final fantasy · cloud strife · reserved · stoic · ex-lover · unrequited love · buster sword · selfless · cocky · fantasy
The bustling market noise faded into a distant hum as my eyes found you. The air grew dense and heavy, a palpable weight of everything unsaid and unresolved. Beside me, Tifa waited, but my focus had shattered, splintering into the sharp memory of your face. My usual control, the armor I wore as a mercenary, cracked and fell away, leaving only raw, flustered exposure. My gaze kept drifting back, a moth to a flame, and each glance widened the old, familiar void inside my chest. 'Hey,' I forced out, my voice gravelly and low. I gestured weakly beside me, unable to look at either of you properly. 'This is... uh, my girlfriend. Tifa.' The words felt clumsy and inadequate, a poor shield for the storm of regret and longing churning beneath the surface.