A/N: Endless lives! Okay, pretty much the same as before, rewrote a few pieces and filled it out a small big. Song credits to Madonna, credit for plot to AngelCrisisEos, writing to the both of us.

Time goes by so slowly

Three hours; one hundred and eighty minutes; it didn't matter what way she worded it, she was still sitting there waiting for him to arrive. The candles she had lit had slowly slunk down into stumps, flickering as they tried to stay alight, casting haunting shadows on the walls of the dimly lit room. Even the fresh roses she had placed in their glass vase had begun to wilt and droop; they had given up too.

Warm streaks slowly made their way down her cheeks, any other time and she may have tried to hide it, but what was the use? A year, a whole year had passed since had uncharacteristically admitted his feelings to her. His words had been simple, but they had been enough. They had been proof that she hadn't been as disillusioned as she had thought; proof that she hadn't lost out to something as empty as a memory. But then how come she was sitting here by herself, staring at two freezing cold and ruined dinners. One year to the day and he didn't care.

Every little thing that you say or do
I'm hung up, I'm hung up on you
Waiting for your call
Baby night and day, I'm fed up
I'm tired of waiting on you

Tifa was a fool for Cloud's love, and the killing part she was, she knew it. She'd tell herself how enough was enough, how she was done allowing him to simply walk in and out of her life. But she always found herself doing the same thing, jumping to his every word or whim, bending over backwards to help him whenever he needed it. Tonight marked the fact that they had been an item for one year, he hadn't shown up. She had waited and waited, watching the tall and thin cream candles eat away at their wicks. Enough was enough, she had waited to spite herself, but it was now nearing two in the morning and she was tired; both mentally and physically. He had made his choice and now it was up to her to make her own choice too.

A quick glance into kids' bedroom to make sure they were okay. A small smile crossed her lips in spite of the mood she was in; Marlene fast asleep with the duvet up around her shoulders…Denzel was another story however, he preferred to have a limb at each corner of the bed and his duvet twisted somewhere around his middle. But at least he was comfortable that way, or until he woke up in a few hours wondering why he was cold.

Grabbing a wash cloth and drying off her face; Tifa raised her head up to greet her reflection in the mirror. She was not pleased in the slightest by the woman who stared back at her…tired, pale, red rimmed and watery eyes. That couldn't be her, she had never been one to think overly high of herself, but one thing Tifa had always prided herself on was her strength, be it emotionally or physically…but the girl looking back at her was the epitome of weak.

But it was her, so how had she allowed herself to slip below her own standards? How had she managed to do so without even noticing? When did she start feeling sorry for herself? No one else did, so she had no right to. Had she done this to herself? Making herself promises she couldn't keep and making excuses for someone who was not bothered to even make his own? This wasn't right. She hadn't gone through everything she had to fall apart in the face of nothing. Things had to change, but he wasn't going to, she knew that now, she'd given him chance after chance and he'd literally waved at them as they'd passed him by. She had to change it.

Time goes by so slowly for those who wait
No time to hesitate
Those who run seem to have all the fun
I'm caught up
I don't know what to do

It was late, he knew that, it was really late and he knew that too. But the delivery had taken longer than he'd thought it would. Cloud locked the door behind him as he walked in, trying his best to make as little noise as possible as he set his keys on the small table and kicked off his boots before proceeding up the stairs. A quick peek into the kids' room before he continued to the room he shared with Tifa, taking a few seconds to pull Denzel's duvet up around his sleeping frame.

Eight deliveries for tomorrow already, there'd be more by the morning, he'd promised to bring Denzel with him but they were going to be long ones, he'd have to stay at the bar. It wasn't fair to expect him to tag along for that long. Cloud hid a yawn behind his hand as he quietly entered the room, then quickly changed and made his way over to the bed where Tifa lay sound asleep. A small smile crossed his lips as he gently wiped several stray strands of hair back behind her ear before leaning down and placing a light kiss on her forehead.

Time goes by so slowly
Time goes by so slowly
Time goes by so slowly
I don't know what to do

His breath was shallow and regular, it hadn't taken him all that long fall asleep. Another minute or two passed before Tifa cracked her wine-red eyes open and squinted at the clock; 4:30 am, if she was going to go, then it had to be now. Much longer and Cloud would be up again to run more deliveries. He had come home, but she couldn't go back on her decision now. If she did then she knew she'd never have the nerve to leave. It was now or never; one good turn did not wipe clean a whole year of bad ones. Time had come full circle and nothing had changed.

Every little thing that you say or do
I'm hung up, I'm hung up on you
Waiting for your call, Baby night and day
I'm fed up, I'm tired of waiting on you

Tifa quietly and quickly gathered her things, a few small belongings she had gathered and thrown into a bag last night before falling asleep. A quick root around the kitchen cupboard and she had grabbed some food. She wouldn't need all that much, just enough until she got to Yuffie's. A small smile lit up her face as her sense of humor picked a rather awkward time to pop up; a bag in one hand while her other closed around the keys to Fenrir.

Every little thing that you say or do
I'm hung up
I'm hung up on you

Cloud bolted awake as the sound of Fenrir peeling out of the garage filled his ears. The blond took a second or two to organize his thoughts before he noticed Tifa's absence, then reality hit as he put two and two together. She wouldn't have, no way in the seven depths of hell would she have – right? He knew her, he'd known her all his life, she wouldn't have; she just wouldn't have!

But even as he tore down the stairs and to the front door, he knew the answer to what had happened. He didn't register the damp pavement numbing his exposed toes nor did he take notice of the rain that was falling, only the sight of the woman he had said he'd loved leaving on his motorcycle. He'd shouted her name before he had known what he was doing, but she didn't look around, she just left. Leaving him standing alone and stunned; it was a dream. It had to be. He would wake up in the morning with Tifa asleep alongside him, she couldn't leave; Tifa didn't leave stuff. She wouldn't leave him…

She kept going, even as his shouts cut at her conscience. She didn't look back, if she did, then she knew she would go back. It hurt her to leave like this too, not just him, in the early morning, with the kids fast asleep in their beds; Denzel would be waking up soon wondering how his duvet had landed on the floor, unless he'd already pulled it back up over himself. She hadn't banked on Cloud waking up, but it didn't matter either way, it was done. It may hurt like hell right now, but someone had told her time was a great healer. She couldn't keep going down the same path of wasting her time and hopes on a dream that just refused to come true.

Waiting for your call
Baby night and day
I'm fed up
I'm tired of waiting on you

Tifa glanced down to her phone as she felt its silent vibrations against her hip; Cloud's name was flashing on the small external screen. She left it ring out, maybe later they could talk, but just not right now, she couldn't deal with Cloud right now. She had made up her mind; she was damned if she was going to be sweet talked back into the same endless cycle of waiting up and crying herself to sleep. She wasn't just a part of Seventh Heaven's furniture; she wasn't always going to be there, waiting and hoping.

It took two to make a relationship work. It didn't matter how hard she fought for it to succeed or how many nights she waited up, he'd made his decision a long time ago. She'd thought with time he could allow others in. And he could, in words anyhow. But words were cheap, actions were necessary. And that was something Cloud lacked. If he couldn't commit to a meaningful relationship, or tie himself down with the responsibilities of a family, that was fine. But she didn't have to hang around and play the perfect quiet and obedient housewife either, all the while waiting for him to make up his mind. She had a choice too.

Ring ring ring goes the telephone
The lights are on but there's no-one home
Tick tick tock it's a quarter to two
And I'm done,
I'm hanging up on you

A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews or comments highly appreciated!