Why CloudxTifa, a final fantasy vii fanfic

"I'm telling you, Barret, I don't know how much more of him I can handle.."

Tifa complained into the cordless telephone, a rather irritated glare crumpling her eyebrows. One that her close friend on the other end of the line couldn't see, but could certainly hear. She resumed wiping down the bar tables in Seventh Heaven, a job of hers that took hold each and every night. Something she was used to, yet not sick of, the love of her job and being with Marlene and Denzel cushioning her fall to hatred.

Barret wasn't sure what to say, he wasn't used to Tifa being so frustrated. And what was he honestly to do about Cloud not coming home for several days at a time? Sure he felt bad for the girl, but..He didn't feel he had much input on what he liked to call, "chick-talk". "Look, Tifa, I don' know what to say, just as much as you don' know what ta damn well do. Wait, I guess. Hell, he gotta come back sometime. I gotta go, stuff ta do, y'know..Tell Marlene I said g'night, if she ain't asleep."

Click.

Tifa hung up the phone just as quickly as Barret had. She released a sigh, leaning against the last table she had to clean before successfully doing so. She stared bleakly out the window, thoughts bombarding her mind. Sure, Barret had said he had to come home sometime..Which was understandably true. However, he didn't know Cloud Strife as well as she did. That guy could be quite a handful, and endless with good and bad surprises. He didn't even answer the phone. Light, almost undectectable rain began to knock on the windows, and Tifa couldn't help but hope it would get heavier and develop into a full blown storm. Then she'd have some help in forcing Cloud to come home.

Why,
Do you always do this to me?
Why,
Couldn't you just see through me?
How come,
You act like this,
Like you just don't care at all?
Do you expect me to believe I was the only one to fall?

There was a constant little pain in her chest, and she figured she should seriously pick up the pace and get her work done. Bed and sleep sounded like amazing ideas right now. Besides, it was after twelve AM, and she was get incredibally sick of waiting up for Cloud, because it had occured to her by now that he wasn't coming, no matter how much she wished it. She wiped down the last table, listening to the empty silence of the bar. It had closed a little earlier than usual, due to the fact that it was Sunday and all. Cloud had been gone since Friday afternoon, and in her books just because he had a Delivery Service now, didn't mean he should disappear for two or three days at a time, without as much as a call. The kids missed him, too. That worried her, the constant wonder if Cloud would ever really be for them all the time. They had planned to do this together, so why wasn't he home?

Tifa took the washcloth and dropped in into the sink carelessly. The place was so clean it could have shimmered. She often over did herself when she had too much cluttering her mind. She took a seat on one of the bar-stools, brushing some hair out of her face. So, Tifa and Cloud weren't exactly boyfriend and girlfriend, lovers, married or anything of that sort. But she still felt she loved him, regardless of his feelings. And she still felt that, if anything, the four of them were together as a family. A family was what she would call it, but as for Cloud, she wasn't sure.. She wondered if that gap in their relationship, the fact that they weren't a family at all, just a man, a woman and two young orphans, bothered him. If that was what was keeping him away from home. Even the idea of something awful like that put her in fear.

The sound of a door opening and footsteps, caused her to whirl her head around quickly, in hopes it might be Cloud. However, she knew it was too hopeful to be true, besides the fact that the footsteps were very light (His were rather heavy, almost a stomp) and the sound of the opening door came from the back of the building.

Shortly Marlene made her way into Tifa's path of vision, clad in her pink night-gown that was covered in white polka dots and had white, lacey frills around the neck and sleeves. A pretty much brand new Moogle stuffed doll was hugged close to her with one arm, something Cloud had given her before he left on Friday. Her eyes were drooping closed and just the drowsyness of the young girls voice made her smile. However, what she said, didn't. It made her fret, somehow.

"Tifa, there's monsters under my bed...I need Cloud to scare them away..Where is he..?"

I can feel, I can feel you near me,
Even though you're far away,
I can feel, I can feel you baby,
Why?

Tifa didn't know what to think at that very moment. Was there actually monsters, or was it her imagination? In the condition Shinra left the world it was hard to tell most times. "Um, Marlene, sweetie..Cloud isn't back yet..Do you want me to come in with you?"

"No thanks..That's okay," She started, finished with a brief yawn as she hugged her toy closer, now with both arms. "I'll just stay out here with you until they go away..or until Cloud gets home.."

Tifa smiled. "Alright."

Marlene hopped up onto Tifa's lap without hesitation, and Tifa wrapped both arms around her to keep her up.

"Is Cloud ever gonna come home..?"

