Flower Girl

Cloud stumbled forward. His spiky blonde hair shook from side to side as a half-remembered voice and face murmured weird nothings. Cloud’s mind wrestled to put a name to the face. As he focused on the white-haired enemy smiled and poofed into dark smoke; his essence dissipated. Forcing his right foot forward, the ex-soldier felt the name click into place. “Se…” He began to think, but before the name settled, it was gone but not forgotten. Cloud nearly face first as a bolt of pain replaced his remembrance. In anguish, Cloud clutched his head and shambled a few steps forward.

A feminine hand delicately embraced his muscle-bound forearm, breaking his dark fantasy. Shocked, Cloud looked up and lost himself in viridescent eyes framed by the most beautiful face. Anguish and exhaustion fell away as Cloud spent an eternity memorizing the perfection of those eyes. to blink, Cloud noticed other features of the lovely woman he beheld. Her deep green eyes were a unique combination of mischief and innocence underneath clear concern. Cheekbones seemingly molded from stone angled perfectly into a delicate chin that emphasized her luscious red lips. Even her eyebrows spoke of some inner divinity; they were geometric and well-groomed. Mousy brown locks curled attractively around her face, cutely obscuring her delicate ears. His own eyes darted quickly, drinking in the hint of her hair-bow hidden behind her head down to her brown boots. His heartbeat froze when his brain caught acknowledged her low-cut pink dress. The dress teased Clouds vision as it rested halfway down her womanly thighs, his heart quickened further at the possible temptation. That the night was chilly was evidenced by the rose vest left unbuttoned which elegantly cloaked her shoulders. A black necklace drew attention to her voluptuous breasts; the adornenent wove itself around her elegant neck and symmetrically split the peaks of her bosom in twain, highlighting their pale sheen before dipping underneath the pretty dress. Holding a basket of yellow flowers in her left hand, the girl stood with perfect posture which gave the brunette an overall sensuous appearance. Her age was not apparent as she lacked any signs of aging, yet her full bust and vaguely provocative dress hinted at maturity. Cloud reasoned her around the same age as he, past high school, but not yet twenty-five. As the woman pulled her other hand back from Clouds masculine forearm in sympathy with his shock, her perfume infiltrated Cloud’s nose. She smelled of saffron and velvet, a heady concoction that threatened Cloud with arousal.

“Are you Okay!?” The flower peddler spoke, unease readily apparent. To Cloud, her voice was both musical and magical. Both lilting and refreshing. A sound that cut through the ceaseless chatter of the passerby, fleeing the Mako reactor disaster. Cloud backpedaled, seeking zen from the chaos of his mind and the embodiment of beauty facing him.

“Hey…” She continued, giving him no respite, but keeping her hands to herself. Now the concern was real. Dipping her face below his, a lover’s distance away, she bore her eyes into his, searching with concern.

“I’m fine.” Cloud murmured when he could trust his voice. He blinked and scanned the area around him. Examining the drudgery of Midgaard and her dark boring multi-story buildings and the paved road around him, Cloud attempted to walk past the girl. He intrinsically wanted to shield her from the dangerous situation he had placed himself in. However, fate had other plans as she stepped in front of him once again and presented him with a radiant smile and a yellow flower.

“Here. This is for you.” She declared. A rare confidence projected itself from her voice.

“A flower?” Cloud responded quizzically. His brain was still in shambles, and he couldn’t process the hidden meaning. Before he could reason it out, the girl reached into her basket.

The flower girl beamed and rose up to her tippy toes and waved the flower underneath Clouds nose. When Cloud looked down, he found himself awestruck once again as his vision was drawn inexorably to her bosom. “That’s right. It’s a gift. You know, for scaring those things away.” She asserted proudly, which confused Cloud even more. He knew not of any things he had scared away lately; anything scared of him was either dead or didn’t make their presence known.

“What things?”

“Never mind. Think of it is a memento.” The pretty flower girl shrugged, incidentally framing her bosom attractively and drawing Clouds attention downward.

“Just my luck.” Cloud responded, cynicism echoing from his tone. He quickly looked away from the beauty in front of him, though his blush was still apparent.

The brunette huffed and pouted while stomping her left foot, “I heard that, you know!” She replied. The flower girl took a quick steady breath and locked eyes once again with Cloud, enrapturing him once again. Raising the proffered flower once again, she silently queried him.

“How much?” Cloud finally asked, reluctantly dragging his eyes from hers and examining the delicate yellow flower. It had five golden leaves that encompassed five little green stems topped with ruddy bulbs. Somehow, the leaf spoke to Cloud, both promising him and sparking a half-remembered memory to come to the fore of his mind. Before he could mentally wrangle the memory, the beautiful girl holding the flower beamed and his concentration was solely hers.

“Well that depends on the customer.” She giggled flirtatiously. Cloud gulped as she bit her bottom lip in thought; he could hardly imagine a more seductive micro-movement. Grabbing ahold of his wrist, she leaned in and whispered, “In your case… It’s on the house.”

This close, Cloud could smell her citrusy breath. His breath hitched and he saw her smile turn coy and deceptively shy. “There’s something here, guy. Come with me and let’s explore it.” Cloud felt her eyes pierce something within him. Thoughts of his mission evaporated, and he nodded; they both knew he couldn’t trust his voice in the moment. Suddenly the flower girls posture changed from demure to seductive as she pulled away from him still clutching his left hand. Cloud followed her, eyes glued to her swaying hips and succulent butt. She walked to her own internal rhythm, both graceful and delicate, yet spoke of hidden desire and temptation. Her brown hair tied behind her head in a pink bow added to the confusion Cloud felt. The woman in front of him appeared innocent and demure, but Cloud couldn’t shake the feeling he was the truly innocent one.

“Lovers used to give these when they were reunited.” The pretty brunette turned back to face him as she whispered, hidden desire evident in her inflection. Twirling in his arms, the girl threaded the flower between Cloud’s sweater, deftly hiding the stem underneath his suspender. She reached up and cupped his jaw, bringing his lips close to luscious hers. Before they intimately met, the girl smirked mischievously and connected a kiss from her juicy lips to his by placing her right pointer and middle fingers on his mouth after touching the digits on her own. She felt his breath hitch and smiled victoriously. After a long moment, she pirouetted away and opened the door to the Loveless Inn. Cloud followed.

Author's note:

I am looking for someone to Beta-read this story or perhaps write some additions. I was reminded recently to start writing again and thought this might be a good low-stakes opportunity. Having said that, I'm open to criticism/suggestions as this story is just a smutty retelling of Final Fantasy between Aerith and Cloud from Cloud's POV.

Also, the saucy stuff is coming real soon, I just wanted to "throw something at the wall" and work from there. ;D