yeah about that:
as for the chapter i'm on, i'm on like 17 or 18.
but i was thinking about that kiss and hug, and that cloud would have just brushed it off because he was too "cool", but after seeing him later on in the game, especially him be worried and saying kind things about wedge, he must have taken those things jessie did to heart as well. even very small things affect him, as proven later down the line. i know it sounds like i'm repeating myself but i'm just very interested in the subtlety on how his character slightly changes near the end.
and even if cloud did brush it off, we as the audience aren't supposed to. it is significant that she did those things separate from the two other girls. since they are all love interests, cloud is supposed to be attracted to all three of them separately in their own different ways. i think out of all the girls, he's most comfortable with her because (1 she strokes that ego 24/7 and (2 he's fine with being physically close to her and well as physical, even with him bullshitting and complaining. i believe jessie was purposely made forward so you and/or cloud could have lingering thoughts on what it was like with her.
and i don't know if jessie could survive in the slightest after the pillar demolition, but for the sake of the discussion let's say she did for the second part. i can picture them in a small banter that always happens between the two. jessie would say something like "Oh Cloud. You can lie to me or even lie to yourself. But I know what happened when I hugged you that night. I held you, remember? Your heart was beating pretty fast. Lie about that," and she saunters off, leaving cloud flustered and confused.
a reach you say? let's remember there was that dream cloud had with aerith and she said "You have to not fall in love with me" and talked some more, and then cloud replied "Don't I get a say in this?" every girl has to have their moment right? so i think something like i said could happen with jessie too, if she lives, that is.
EDIT: oh yeah and
i was looking at the bike chase scene and he was A B S O L U T E L Y showing off his fighting skills for her. no doubt about it, lmao. that little arrogant shit! haha
Woah why talking german? D:Danke
Because saying "thank you" in different languages is fun! I don't actually know any German though, sorry to disappoint, Jessie.Woah why talking german? D:
you're 100% right on cloud being able to do something about his apparent "dislike" of being around jessie, but he does absolutely nothing. it's what i talked about in my analysis. cloud grunted and pouted but when jessie asked him to lay off of barret for a little while, but he still listened when he had no real reason to. that's why i'm 100% certain he was showing off for her. we also have to put into perspective of camera angles of the bike chase, and there was that shot when jessie wrapped her hands all around his waist. as you pointed out, there's many points when cloud could stop jessie if it was too much, but he didn't even grunt out a single word. obviously the wrapping around his waist is supposed to mean something, and that point is that he's most likely just as enjoying it as she is but as you said, he doesn't know how to deal with the forwardness so finds it easier to use the facade. but in the end even that backfires on him since his walls are weak around her, as she was the one who started to bring them down.
and as for the hug, that's what i thought as well! and did you see how his hand lingered on her arm before using the cool facade to drop it and look away when she asked about the date? and even though we have a choice to her question, it's canon that he agreed (and was perhaps thinking about it the whole day, even when he was with aerith) since he brought it up at the pillar, before she did at that.
i'm going to finish the game today, so fingers crossed on the ending. can't wait to see ?
OH YEAH and some trivia: cloud begins to care about everyone and is concerned about their well-being near the end of the game, constantly asking everyone in trouble if they're okay. but in the very beginning of the game when he didn't much care for anyone, jessie is the first person he asks that to. it possibly means nothing but it's just something that suddenly came to my head last night.