"Of course, sweetie." Tifa replied, releasing a sigh right after. "He just doesn't realize how much we all miss him. But, he'll be home. Soon, I promise.." her gaze continued out the window, her hopes sailing high on the winds of predictability. She wanted to see the headlight on Cloud's motorcycle pull in right now. But, it was too predictable, that would never happen. She shut her eyes, the silence of the room binding her under a distant drowsy spell. Minutes seemed to pass quicker than usual, as she sat there feeling finally relaxed, with the most likely asleep Marlene seated on her lap. By now, the light rain from earlier had given way for heavier weather of it's kind, thundering on the roof like gunshots. She opened her eyes and spoke to Marlene softly. "Are you awake?" After no response or attempt of one, Tifa was pleased to assume her little darling had drifted into slumber once again. She stepped down from the stool, beginning to carry Marlene to her bedroom with ease.

When she arrived, she slipped her under the not-so-neat covers of the bed, and tucked her in. She left the lamp in the room on, and turned to leave. However, although she felt she was being a little foolish, she decided it would be best to check for those so called monsters. Tifa leaned her slender body to the floor and peered under the bed. She saw nothing but a couple of odd socks and dust bunnies. She rolled her eyes playfully as she rose to her feet, almost allowing a chuckle to escape her lips. Why didn't she realize that it was just Marlene's imagination? She was young, after all.

Suddenly, she heard the front door open, and the sound of the heavy rain get louder and then soften once again. She felt her heart skip a beat. Cloud, maybe..?

It's not supposed to feel this way,
I need you,
I need you,
More and more each day.
It's not supposed to hurt this way,
I need you, I need you, I need you,
Tell me,
Are you and me still together?
Tell me.
You think we can last forever?
Tell me...Why?

She shut the door a little more than half way before rushing out to the front door. And as she arrived, there he was. Finally. He had just begun to take off his boots, and he looked at her, his matted blonde hair hanging in his foggy, teal eyes slightly, wet from all the rain. "Oh, Tifa..I thought you'd be asleep."

"Were you hoping?" Tifa placed one hand on her hip firmly, struggling with herself to not be too argumentive and cross with him. She was frustrated with Cloud and felt she had the right, but at the same time, knew how much Denzel and Marlene were sick of hearing them argue and fight like they were the children.

"No, don't get like that." Cloud replied bitterly, taking off his second boot and walking a little into the bar. "I'm afraid to come in, you've got everything so tidy. So, I guess you can tell me off from here.." He crossed his arms, his eyes no longer in her direction.

Tifa rolled her eyes, removing the hand from her hip and letting it fall limp to her side like the other. Like she had mentioned to Barret earlier, she didn't know how much more of his arrogance she could handle. He wasn't usually like this, only when she was..So, Tifa could easily assume the fact that they didn't get along too well was her fault. As much as she wouldn't admit it. "Look, Cloud, I think I have the right to be a bit annoyed with you. You leave for two or three days, sometimes even four, you never call, the kids miss you,..I miss you...It's just that--"

Cloud had entered the room and pressed his index finger to her lips firmly. "Quiet down, the kids are asleep."

She pulled his hand away, close to furious. "How would you know? You haven't been here!" Her eyes glistened with tears of anger and sadness combined, that were being held back. She felt ready to either explode, or break down.

The blonde looked shot back a moment, before his eyes shifted to his feet. It was then Tifa knew that it was dawning on him how much he's been hurting the people he's been living with. Especially her. "I..I'm sorry, Tifa. I didn't.."

His voice trailed off; Tifa waited.

Hey,
Listen to what we're not saying.
Let's play,
A different game then what we're playing.
Try,
To look at me, and really see my heart.
Do you expect me to believe I'm gonna let us fall apart?

"I didn't realize it bothered you so much."

"Well..It does." Tifa looked away a minute, the slightest streak of blush lightening her cheeks. "I'm sorry for being so cross with you Cloud, but you've got to understand." She looked back in his direction, still as frustrated as ever. "Do you?"

"Actually, I don't, really..This is my new life, or that's what you told me. Shouldn't I live it the way I feel is right?" He took another step toward, as she jolted backwards. "Ugh, you're unbelievable!"

The fresh noise in the previous quiet of her home, caused Marlene to awaken in her bedroom. She heard them arguing again, something she was used to but really didn't like. It happend everytime Cloud was around, and she didn't even understand why they would continue to have the same argument with eachother over and over. She dragged herself out of her cozy bed, and pulled her bedroom door open another length, just enough to watch what was happening. Niether Tifa nor Cloud noticed her peeking out at the scene, both of them being too wrapped up in eachother, and the current argument. The same argument. Marlene clutched her Moogle close to her body as she watched the late night problem unfold slowly.

"Look, Cloud, think of someone else for a change!"

"Tifa, I do think of you three. A lot, I just like being alone, is that a crime?"

