[Tifa pauses again at the bottom of the stairs after a descent in amused silence, her steps light and airy, almost as if each one carried the smile she was wearing along in them. She catches him at the bottom, looking so sheepish as he plays with his hair, and that's when Tifa finally takes him by the arm to link with hers. Already, she can feel how tense he is, even through his layers. She gets it—she understands, if her own timid demeanor gives him any reassurance of that, her eyes not quite able to look at him at first when she stops him from moving any further into the crowds passing in and out of the Gold Saucer.
Cloud has always put her first, no matter the situation, be it in battle or in their quieter days now. She appreciates that he's always looking out for her and acknowledges that it's just how he is—it's what comes naturally to him, but there are times when she wants to look out for him too. Silly as it is to think so much about it when it's down to something as trivial as what ride they should check out first at the Gold Saucer, after having just left the haunted house inn, but with the way he so self-consciously asks her for her opinion, she doesn't want him to feel forced into doing something he'd rather not.
So, with a tilted head, she lets her gaze fix on his, her lips pulling into a wider, patient smile.]
You know, we never got to do these kinds of things when we were kids, huh?
[Never mind that they were never particularly close growing up, but maybe if there had been opportunities, they could have been. Circumstances just never allowed for it.
Honestly, Tifa isn't opposed to the idea of letting her inner child run free tonight. At least, when it comes to the rides and the games—she doesn't think she would be as embarrassed as Cloud to be seen on a carousel, or playing the new arcade games that they've added, and for a moment, she wonders to herself... Was this a good idea in the first place, coming here? With the way he is, there's the small twinge of worry that twists her heart in her chest, and she worries that this might be asking for too much from him, no matter of whether he's here or not.
That isn't to say that she doesn't appreciate him for being here, and for putting in as much effort as he already has so far—she does!—but...
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Cloud has always put her first, no matter the situation, be it in battle or in their quieter days now. She appreciates that he's always looking out for her and acknowledges that it's just how he is—it's what comes naturally to him, but there are times when she wants to look out for him too. Silly as it is to think so much about it when it's down to something as trivial as what ride they should check out first at the Gold Saucer, after having just left the haunted house inn, but with the way he so self-consciously asks her for her opinion, she doesn't want him to feel forced into doing something he'd rather not.
So, with a tilted head, she lets her gaze fix on his, her lips pulling into a wider, patient smile.]
You know, we never got to do these kinds of things when we were kids, huh?
[Never mind that they were never particularly close growing up, but maybe if there had been opportunities, they could have been. Circumstances just never allowed for it.
Honestly, Tifa isn't opposed to the idea of letting her inner child run free tonight. At least, when it comes to the rides and the games—she doesn't think she would be as embarrassed as Cloud to be seen on a carousel, or playing the new arcade games that they've added, and for a moment, she wonders to herself... Was this a good idea in the first place, coming here? With the way he is, there's the small twinge of worry that twists her heart in her chest, and she worries that this might be asking for too much from him, no matter of whether he's here or not.
That isn't to say that she doesn't appreciate him for being here, and for putting in as much effort as he already has so far—she does!—but...
To comfort him, she squeezes his arm.]
You want to check out the carousel?