Tifa and Cloud had had to forgo sex for nearly three weeks, and it was starting to seriously get to them.

She discovered herself being easily irritated and clumsy at tasks she normally found easy. The food she cooked didn't have the same taste and the kids occasional whines grated on her nerves. The roar of Cloud's motorcycle in the garage as he tinkered about frazzled her nerves even further. She knew better than he the lack of sex was worse for him. The smell of the exhaust, which normally electrified her mind, made her want to try to stab something with a dull spoon.

Tifa's and Cloud's celibacy, however, was anything but deliberate. Their friends had all moved in with them to ride out the sandstorms that plagued Edge from time to time. Tifa's and Cloud's house had been the most stable, so taking shelter in their home had been the most obvious choice for everyone.

At first, it had been fun having everyone back together – "just like old times," Cid had said loudly – and everyone had been easily holed up. The kids, of course, were taken out of their room and into Tifa's and Cloud's, where they slept on cots on either side of their bed.

Nobody had counted on this particular sandstorm lasting as long as it was, however. Sandstorms in Edge normally lasted no more than forty-eight hours – this particular sandstorm had been going strong for fifteen days and counting.

Food wasn't an issue. Sharing bathroom time was a little more of an issue. Not being able to go outside at all was practically killing everyone. Cid nor Barrett couldn't go out, even into the alley, for a brief smoke. The kids couldn't go out and play and everyone was developing cases of acute cabin fever.

And Cloud and Tifa refused to make love with children on either side and nosy friends behind thin walls.

Tifa wished for nothing more than to feel his dampened limbs entwined between and around hers, to feel him filling her to the stretching point. More than once, she dreamed vividly of their lovemaking; when she awoke from the dream, she had to resort to silently touching herself to soothe the incredible ache. She had never ached this much before. She could only hope that Cloud was getting the occasional moment of relief whenever he could.

On the seventeenth night of their sandstorm captivity, Cloud exploded.

Denzel and Marlene had had an unusually easy time of getting to bed. Yuffie had run them about the house wildly in a game of tag for over an hour, and then bounced with them on the trampoline Cloud and Barret had set up for them in the garage for another hour. After dinner, she had played with them until it was time for baths and bed – needless to say, they had practically passed out once their heads hit the pillow.

After everyone had wandered to their respective rooms, Cloud and Tifa slipped into bed quietly. Tifa laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling, longing for the feel of sheets against her naked skin.

Cloud touched her shoulder.

When she turned to him, he pulled her close. His hand snuggled in between her legs and rested between her thighs. He had a look on his face that clearly begged. Tifa put her mouth close to his ear.

"We can't." Her voice was a fraction of a whisper. But oh, how she wanted to succumb!

"We can be absolutely quiet," he whispered just as softly.

"But…having sex…in front of the kids…"

"They're sound asleep," Cloud replied. Indeed, Tifa could hear Marlene lightly snoring.

"What would happen if one of them woke up for any reason?" Tifa asked.

"Then we'll just have to give them The Talk a little earlier than we planned," he replied with a laughing smile. Tifa was glad he found the humor in the dilemma – just hearing the possibility of sex sent familiar prickles down her ribs and soaring into her groin.

"If they were to wake up, giving them The Talk wouldn't erase them image of…us," she said slowly.

She saw a hint of a grin forming on his face.

"An image of us…doing what?" He asked just as slowly.

Despite her intimate familiarity with Cloud, she felt fire begin to creep into her cheeks and ears. She pictured him inside her, the thrusting motions, the feeling of being filled to the stretching point, being empty and being filled again. Her toes curled in the sheets.

"You, holding me. Me, pushing you further into me," she said.

"They won't see anything," he said. "We'll keep a blanket on at all times."

There. Her last reservation. She – and he – needed this.

Tifa breathed deeply and let her breath out quietly. "It certainly won't hurt," she said, tucking a hair tendril behind her ear and smiling.

"It could only help," Cloud said, mirroring her smile. Though I think I see more naughtiness in his than I would see in mine, Tifa thought wryly.

Quickly and quietly, the pair shucked off their nightclothes and used their feet to shove them to the end of the bed inside the bedclothes. Their lips found the other's – Tifa hadn't felt such a deep kiss from Cloud before. His tongue found and teased hers. Promptly, she felt hot moisture begin between her legs. Taking her own initiative, she enclosed his thigh between hers and ground her bare skin against his. He had to break their deep kiss to catch his breath – she noted how softly it came, though no less deep.