"When it's two or three days at a time, yes, it is!"

"I'm a Delivery Boy now, I can't help being away sometimes.."

" Sometimes?! And that doesn't give you the excuse to be away from your family for as long as you always are."

"..We aren't family."

I can feel, I can feel you near me,
Even when you're far away,
I can feel, I can feel you baby,
Why?

Tifa couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Cloud looked shocked and a little disturbed at what left his mouth himself, and Tifa saw his eyes shimmer with apology that she knew would quickly spurt from his mouth. After all, he was just like a child himself. However, she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep accepting his apologies.

One tiny teardrop that couldn't bear to be retrained any longer by Tifa's free will, escaped the captivity of her eye and rolled down her cheek with immense speed. "I'm done, Cloud. Good night." She turned quickly and started to walk away quickly, feeling the pressure on her head as if she was under the ocean.

Of all the times Marlene had witnessed them fight, and heard them fight, this was the first time Tifa had shed a tear. This worried her, because it gave off an angry vibe that made her realize that this was the worst fight they had been in yet.

"Tifa, wait,"

Cloud began to follow her, quickly because he knew if she got in the bedroom they shared before he did, she'd probably lock the door.

Marlene sat alone in the quiet, before deciding she was gonna follow too. Tonight might have been the worst fight in Cloud and Tifa's relationship, but it also could mean the end of all their fighting. Period. Quietly she entered the bars main room, and slinked down the hallway where Tifa and Cloud had disappeared.

Tifa sat down on the double bed, with her arms crossed, feeling more angry at Cloud than she ever had since the day they met eachother. No other argument compared to this one, it could go in a record book for most displeasing and arrogant fight between them.

Cloud rushed in seconds after her, surprised to not have the door slammed in his face. He hesitantly took a seat on the bed beside her.

Marlene peered carefully around the half closed door.

"Tifa, ca--"

"Look, Cloud, I don't want to talk to you right now." Tifa stared at Cloud, in the dim light of the room. There was a lamp on in the far corner, the only means they had of seeing eachother. And even in the poor lighting, Cloud could see that her eyes were hard like marbles. He realized how much what he had said hurt her, just by staring into them. However, by now, he had no idea how to fix it.

"No, Tifa, seriously. I'm really tired, I guess I don't know what I'm saying..I'm really sorry, I didn't mean it." Cloud didn't know if what he was saying could even help at all, because this was the most emotional he had seen Tifa since the night Nibelhiem was set on fire, and her father was killed by the Monster Sephiroth...He shook those memories out quickly, just as if they burned his insides and his heart. "So, can we just forget--"

"No!" Tifa now glowered at him like an inraged monster, cutting him off and startling him out of even attempting to finish his sentance. He stared at Tifa, who stared back at him,

"Cloud," She began, and he saw another small tear roll none-too-hesitantly down her face. "We do this too much. I miss you when you're away, and you don't come home no matter how much I wish. I get so frustrated while you're out for so long, by the time you come home.." Her voice trailed a second, and Cloud knew it was because she was going to break. He could hear it clearly in her voice, as much as he wanted to prevent it. "By the time you come home," She continued, "I'm so frustrated I end up telling you off, and you get mad, and we just fight. Then by the end of the night we just decide to "forget about it" and it happens exactly the same way next time you leave and come home again. I'm so sick of it Cloud, sometimes I wonder if you just don't even care about us anymore.."

Cloud swallowed a lump in his throat. Never before has Tifa been so serious about their arguments, and it was a topic that didn't come up too often. However, he had always known in the back on his mind, that all the fighting they did was unhealthy, practically. He guessed, now Tifa was coming to her senses and approaching it as well.

So go on and think about,
Whatever you need to think about,

Go on and dream about,
Whatever you need to dream about,
And come back to me,
When you know just how you feel,

You feel.

I can feel, I can feel you near me,
Even though you're far away,
I can feel, I can feel you baby,
Why?

"And, we shouldn't fight so much, it's horrible the stuff that we're making Marlene and Denzel listen to all the time, an--"

Tifa would've been as angry as she was when he forced her to stop talking previously, if this time it hadn't been with a kiss.

It ended briefly, almost as if Cloud didn't know if he was allowed, or if he was supposed to. All he knew was that he did, and now all he could do was wait for the unpredictable Tifa's reaction.

She gazed at him a minute, taken over a little by surprise. The usually shy and introverted blonde sitting beside her, looked almost as bewildered as she did, and was possibly blushing more, as he avoided her eyes.

Not really knowing what else to do, Tifa leaned over and wrapped her arms around Cloud's neck in a warm embrace. His arms returned the hug around her waist and they sat there in silence for just a few moments.

