![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Title: In Grain Alcohol is Truth
Characters: Cloud/Tifa
Rating: K
Notes: For the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
ffvii_het_meme . There were two requests for a drunken Cloud... and this is what came out when I tried to write him that way. He's really more tipsy -- the 'euphoric' stage on the BAC chart -- than out-right drunk.
It went without saying that Cloud could drink any of them under the table, and still be perfectly sober. The night Tifa and Barret got half-drunk on Corel wine, Cloud had been more affected by the company and the atmosphere than by the wine itself. His mako-fueled metabolism burnt alcohol like it was dry grass in a summer drought, and not even Barret’s size and muscle mass were enough to compensate.
What Tifa had never expected was for Yuffie to talk him into actually doing it. Especially not consecutively. While part of her wanted to know how the ninja had done it – being able to talk Cloud into circumventing his good sense and do something he knew was stupid? Definitely a skill worth learning – another was less than pleased to have three of her friends passed out in her bar.
Although... getting to spend time with a most definitely, and adorably, drunk Cloud made up for the noise, and the mess, and even the tremendous amount of alcohol they had consumed.
Apparently even he had a saturation point. ‘Tipsy’ was equal to the number of shots it took to match first Yuffie, then Barret, and then Cid, drink for drink over a span of a few hours, until the other three fell into a happy stupor, one after the other.
Reeve had long since left, taking Cait with him. Vincent and Nanaki had withdrawn into a corner, unwilling to participate in the obvious folly happening at the bar. Yuffie was curled up asleep on the long bench that ran the length of the room, while Barret had found his way upstairs to collapse in Cloud’s bed. Cid was in the corner opposite his sober companions, asleep sitting up.
Which left Tifa and Cloud in relative privacy. He watched her with soft, attentive eyes while she washed the small army of shot glasses he’d emptied, a small but noticeably happy smile on his face.
“You’re very pretty, Tifa,” he told her suddenly, and if his voice was pitched in its usual range, it had still lost most of its hesitance. “You’ve always been pretty,” he continued, when she blushed but continued working without responding, “even when you were eight years old, and wore frilly dresses.” His tone conveyed what his nine year old self had thought of frilly dresses, and it wasn’t positive. There was a pause, and out of the corner of her eye she could see him tilting his head and giving her a speculative glance. “Why don’t you wear frilly dresses anymore, Tifa?”
Was his tone wistful?
“It would be hard to run after Denzel and Marlene,” and you, she silently added, “in a dress, Cloud.”
“Would it?” he sounded utterly astonished. “But... you wore a skirt before,” he pointed out, as if she’d forgotten, “when we fought Sephiroth last time. Remember?” Tifa nodded, but Cloud’s eyes were half-closed and he wasn’t paying much attention to anything outside whatever was going on in his head. “A short skirt. It made your legs look like they went on forever, and I had to be careful not to look whenever–“
“Cloud!”
The swordsman blinked as his chain of thought was interrupted. “What?”
Hands on hips, fighting to keep her lips from twitching into a smile, she gave him a stern look. “Did you look up my skirt?”
Sober, he would probably have blushed, and denied it. Drunk, he gave her a look that simultaneously managed to proclaim that she’d asked a stupid question – because he was male, thank you -- while also conveying his suspicion that it was a trick question. “...yes?”
She couldn’t help it, and burst into giggles. Pleased by her reaction, he smiled a bit wider as well. “I think you should wear a dress again,” he told her earnestly, when her laughter had faded. His considering expression was back, and he nodded to himself, as if he’d come to some important decision. “I’ll take you somewhere special so you can.”
Tifa stilled. Was that... almost... a date? “Really?” she winced internally at the longing that one word betrayed.
Oblivious, Cloud simply nodded. “Sure.”
Shaking her head a bit, she reached out to cup his face in her hands. “Oh, Cloud. What am I going to do with you?” His blue eyes widened, then blinked, and darkened perceptibly as an inkling filtered into his fuzzy mind. “Don’t answer that,” she told him, voice teasing as she turned to fill a glass with water and set it in front of him.
“Ok.” There was a pause while he examined the glass, turning it in circles. “Why not?”
“Drink that,” she instructed firmly, and watched as he obediently drained it down before refilling it and nodding at him to repeat the procedure. “Because you might regret it tomorrow, when you’re not so... happy.”
The third time she filled the glass he grimaced, and pushed it away. She pushed it right back. “I’m not drunk, Tifa. I don’t get drunk.”
“I didn’t say you were. I said you were happy, and you are. But since you mention it, you are also very definitely drunk.” He frowned, clearly disbelieving, and she felt an impish impulse to tease him, just a little. “Alright, I’ll prove it to you. Close your eyes.”
