Pairing: Zack x Tifa

Rating: M

WARNING: THIS STORY IS RATED MATURE FOR A REASON AND MAY NOT BE FOR EVERYONE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

All related Final Fantasy names and characters are copyrighted © by the almighty Square Enix. This story and the OCs are all me, however. Enjoy.

~Life, Long, Love~

Tifa had grown up with Zack, but she never thought that she would fall in love with her childhood friend. That was until Zack was old enough and wanted to run off and join SOLDIER. Tifa had heard about SOLDIER and all of the cruel things that they did to those who joined, Zack apparently only got the side that was full of lies that promised him that everyone became a hero.

It was the middle of summer and Zack was spending the summer at Cloud's house, Tifa loved it when Zack would visit and thought that summer took too long to get there. Even knowing that soon after his birthday Zack would be leaving forever.

Cloud walks down into the kitchen to find that his mother is cooking breakfast; his mouth begins to water at the smell of fresh made waffles and pancakes.

"Go and wake up Zack would you, don't want him to miss it." His mother asked without turning around.

"Yes ma'am." Cloud ran back up the stairs and jumped on Zack causing both boys to fall off Zack's side of the bed and land on the floor. Zack pushed himself off the now squashed Cloud and groaned at how much his stomach hurt.

"Fuck Cloud, did you have to jump on me and kill me to wake me up, you could have just said 'so stupid breakfast' but NO" Zack spat at Cloud as he sat and leaned against the bed.

"Sorry, you moved on me I thought that I was going to throw you on the floor not land on you then throw us on the floor" Cloud coughed as he sat up and looked at his friend who was coughing and rubbing his stomach.

Cloud was only 14, and this weekend would be the weekend that Zack would turn 16. Cloud's parents were planning a huge sweet 16 and farewell to SOLDIER party for Zack, inviting both towns of Gongaga and Nibelheim. Cloud didn't want to believe that his best friend would be leaving him, but in 2 years he would be joining Zack. Hopefully.

Zack got up and stumbled downstairs hoping he could get something to cure the pain that he had, Cloud followed and hurried to the kitchen to get some Tylenol for Zack and himself. They sat at the table with huge mounds of pancakes and waffles in the middle of table and all the toppings they could want.

Cloud's mother cooked like she was feeding a army even though it was just the boys and herself since Cloud's father had gone off to work before the sun even came up and it was not 7:00am. Mrs. Strife knew better than to cook a little amount cause the boys ate like it was their last day to live, she sat down with a pancake and a waffle and sifted powdered sugar over then and ate quietly.

After taking the much-needed Tylenol, Zack and Cloud grabbed 5 of each and loaded them up with butter, a assortment of berries, and a gallon of syrup. They ate till it was all gone and even licked the plates clean.

Tifa looked at the clock and seen that it was a little after 8:00am, she knew that the boys would be up but she hadn't been able to sleep since Cloud texted her saying that Zack had just flown in and would be staying till his birthday. She knew that the lack of sleep wasn't good for her but she didn't want to miss seeing Zack.

She picked up her phone and texted cloud to see if the two night owls would be awake

Cloud you up? She closed her phone and sat on her bed looking threw the things that Zack and her had collected along the river when she stayed with him in Gongaga. Her phone let off a loud chirp.

Yeah we have been up for a while actually, are you going to come over? Or do we have to go and drag you out of your bed again because you refused to go to sleep when I told you too?

Tifa laughed at Cloud's reply and quickly typed a reply back before getting dressed. NO, you don't need to do that. It was embarrassing enough last time. Where do you want me to meet you guys?

Her phone chirped again, faster then the last reply.

How about you and I go swimming in the pond again you really seemed to like that last time ;)

Tifa's face went a little disturbed, Cloud was like her brother and how did he know what her and Zack did last summer? Cloud are you feeling okay? She waited for the chirp again, which to her surprise came quick.

This isn't Cloud silly, Cloud is in the shower. I thought you would have figured that out from the last text. Do you not want to see me or something? Look I know that me going off to SOLDIER is not something that you are very fond of but Tifa, I do not want to leave on a bad note with you. …(heart)…

Tifa dropped her phone with wide eyes, had Zack just told her that he loved her? She was so confused on how to reply to that text, and soon another one came.

Tifa, I'm sorry about how I put that… Can we talk some where private and not on Cloud's phone?... If you don't want to then I understand, I guess I will see you when the Chocobo gets out of the shower and I can jump in.

Tifa read the text over and over again, thinking about how she could answer that. Zack, meet me in our special spot in 10 minutes… We can talk then… (heart)…

Tifa didn't get a reply back but figured that she had to get a move on and get dressed. Once dressed Tifa flew down the stairs and out the door, she would have told her dad where she was going but he was at work and she wasn't going to call him and tell him that she was meeting up with Zack. For some reason he didn't like Zack and she didn't understand why, she figured that it was because he was going to be in SOLDIER.

Zack deleted Tifa's messages from Cloud's phone, he wrote a note and laid it on Clouds bed before he left to go and meet up with Tifa. He hated going behind his friends back but he was in love with Tifa and had to let her know before it was too late, he also knew that Cloud had a thing for Tifa and that hurt him cause he didn't want o be the one that was stealing his best friends girl.

Zack was currently involved with a girl in his hometown but he found her rather annoying at times and was glad when he was able to take a trip to Nibelheim. His parents loved his girlfriend, but they didn't know that they had put on a act in front of them just so that they would like her so she could date their son. For some reason and Zack never knew why, but they were picky about who he dated.

