Idea struck me, so here you go..chapter 2

The voice was faint, barely heard, but she could ascertain the hovering hoarse tone that doubled her husband-to-be's own voice, his vow. The promise to live, to love, to protect and to support.

She could not remember…

"….in sickness and health, in good times and in bad, and in joy and in sorrow……."

She blinked at the vow, or should she say 'vows'? She had her head lower by that time, desperately trying to recall the vow she had heard before, the double chord echoing in her mind alone. Had she been married before, she didn't remember. Heck, she was positive she was still single up until this very moment.

"….to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish…….. Tifa?"

Her head immediately snapped up to meet the mako-enhanced eyes of her groom. The deep pool of blue was glowing out of concern. And the voice, the other voice has stopped.

"I'm sorry, please… please continue." She silently cursed herself. How could she be doing this in the most important they of her life, of their life? She was about to experience the every girl's dream and she just had to ruin it….. because of some stupid familiar voice echoing in the back of her already distorted mind.

"Are you sure?" He asked, eyes shifting from the priest and back to her.

"Yes," She answered a little too fast. The answer wasn't hesitant at all, but somehow her voice was cracking, as if she was crying.

And the ceremony continued, but Tifa still kept her head slightly lowered, desperately trying to hide the tears that was almost elicit from the corner of her eyes. She just hoped that her husband did not notice it. And when they had seal their vows with a kiss, she just couldn't help but to let the battered memory of that night, when she was certain she had stole his first kiss to float in her memory.

The wedding was all that a wedding she had dreamt off, the perfect one, maybe more than what she could ever wish for. But somehow, she could not let herself to be happy. Of course, she set on the perfect smile of a bride. Thanking others on their compliment of how she looks, dancing joyfully with her husband, snapping pictures and stuff like that. Typical wedding but a perfect one nonetheless.

But when she was alone, the fake smile disappeared, replaced by a solemn look. She had excused herself later, saying that she was having a headache. Her husband was worried and led her to the room but leave her alone when she insisted that he should treated the guests in her absence.

By the time he had left, the memory came again. The memory of 2 years ago….no, maybe more than 2 years ago. The day that she left him, the day when she set him free……….. out of his own will.

It was that night, when they had finished their foreplay in the stable, lying silently on the hay and breathing heavily had she suddenly voiced out the first thought that crossed her mind.

"Today is your birthday, do you get me?"

"I get to have my own birthday?"

"Well, since you are clueless about your own, I might as well set one for you."

"But-but today is yours, Master?" He said, not knowing that one could share birthday with others.

"It's the day I declared, acknowledge you as a human."

Back then, he was so happy. The fact that he was sharing the same date of birth with his master somehow made him delighted. But for Tifa, the day of separation is getting near. She had to let him go, set him free. A graduation…..like a mother bird setting its son free…..

Most probably it was the best birthday gift she could give him.

A few days later, after they have set off from Wutai heading toward the neighboring continent had she finally told him. His façade was that off incredulous when she had told her idea of letting him go. It took him few minutes until he could muster her whole statement. He had laughed then, not quite taking her announcement seriously.

Back then he did not trust her at all, until she unclamped him herself. She unlocked the sharp teeth around his neck and even threw the device into the sea just to prove that she wasn't joking.

"Are you serious Master?" he asked warily, putting on a half smile as though he was hoping that she was joking.

She did not answer him, knowing that even his stupidity wasn't blinding the reality that she was serious after all. Freedom…… she wanted to give him only that and somehow she hoped that he could at least be happy that he was free from the collar that threaten his life all this time. But this is too much, the unsettling look he had was putting a knot in her stomach. She had always thought she was ready for this, she even thought that she can't wait for this day to come. The moment when she will return back to her friends and family. The moment of her own freedom…

Loz had followed her then. It has already been almost a week passed seen she set him free and yet he kept trailing her like a full time stalker. She pretended to ignore him the whole time; confident that he will grew tired and left later on. But he had proven otherwise. He had even come to her rescue when she accidently fell off a cliff back when she had visited North Corel.