His brows rose and fell in confusion, but he did as she asked.
“Now. I’m going to say a word, and I want you to tell me the first thing that pops into your head.” One eye opened to give her a look, and she stared until he closed it again. “Barret?”
“Loud.”
That was certainly no surprise. “Nanaki?”
“Friend.”
Hmmm. She would’ve said flame, but Cloud – who had been subject to labels all his life – would avoid fixating on others due to their differences. “Vincent?”
“Vampire.”
Or maybe not. She struggled not to giggle. “You wouldn’t have said that if you were sober.”
“Would so.” But the corner of his mouth was turned up in a smile, giving truth to the lie.
“Yuffie?”
“Trouble. Lots of trouble.”
Tifa did allow a small laugh to escape at that. “Bar?”
“Home.”
Oh. OH. “Denzel?”
“Little man.”
And he was, always trying so hard to be brave and helpful. “Marlene?”
“Panda.”
She still didn’t understand that nickname. “Water?”
“No.”
Very definite and emphatic, there. “Fenrir?”
“Freedom.”
She could understand how that would be important to him. “Pretty?”
“Tifa.”
Well... he had said it earlier. “Patient?”
“Tifa.”
That gave her pause. Would it be fishing for compliments...? “Sweet?”
“Tifa.”
He’d smirked that time. So maybe it was fishing. Who cared? She thought for a moment, then smiled to herself. “Kiss?”
“Tifa.”
He hadn’t even hesitated, nor was he blushing. That was all her. Cloud had actually settled back into his chair, with his hands clasped behind his head, giving every appearance of being in control and enjoying himself. Swallowing, she decided to go for broke. “Tifa?”
For the first time, there was hesitance, Cloud opening and closing his mouth twice before finally answering.
“Want.”
Just one word, whispered in a voice dark and husky and full of so much untapped emotion that Tifa gasped. At the sound, his eyes opened to focus on her face, their expression more than matching his tone: deep blue and glowing with hunger and passion and longing. “That... that’s not the first thing you thought of.” The words were challenging, but their timbre was soft, curious, and hopeful.
His answering smile was tender yet wry. “No, but even if I am drunk, I’m not far gone enough to tell you what did.” Reaching out, he took her hand and drew her around to his side of the bar. “Any other questions, Miss Curious?” Obviously, now that he’d stopped imbibing, his system was making quick work of filtering the alcohol out of his blood.
Already wrapped in his embrace, she had no need to ask for a hug. “Will you tell me some other time?” she asked instead.
He chuckled. “Next time I’m drunk, feel free to try again.”
A few months later she did, and flushed with pleasure at his response, although by that time she’d long suspected the answer.
Characters: Cloud/Tifa
Rating: K
Notes: For the
ffvii_het_meme . There were two requests for a drunken Cloud... and this is what came out when I tried to write him that way. He's really more tipsy -- the 'euphoric' stage on the BAC chart -- than out-right drunk. It went without saying that Cloud could drink any of them under the table, and still be perfectly sober. The night Tifa and Barret got half-drunk on Corel wine, Cloud had been more affected by the company and the atmosphere than by the wine itself. His mako-fueled metabolism burnt alcohol like it was dry grass in a summer drought, and not even Barret’s size and muscle mass were enough to compensate.
What Tifa had never expected was for Yuffie to talk him into actually doing it. Especially not consecutively. While part of her wanted to know how the ninja had done it – being able to talk Cloud into circumventing his good sense and do something he knew was stupid? Definitely a skill worth learning – another was less than pleased to have three of her friends passed out in her bar.
Although... getting to spend time with a most definitely, and adorably, drunk Cloud made up for the noise, and the mess, and even the tremendous amount of alcohol they had consumed.
Apparently even he had a saturation point. ‘Tipsy’ was equal to the number of shots it took to match first Yuffie, then Barret, and then Cid, drink for drink over a span of a few hours, until the other three fell into a happy stupor, one after the other.
Reeve had long since left, taking Cait with him. Vincent and Nanaki had withdrawn into a corner, unwilling to participate in the obvious folly happening at the bar. Yuffie was curled up asleep on the long bench that ran the length of the room, while Barret had found his way upstairs to collapse in Cloud’s bed. Cid was in the corner opposite his sober companions, asleep sitting up.
Which left Tifa and Cloud in relative privacy. He watched her with soft, attentive eyes while she washed the small army of shot glasses he’d emptied, a small but noticeably happy smile on his face.
