#｛ house special: tifa's birthday ｝ –––– happy birthday tifa!

[starshcwer]

( happy birthday, tifa! | @royalarms )

" uh - " he starts , overcome with overwhelm , and realizes he's already off to a rough start . " it's your birthday , yeah ? " he's only been pestered about it all day long , unable to find a moment for himself not only to gather composure for this inexplicably nerve - wracking experience , but to garner the courage to approach her with a decided confidence ( which , he now realizes he wasn't completely prepared for ) . a sigh pushes past his lips , as if he's ejecting the nervousness from his chest , and he places an assured hand atop his hip , slouching more comfortably into his usual posture . " i got ya something . " and from his pocket he draws a dainty silver - chained pearl drop necklace , holding it in the minimal space between them . his thoughts race in several directions , his imagination portrays him wrapping the jewelry around her neck and placing a loving kiss behind her ear . . . but this is reality , and his face grows red and instead he continues standing there , offering an awkward clearing of his throat . " to match your earrings . saw it and thought of you . " he places one foot back and his eyes drift to the side before he approaches her with obvious hesitancy . " don't really know how to put it on but . . . " he doesn't , knowing full well that he'd make a fool of himself . instead he simply leans into her space , swallowing harshly , perhaps audibly , and while he wants to kiss her lips , he shies from it and places a gentle kiss atop her head . " happy birthday , tifa . we should hang out tonight . "

her head tilted to the side, & a curious hum left her lips at noctis' hesitancy. with the date momentarily forgotten from her mind, his uncertainty confused her, but he finally spoke his question, & the pieces clicked into place. their relationship often went like this: she was sure when he wasn't, & he was sure when she wasn't. they operated in a balance, action, & reaction. & so she met his question with a confident nod of her head.

❛ that's right! you didn't forget now, did you? ❜ not that she would have blamed him for doing so. friend or not, she wasn't self––––centered enough to think that the life of a prince ceased in its forward momentum for something like her birthday, but she also found herself hopeful that he had remembered. & then the coin flipped. his confidence announcement brought an expression of surprise to her face–––– lips parted, eyes a bit wide–––– he'd thrown her off kilter with such a simple declaration.

❛ you did? ❜ the unspoken, you didn't have to lingered on her tongue, but it never made it past the thought. the sudden excitement in her chest held it back. her hands clasped together, & she rose slightly on her toes as he reached into his pocket, as if she could get a glimpse of the gift even a second sooner that way.

the sight of the necklace stole the breath from her lungs, & she rocked back to the soles of her feet almost involuntarily, as if she'd been stunned. her lips parted as she searched for her words, & yet the only thing that left her was, ❛ oh... ❜ a single syllable spoken in a soft, sweet tone.

the sight of the gift dangling before its giver brought a foggy memory to tifa's mind. her dad had once given a necklace to her mom–––– for what, tifa could no longer remember, but the memory lingered. they'd stood together so he could put it on her with smiles on both of their faces before sharing a kiss, & though tifa had made a face that had made them both laugh, she remembered admiring the moment more than she had wanted to admit.

it felt odd, for just a moment, to be the young woman receiving jewelry & not the little girl who had once coveted becoming her. the feeling was quickly replaced with a warmth that spread through her at the realization of what sort of comparison she had just made between her & noctis ( though it was also what finally shifted her stunned look into a smile ).

to match your earrings. the realization that he paid such close attention that he would remember what they looked like, even when she wasn't by his side, was enough to turn that warmth into something tangible–––– a redness on her cheeks, threatening to cross the bridge of her nose. ❛ it's beautiful. thank you! ❜

she thought he was approaching to hand her the gift & assumed that his hesitancy was because of his embarrassment at not knowing how to put a necklace on her ( words that had, admittedly, brought a few giggles from her ), & she shook her head, dismissing the thought even as she wanted to ask him to try anyways. ❛ don't worry about it. ❜ but then he grew a bit too close, & more steps followed until her head had to tilt back a bit to see him properly.

tifa could hear nothing over her own heartbeat, suddenly fast & strong, but she didn't dare move from her spot. her eyes shut as his lips pressed gently against her forehead & her breath left her in a gentle sigh. they opened again as he separated, happy to see that he hadn't yet moved.

 ❛ thank you. ❜ her voice was much softer this time, as if this was a secret to be shared between just the two of them. she nodded her head, her smile growing. ❛ yeah, we should! ❜

but instead of making plans or taking the gift from his offered hand, she hesitated. her teeth caught her lip & her gaze turned to the side in thought before she turned back to noctis, feeling a bit bold. ❛ hey...if I showed you how...do you think you could try? ❜ she wasn't dressed for such jewelry. her outfit was far too casual, & she had almost decided against her earrings, but now she was glad she had worn them anyway. despite her informal attire, she wanted to wear the necklace.  she wanted noctis to put it on her–––– a birthday wish, she'd call it.

❛ putting it on me, I mean. ❜

[onyxgabriel]

Pot of Gold AU: Halloweenie

Spooky scary puppies!

Halloween, a time to dress up in costumes and go door-to-door getting candy. Today was a special day, since today was the pups’ first Halloween! And Ruby’s birthday too, I guess…

Right now, RWBY, JNPR and the puppies were headed back to Beacon to celebrate Ruby’s birthday. All of them were dressed up in their own costumes.

