Ethereal // Cloud x Reader (Delightful Book 2)

One

Y/n wasn't quite sure what had happened that night. She woke up to Tifa storming back into the room, but fell asleep soon after. She figured she would talk to Tifa in the morning. Well, the next morning she wasn't interested in speaking about it, so Y/n let it go in hopes she would open up later.

Cloud seemed a bit tense as well, so she assumed something happened between them. She felt a pang in her chest, but brushed it aside immediately. Tifa wouldn't do anything, and neither would Cloud. Hopefully. In any case, she knew this wasn't about her and wasn't going to start an issue.

She found Cloud in the inn's lobby playing a card game. She walked up to him and greeted him with a 'what's up' and watched what he was doing. It looked like chess, but obviously that was not what was going on there. She wanted to ask how to play, but not even a minute later Cloud had walked away. Rude.

Cloud walked over to the innkeeper who greeted them both. He introduced himself as Broden. He was a handsome man with shaggy brown hair, but he spoke in a calm tone. "Your companions have all stepped out. Your friend Barret left a message. He said to get your equipment checked ASAP."

Their plan for the morning turned into going to the arms dealer and then to Maghnata Books about some folios. Whatever that is.

Exiting the inn, Red XIII sauntered up to them with a swish to his ignited tail. Y/n contained her squeal, still not used to their feline-canine hybrid not enjoying pets.

"Rough day yesterday?" Asked Red. Cloud asked if Red had been waiting for him after seeing no one else around. "I've been waiting for a chance to thank you properly. Without your help, I'd still be in Hojo's clutches- trapped in that lab."

"Was nothing," Cloud responded coolly.

"Even so," Red continued, "I owe you a debt, and until its paid I'm going to accompany you."

Making a fist in the air, Y/n grinned. "Yes!! Good to have you, Red."

Before he left, though, he made sure to tell Cloud to get his equipment checked for him while at the arms dealer. Although, Y/n wasn't sure what equipment, but whatever.

"The rock's got a backbone," Cloud mused. Y/n just grinned at him.

The town made Y/n feel like she was in some cottage core loving person's dream town, with stone pathed roads lined with flowers, and houses ripped straight from Studio Ghibli movies. They passed beautiful stone and wood houses lush with flora, crossed through a town market that smelled like fresh bread and incense. It was a stark change from Sector 7, but Y/n didn't think mentioning that was a good idea.

The beautiful scenery didn't take away from the pointed silence. Cloud tried really hard it seemed to answer Y/n's basic questions with one word answers. The two carried themselves over to a beautiful park where they found Tifa waiting. Cloud inched over, a grumpy knife slinger behind him.

Tifa gave them both a tight lip smile in greeting. "Everyone went off to do their own thing."

"I noticed," nodded Cloud. Y/n could feel the awkwardness between the two real a boiling point.

"This tank remind you of anything?" Tifa asked before Y/n could ask what was up. Now that she had pointed it out, Y/n wasn't sure how she missed the giant steamboat-tank behind them. IT felt out of place in a town that looked so serene.

"Yeah," Cloud smiled a little. "Like the place I made that promise to you."

Y/n assumed that he was referring to the balcony that stuck out of the boat-tank. It looked like a great place to sit, hang your legs off the railing, and talk about your feelings with your somewhat girlfriend.