“You’re very pretty, Tifa,” he told her suddenly, and if his voice was pitched in its usual range, it had still lost most of its hesitance. “You’ve always been pretty,” he continued, when she blushed but continued working without responding, “even when you were eight years old, and wore frilly dresses.” His tone conveyed what his nine year old self had thought of frilly dresses, and it wasn’t positive. There was a pause, and out of the corner of her eye she could see him tilting his head and giving her a speculative glance. “Why don’t you wear frilly dresses anymore, Tifa?”
Was his tone wistful?
“It would be hard to run after Denzel and Marlene,” and you, she silently added, “in a dress, Cloud.”
“Would it?” he sounded utterly astonished. “But... you wore a skirt before,” he pointed out, as if she’d forgotten, “when we fought Sephiroth last time. Remember?” Tifa nodded, but Cloud’s eyes were half-closed and he wasn’t paying much attention to anything outside whatever was going on in his head. “A short skirt. It made your legs look like they went on forever, and I had to be careful not to look whenever–“
“Cloud!”
The swordsman blinked as his chain of thought was interrupted. “What?”
Hands on hips, fighting to keep her lips from twitching into a smile, she gave him a stern look. “Did you look up my skirt?”
Sober, he would probably have blushed, and denied it. Drunk, he gave her a look that simultaneously managed to proclaim that she’d asked a stupid question – because he was male, thank you -- while also conveying his suspicion that it was a trick question. “...yes?”
She couldn’t help it, and burst into giggles. Pleased by her reaction, he smiled a bit wider as well. “I think you should wear a dress again,” he told her earnestly, when her laughter had faded. His considering expression was back, and he nodded to himself, as if he’d come to some important decision. “I’ll take you somewhere special so you can.”
Tifa stilled. Was that... almost... a date? “Really?” she winced internally at the longing that one word betrayed.
Oblivious, Cloud simply nodded. “Sure.”
Shaking her head a bit, she reached out to cup his face in her hands. “Oh, Cloud. What am I going to do with you?” His blue eyes widened, then blinked, and darkened perceptibly as an inkling filtered into his fuzzy mind. “Don’t answer that,” she told him, voice teasing as she turned to fill a glass with water and set it in front of him.
“Ok.” There was a pause while he examined the glass, turning it in circles. “Why not?”
“Drink that,” she instructed firmly, and watched as he obediently drained it down before refilling it and nodding at him to repeat the procedure. “Because you might regret it tomorrow, when you’re not so... happy.”
The third time she filled the glass he grimaced, and pushed it away. She pushed it right back. “I’m not drunk, Tifa. I don’t get drunk.”
“I didn’t say you were. I said you were happy, and you are. But since you mention it, you are also very definitely drunk.” He frowned, clearly disbelieving, and she felt an impish impulse to tease him, just a little. “Alright, I’ll prove it to you. Close your eyes.”
His brows rose and fell in confusion, but he did as she asked.
“Now. I’m going to say a word, and I want you to tell me the first thing that pops into your head.” One eye opened to give her a look, and she stared until he closed it again. “Barret?”
“Loud.”
That was certainly no surprise. “Nanaki?”
“Friend.”
Hmmm. She would’ve said flame, but Cloud – who had been subject to labels all his life – would avoid fixating on others due to their differences. “Vincent?”
“Vampire.”
Or maybe not. She struggled not to giggle. “You wouldn’t have said that if you were sober.”
“Would so.” But the corner of his mouth was turned up in a smile, giving truth to the lie.
“Yuffie?”
“Trouble. Lots of trouble.”
Tifa did allow a small laugh to escape at that. “Bar?”
“Home.”
Oh. OH. “Denzel?”
“Little man.”
And he was, always trying so hard to be brave and helpful. “Marlene?”
“Panda.”
She still didn’t understand that nickname. “Water?”
“No.”
Very definite and emphatic, there. “Fenrir?”
“Freedom.”
She could understand how that would be important to him. “Pretty?”
“Tifa.”
Well... he had said it earlier. “Patient?”
“Tifa.”
That gave her pause. Would it be fishing for compliments...? “Sweet?”
“Tifa.”
He’d smirked that time. So maybe it was fishing. Who cared? She thought for a moment, then smiled to herself. “Kiss?”
“Tifa.”
He hadn’t even hesitated, nor was he blushing. That was all her. Cloud had actually settled back into his chair, with his hands clasped behind his head, giving every appearance of being in control and enjoying himself. Swallowing, she decided to go for broke. “Tifa?”
For the first time, there was hesitance, Cloud opening and closing his mouth twice before finally answering.
“Want.”