Tifa had not thanked him; in fact she pushed him away.

"Stop following me!!"

"Master was in danger.."

"I am not your master!"

She regretted her choice of words when he looked hurt by that simple declaration. However, it must be said, he needed to learn, to accept the fact that he was no longer her slave.

"Geez, Loz. Please, for once, please listen to me and muster what I'm about to say. You are free. You have gained your independent."

He took awhile to absorb what she was saying, as though he was trying to spell each word that escaped from her mouth.

"I-I can't leave you," He finally said.

"Loz, help me to help you. You have got to have something you wanted to do other than staying by my side. You can free to do anything."

"I have nowhere to go other than by your side….I have nothing to do other than obliging you." "Loz, I'm grateful but….. "

"Master………master, master…..master…….Ti-fa.." He was chanting the word 'master' like it was some kind of a spell until….. her name was spoken by him for the very first time, and Tifa found herself almost fell on her two knees.

"I'll stay…… in sickness and health, in good times and in bad, and in joy and in sorrow. No matter what, I will not leave you……..so please, let me be your slave."

That unconditional statement had completely taken her aback. She has never quite expected that he could say such thing, words that turn her knee into jelly… It was a vow, a promise of a lifetime.

Tifa had taken him back to the camp to nurse his injury for saving her. She let him stayed by her side or was it more like she stayed by his side- either way he was satisfied. But when he had fallen asleep, with her tugged under his arm-afraid that she will leave, she managed to slip away from the cot, from where he lay comfortably. She had left without notice, and with one last glance she finally let the stubborn tear slipped down her cheek, silently prayed that this 4 years old human could live as she hoped he would be.

More than 2 years have passed since then. And ever since their separation, she never heard anything of him. Whether he live or die, she never knew. After all she led a happy life after she left him, to the point of forgetting that he had been the most part that changed her life. It was when her husband had utter the very same line he had uttered years ago that she remembered once again.

It was a onesided marriage…. A vow that has no exchange.

During that time, she would have never thought that Loz's vow was some kind of…… a marriage vow. Heck, she was positive that Loz was more than clueless about such thing, marriage. It was an unintentional statement that elicit from his mouth at the heat of the moment.

Unintentional, but truthful….

And just today, she had exchange the same vow with other man.

Guilt immediately consumed within her. She was marrying other man and yet she was thinking of other at the same time.

What kind of woman had she turned into?

She could not help it though. She could not stop herself from thinking of him, his whereabout, how did he live his life, did he eat well or have he hurt or kill anybody? But..

Could it be that she's the only one who thought so? What about him himself? Did he ever think of her in return?

Well, she was certain she never heard any news of Sephiroth's remnant goes ravage before and she was most certain that he didn't come looking for her. Maybe he's doing fine by himself or probably dead…….. But the thought of him doing just fine without her was perturbing her. If he was doing fine…. If he had moved on with his life….. if he had forgotten her……..

"I'm selfish," She suddenly said as she let her hand covered her burning eyes. "I pushed you away and yet I am missing you."

And suddenly the couch that she was lying on seems comfortable as she let sleep took over her senses; the doses she was taking finally have some effect. Maybe, just maybe if she wakes up the next time, it would be a dream, he would be by her side and they were still travelling. Would the circumstance turned out to be a lot better than now? She doubt that..

Waking up in the mid-evening, she was invited with the fragrance of lily on her side. Opening her bleary eyes, she noticed the white flower (somehow it looked yellowish) lay on her side. Picking up the frail flower between her fingers, she let her nose touched the petal as she exhaled the flower. Her eyes immediately snapped opened when she finally realized that someone has entered the room, not through the door when she was certain that she had locked it. She instantly stood while she let her eyes travel across the room, finding no one else other than her image on the 1/1 sized mirror.

Who is it….?

A hand suddenly shot out to cover her eyes. Tifa stiffen and tried to move, but her gown won't allow her.

"Looking for me?" large hand clasped her head, covering her sight.

The warmth, the thick voice…….only caused her to stiffen and the base of his palm immediately damped by her flowing tears. Tifa's jaw clenched and unclenched as she tried to utter the needed words upon his abrupt arrival. As if he knew she was calling for him, he came.

