Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ New Love ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Forgive my absence, dear readers. My PC is gone for a while, and my parents laptop has only recently allieviated the problem. But I assure you, I made this chapter worth the wait!

 

New Love

 

Chapter 8

 

"I still don't get why I have to come," Cloud grumbled, following Barret inside the building.

 

"Hey, Myrna told me if I felt weird, to take you or Cid along. I do, so here ya'are. The coin just landed on tails is all," Barret replied, leading Cloud down the hall of the community center.

 

“You decided who to take to dance class with you using a coin toss?”

 

“What whadda ya suggest?”

 

Cloud silently conceded his friend's point as Barret pushed open the door to the room where the classes were being held. There were a little less than two-dozen people there, most of them women. The handful of guys, to Cloud's amusement, looked just as awkward and out of place as they did.

 

“Can I help you?” the instructor asked, turning her head from the front of the class.

 

“Barret Wallace, here for the class,” Barret muttered.

 

“Cloud Strife, here to laugh to him,” Cloud said. A few of the women giggled as Barret shot Cloud a dirty look.

 

“This is not a spectator class Mr. Strife, if you're here, you're dancing,” the instructor warned.

 

“Uh, hey, no no, I-I don't know to dance,” Cloud stammered.

 

“Then the class should prove most educational,” the instructor smirked. “Alright, who remembers the basic box step, show of hands?” Seven hands slowly rose into the air. “Alright then, Mr. Wallace, Mr. Strife, class, pair up and we'll go over it again.”

 

“See ya in there,” Barret said, walking away from the door to a series of hooks and benches on the wall where coats and jackets had been hung. Cloud watched as the students paired up, and the instructor turned to a whiteboard at the front of the room and began scribbling something down. He took a breath and slowly turned the handle of the door behind him. He had perfected the art of sneaking out of dances during his high school days with Tifa. The latch slowly clicked back, and with another look at the instructor, Cloud inched backwards into the hall.

 

“Hey, Cloud!”

 

Cloud froze and got a pained look on his face. He turned his head to look down the hall.

 

“Aeris…” he muttered. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I'm taking the dancing class, you too?” the secretary smiled, walking up to him.

 

“No.”

 

“Then why are you leaving the room?”

 

“….friend is taking is, just going to get him a drink.”

“Oh, ok.” Aeris turned and pointed down another hall. “The vending machines are down there and to the left.”

 

“Right.” Cloud stepped back a bit, pushing the door open. Aeris walked past him into the room, and Cloud stepped into the hall fully, the door clicking shut behind him.

 

“Who just left?”

 

Cloud cursed at the sound of the instructor's muffled voice from inside the room.

 

“Oh, it was just Cloud, he went to get his friend a drink,” he heard Aeris reply.

 

“I didn't ask for any drink!” Barret replied. Cloud began jogging down the hall.

 

“Cloud!”

 

Cloud skidded to a halt as Aeris poked her head out the door.

 

“What's going on?” she asked, cocking her head.

 

“Mr. Strife seems to think he bail out on my class,” the instructor called out into the hall.

 

“I'm not part of your class!” Cloud shouted back. “I told you, I don't dance!”

 

“Neither does anyone else in that room, that's why they're here silly,” Aeris laughed. “Come on, you don't want to see what Angela does to people who bail on her.” Cloud grimaced, and after a moment, reluctantly began walking back down the hall.

 

“I used to teach high school physics, Mr. Strife,” the instructor, aka Angela, told him as he followed Aeris into the room. Naturally, everyone - including Barret - was staring at him. “I didn't let students leave then and I don't now.”

 

“What do I have to do to get out of here with my dignity intact?” Cloud groaned.

 

“It's too late for that, but I'll let you keep what dignity is left if you stay for the rest of the class,” Angela smiled. “Seeing as how Ms. Gainsborough so generously pulled you back here, perhaps she can keep you here now.”

 

“Sure, I'll keep him in line,” Aeris winked. Cloud felt his cheeks flush anew as Angela went back to the front of the room and began gesturing to a series of marks on the whiteboard.

 

“Alright, come on you,” Aeris said, dragging Cloud by the hand to the back of the room, separate from the other students. “It's time to dance.”

 

“Huh?” Cloud asked. “I thought we're doing the…um…”

 

“Oh, they're doing the boxstep, that's not real dancing,” Aeris rolled her eyes. “I've been dancing since I was a kid, by the time I'm done with you you'll be moving like the lovechild of Elvis and Baryshnikov.”