Just one word, whispered in a voice dark and husky and full of so much untapped emotion that Tifa gasped. At the sound, his eyes opened to focus on her face, their expression more than matching his tone: deep blue and glowing with hunger and passion and longing. “That... that’s not the first thing you thought of.” The words were challenging, but their timbre was soft, curious, and hopeful.
His answering smile was tender yet wry. “No, but even if I am drunk, I’m not far gone enough to tell you what did.” Reaching out, he took her hand and drew her around to his side of the bar. “Any other questions, Miss Curious?” Obviously, now that he’d stopped imbibing, his system was making quick work of filtering the alcohol out of his blood.
Already wrapped in his embrace, she had no need to ask for a hug. “Will you tell me some other time?” she asked instead.
He chuckled. “Next time I’m drunk, feel free to try again.”
A few months later she did, and flushed with pleasure at his response, although by that time she’d long suspected the answer.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 01:02 am (UTC)From: (Anonymous)Also, the entire "Why don't you wear frilly dresses anymore?" and "...yes?" bit was hysterically funny. Because a sober Cloud would NEVER have said any of that, most particularly the bit about Tifa's short skirt. I am having a hard time picturing a grown-up Tifa in a frilly dress, though....
Now, is this the same continuum as the later story when he does take her dancing?
JD
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 01:03 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 02:04 am (UTC)From:Yes, this is in the same continuum (great word!) as the dancing fic. Maybe, now that I've written this, I'll have her tease him about keeping his promise. =)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 01:43 am (UTC)From:“Marlene?”
“Panda.”
hahahahaha! Definitely laughed out loud at that one! Now that you've seen ACC, what is Cloud actually saying in that scene?
I also love Cloud's half-closed eyes, and I like how the words you chose to italicize really do make him sound tipsy and happy. I like his wording... that her legs went on "forever." I like that Cloud seems to have a personality when he's drunk, and it's a personality I find really endearing.
I also want to know what his first thought was, at the end! I have a few guesses...
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 01:44 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 02:07 am (UTC)From:The English dialogue has him saying it's his turn. Still don't know what the actual Japanese is. I should go stare at the Japanese subtitles and see if I can figure it out. Just for curiousity's sake.
Well... I went through a few ideas. I kind of wanted him to say "mine", but since he says that in the jealousy fic, and she's surprised, I figured that wouldn't work (although he could think it). I also considered "sex" or "love" or "need". Sex would've been lots of fun, but I also couldn't really see him saying it. But, again, he may have thought it! ;)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 02:15 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 01:44 am (UTC)From:Also, Tifa's little free-association game is awesome. "Vampire." XD And the last five or so are just...d'awwww. That last one is more "YUM" than "aww", though. :P (As to what the 'real' answer is, lemme guess..."love"? *melty*)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 02:09 am (UTC)From:See above response for things I considered Cloud could have thought. =D
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 02:09 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 02:21 am (UTC)From:D'awwwww. ♥♥♥ (And man, I need a not-angry-looking!Tifa icon. :P)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 03:27 am (UTC)From:I never imagine this with tipsy Cloud, and I love his answers to Tifa’s questions. Especially the Vincent and Yuffie question.
But unfourtnaly I don't get the whole panda thing with Marlene. I watched ACC but unfourtnaly it was Japanese I downloaded it because I wanted to see the Cloti scene so badly that I didnt really care that it was in Japanese. Even if I did mmiss a lot of the conversation. I can only pick out common Japanese words such as mother.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 03:37 am (UTC)From:As for the panda thing, that's me being silly. It started with this post:
http://sekiharatae.livejournal.com/11766.html> (http://sekiharatae.livejournal.com/11766.html) and resulted in this story:
Ore no Panda (http://sekiharatae.livejournal.com/12490.html)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 03:40 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 04:18 am (UTC)From:*glomps*
You have no idea how glad I am to see Tae Fluff™ this evening. I saw you posted two, which makes me doubly excited, but I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open so I'll have to read the other one tomorrow.
I love the opening to this--I always love your set-ups and lead ins so much. Tifa's exasperation over having three drunken friends passed out on the floor made me giggle.
Hahaha, I like that Cloud "drunk" is just pushing typsy; makes perfect sense and it also keeps him in character. His comment about Tifa being pretty was great; I could picture the tone and everything. The part about what his nine-year-old self had thought of frilly dresses had me laughing, too.
"Did you look up my skirt?"
"...yes?"
HEEE! Beautiful and hilarious execution there. :D
And also: "because he was male, thank you" :D :D :D
LOVED the "name game" Tifa had Cloud do, and all of his answers. They either made me giggle (vampire) or melt (little man) or giggle and melt (PANDA! YAY PANDA!). Ahem.