Jaune was dressed up as Captain Vale, Pyrrha was dressed up as Black Widow, Nora was dressed up as a Viking, and Ren was dressed up as Snake Eyes.Ruby was dressed up as a Jack-O-Lantern, Yang was dressed up as Tifa Lockhart, Weiss was dressed up as Snow White (Shocker…) and Blake was dressed up as Raiden from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

The pups also wore their own cute little costumes, courtesy of Coco and Weiss.Pete was dressed up like the superhero Robin, William was dressed up like a Vampire with a little cape and everything, Lucky was dressed up like a leprechaun, Dory was dressed up as a witch with a cute pointy hat, Oswald was dressed up as a wizard with a stick like a cane in his mouth, little Pumpkin was dressed up like her namesake and owner, a cute little pumpkin, Pancake was dressed up as Nora, custom made courtesy of Coco again, much to Nora’s joy, Sam was dressed up as a viking with furry shorts, and Newt was dressed up like a scientist with a lab coat. Zwei was also with them and he was dressed up like the sidekick of the Hunts-Man.

The teams chatted while they walked with Weiss, Ruby, Nora, and Yang gushing about the pups’ costumes.

They weren’t the only ones too, all of the houses they went all cooed at the puppies. Bonus candy!

While the pups couldn’t eat the candy, they have a butt-load of doggy treats to compensate.

Weiss: Oh look at you wittle babies in your wittle costumes~! All of you are oh so adorable~!

Ruby: Yeah! We owe Coco a lot of favors for this!

Yang: And we also get celebrate your birthday, Ruby!

Nora: CAKE! CAKE CAKE CAKE!

Some of the pups joined Nora in her chanting. Unfortunately for the puppies, Ruby’s cake was chocolate, very poisonous to dogs, but luckily they’ll have their own cake, courtesy of Weiss, it was vanilla flavored.

The others chuckled at them.

Pyrrha: Let’s hurry then. Wouldn’t want to be late on your own party, huh Ruby?

Ruby: You’re right, Pyrrha! Let’s go!

Ruby scooped up Pumpkin and used her Semblance to get there faster.

Nora: Hey! That’s cheating!

The rest ran after the birthday girl and her new puppy. When the party started, they all sang Ruby happy birthday, with Taiyang and Qrow on a video call. They all ate and had a wonderful time. The pups played with everyone.

When it was time to go, Ruby, Nora and the pups were already peacefully asleep, carried by their sister, their partner and their owners respectively.

I have some news, My country got hit by a strong typhoon which caused a lot of flooding and damage, my house got flooded unfortunately and my neighborhood lost electricity. And I also got into contact with someone whose positive with COVID and I’m required to quarantine myself away from my family. Good news is that, I don’t have any symptoms just yet (hopefully wouldn’t) and it stopped raining and the flood went down. Thank God.

[janeiteoftheslums]

Special Delivery

Pairing: Cloud Strife/Tifa Lockhart

Rating: G

Words: 2,254

Written for Tifa Week 2022

Prompts: Tifa’s Past/Tifa Pre-game & Happy Birthday, Tifa

“I don’t know why you’re so upset. He’s the one who started it.”

Tifa looked at Emilio with his sweaty forehead and split lip, yellow mud smeared down his checkered shirt and the knees of his jeans, and didn’t say a word. There was no point, anyway.

Why did boys have to be so dumb?

“Yeah,” Taylor joined in, nursing his bruised knuckles like a martyr. “Acting like he’s better than all of us. Thinks he’s too big for tea parties.”

Lester snorted. “As if.” He was clearly bursting with pride at his execution of the cool slang phrase. “The little shrimp. Probably ran all the way home to cry into his mama’s apron.”

Still Tifa said nothing. It was true, at least in part. Cloud had started the fight. Ended it quite bravely, too, considering the odds. And then he’d turned tail and run all the way back to his house—but only after Tifa had offered him a handkerchief to mop up his bloody nose.

“I’m fine!” he’d snapped at her, eyes livid, as he pushed her hand away.

Keep reading

[your-1up-girl]

Birthdays and Promises

Okay! So this is my first work for @aerith-week I am happy with how it turned out and I just wanted to do a little something for the flower girl we all know and love! This is a Cloud/Aerith fic so please keep that in mind! I hope you guys enjoy it 

Word count: 1744

Pairing: Cloud/Aerith (Kingdom Hearts)

Day 1: Happy Birthday Aerith!

Read on Ao3

Check out the beautiful fanart done by the equally beautiful @sammilimyy

How they were able to plan a birthday party for Aerith without her knowledge would remain a mystery to her. She wasn’t shocked that everyone was able to fit inside Merlin’s little cottage. He is an amazing wizard after all and if he could fit the entirety of his house in his bag, then expanding the cottage was child’s play to him. 

There was no suspicion on her part when Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Naminé arrived, bags in tow, or when Leon sent her out in a hurry with a list of stuff to collect for tonight’s dinner.

“I don’t think some of this stuff even exists Leon.”

“The nephews have been getting some new product in their shops lately. I’m sure they’ll have what we need. And if not them, then try the Moogles.”  

