A/N: Hello all, once again I have concocted a rarity. I've always loved the idea of a possible Zack and Tifa pairing but don't let that fool you, we all know that that cannot happen for the sanity of the FFVII world as we know it. So R & R, I'm expecting a lot of people not liking this so don't be shy, just tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I own nothing FFVII, though I do have a growing collection of characters that I control in my mind -giggles- just my sanity slipping so please ignore ^_^.

"Dissonance"

By MakoRain

Chapter 1

It was a nice sunny day without a cloud in the sky and yet a young woman stood stuck inside, unable to enjoy the feel of the sun's rays on her pale skin. Tifa sighed, eyeing the nice weather from her place behind the bar counter which was like her permanent fixture. It wouldn't have been so bad if she had some company but only the hopelessly quiet types could be found here drinking in the late afternoon and so she was left to entertain herself.

As if an answer to her prayers, Zack walked through Seventh Heaven's front door just returning from a pretty big delivery with Cloud who seemed to be lagging behind. She waved and Zack waved back smiling as he took a place at the bar.

"Delivery go okay?" she asked, curiously looking over his shoulder for an absent Cloud. Zack followed her gaze and laughed, knowing the coast was clear.

"Oh, the delivery was fine…it was the way back from the delivery that wasn't so great."

Intrigued, Tifa leaned closer. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it seems our feathered cargo took a liking to young Strife and so we had some stalkers, in a way."

Tifa quirked an eyebrow at this before her attention was turned to a rather amusing sight in the door frame. There Cloud stood in all his heroic glory, covered from head to toe in what looked to be chocobo feathers and Tifa had to cover her mouth to stop from bursting out laughing. Zack watched happily as Cloud made his way towards his two best friends, an occasional feather floating free here and there to leave a trail on the bar room's floor.

Cloud sat down without saying a word, pointedly ignoring Tifa and Zack by staring at the counter's surface, his hands the only visible expanse on him without feathers. Soon he turned to Zack with his mouth set in a stern line, trying to convey his unhappiness in that one look but only receiving a bright smile in his efforts from the dark haired man. It only figured seeing it was Zack who was always happy; it was just one of the many things that made Zack…Zack.

"Thanks for your support, Zack." He said dead pan.

"Anything to help," he answered pleasantly, grating on Cloud's nerves.

"We wouldn't have had any problems if your hair wasn't so…chocobo-like." Zack added, ruffling Cloud's hair to prove his point and letting loose some feathers in the process before Cloud shooed his hands away.

"My hair does not look like a chocobo. Those damn birds are just stupid."

"Now now, Cloud. You know that's not true. You only say this out of anger. It's not the chocobo's fault that they got confused…it could have happened to anyone."

Cloud stared at Zack skeptically as he explained logically, settling the matter before looking to Tifa who only shook her head and smiled at the hilarity of the situation.

"How about you go upstairs and clean up, Cloud?" Tifa suggested helpfully, heading for a broom and dust pan to dispose of Cloud's previous feather transfers. He sighed, figuring some clean clothes would be nice but halfway up the stairs; he turned back and announced, "No bubbles baths," in a stern voice to his friends.

"Anything you say, Cloud." Zack replied before heading behind the counter and disappearing from his view.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Zack fixed himself a drink while Tifa busied herself with removing the various colored chocobo feathers humming along to some tune only she could hear. He watched her move to the music and caught a few notes as she passed him to reach the waste basket.

"Beethoven?"

Tifa turned around at Zack's sudden statement. "How did you…?"

He smiled at her and watched her from his spot still behind the counter, roles reversed for a change.

"Just because I have a military mind doesn't mean I lack learning in the musical arts."

As if feeling a need to prove this, he walked over to where the piano inhabited one lone corner of the room used very rarely. Tifa followed him, stopping to stand by the piano's frame and Zack's fingers struck the opening notes to "Fur Elise," hitting each key with precision and confidence. He played beautifully with fingers flowing gracefully over the ivory of the piano throughout the entire piece, ending with a flourish to Tifa's applause.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Cloud came downstairs freshly showered and dressed to find Zack and Tifa at the piano in the corner. He didn't even know the old instrument worked anymore but apparently it did as Zack proved, playing a song Cloud had heard before but couldn't place. As the song came to an end, Tifa clapped joyfully at Zack's skillful finger work and Cloud felt a twinge in his heart.

He shouldn't be jealous of Zack…right?

Sure, Zack was smart, funny, kind, thoughtful, and skilled in combat and now music, but he was one of Cloud's closest friends. Cloud had loved Tifa since they were children growing up together, not that she knew but Zack did, and so he wouldn't…no, Cloud had no reason to be jealous of Zack. And yet he clapped as well, making his presence known before entering the room.

"That was well done, Zack. I didn't know you played." He commented, unknowingly echoing Tifa's words of just moments before.

"That's because you've never asked, Spiky." Zack replied good naturedly, clapping Cloud on the shoulder as he stood up. "Now that the show's over, I have some things to do before I lose the daylight so I'm off. Bye, Tifa."

He gave her a quick hug before heading for the door, passing by Cloud with a "Later, Strife," and then he was gone.

"Zack did really well…that piece can be a bit tricky with the timing." Tifa sounded impressed as she went about her chores, wiping down tables and turning over chairs to signal the closing of another day. Cloud followed her motions, trying to understand where all of this was coming from.

"I didn't know you liked the piano." He said, clearly at a loss.

"It was something my mother had me do. It was after you left." She explained calmly, as if detached from the subject.

Cloud stopped moving, waiting for her to continue. He had never heard of this before, or much of anything in her life for that span of time he was in SOLDIER and wanted to know all he could about what he'd missed.

"Piano was a way for my mother to make me into a 'defined woman' while it allowed me to make something productive of my hands. It's very relaxing…and all the while, you're making music, producing sounds so pleasant to the ear. Or at least that's how it is for me." She finished, a blush flushing her cheeks while he looked at her.

It sounded like she carried a passion for this craft and he couldn't help but smile at the thought of a younger Tifa, sitting at a piano much like the one she had now, making sweet melodies flow from the keys, feeling accomplished at mastering such a skill.

The day melted away and Seventh Heaven closed for the night, its occupants returning to their homes to retire. In the hallway that separated their rooms, Cloud and Tifa stood across from each other, the trials of the day weighing down on their wearied minds and bodies.

Tifa hugged him, whispering, "Sweet dreams, Cloud."

"Good night, Teef," he returned.

It was their nightly ritual ever since they were children spending the night in the same bed. He remembered watching her sleep so peacefully next to him and he could only rest once the butterflies subsided in his stomach after she gave him her 'sweet dreams.'

It always did the trick. Cloud slept peacefully whenever Tifa said this and when she didn't, he felt anxious and unable to calm his restless mind he would end up in her room, waking her up to these words or just snuggle into bed next to her. Only when he was granted sleep from Tifa would he sleep, and that's just the way it was and had to be.