Marlene still watched tentatively, very surprised they hadn't noticed her yet. By now she was getting tired and desperately wanted to get back to bed. It looked as if the fight was being resolved as well. Possibly all the petty ones they've ever had, because this was definately the first time Cloud had kissed Tifa. The first time that she had seen, anyway. She found herself somehow eager to observe Tifa and Cloud's love blooming, which caused her to get the idea of going back to bed out of her head as she watched them hug in the still of their bedroom.

"Look, Cloud, the point is..This has got to stop. We're supposed to be a family, or something like one, aren't we..?" Tifa's softening voice was close to his ear as she spoke, her input on the embrace immense.

"Yeah." Cloud replied simply, holding her a little tighter to his body. "I'm sorry for what I said. I just..." His voice trailed off, as if he changed his mind about what he wanted to say.

"You just?"

"Nothing.."

"Come on, Cloud. Open up to me." Tifa somehow pleaded with him quietly, hugging him so tightly her arms started to shake. "Talk to me. Please. I can't know what you're thinking, Cloud, I need you to tell me what's bothering you. I'll help you the best I can."

Cloud hesitated a moment.

Tifa waited anxiously.

Marlene watched closely.

The tension was building around everyone like a thick barrier.

It's not supposed to hurt this way,
I need you, I need you,
More and more each day.
It's not supposed to hurt this way,
I need you, I need you, I need you,
Tell me.

"Well," Cloud began, releasing a slight sigh into the air before he started to get going with what he wanted to say. "I just, I dunno..I'm not sure if I belong here. I feel, awkward around the kids sometimes, I'm not really sure if I'm better off alone or, what I should be doing with my life.."

"Cloud, you belong here, okay? I don't want you to be alone. I need you around, so do Marlene and Denzel. They miss you so much while you're away it's insane. Marlene told me just tonight that they were "monsters" under her bed, and I got scared a little wondering if they were real. They need you around." Tifa sighed as well, wondering briefly if she was ever going to get through to Cloud successfully on this topic, or if everything she said just passed through him like some kind of undetected haze or mist.

"And you?"

"Me..?" Tifa paused a moment. "I don't really know what you're--"

"You mentioned how much the kids need me, do you?"

By now she had no idea what to say. No idea, but the truth. As unsure as she was of how he would react, she decided maybe if she told him what she'd been keeping inside her heart for so long, the fighting might just finally end, like they both wanted so deeply. "Yes, Cloud, I need you. More then that. I love you."

There was a gaping silence that threatened to engulf both Tifa and Cloud. It was so quiet, she could hear him swallow. "I love you too." Came his reply, and they continued to embrace, nothing being said after that.

Tifa felt more relief and joy come at once then she ever has during the span of her life. He loved her. He really did want to be around. Nothing caused her to feel better like this did. Their embrace loosened a little, enough for their lips to find eachother once again and meet passionately.

However, as fate would have put it in place, their glorious kiss was cut short, because of a strange noise they heard. It sounded like someone sliding against a wall and falling gently to the hardwood flooring. Cloud released Tifa from the embrace, and got up to check it out, his mind pestering him openly about what it could honestly be at this hour. He would have worried, but to him it seemed the noise was much too gentle to even be considered dangerous.

Tifa saw him standing in the half-open doorway, looking down at something..And she could swear she saw him smiling, a rare treat.

"What is it?"

"Come here, Tifa."

She listened to him and made her way quickly from the bed to the doorway, to stand beside him. Now she understood, and smiled herself.

Marlene had collapsed with fatigue right outside the door, and was now slumbering peacefully on the floor, the Moogle still hugged tight in her arms. It was now after one-o'clock, so it surprised both Tifa and Cloud to see her out of bed. However, they said nothing about it. Cloud simply leaned down and scooped her up into his arms. "I'll take her back to her room." He stated simply, and Tifa could still hear the pure smile in his voice. "Okay," She replied as he walked off, turning and re-entering the room they shared. She pulled down the comforter and the sheets, and walked to her dresser. As she hauled out the pajamas she planned to wear for that night, she skimmed though all that had happened in her head. And she was pleased to realize, in her own good mind, that Cloud would probably be home more often now, and their fighting would probably come close to completely ceasing. Sure, Cloud still might no answer the phone or be home twenty-four seven, but he loved her and Marlene and Denzel, which was enough re-assurance that he would be home as often as he was able. Just the thought of him being home more often pleased her endlessly, and she knew although everything couldn't be spotless and perfect, it couldn't be more excellent in her perspective.

It's not supposed to hurt this way,
I need you,
I need you,
More and more each day.
It's not supposed to hurt this way,
I need you, I need you, I need you,
Tell me...Why?