She left with a smile and her worn basket in hand but once she shut the door, she stared down at the list again perplexed at some of the items. Brushing off any doubt, Aerith left for the marketplace. 

“Oh, you should get this one Aerith!”

“If you add this one to soup it makes it extra spicy!”

“This is good for when you have a cold!”

“Yes but is it from the list?”

“Don’t listen to the list, just take our advice Kupo!” 

Shopping so far has been a disaster. Aerith was barely able to get four things from this list before she had to ask the Nephews and the Moogle for help. And that in turn, created an even bigger disaster. Some of the stuff they brought her she knew she didn’t need and yet they tried to convince her otherwise. She wasn’t annoyed, perplexed was the better fit. “Listen, this has been very helpful, but, I think I should get going.” The Nephews and Moogle stopped in their tracks. “I’ll let Leon and Yuffie know to just make whatever we have left over.”

“But you can’t leave yet! (Kupo!)” The four yelled at the same time, Moogle even going as far as to block the door of their shop. 

“But why? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you four are stalling? 

“What does stalling mean?” Louie asked and was promptly hit in the back of the head by his two brothers. Aerith sighed and from the corner of her eye saw Kairi, Naminé, Olette, Xion, and Aqua all by the jewelry stand across the market. Other than wondering when Olette, Xion, and Aqua arrived, it wasn’t out of the normal. What threw Aerith off was that Cloud was with them shaking his head as the other girls held different products to her.

Aerith gave Moogle her list saying, “I’ll be right back; just help me find these things if you can.” Left the shop and went to the stand. Getting closer she saw that it was a beautiful jewelry stand the woman was selling things that Aerith had no idea could be found in Radiant Garden. 

“Oh Aerith!” Kairi stepped in front of her and the other girls did the same, basically blocking Cloud from her view. “What are you doing here?”

“Leon sent me out to get some things for dinner. Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Moogle are helping me at the shop.” As she conversed with the girls, she looked up to see Cloud casually leaned against stall’s post, arms crossed and head down. The shopkeeper was miserably failing at hiding the smile on her face. Aerith went around the girls to Cloud. “Hey.”

“...Hey.” She and Cloud have been dating for a few months now but he still seemed to have that adorable blush on his face when she was around. Today however, it seemed that it was more pink than usual.

“So, what brings you to this jewelry stand?” Aerith was having fun. Anything that would make Cloud fluster made her smile. It was her favorite hobby.

“Uh...the girls. They dragged me.” 

“Really? Then I must tip my hat to you ladies. You five managed to do something that I could never do.” Aerith turned to them with a small wink. “He hates to go shopping with me.”

“No!” Cloud grabbed her hand with both of his and held it close to him. “Don’t tell them that. You know that I love spending anytime I can with you.” Aerith hugged him and planted a small kiss on his cheek.

“I know. I just like messing with you.”

“AERITH!!!” The group looked back at the shop where the nephews were still waiting for her return. 

“I’ll be right there!” She called back and sighed. “I feel like Leon is sending me on a wild goose chase for some of these things but I just don’t know why.”

“Don’t worry about it.” This time he gave her the kiss but it was closer to the corner of her mouth. Ready to go back to the mess that was her errands, Xion gave her another piece of paper.

“Another list!? Leon what more could you possibly need!”

“Actually this one is from Cid.” Any hope that Aerith had of coming home early flew out the window. When Cid sends anyone on a trip, they almost never come back at a decent time.

Not sure how she did it but somehow she managed to get what Leon needed and the parts Cid asked for. Moogle had ended up taking her second list to get a head start on it while she and the nephews took care of the first one. Basket filled with items she’s almost positive they will never use, Aerith approached Merlin’s house. Huh, that’s strange. The lights were off. But it actually wasn’t that late. Thanks to Moogle, she was able to arrive while the sun was barely visible over the horizon. Yuffie normally has all the lights going at this point.

She opened the door, “Cloud? Merlin?” 

“Happy birthday Aerith!” When the lights came on, Aerith almost dropped her basket. Everyone was there to celebrate her birthday. Suddenly all of today’s antics make much more sense.

“I forgot today was my birthday.” She laughed as she dried the tears from her cheeks.

“How do you forget your own birthday?” Sora came over to give her a hug and the rest of the party followed suit. The last hug was from Tifa who lingered next to the b-day girl as everyone settled in. 

“Did you seriously forget?”

“Yes! When Leon sent me out I genuinely thought it was for groceries!”

“But didn’t you run into Sora and the others while you were out?”

“Yes, but I was so focused on the stupid list it didn’t seem out of the ordinary.”

Tifa gave a full belly laugh that Aerith joined in on. “Oh man, so you would have done nothing for your birthday? It’s a good thing Cloud planned this then.”

Aerith paused for just a moment, “C-cloud planned all this?”

“Oh yeah, when he asked you if you were doing anything on the seventh and you said no, he got a phone, everyone’s number. We all helped but Cloud was pretty much in charge of everything.” Aerith didn’t think Cloud would want to do all of this for her. She assumed that it was Sora, Ventus, or Yuffie who planned everything. But know that she knew it was Cloud; that just made the evening all the more special. 

