nothings to you as he came apart at the seams. He had already lost so many and seen too much death for one human to bear. It would be his undoing if he lost you too.