 

“Huh?” Cloud repeated.

 

“Oh, just come on,” Aeris giggled, grabbing both his hands. “Put your left hand on my shoulder,” she instructed. Cloud awkwardly did as he was told. “Good, now the other one on my back.” Cloud again did so. “No no no,” Aeris said. “Cloud, you're not Mr. Roboto! Dancing should be natural, smooth, and you can't do that acting like this!” Aeris put her hand around his wrist and jerked his arm down. Cloud blushed as his hand came to rest in the small of her back, his palm resting against the pink wool of Aeris' sweater. “There, feel that?”

 

“I don't know, what should I be feeling?” Cloud mumbled. Aeris smiled and put her hands on Cloud's shoulders.

 

“This, watch and feel.” Aeris waited for a moment, and stepped to the left. Cloud stumbled after her. “Okay, let's try that again.”

 

“Sorry,” Cloud said, looking down. “My feet just don't-”

 

“Don't stare at your feet,” Aeris said, bringing a hand to tilt Cloud's chin back up. “Your eyes tell your partner where you're going, look at my eyes.” Cloud groaned slightly and made a point of looking at everything else in the room, including the rest of the class who, to his slight relief, were paying no attention to him. Finally, he looked back at Aeris.

 

Her emerald-green eyes had been the first things that had caught his attention when he had met her in the elevator the first day she came to the office. Cloud couldn't remember ever seeing eyes that bright. He'd never not been aware of them, but now he was all the same reminded of their brilliance.

 

“Alright,” Aeris said slowly, holding his gaze. “Focus on what you're feeling right now, your hands and me and my hands on you, okay?”

 

“Kay…” Cloud murmured, trying to pay attention to her words and her eyes at the same time.

 

“When I go to move, you should be able to feel where I'm going, and you move with me. My eyes, your hands, my hands, tell you where your partner is taking you and where to go. Ready?”

 

“I think so,” Cloud nodded. Aeris nodded back, and Cloud waited for a moment, staring down at her. Finally, Aeris stepped right…

 

And Cloud stepped left.

 

Aeris started laughing again as Cloud stepped back away from her.

 

“I told you I can't dance,” he protested, starting to walk towards the door. Aeris rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, spinning him back around.

 

“No one gets it right their first time, Cloud,” she said. “Come on, again.” Aeris put her hands back on Cloud's shoulders, and he reluctantly put his hands back on her back and shoulder. “Alright, we'll go slow. Feel my back?” Cloud nodded. “Alright, tell me which way I'm going.” Cloud concentrated on the feel of Aeris' body underneath the sweater, and felt the muscles move.

 

“Um…left?” he guessed.

 

“Yes!” Aeris' face and eyes lit up. “How about now? Focus on my shoulder now.” Cloud felt her begin to move, and the two stepped backwards. “There you go!” Aeris cheered. Cloud looked up from her at the rest of the class, a few of them - including Barret - staring at them.

 

“I'm gonna lose circulation if I keep blushing this much,” Cloud muttered.

 

“Relax, they're just jealous,” Aeris teased. “Now shut up and focus back on the hands. I told ya, I'm gonna turn you into Baryshnikov.”

 

“Who?”

 

“No more words,” Aeris lifted a finger and pressed it to Cloud's lips. “Everything a dancer needs to say…” Aeris pulled her hand back and tapped the bridge of her nose, “is in the eyes.” She adjusted the positions of their hands. “Again.”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Back, left, left, right, back, forward, right…

 

Aeris was still leading - Cloud wasn't ready for that quite yet, but he was following her lead perfectly. The class had left fifteen minutes ago, including Angela, and Barret had gone to the vending machines. Aeris had insisted on continuing, and Cloud hadn't protested. The signals she had told him were coming in clear now, and he was feeling her movements with ease. He hadn't stumbled once in the last ten minutes.

 

Aeris and Cloud stepped, and Cloud got an idea. They stepped forwards him, and he spun out of Aeris' hands on his shoulders, taking his hand from her back and taking it. She gasped slightly, caught off-guard, as Cloud swung backwards. Smiling, Aeris turned into him, the folds of her skirt and sweater spinning with her thick braid, and Cloud lifted his hand to help her movement. She ended the spin by hitting his chest, laughing and patting a hand against his shoulder.

 

“You almost had me there,” she scolded, wagging a finger at him.