The rest of the night was amazing. Cid cooked the food (and used some of the ingredients Aerith bought, at her request) and Xion, Roxas, and Lea made the cake. Merlin sat her down to open the presents everyone brought. People sang and danced and took photos of today's events but Aerith knew that this would be a night she would never forget. As it got closer to the end of the night, Cloud approached her. 

“Can we talk?” The party had settled down now and people were just relaxing and holding conversations. Aerith could see that Cloud was nervous so she led him to the stairs that opened to the roof of the house where they could be alone. Both of them sat comfortably looking at the night sky. 

“Did you like the party?” He was less nervous now that they were by themselves.

“Yes, I loved it. Thank you for planning this.” Cloud stuttered at her response and Aerith laughed. “Tifa told me, said you got a phone and everything.”

“Yeah well, Chip and Dale have been wanting me to get one for a while now so…” They sat there in silence for a bit longer. Someone inside put on some soft music and it could be heard by them above. Aerith scooted closer to Cloud so that their hands touched. Cloud responded by holding her hand in his. 

“Soooo, tell me. What were you really doing at the stand today?”

He was quiet and then said, “I wasn’t lying when I said the girls took me. I didn’t forget about your gift. I just wasn’t sure what to get you. That’s when Olette and Xion told me about the jewelry stand in the market and they all took me to get you something. We didn’t expect you to still be in the Nephew’s shop.” Cloud took a deep breath before reaching into his pocket and gave her a small gift. The paper had beautiful roses on it and a yellow bow. Aerith looked from him to the box a few times before opening it. Inside was a velvet box that contained a thin, band rose gold ring. Parts of the band seemed to branch off to look like tiny leaves. Said leaves were made of a type of gem.

“Cloud...this-this is-”

“It’s not an engagement ring. I don’t think we’ve been together long enough for us to take that step. But, this can be something like that. I guess, if you don’t like it the-”

Aerith cut him off by giving him a kiss. With her free hand she turned him to her and leaned forward. Cloud was taken back but eventually held Aerith only letting go when she stopped. 

“I think it’s beautiful. I knew it wasn’t an engagement ring but that doesn’t mean it holds any less value in my eyes.” She slipped the ring on the left ring finger. it glimmered in the moonlight beautifully. Aerith leaned into him and Cloud held her. 

“I love you Aerith, happy birthday.”

“Thank you Cloud, I love you too.”

[pulchralilium]

☆ Huff of breath was ragged as she approached the apex of two streets in Sector 5. Tifa had made brisk walk to the Gainsborough home early in the morning, hoping to avoid this. But upon knocking on door, it was Elmyra's answer that told her the birthday girl had already left to deliver flowers to an upper plate address. To work on her birthday was not asked of her, but this had been a special request. And so in haste did a barmaid take off running, lest she not be the first other than mother to give thanks for this particular existence.

Tifa found her by the station leaning against a pillar. Nonchalant. As though it but any other day. Cold air filled lungs and clouds blew from chapped lips. "Aerith!" She called out, fingers curled on bent knees and chin lowered as she caught breath. Ran all the way from her friend's house to this station without pause.

"I..." Deep breath, Lockhart. Should have paced yourself. "I. Wanted to be first... To give you your gift!" One of many, surely. Dark strands tousled and carmine orbs aglow, Tifa straightened herself up and in as graceful a way as possible, approached to place small box in a soft palm. "It's not much. But it'll protect you from some of the monsters around here. And. I thought the color was nice. Warm. Like you." Talking. Had she ever been one to talk so much? A bashful pink kissed her cheeks and she curled fingers to her chest. Smile turned broad. Delighted. She was first.

"Happy birthday, Aerith. I hope you have a great day!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of a woman calling her name caught her attention, and the florist turned on heel when she spied the brawler R A C I N G towards her. Aerith yelped softly, bracing her hands on Tifa’s shoulders when she hunched over with labored breath. Aerith laughed softly, brows knitting together. “Tifa!” She scolded, tsk’ing at her. Did she run all the way here?

Aerith felt her cheeks turn pink when Tifa admitted she wanted to be the first, and indeed she was. The florist sighed dreamily, peeing under the lid to see the beautiful ring. “Tifaaa~” She whined softly, her lips puckering into a pout. “It’s beautiful” 

She adjusts the basket in her arms, taking the ring out to slip it on her finger. It was perfect, of course. “It’s...you shouldn’t have, Teef, it’s just so pretty” She mentioned the color, but Aerith could only see Tifa in the ring. It looked amazing, and she’d never take it off. 

“Thank you” She chimes, feeling her cheeks burn as she tucks her chin to her chest. “I would love to see you later...?”

@finalhxaven​

[clerithraven]

Happy Birthday, Cloud

Cloud was just getting off his bike when he saw Denzel running out of the house at full sprint. After a few moments, it was Aerith who he saw outside the door rushing after the boy. He could hear them laughing as his wife stared chasing their kid around the house.

“Denzel Strife! Get back here.” Aerith called to the kid. She had her phone in her hand which she kept brandishing in the air, her wedding rings glinting in the sunlight. “What did Tifa mean by that call?”

Curious as to what got his usually mild-tempered wife in a fit, he walked toward the backyard where they were now dodging each other, then stopped and just stared at one another. Getting a closer look, Aerith was scowling at their son with her hands on her hips. But he could see the telltale sign of Aerith biting of the inside of her cheek, obviously trying to do her best not to show a grin and look intimidating to their boy instead.

