Title: Laughter
Fandom: Final Fantasy: Advent Children
Characters: Tifa, Cloud, Denzel, Marlene
Prompt: 010 - Years
Word Count: 312
Date finished: 08/22/2006
Rating: PG
Summary: Tifa comes home to find out Cloud's been telling the kids about... well, when he rescued her.
Author's Notes: It was an idea that I got for another fandom (can't remember which one at this point), but figured it'd work in this one, too. Please remember I've never actually played the game....
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Square Enix and Sony Pictures as far as I know.

She hadn't heard Marlene's cheerful giggle in what felt like years. It was so infectious she found herself chuckling as well as she continued up the stairs.

Another peal of laughter made her pause again, and after a moment she realized it must be Denzel. She'd never heard him laugh, but then, he hadn't had any reasons to laugh the last two years. It was good to finally hear it. She smiled and started up again.

Just as she reached the floor she heard something she thought she'd never hear. Entwined with Marlene and Denzel's giggles was Cloud's deeper laugh, filling the small apartment with joy. Smiling, she stepped into the kitchen to find them sitting around the table. Marlene wore a familiar looking tiara, and Tifa nearly choked when she realized what it was. "Where did you get that?" she demanded.

Cloud smiled at her. "I kept it," he said. "All of it. They didn't believe me, so I got this out." He gestured at the tiara.

Tifa set her bags down with a thump. "You kept it?" she asked, surprised. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"You mean it's true?" Denzel demanded. "He wasn't lying?"

Tifa laughed. "Oh, no. He was telling the truth." She started to put the groceries away. "It was the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Cloud laughed again, but his cheeks were flushed. "And your outfit wasn't too bad, either." He got up to help her.

Tifa chuckled. "It was horrid," she said.

"Tifa," Marlene said as Tifa and Cloud finished putting everything away, "can you tell us about it?"

She grinned and joined them around the table, across from Cloud. "Well, it started like this…."

Advent Children Table | Challenge Main

Home | Stories | Links | Contact me