And then a HUGE MELTING at all the "Tifa" answers. ♥ ♥ ♥
"For the first time, there was hesitance, Cloud opening and closing his mouth twice before finally answering.
“Want.”
Just one word, whispered in a voice dark and husky and full of so much untapped emotion that Tifa gasped. At the sound, his eyes opened to focus on her face, their expression more than matching his tone: deep blue and glowing with hunger and passion and longing.
Okay, I had to copy that whole bit because it was just--gah. Words cannot express how beautiful it was. *happy sigh*
Thank you soooo much for this. I'm going to go curl up in bed now. I'll absorb your other piece tomorrow. ^_^
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 06:00 pm (UTC)From:When I watch that scene with Cloud and Denzel on Fenrir, I just hear Cloud in my head thinking something like, "It'll be ok, little man." Not sure why. Most likely because I'm a sap.
Thank you for the feedback! ^___^
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 05:42 am (UTC)From:It's a good thing I read that Ore no Panda fic to know about Marlene and Panda.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 06:01 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 09:25 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 12:04 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 06:01 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 11:02 pm (UTC)From:And I'm sure it must have been distracting to the other team members...really! So I enjoy well written stories about her outfit...not to mention her gravity defying top heavy uh, whataemcallits...he he.
mar
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 08:15 pm (UTC)From:Also, would Rude mind a foot in the face, considering the view he'd get first?
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 11:41 pm (UTC)From:mar
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Date: 2009-05-04 01:19 pm (UTC)From:I disappear mostly for a weekend and come back and have to catch up. I like this problem.no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 08:13 pm (UTC)From:Oh dear lord. I just thought she should ask him 'boxers or briefs'. What is wrong with me?
Once upon a time, I wrote like this for RK, with new stuff almost constantly. I hope it's not overkill.no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 09:19 pm (UTC)From:You have seen my muse of crazy? Yes? I hardly think a person can read overkill.... or maybe that's just my wish for endless fiction...no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 04:34 pm (UTC)From:Joey
no subject
Date: 2009-05-07 05:01 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-05 05:20 am (UTC)From:"BOOBS."
Haha. This was fun. 8D "It made your legs look like they went on forever" is so funny. That's what did it for me. And don't know why, but I've always fantasized about Tifa being a tough(er) drinker (than C). ;)
Also, wanted to add:
I forgot to comment on a fic you wrote recently. I forget which one now,
probably one of the smut fics, but you mentioned a peanut bowl, and I was like "YES." because I've always had that in my head.I like to think that she has complimentary salted nuts on each tables/counter (because it's good for business) and refilling them would be the kids' job (rather, the kind of chore that the kids would be in charge of). It's a kind of detail I would've included in a fic if I wasn't so inept at creative writing.
SO YEAH. I guess I'm just... giving you props for mentioning a peanut bowl. (Yeah, I know this is weird thing to hear...)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-07 05:04 am (UTC)From:Thanks for the feedback on the
smut fic sex on the bar ficother fic. I appreciate that other people appreciate the details I throw in here and there. =) I also totally see Tifa having the kids put out the peanuts. Maybe some popcorn, too.no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 03:26 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 06:17 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-05 07:28 pm (UTC)From:"Sober, he would probably have blushed, and denied it. Drunk, he gave her a look that simultaneously managed to proclaim that she’d asked a stupid question – because he was male, thank you -- while also conveying his suspicion that it was a trick question. “...yes?”"
Lol. XD XDD I love how I can easily picture this happening.
Ha, and I can only imagine what Cloud's first few thoughts/words were for Tifa. ^.^
no subject
Date: 2009-05-07 05:05 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-07 11:42 pm (UTC)From:I especially loved these parts:
"It made your legs look like they went on forever, and I had to be careful not to look whenever–“
“Cloud!”
“What?”
“Did you look up my skirt?”
"...yes?"
- HAHAHA OMG! This made me squee and laugh at the same time xD Oh Cloud, you silly, sweet man ;D
And I liked this part too, of course:
"Tifa?"
"Want."
- FUFUFUFU smooth Cloud, smooth! ;D
You did such a great job! xD Totally putting this in my memories xD
no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 06:10 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 07:28 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 11:47 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 10:20 pm (UTC)From:Great job!
no subject
Date: 2009-05-09 12:22 am (UTC)From:(Sadly, I had to go research being drunk and why some people get drunk faster than others. ^^; I don't drink -- so no personal experience -- and I'm too much of a geek to just wing it.)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-09 09:07 am (UTC)From:I can't wait to read all the other prompts. ^_^