Denzel, however, looked unaffected by her scowl. In fact, he seemed like he was enjoying his mother’s display of mock temper. The kid also knew about Aerith’s telling habit, knew he wasn’t really in much of a trouble as his mother would like to let him believe. The kid knew a lot of their habits after living with them for almost a year, just like how both he and Aerith knew Denzel’s quirks.

Cloud chuckled to himself when he saw Aerith narrow her eyes to appear more terrifying which Denzel answered with narrowing his eyes as well. The boy was utterly fearless, and it was all Aerith’s influence. Deciding to break the stare down, he continued on his way toward them.

Denzel must have heard his approach because his head whipped around toward his direction. The sight of him got Denzel’s expression to light up more than it already had and he dashed to him. Denzel went behind him and proceeded to use him as a shield against his mother’s playful ire.

“What did he do?” Cloud tried to sound stern. But he was also fighting the smile that threatened to break out of his expression.

Aerith was fighting a smile of her own as she crossed her arms. “Nothing.”

Huh? Tilting his head down to stare at the boy who hid behind him, Cloud asked, “What had your mother acting crazy again?”

Denzel followed Aerith’s example and imitated her reply. “Nothing.”

That got Cloud narrowing his eyes at them both. “Not buying it.”

Aerith had forgotten that Cloud was on his way back before they began the chase that could potentially get them exposed. Tifa’s call had distracted her so much. Her attention had focused on Denzel and the discovery of his undisclosed part-time job in the bar that Tifa ran.

It had been unexpected coming from Denzel. Aerith knew he had been struggling in the past selling off scrap metal just to survive on the streets on his own before they found him, which was why Cloud and Aerith vowed never to make Denzel go through that again. And as far as she knew, Denzel wasn’t really the type to want for something he didn’t really need.

Denzel knew he had been caught by his mother. He had forgotten to tell his aunt not to reveal the fact that he was trying to earn money. He didn’t know what his mother and aunt had talked about exactly, but from the bits and pieces he was able to overhear, it clearly involved the time he spent working at Zack and Tifa’s bar under the guise of visiting them and Marlene who was currently staying with them while Barret was away for a while. It had been the perfect cover, too bad he got busted.

Thankfully, he already got what he wanted before he got busted. It was currently hidden on the very back of the bottom drawer of his dresser.

Cloud continued to observe Aerith and Denzel, certain they were up to something. Mother and son had too much mischievousness in their blood not to get in trouble.

Aerith could see how Denzel really didn’t want to reveal the reason for his secret activities. She had a hunch as to what was driving their son, which was confirmed by the way he was avoiding the subject in front of Cloud. But since it would be likely similar to her own hidden agenda, she took pity on her boy.

She gave an exaggerated sigh which caught the attention of the two. “Go on, Denzel. You’re all sweaty now from running around. Go wash up.” She indicated their house with a tip of her head.

Denzel’s relief was so visible on his expression that Cloud followed Aerith’s example and let the boy go inside and do as he was bid.

Cloud turned concerned eyes toward her. “Should I be worried?”

“Mm-mm.” She shook her head and told him, “It was just us playing around.” She wasn’t going to let Denzel’s efforts to go to waste, especially if her hunch was correct.

Cloud didn’t look convinced though, but he gave it up. “If you say so.” No use trying to pry anything from the both of them as both were equally stubborn. Denzel clearly got his stubborn streak from Aerith.

“Come on, let’s go inside.” She tugged at his hand as she led them inside their home. Cloud was all too willing to follow her lead.

It was a little before midnight, after the fourth movie their family of three had watched together. Their living room was a mess after a popcorn fight broke out between Aerith and Denzel as they took turns insulting each other’s movie choices. Both had tried roping him into the argument, but he wisely chose to disengage and let them hash things out, their laughter filling their home.

The fight had ended in a tie, with Aerith corralling Denzel upstairs to get themselves cleaned up while he dealt with the aftermath of their antics.

Cloud was just about to finish his delegated task when he heard two soft voices singing in sync from behind him. He turned around in surprise as he heard his wife and son singing ‘Happy Birthday’, and it was directed at him.

Denzel was holding the cake very carefully in both hands as if he was afraid he was gonna drop it, while Aerith was lighting the candles that were set atop it. Once she was done, she rested her hands on Denzel’s shoulders as she took a place beside him. Through it all, they sang to him.

Cloud had once again forgotten his own birthday. Well, he never really celebrated it anyway. He had spent so many years alone, never being accepted by others when he was a kid, then never letting others that close to him once he had grown older. Celebrating the day he was born had been unnecessary since he went on his own. He had closed himself off from the rest of the world. A lone wolf.

That changed when he met a flower girl on the streets. When Aerith came into his life, celebrating their birthdays together became a welcome experience, but never one he expected. It was just one day out of three hundred and sixty-five.

Aerith had reasoned that their birthday celebrations were a way to be thankful for the other being born. It gave them the chance to meet one another, enabling them to spend their lives together, staying by each other’s side through the good and the bad.

Truth was Cloud saw no point in celebrating that fact once a year. He was grateful for having been lucky enough to have Aerith, and now Denzel, every day of his life – and he did his best to make damn sure they knew it.