"You cry, master?" He said, pulling his hand slightly as he shifted his head, barely resting on her shoulder to look at her face.

All of a sudden, she circled her arms around his neck on threw herself into his awaiting arms, causing him to stumbled onto the couch with her on top. Tifa has yet to see his face as she let her head rested against his chest while his hand gently stroke her hair in a soothing motion. They stayed in that position until he finally opened his mouth to speak. "You look….oddly beautiful."

With that, she chuckled but did not say anything in return. She was particularly sure whether he was complimenting her or not but she was certain that he never seen her in any appealing dress. "..I prefer to have you in leather skirt, white tank top and suspender to match. That suits you, master."

"You came just to say this?" She said but her tone did not display any hint of awkwardness or resentment. She finally pushed from him only to have him pulled her back against his chest. Like 3 years ago, it was as though he was afraid that she was going to leave his side. He never changed….and she hated herself for doubting his feelings toward her moment ago. He was loyal and like a child, he craved for her love all this while. His action alone was displaying the misses he had all these years. And since he was here, having her in his arm, he didn't plan to let go. Not yet..

"Loz,"

"Hm?"

"Why did you come?" She asked when the truth is that she was itching to ask 'where have you been all this years?' and 'why didn't you come earlier?' but that make her look frail and weak and that was not the 'Tifa', no, the master he used to know. The master that he was accustomed with was brutal, an egoist, mostly used fist to behaved him and yet she was heartwarming at time.

As though he read her mind, he answered, finally pushing himself and his master from the couch. "I'm sorry I didn't come earlier. But…..I wanted to give the one thing I could not before this. The flower…..where is it?" He said.

The flower had fallen on the carpeted floor due to the impact when she threw herself onto him. "You see, I finally managed to hold it without killing it." He said, picking up the lily. "I at least wanted to able to hold this and to give it to you." He explained as he opened her palm and placed the lily in her hand.

Three years. I took him three years to be able to give her this one gift. Three years for Gaea to finally accepted him as its inhabitant. Three years for him to be able to meet her again, to stand in front of her as an equal human being.

"Today is our birthday," She said, eyes locked on the flower in her hand. Even so, she could se him nodded in return. "And you remember," Again he nodded.

"I…. I have a wish." He told hesitantly. His hand went to the back of his head as he scratch at the base of his nape, a hue of scarlet appeared on his pale cheek as though he was embarrassed to ask from Tifa. After all, she perceived that he still regard her as his master.

"What is it? I'll try to make it come true."

"Really, I mean if you say so, master." For a second his facial was that of a child received a Christmas gift from Santa. And when Tifa nodded in agreement, his facial contorted into a serious one. "I…..if only…." He started; one hand already cradled her cheek. "The only thing I want is to have you to touch me like….like that night."

Her eyes immediately widen at the knowledge of what Loz's wish for his birthday. And then she saw it, the unmistaken lust gleaming in his eyes.

He wanted to be touched….

She can't. She's married. But…

Why's there a 'but'?

"Loz, I can't…."

"Touch you….. Make you scream my name even," He said against her jaw-line, completely ignored her plea.

And when he kissed her, the thought of hold back instantly flew out of the window as she returned the favor with an equal amount of passion and desperation. Through kisses and touches and moans, they relinquished the three years of hunger of each other.

It was when Loz recaptured her lips had she abruptly cupped his cheek and broke the kiss reluctantly. Loz's façade was that of disappointment, thinking that she was holding back herself. Tifa's eyes then lingered to the locking door and then back to his, staring at his slitted pupil, filled with lust. "I'l fulfill your wish only.."

For a moment the lust-filled eyes fill with the gleaming of hope. "Only if we're quiet,"

He smiled.

And she succumbed.

A/n Well that was a rush one, especially the part when Loz meets Tifa. I think I could do better for that part but I'm just too lazy to rewrite it, so there you go, the unrealistic reunion. And yes, disclaimer can be found in my profile. View it if you care enough to read.

Review is love