Her name was Yuffie Kisaragi, she was the princess of Wutai and his parent apparently arranged a marriage between them before they were even born. Zack had never personally been to Wutai but he thought that it was stupid that he had to marry a girl he only met last summer, and with a marriage being forced upon him he thought that his "bachelor" party if it can even be called that would be held with his best friends. And the girl he really loved.

Zack climbed up a few rocks to get to the secret place, but he didn't mind. It had rained the night that he flew in and the rocks were still damp which made them a little hard to hold onto but he made it. He was soon drug into the cave like area as black hair fell over his shoulders.

"ACK! Tifa you didn't have to drag me I came willingly didn't I?" he laughed and stole a quick peck from Tifa as he sat up and turned to look at her.

"I've missed you Zack, you should stop taking such long breaks from us. Unless you don't like being here then I completely understand." She turned and wondered deeper into the cave. Zack shook his head with a sigh.

"Tifa don't act like this, your being silly. You know I love coming here, if I didn't then I wouldn't have bothered coming for the past 10 years now would I" He put his hands on his hip and gave a cocky look, Tifa looked over her shoulder and laughed and turned and hugged Zack.

"To bad you can't stay long this time, the summer won't be the same without you." She mumbled against his neck, breathing in her favorite smell. Zack.

"Teefers… I gotta tell ya somethin' and I know that ya ain't gonna like it. So please don't freak out on me, I haven't even told Cloud yet." Tifa pushed away and could tell that Zack was serious and she tilted her head.

"What's wrong Zack?" She brushed his bangs out of his face and looked into his hazel eyes, she hated it when he looked like a puppy who just got beaten for doing something.

"Tifa, for the past 3 years I realized something. I realized that I have feelings for you that are more than I can explain… The only problem is that apparently my-" Tifa interrupted him with a hot passionate kiss that he didn't want to pull away from.

"OH Zack! I have felt the same way for a while but I didn't know how to tell you or even if I could. I know that I am younger than you by a couple years but I don't think that that makes a big difference does it?" Tifa was smiling from ear to ear, Zack was thrilled to know how she felt about him now but he knew that now he had to break her heart and he didn't want to.

"Tifa, I didn't get to finish… I'm supposed to get married a couple of days after my birthday then I go off to Midgar to SOLDIER…" He could see the tears starting in Tifa's dark brown eyes "I didn't want to hurt you really I didn't, I just found out last week that I am suppose to marry this princess girl… Tifa if I could I would marry you in a heartbeat but only if you were ready. I'm so sorry Tifa, there's nothing that I can do to change what is happening even if I begged my parents to call it off" He realized that his own tears were forming and clouding his vision but he was more worried about the girl who was sitting in front of him pushing his arms away.

Cloud stepped out of the shower and walked into his room with the towel wrapped around his waist, he looked at the note on the bed.

Cloud,

Went to meet up with Tifa for something important.

Meet you ate the pizza parlor on her side of town around noon. Sorry that I didn't tell you in person, but you wouldn't get out of the shower.

~Zack.

Cloud nodded and looked at the time, 9:20am, now how was he going to waist 3 hours before he was to meet up with Zack and hopefully Tifa. Cloud went to get dressed when he seen Zack's bag was opened and the clothes were a mess sticking out of them. Cloud thought that he would be nice and fix his bag, also to cure his OCD, as he was fixing the bag he seen a black tux wrapped in plastic on the bottom.

"Now what would Zack be doing with a tux in the middle of the summer? Did he have to wear something fancy to get into SOLDIER? That would be silly if he did." Cloud tilted his head and got dressed and decided to ask his mother if she knew why Zack had a tux. Soon Cloud walked downstairs and into the living room where his mother was.

"Hey ma, do you know why Zack has a tux with him? Kinda strange don't you think?"

His mother looked up at him then set her book off to the side and sat up straight. She sighed as she turned and looked at her son.

"Apparently Zack didn't tell you, Cloud, Zack is getting married to that Kisaragi girl. It's a arranged marriage, you knew that his family was rich, so it would only make since that he married into money." She looked at him with sad eyes and hoped that he understood Zack's situation.

The pieces in Clouds head finally went together, no wonder why Zack had to go see Tifa so early. Cloud knew that Zack and Tifa had a thing for each other, he was even sent out a couple times to go and buy condoms for their little late night fun. Cloud was invited to join a couple times but decided that it would be best if he sat those out.

"When is the wedding?" Cloud was a little heart broke that he had to hear this from his mother and not his best friend but he figured that he would hear the story again at lunch.

"Its suppose to be a couple days after his birthday before SOLDIER comes and takes him, but from the call from Mrs. Fair this morning, the wedding has been moved to the day of his birthday… So we are preparing a birthday/wedding/going away party… Poor kid has so much put on his plate all at once." She shook her head in disbelief that all of this was happening to such a smart boy like Zack.

"What about getting married because you love that person? Doesn't that matter any more?" Cloud was a little upset cause he knew that Zack loved Tifa, Zack told him so.

"Not when it comes down to a arranged marriage, they will love each other once they get to know each other more. Plus with SOLDIER keeping Zack busy he won't have time to think of girls in his life anyway." She picked up her book and went back to reading.

Cloud couldn't believe that his mother was just going to turn back to the situation and pretend like it was no big deal, Zack was barely 16 and he was going to be married off to a girl that only 12! This was ridicules!

Okay I thought that I would Edit this cause I realized that this doesn't like the sideways v to make the heart. So I have replaced it with (heart) just so that you get what I am talking about. Sorry if it confuses anyone!