Aerith had to bite back a laugh from the look of absolute astonished disbelief on Cloud’s face as she and their son wished him a happy birthday. No matter how many times she celebrated the occasion with him, he always seemed to forget it. It only applied to his own though. Cloud never forgot hers.

She knew Cloud didn’t really agree with her reasoning for celebrating his birthday. For Aerith, it was important to thank Fate for bringing Cloud into this world on the exact, special day, even as they did the same every day of their lives. Cloud might not be receptive of the concept yet, but she knew he was beginning get with the program. She just needed to get Cloud used to it, give him a little incentive to make the day all the more memorable for him.

Good thing her present was ready. Well, Cloud played a part in it too, and will still play a large part in the coming days. Still, hers was the main role of the whole thing.

After the song finished, Aerith leaned in to whisper in Denzel’s ear. “Go on.” She gave Denzel a slight push towards Cloud.

Denzel wasn’t going to mess up a perfectly good chocolate cake. So he made sure he had a firm grip on the cake. He had seen his mom preparing it in secret, making sure it was perfect. She did it after his dad had to leave the house for a while to help his uncle Zack on an errand for his aunt Tifa. Denzel figured it was just a ruse his mother had planned with the couple.

“Momma said to make sure you make a wish before you blew on the candles,” Denzel told Cloud solemnly.

Cloud glanced at Aerith with a raised brow. It seemed his boy had been given a mission by his wife. He crouched down in front of Denzel, gripping his head in the back with a gentle hand. He made sure Denzel could see the truth in his eyes when he said, “I can’t really make a wish since I have everything I need right here.” His lips tilted up at the sides in a small smile full of contentment.

Cloud’s voice was laced with such tenderness that it brought happy tears to Aerith’s eyes. “That’s quite the dilemma,” she murmured fondly. She went to her boys and took the same position as Cloud. “How about we have Denzel help you out, Cloud?”

“What do you think, bud? What should I wish for?”

Denzel appeared to think about it, before he gave a hopeful yet sly smile. Aerith knew that look, knew what was going to come out of his mouth. She was anticipating it, actually.

“Then, you can wish for a baby brother for me.” With that, Denzel gave Cloud an expectant stare as he held the cake and the candles out to his father.

Cloud choked on a laugh, caught off-guard by the wish. He should have known that was coming. Denzel had been hinting at it more and more recently. “All right, let’s just go with that then,” he agreed. He blew on the candles afterward, and then gave Aerith a mischievous grin. “Guess we have a wish to fulfill.”

Aerith just laughed in reply. Clapping her hands as she stood, she announced their next activity. “Presents!” She took the cake in her hand and waved for Denzel to go first. Cloud straightened as well.

Denzel ran toward the small rectangular box wrapped in blue that he had placed on top of the table a while ago and took it to Cloud. “I had Uncle Zack help me get this,” he shared as he handed it over to Cloud.

Cloud took it in his hand and carefully divested it of its cover. Lifting the lid, he was taken aback by the gift enclosed in the box – black leather gloves similar to the ones he had.

“I saw how damaged your current pair is,” Denzel explained.

He ran his fingers through the pair reverently, feeling the soft texture. Then he saw the design embossed on them: a howling wolf. This must have cost a lot.

Aerith could see the question in Cloud’s face. “Denzel took a part-time job running errands for Zack and Tifa in their bar.”

That was when Cloud put the pieces together. The scene of Aerith running after Denzel earlier that day when he got home now made sense. Aerith had mentioned a call from Tifa, he recalled. “I’m guessing you just found out today, too?”

“Yep.” She popped the ‘p’ for emphasis. “The little rascal started running the minute I got off the phone and saw me. I chased after him by reflex which, in hindsight, was ridiculous I admit since he wasn’t in any trouble.”

He agreed, careful not to say anything more that would get him an evil eye from his wife. “Thank you for this, Denzel.” He hugged the boy to him, tousling his hair in an affectionate gesture. The fact that Denzel worked hard for it made the gift all the more precious to Cloud.

“My turn!”

The excited declaration had both males’ heads swivel in Aerith’s direction, who was now standing a little ways away from them with her hands behind her back. She skipped, actually skipped her way toward Cloud and Denzel.

In each hand she had a long rectangular white box wrapped only in a pink ribbon. One she gave to Cloud, the other to Denzel.

“I get one, too?” The boy’s brows were drawn, his confusion palpable.

Aerith didn’t say anything else besides, “Open them.”

Cloud and Denzel simultaneously pulled the ribbon free then lifted the cover off the box. What Cloud found stole away his breath. Surrounded by crepe paper was a white stick, a positive sign on the screen near one end. Denzel had started whooping the minute he saw what was inside the box. He obviously knew what they were for.

Absolutely floored, Cloud cast wide mako-blue eyes toward the green-eyed girl who had always given him everything he needed and more.

“Is this... Are you... Really?” he breathed. Cloud couldn’t seem to get his brain to work enough to formulate coherent sentences, couldn’t get enough air to circulate.

