[Action]

[herobydefault]

[Cloud's outside, doing what he does best. Brooding.

He'll be out and around town after brooding in the hammock in front of House 50 for a while. Stop at your own risk.]

Comments

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Scowl.]

[wingenvy]

You need to stop guilt-tripping over everything even remotely related to you. You're gonna have health problems and a permanent scowl right here. [Forehead poke. D|]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Cloud smacks Zack's hand away.]

It's not guilt-tripping if it's deserved. Tifa's miserable, it's my fault; it's not hard to understand.

[wingenvy]

It's not your fault, that's the thing you never understand. You may have been the cause, but it's not a bad thing for you to love someone else.

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

How the hell isn't it my fault? If I'm the problem, that makes it my fault.

[wingenvy]

Not. The problem is a conflict in emotions. If you really have to hand out the blame, Tifa's just as much at fault for wanting to be with you as you are for not wanting her.

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[...well he didn't think of it that way.]

[wingenvy]

[Then you better give it some thought now.]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

...what about the boys? Denzel?

Tifa...she's his mother, as good as. And I'm his dad. ...how would this even go?

[wingenvy]

You've been dad and mom to him this whole time, but you haven't been together. That wouldn't change.

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

He's eleven, I really don't think he'll see it that way. I think he's expected all along for me and Tifa to eventually get back together.

[wingenvy]

Believe it or not, Spike, I don't have all the answers on how to deal with this. It's just as unexpected for us, too.

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Cloud leans forward, rests his elbows on his knees.]

...they come first. Right? But...that...does that mean I should let myself be unhappy...?

...it does, doesn't it? That's what it means to be a dad. To give up stuff you want for the sake of your kids. Where do you draw the line?

[wingenvy]

The way I see it, being part of a family - really caring about them and loving them - is give and take. Talk to them, help them understand why you're doing this. If you got with Tifa for their sake, you guys'll end up fighting or something, and that won't be good for them. And if you want to be with me and Aerith, but you stay out of it for the kids, you'll be miserable, and the kids will notice.

They might get mad. They might hate it. I don't know for sure. But you gotta take a chance when you want something for yourself.

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

...so I should talk to them before I decide anything.

[wingenvy]

I think you should decide and then talk to them. If you're not sure about it, you won't be very convincing about it.

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

...Aerith told me to take my time, but...not to take too much time.

Am I...really thinking about this too much?

[wingenvy]

Well, lemme ask you this. Is thinking about it so much helping?

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

...Mom would be so ashamed of me.

[wingenvy]

...Come again?

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

She-

...I dunno. She probably just wanted me to get married to a nice girl and settle down. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't approve of...this.

[wingenvy]

Wouldn't she want you to be happy?

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

...probably.

She... ...yeah. She would.

[wingenvy]

So don't worry about it. You always worry too much.

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

...this could blow up in our faces. Badly. There's a high chance that I will somehow screw this up beyond all reason. And you're okay with that?