Tifa placed her lips close to Cloud's ear again. "I've had to be so long without you," she all but moaned. She took his ear lobe between her lips and tenderly sucked; to her satisfaction, she felt him immediately react against her thigh. He scooped his hands beneath her bottom and pushed her higher and harder against his leg. Tifa wriggled, already feeling close to a long-awaited climax.

"It's good," he breathed between frantic kisses.

"It's going to be better," she replied and pulled her lips from his to kiss little trails down his neck and across his shoulders. She felt his hands quivering as they rested on her bottom. They needed to be someplace else.

"Here," she murmured and brought his hand around to touch the aching pearl between her legs. She would show him just exactly how much she needed him. When he took the indication and began trailing her fingers inside her nether lips and giving just too little pressure, she ground up against his fingers. It gave him the chance to slip two fingers inside her, deeply.

Tifa clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut against the scream of delight forming in her throat. He hadn't had to do much at all to push her over her crest. She shivered in his arms, clinging to him, sagging.

"An appetizer climax," he whispered in her ear, and she had to laugh, though as silently as possible. The "main entrée" would be present momentarily.

It was his turn. She touched two fingers to the head of his erection and found his own smooth, warm wetness forming at the tip. Smiling and looking up at him, she said, "You're in the same condition I am."

Tifa smoothed the wet silk up and down his shaft. When she didn't have quite enough to cover his tightening balls, she dipped into her own and spread her moisture onto him. She looked up into Cloud's face to see his head thrown back, his eyes closed, lips parted – which absolutely demand to be kissed, Tifa thought – and Adam's apple straining against his throat. She firmly pumped him and tenderly massagedhis balls. He trembled under her ministrations and she leaned over to him once again.

"It's hard being quiet, isn't it, Cloud?" She said with glee. Her hands sped up.

One hand of his gripped her bottom and the other slipped a third finger into her entrance. Tifa's whole body felt the power of a sensual electric current and practically went limp.

"Yes, it is," he whispered in reply, a thrilled smirk on his face.

Tifa couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed his other hand off her buttock and brought it to her nether region. She showed him how to spread her lips and open her to him, then took his erection in hand and impaled herself upon him hard.

Both would have given hard cash to be able to scream their ecstasy. Tifa guessed (later) that it was part of the reason why the heat had turned up a notch. That, and going without sex for almost three weeks for a pair of lovers in their twenties was simply too much.

For a moment, he and she were still to allow the impact of the shock of entering and being entered so wonderfully and so forcefully to subside a little. A debate ensued:

"Do you want me to be on top or do you want to ride me?" He asked.

Such frank language wasn't common between them, but at that moment, Tifa didn't think twice about it.

"You on top," her breath came in short pants and she gripped his forearms as they shifted positions. "You know how to keep things down."

He began slowly withdrawing and then rammed back inside her. She arched off the bed and her mouth fell open.

"What things?" He whispered in her ear.

"When I'm on top," she continued, "there are too many…wet noises."

Cloud stopped his thrusts, collapsed and threw his face into a pillow. Tifa felt his laughs on her belly. She lightly punched his shoulder when he came up for air.

"What part of that was funny?" She demanded playfully.

He shook his head, a beautiful grin on his face and dropped his head onto her breast.

"You are so blunt," he said and held back more chuckles.

Tifa wanted more of him filling her – they could discuss her blunt speech later. She gripped his posterior. "Dammit, Cloud, move!"

He obliged and she suddenly felt herself reaching her crest once more. He spread his legs, planted his knees and moved. Before she could register what was happening, she came, the winking muscles inside her pulling him over the edge as well. She dug her fingernails into his forearms and spread her legs so widely her hips howled in protest. Cloud pressed his lips together, apparently stifling his finishing groan. Tifa would have paid good money to hear that, too.

They rocked together for a few moments, bringing their bodies down from the high and reveled in the slick, over sensitizing sensations they received. Cloud embraced her tightly in his arms and she threw hers around his neck. He kissed her as though this would be their last kiss to share.

It was just right. Tifa felt herself drifting away into sleep with Cloud still inside, but she wouldn't have had it any other way. As her eyelids began drooping shut, she saw him look over one edge of the bed and the other. He gave her a victorious smile and leaned down to whisper in her ear:

"They're still asleep! – let's try this again in the tomorrow night!"