Aerith was now laughing with Denzel who was cooing at Aerith’s abdomen. She gazed at Cloud before she said, “I took two tests. Also had an appointment with the doctor yesterday.” She gave him a blissful smile. “Eleven weeks, Strife. We’ll be meeting the new addition to the Strife Family in March.” She radiated with so much joy as her gaze clung to his. “Looks like your soldiers did their job during the honeymoon.” She added playfully in a conspiratorial tone.

Cloud went weak at the knees as emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He realized he was actually shaking. He kept a hand on a chair to keep himself from toppling over, his gaze going to the floor.

“Denzel, I think your dad’s in trouble.”

“Nah, Momma. He’s tough.”

“You sure?”

“You can check on him if you want.”

The sound of Aerith’s delicate footsteps moved toward him after that whispered suggestion.

Then he felt her in front of him. Her hand ran soft caresses from his hand, up his arm, ending with a palm on his cheek. His gaze was tilted upward and Aerith’s face came into view.

“Hey.” A tender hello.

“Hey,” he returned, his voice hoarse with suppressed emotions.

“So...” A giggle from her smiling lips. “I’m pregnant, Cloud.” Her thumb traced the shape of his lower lip. “Your wish is about to come true. Fancy that. Fate must love you.” The last was a whispered caress. She touched her forehead to his, the gesture one they often used for affection.

Cloud couldn’t help but laugh at that. Fate had kicked him down a number of times in his life before, had even tried to take away the woman he loved. It was about damn time Fate gave him a break.

He caught the the first break when he met Aerith, then his friends. Then Denzel came into their lives, and now a new life he had created with the love of his life. So much had been given to him. It had him full to the brim with a sense of joyful euphoria. He almost thought he was dreaming. But it was real. He figured Fate owed him this happiness from all the agony he had endured in his lifetime.

Aerith took Cloud’s hand in hers and laid it against her abdomen. “We made it, Cloud.”

His knees buckled with the force of his emotions. He would have fallen had his wife not been there to catch him. It put him at eye level to her abdomen, right were their child was safely nested inside. Scared and shaking, Cloud laid a gentle hand over the area, his touch feather-light. He didn’t want to do anything that would harm his unborn child.

I’ll protect you and your mother, kid. I vow it. I’ll protect our family.

Cloud could feel himself tearing up. He pressed a soft kiss against her stomach, and then tilted his head up toward the woman who was his very heart, the woman who held the other half of his soul. Wet blue eyes met equally wet green ones. A smile filled with rapture followed. And then they were laughing in each other’s embrace.

A chaste kiss against salt-laced lips. “Thank you for being born, Cloud.”

Cloud pulled Aerith down with him and clutched her close to his body. He was too overcome with emotion he could do nothing but nod, keeping his face nestled in the area between her neck and shoulder.

Arms suddenly enveloped them both, and as one they turned toward the boy who they saw as their own. Cloud and Aerith each reached out a hand toward Denzel. Teary-eyed as well, he took their outstretched hands.

Cloud just continued to hold his family in his arms. Their faces wet, they basked in the moment of celebration. For the life that had already been given, for the new life that had come to be and would soon come to join them.

Happy Birthday, Cloud Strife! [08.11.17]

Wow. I’m finally done with this! My birthday gift for the birthday boy. When I heard that his birthday was coming up, I had planned on just making gifs about him. But then Aerith went and told me her idea of a birthday gift for Cloud, and BAM! Hello, fanfic. I’ve gotten a lot of kind words from readers of my fanfic. I just hope you’ll like this as well. I had fun writing this, and I hope you feel the same as you read it.

[starshcwer]

( happy birthday, tifa! | @lunabrae )

" i do hope you're not working." when luna enters seventh heaven, its easy to stare. sunglasses and a headscarf do little to hide her celebrity status, accompanied by her confident stride. twin dogs trail behind her in a surveying state, taking in the status of the bar whilst lunafreya beelined for tifa. theres little time to greet her as she relieves armfuls of gifts onto the bar counter: an expensive looking bath set, undisclosed cases of what one could only assume was jewelry, and lastly, a very large --- bordering on self-important bouquet of carefully picked flowers, all coordinated in different shades of red and white. despite the fanfare, lunafreya barely refers to the newly dispersed gifts, and instead illicits a sigh of relief, and takes her sunglasses off. "because --- i'm here to relieve you. " excitement lilts near the end of her sentence, breaking her stoic facade to reach into her coat, and jingle a set of car keys in the air. " a day out. me and you, some well earned rest and relaxation. happy birthday tifa, if anyone deserves the world and more, it's you."

a curious hum left tifa's lips as the bar door opened, but the bottles ( stacked somewhat precariously ) in her arms prevented her from turning for a proper greeting. luckily, she recognized the voice–––– the light timbre & proper tone, there was only one who frequented visits who spoke in such a manner. ❛ don't worry, barret already came & read me the riot act. i'm not allowed to serve a single drink today. ❜ & yet, she was adding several bottles to remain within reach. not for work, but because she had a sneaking suspicion that the bar would be full come nightfall–––– with friends instead of customers–––– & she wanted to ensure that she was prepared.

