Jealous Eyes
by: Seifer Almasy



Tifa closed the door to her hotel room silently upon entry. She looked at the bed to her left. Aries was asleep there, curled up in a little ball.

Cloud's party has just obtained the Keystone, the object they need to gain entry to the fabled Temple of the Ancients, from Dio, owner of the Gold Saucer. But when they went to leave, they found out that the tram used to exit the Saucer was out of order, thus stranding Cloud and companions. Thanks to Cait Sith's connections, they where able to get free rooms at the Ghost Hotel. Tifa roomed with Aries, Barret with Nanaki, Cid was with Vincent, and Cait Sith just shutdown in a corner. Yuffie and Cloud insisted in having their own rooms...

Tifa slipped into her blue night gown. She sighed as she crawled under her bed covers. Tifa turned on her back and stared right at the ceiling.

'Maybe I should ask him...', Tifa thought to herself. She turned on her side, looking straight at Aries.

'But why? He doesn't know that I exist anymore. Ever since you came along... He only talks to you. But how can I tell him how I feel? There must be a way that I can tell him that I like him... more then a friend.' Tifa slowly sat up in the bed. She opened the drawer to the nightstand next to her. She pulled out a picture of the person she was talking about.

Cloud.

Tifa rubbed the picture softly with her thumb. Cloud had given this to Tifa right before he left to join SOLDER. On the back of the picture, Cloud had written something. Tifa looked at it and read it to herself.

'No matter where I am, I will always think of you... Cloud.'

Tifa chuckled softly as she replaced the picture.

'I'm I just wasting my life loving a man I may never have? I... don't know.' Tifa laid back down.

'I'll ask him on a date some other day...' Closing her eyes, Tifa slowly drifted of to sleep, her dreams filled with images of Cloud Strife.
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Tifa's eyes slowly opened her eyes catching a glimpse of a fuzzy pink mass leave the room.

"Huh...?" Tifa moaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Slowly her vision returned and she noticed something...

"Aries...?"

She was gone. Her bed was unoccupied and her night gown was abandoned on the floor.

"Where did she go?" Tifa slowly crept out of bed. She slowly made her way to the door.

"Really!?" Tifa stopped. Someone's voice sounded outside her door. It was Yuffie's voice... Was she talking to someone? To Aries? Tifa had to know. She slowly opened her door a crack and looked out it. It was Aries and Yuffie.

"It's about time." The ninja wisphered.

"Which room is his?" Aries asked. Yuffie pointed to a room down the hall. Tifa felt her mouth drop open

'That's.. Cloud's room...'

"Thanks, Yuffie... Gosh, I'm kinda scared. Do you think he will?" Yuffie put a reassuring hand on Aries' shoulder.

"Hey, you'll never know unless you ask. Go for it! Go!" Yuffie shot a thumbs up in Aries' direction before retiring to her room. Aries nodded.

"Thank you." Aries walked off, leaving Tifa full of unresolved thoughts.

'What is Aries doing? What is she going to ask Cloud? I... I have to know.' Tifa slowly opened the door and followed Aries down the hall, curiosity burning a hole right through her.

Soon, Aries came to Cloud's room. She knocked three times before entering. Tifa silently made her way to the door, putting her head on it to hear the conversation within.

"Aries! What's wrong?" Cloud said.

"Nothing... Hey, Cloud... Uh... I was wondering would you... Well, how about that date?" Tifa gasped.

'No.. Aries beat me to the punch! Cloud, say No... please...' Tifa could her Cloud's heavy footsteps move towards Aries' delicate voice.

"What's wrong Cloud, have you never been on a date before?!"

"Well, not a real one...." Cloud stuttered. Tifa wanted to break the door down and ring Cloud's neck.

'What about us? Weren't the dates we used to go on REAL DATES!?'

Suddenly the door knob started to turn. Not wishing to be caught, Tifa sprinted back to her room. She stopped to catch her breath once inside. Turning around, Tifa opened her door a little, peering out to see what happened. What she saw sent jealously running through her body.

'Cloud...' Both of them where holding hands, and smiling at each other.

'What did I do to lose you, Cloud? I don't understand. I remember that you and I saw a lot of each other before you left town. I still have that picture you gave to me... I remember that time we fell off of the bridge on the mountain. You though I was mad at you. I... wasn't. But... Is there a chance that you and I can be together? I feel that I can treat you better then Aries...' Tifa sighed heavily as she got back in bed. She pulled out the picture of Cloud once again.

"I can't give up. I love you too much to stop now..."