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Author's Note:. This entire story is already complete in draft form! Stay tuned...

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Chapter 1

~ How Awkward ~

She was polishing down the bar surfaces. He was maintaining his bike in the garage. The children were playing outside in the new park that had recently been built nearby. A typical Sunday afternoon at Seventh Heaven.

The sun was beaming down through the windows and heating up the entire house. It was an oven. All the windows were open but Tifa wished the air conditioner was working properly just for once. She smoothed over her brow haphazardly and fanned herself with her black vest that she had slipped off in the heat. It wasn't working.

Cloud emerged from the garage wiping his brow. He was glistening all over with a slight shimmer of sweat. He'd even had to remove his shirt it was so hot. Tifa looked up as he strode up to the bar. She was ignoring how accentuated the groves in between his muscles were in his arms and shoulders, stomach and back. His broad chest. He planted his forearms on the bar surface, looking at her like a thirsty puppy.

"Drink?" she asked.

He nodded his head. The sunshine beaming through the garage window combined with the smell of oil and engine grease had made him thirsty and slightly nauseous. She took one of the pint glasses from the shelf above her, filled it with cold water and made sure to add plenty of ice.

He would have noticed the tautening of the muscles in her slim tummy as she reached up, how her tank top slowly rose up her back and exposed more of her slender figure and flesh as she extended her arms, but he was too caught up staring down at the beads of sweat that had gathered around his hairline. They were glinting on his fingertips from running his hands through his hair.

He sat down on one of the bar stools as she handed him the icy cold water and he gulped down half a pint in one go. He coughed heartily as he felt the cold liquid channel down his throat and past his lungs, cooling him from the inside. He then looked up feeling a little better. Tifa was giving him a funny look, screwing her eyebrows up at him.

"What is it?" he asked cautiously.

She didn't even pause. "You need to have a shower."

He looked up suddenly at her bluntness. He then turned his head slowly into his shoulder, gently inhaling. He winced a little. He really did need a shower.

"Towel?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Got it," she said saluting the air playfully and disappeared into the washing room.

He smiled to himself. It had been a slow afternoon but somehow he was now enjoying it much more, even if he did need a shower. He swallowed down the rest of his water and slipped off his stool. He walked round to the sink behind the bar to put down his glass but found himself staring at the little ice cubes skating about at the bottom of it. He thought for a minute and then decided that, in this heat, perhaps he shouldn't waste them. He popped one into his mouth.

"Here you go," she called, re-emerging holding one of the softer towels .

He swallowed down his ice cube to allow himself to speak. Then a lot happened at once; he felt a sharp pain in his forehead, she was still approaching him, he grabbed hold of the bar, she reached out for his arms in concern, in attempting to move off the bar he lost his balance and collided with her, they both lost their balance, the room began to spin and then both of them tumbled ungraciously to the floor in a loud crash.

For a moment nothing felt very normal. Where were his legs? His arms? He could feel something, something warm, hard and soft. It felt like it was curled around him this way and that. It also smelt nice... like good cooking, moutain floral winds and something attractively feminine. As he began to pull himself onto his elbows he became increasingly aware of the smoothness of another's skin in contact with his own as his tummy moved smoothly over theirs, gliding effortlessly with the beads of moisture on each of their skin. His eyes gained a little more focus as he willed himself to open them. He was lying right on top of Tifa, pinning her to the ground with his weight. The air suddenly felt extremely hot. Even hotter than before. Incredibly hot, and he increasingly became aware of something he desperately hoped she wasn't. They were face to face, their chests just millimetres apart, both turning an burning shade of pink. He couldn't move.

"I um-"

He was suddenly twisted, somehow thrown and found himself staring upwards at the dark ceiling. Tifa was already on her feet.

"Towel's there, okay?" she managed breathlessly, flustered.

He tilted his neck just in time to see the back of her walking quickly towards the stairs before she disappeared suddenly behind the wall of the staircase.

That was... interesting.

Cloud pulled himself back up to his feet and, as he reached for his towel, mulled over what had really just happened. But then again perhaps he just shouldn't think about it. It will be one of those events that no one ever speaks of again. It was just too... embarrassing for them both. Besides, they were just friends. It was much easier that way.

With that trail of thought he slung his towel over his shoulder and headed upstairs for his shower. Afterwards he would have his nap, pack the bike, double check his route in his office and then set off as soon as the light started to fade. He'd be off earning his keep. His typical routine. Life completely as normal.

But still... how awkward.