finally, the final bottle was placed, & tifa turned around just in time to watch the abundance of gifts settle onto the bar counter. her jaw dropped & her pace increased until she was close enough to lay her hands on the bar counter. ❛ luna! ❜ was all that she could manage as her eyes moved over them all, but lunafreya paid no heed to her exclamation, continuing on with her birthday surprises. tifa's head rose to meet her eyes, watching with slightly parted lips as she pulled the keys from her coat. luna's words brought a heat to tifa's cheeks that she couldn't dismiss. the fact that she was a frequent, hard worker wasn't a new sentiment, but any acknowledgement of her work could cut right to the heart of her composure & leave her flustered. her mouth closed & opened again, trying to find the words for the thoughts running through her head. the most prominent one was the thought that this was all too much for something so simple as her birthday. she would have been more than fine with just a day out with luna–––– but she suspected the other woman knew that already, & tifa could tell from the look in her eyes that she wasn't going to simply take no to any part of her surprise for an answer. tifa sighed in over––––dramatic resignation, her hands reaching for the flowers as she spoke.

❛ you're spoiling me way too much, you know? ❜

tifa held the flowers gently to her chest, taking in the refreshing scent with gently shut eyes. her shoulders relaxed. her smile grew. if lunafreya had been at all unsure if tifa would give in, tifa suspected the answer was clear now.

❛ but alright, you win. i'll let myself be a little spoiled today. ❜

within reason, came her unspoken addition. though she didn't speak it out loud. she had a feeling that within reason meant very different things to her & luna. she set the flowers down, stepping around the bar so she could take luna's hands in her own. ❛ thank you, luna. this is all really sweet! ❜ it was then that tifa seemed to notice the canine companions at their feet, & she released luna's hands to kneel down & give them scratches behind the ears ( & a few under the chin for being so well–––– behaved ).

❛ just let me get these flowers in some water & get cleaned up a little! ❜ & then her smile spread a little wider, a hint of excitement she usually kept contained as she rose back to her feet.

❛ & maybe i can take a closer look at the presents before we go? just for a bit! ❜

[starshcwer]

( happy birthday, tifa! | @earnfirst )

" sooooooo - " he starts with silly banter , obscuring any hint of shyness with a bold grin and charging fists that circle before him ; his excitement is palpable . " you'd never guess what i heard . " he's vague , failing at being mysterious , and wrought with energy . " annd ya don't have to ! " he motions her over eagerly to a table decorated with ribbon , confetti , a store - bought cake , and a negligently wrapped gift . within the poorly wrapped paper resides a simple bracelet , a casual yet stylish red jacket , and a lavender scented candle . " happy birthdayy ! " he exclaims , arms stretched toward the display as if presenting it . in this moment , he's really hoping cloud hadn't lied to him about the date in question and hoping she doesn't notice the nervous sweat forming at his forehead.

under barret's unyielding stare & marlene's pleading puppy––––dog eyes, tifa had made a promise. the bar stayed closed, today of all days, to allow herself some extra rest ( though she suspected that there would be an unruly & familiar crowd at her door around sunset, if the secret meeting she'd stumbled upon between jessie & marlene was any indication ). this did not mean that she wouldn't be doing any work at all, however. instead, she spent a bit of time in the storeroom, taking a leisurely inventory with her notepad resting on her knee & her hair tired into a ponytail to stave off the spring heat.

if nothing else, she could admit that it was nice to be able to take her time. she scribbled her notes leisurely, humming & tapping her foot as she worked, oblivious to the setup happening just beyond her storeroom door. finally, she scribbled her last note ( she'd need to send jessie, biggs, & wedge out for certain ingredients soon ) & stood, reaching for the door with the intention to find something else to do.

only to jump when she saw she was no longer alone in her work building. her head tilted, jaw slightly dropped as a quick, questioning, ❛ zack? ❜ but he continued, pushing quickly past her shock with a grin & a teasing tone that brought heat to her face but made her smile brightly in return. before she could question anything, he was gesturing to one of the many empty tables in seventh heaven, covered with confetti, presents ( that, admittedly, looked more like marlene had gotten into a store of wrapping paper ), & a cake that was definitely far too large for her to eat on her own. her smile shifted into something like surprise, her eyes bouncing over every item at the table & then back again. ❛ zack... ❜ there were a million thoughts running through her head as she took the slow steps forward towards his surprise–––– ranging from the gratitude she felt for the gesture to the sudden giddiness that it caused–––– before she suddenly realized that her birthday had certainly never come up in conversation before.

❛ hey! ❜ she rounded on him suddenly, her tone far too bright & her smile too wide to be truly angry. she marched up towards him, finger wagging at his face. ❛ who even told you? ❜ she reached out, one arm on his shoulder & the other on his chest to give him a playful shove, laughing all the while ( somewhere in her mind, she wondered when she had become so comfortable that she felt she was allowed to be in space, welcome to touch him whenever she pleased, & able to send smiles in his direction without thinking ).

before he could dramatically lean too far, she took both of her hands in one of his, pulling him towards the table to sit beside her. ❛ c'mon! i can't eat all this cake by myself! ❜ & once they were seated, she took a moment, giving his hand a squeeze.

❛ thank you, zack. this was really sweet. ❜ & if her gaze lingered a little too long, her cheeks growing a bit pink even as no other words came, she hoped he wouldn't comment.

❛ okay! ❜ finally she released his hand so that she could clasp hers together. ❛ cake, then presents. that's the way birthday's usually go, right? ❜