 

“I got ambitious,” Cloud shrugged.

 

“Yo!” The two parted as Barret came back, chewing a Kit-Kat stick. “Didn't get a chance to say hi before. I'm Barret.” He extended his hand.

 

“Aeris.”

 

“Hold on, Aeris? You're his secretary he keeps talking about,”

 

“Oh? Cloud talks about me, does he?” Aeris shot him a look.

 

“Not like that,” Cloud replied. “You ready to go Barret?”

 

“Been ready, you?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Awright, I'll go bring the car around,” Barret grabbed his jacket and headed out of the room.

 

“You need a ride?” Cloud asked Aeris. She shook her head.

 

“No thanks, I don't live far away, I walk.”

 

“Kay. Thanks, again, for the dancing.”

 

“No problem, you could be pretty good if you actually took lessons.”

 

“I'll pass.” Cloud grabbed Aeris hand again and started swinging her again. “Besides, you taught me the basics, how much harder can it be?” Aeris spun again and hit his chest, looking at him at with the smile.

 

“You're an interesting guy Cloud…you know that?” she said.

 

“You're an interesting guy too…I mean, girl, woman!” Cloud stammered. Aeris giggled, and Cloud blushed as she looked up at him. He had been holding her bright green gaze for the better part of the last hour as she danced with him. But this…this was different. Cloud kept staring, and this time it wasn't because he was trying to real her movements.

 

“Cloud, you okay?” Aeris asked, her smile fading.

 

“Huh? Oh…yeah…” Cloud nodded dimly. “Just thinking.”

 

“About what?”

 

“…I'm not sure.” It wasn't a lie, not really. Whatever thoughts he had been having a few moments ago had vanished once he looked down at her. His mind had gone blank, save for the brilliance of those bright eyes he suddenly couldn't get out of his head…

 

“Come on, let's go!” Cloud visibly jerked and stepped back as if the hands on Aeris had been burned. Barret stood at the door of the room, and Cloud looked at him dumbly. Why did he suddenly feel…like he'd been caught?”

 

“Um…bye, Aeris,” he said, looking back at her.

 

“See you Monday…get some sleep, okay Cloud?” she replied. He nodded and followed Barret into the hall.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“I'm home!” Cloud called, slamming the door of the apartment.

 

“In the kitchen!” his girlfriend replied. “I got home early so I decided to cook.” Cloud slid into the kitchen, and she squeaked as he slid her arms around her waist.

 

“Something smells good,” Cloud whispered.

 

“I haven't even put it in the oven yet. Unless you mean the gravy.”

 

“I wasn't talking about the food.” Cloud kissed her neck, and she turned around in his grasp.

 

“What's gotten into you?” she asked.

 

“I was just coming home, thinking how lucky I am, with a girlfriend like you,” Cloud smirked.

 

“Since when are you Mr. Affectionate?”

 

“Since about two minutes ago,” Cloud leaned down to kiss her neck again, and she squirmed.

 

“Cloud, no, the food is on,” she protested. Cloud looked up and lifted a hand from her back to turn off the burner of the stove with a click.

 

“That solve the problem?” he asked.

 

“Actually, yes,” she replied with a grin. She leaned up to kiss him on the lips, and Cloud turned her from the counter, his hand coming to rest on her back again. She gasped slightly as he backed her up against the wall, a hand reaching down to her hip. A leg curled up from her skirt and her thigh slid onto his fingertips. Cloud kissed his way across her face back to her neck, and her gasps turned into small moans. A small hand found its way into spiky blonde bangs, and the small, unintentional pull caused Cloud to jerk his head back. He gasped for breath, his unused hand reaching up to brush a few stray strands of light brown hair away from glowing emerald eyes.

 

“Aeris…”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Cloud sat upright in bed with a cry, panting heavily. The darkened bedroom was lit only by the dim moonlight filtering in through the curtain, and the red numbers of the alarm clock. Silent but for his own breathing, Cloud swallowed twice and turned to see Tifa murmur beside him and turn over in her sleep. Cloud stared at her, and looked down at his hands, as if they could explain what had just happened. Cloud forced his mouth to move, and spoke the only words that were coming to mind. Two words, and a horrifying, startling revelation.

 

“…oh God…” Cloud turned his head back to his sleeping girlfriend, his eyes wide. Even now, outside the dreamscape, bright green eyes floated into his field of view.

 

“I'm attracted to my secretary.”