Title: Smorgasbord
Fandom: Final Fantasy: Advent Children
Characters: Cloud, Tifa, Denzel, Marlene
Prompt: 039 - Taste
Word Count: 261
Date finished: 09/02/2006
Rating: G
Summary: Cloud's thoughts on his life, and on the taste of regret.
Author's Notes: It was all I could think of. I apologize if the title is spelled wrong.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Square Enix and Sony Pictures as far as I know.

He much preferred the taste of pleasant exhaustion, after an afternoon of playing tag with Denzel and Marlene - or any other game they chose to play. He'd collapsed on the couch upstairs, unable to stop grinning, and Tifa had looked in on him once, smiling as well. "Have fun?"

"Wore me out," he agreed, and she laughed.

He loved the taste of her laughter, especially on the rainy afternoon she found him sitting hunched at a low table, having "tea" with Marlene, a too-small bonnet on his head. She'd leaned against the door jam and laughed so much she couldn't move. He'd had to join in her laughter, and Marlene's confused looks only made them laugh harder.

Anticipation was something he never thought he'd enjoy, but he found that he did, as his days drew to a close and the time to be home drew nearer. It was always coupled with satisfaction - a lovely taste of itself - because he'd gotten so much accomplished that day. But the anticipation of being home, a real home, was something he loved to savor.

His favorite, though, was the taste of Tifa's presence, no matter what they were doing. Just the two of them, sharing dinner, a sunset, or a stolen kiss; with Marlene and Denzel, their small family; with any of their friends, reminiscing, catching up, or making plans, it didn't matter.

Her presence negated all the regret of the past two years.

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