Tifa stood at the sink, rinsing the dishes. She yawned.
"You tired, too?"
"Yeah, amazingly so."
"Leave 'em. Let's go to bed." Cloud tugged on her arm softly and she relented. On the way to the room, each stopped at one of the children's rooms, wishing them goodnight. As Tifa walked through the door of the room, her legs went out from underneath her, Cloud lunging to catch her. "Tifa! Tifa! Get up!"
"Cloud…" Tifa's head fell back, her eyes back in her head.
"Tifa! Tifa!" Cloud clutched his head, feeling woozy. "What is this…?" He slipped Tifa out of his arms gently and then buckled over, the world going black.
--
Cloud's eyes opened, focusing on a kitchen, but not their kitchen. He sat up immediately, seeing Tifa lying next to him. He gathered her into his arms. "Tifa. Come on, Tifa, wake up."
Her eyes fluttered open. "This isn't our kitchen," she murmured, rubbing a hand over her face.
Cloud laughed softly and helped her sit up. After she seemed steady, Cloud stood, looking at the table in front of them. "There's a vid-phone. With a message."
"Play it." Tifa finally stood up next to him, putting a hand on the table for leverage.
"Yo!" Reno's face popped up on the screen. "The boss said you could use a vacation, and since we knew you wouldn't go quietly, we kinda drugged you and dragged you here. We packed you clothes, and left lots of food! So you have a month of sun and fun! Enjoy, kids!" The screen went blank.
"A vacation?" Cloud made a fist, considering punching the vid-phone out.
"Yes." Tifa quickly grabbed his fist. "Well, Reno was kind of right…"
"Right?" Cloud shot a nasty look in her direction. "We don't have time for a vacation!"
Tifa let go of his fist and took a step back. "Why not?" Suddenly the thought clicked in Tifa's head. "The kids!!" Tifa sat down at the vid-phone and dialed home. "Come on, please pick up."
"Hi, Tifa!" Marlene sat there, smiling.
"Are you guys okay? Who's taking care of you? Have you eaten?"
"Tifa, we're fine. Daddy's been here since Reno and Rude picked you up."
"Wait, you all knew?" Tifa was now thinking that punching the vid-phone would be a great idea. "Put your daddy on the phone this minute."
Marlene dashed away and Barrett took her place. "Hey-"
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Tifa slammed her fists on the table, narrowly missing the vid-phone. Cloud jumped slightly. "I thought we had left the children! I thought there was no one there to take care of them! And you drugged us! Drugged-"
Cloud moved her chair, standing in front of the phone, trying to save Barrett from Tifa's wrath. "Look, the kids are fine?"
"Yeah. Happy as clams."
"Alright. Now, get us the hell off this island."
"No can do. It's your vacation, and that's it." The screen went black.
"Damnit."
Tifa stood and kicked her chair across the kitchen. "Those bastards drugged us!"
"Yeah," Cloud sighed.
Tifa crossed her arms, "Fine."
"Huh?"
"If they want a vacation, I'll give them a vacation." Tifa leaned over to Cloud, the anger burning in her eyes. "I'm going to the beach."
--
Tifa yawned. This is so great! It's warm, it's breezy, and it's sunny… or was. She lifted up her sunglasses, seeing Cloud standing over her. "You're blocking the sun."
Cloud was amazingly… tense. What the hell is she wearing? Shouldn't there be more to that suit? Cloud gulped.
"Earth to Cloud."
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you go in the water? Maybe you'll relax." Tifa turned over and slipped her sunglasses back on, smiling to herself as she heard Cloud sprint for the ocean.
Relax? Cloud huffed as he dove into the ocean.
"Hey, kid."
"Huh?" Cloud turned around in the water, seeing Zaks. "What the hell?"
"Just thought I'd visit."
Cloud huffed and splashed water at him. "I thought it'd be hard to visit after you died!"
"Yeah, well, I'm pulling a special just for you."
"Yeah, well, I feel crazy."
"You are," Zaks laughed, "to leave that on the beach!" He pointed at Tifa who was still lying in the sand. "She looks damn good out of her usual cover."
"Shut up." Cloud let his body float up, lying on his back. "Don't talk like that about her."
"Why not? She's beautiful!" Zaks leaned over Cloud, smiling at him. "You think so, too. I saw the way you looked at her when you first saw her on the beach. I was really rooting for you to just jump her right then and there."
"Shut up!" Cloud sunk back down, taking a swing at Zaks.
Zaks disappeared and reappeared. "That wasn't very nice."
"I'm not nice."
"Nope." Zaks laughed. "Why don't you go back over to the beach, have a talk with her?"
"This isn't a romantic vacation, it's a forced vacation. So drop it."
"But come on, Cloud. She's wearing that suit for a reason!" Zaks smirked. "Did you see those legs? Or those breasts?"
"Shut up!" Cloud had definitely seen them, and they shocked him, not to mention… let's just say the cold water wasn't helping.
"Uh oh. See ya!" Zaks disappeared, giving Cloud one last wave.
"The water's nice."
"Tifa!" Cloud turned around in the water quickly.
"What?" she smiled sweetly.
"Nothing…" Cloud dipped lower in the water.
"It's a bit cold, though."
"Not cold enough."
--
"Well at least they stocked us with good food." Tifa rinsed the dishes in the sink, smiling to herself.
"Yeah." Cloud stood up from the kitchen table and walked to the bedroom.
Tifa finished and followed him, almost running into him as he stood in the door way. "What's wrong?"
"One bed." Those bastards.
"Um…"
"I'll sleep on the couch." Cloud turned around, Tifa blocking his way.
"Why?"
"What?"
"It's just a bed." Tifa pushed him back in the room.
"But, Tifa-"
"You sleep on that side, me on that side."
"But-"
"Cloud, you'll be grumpy if you don't sleep well."
"I will not."
"Will too." Tifa walked past him and jumped onto her side of the bed. "Plus, it's so soft. Oh, Cloud, come here and feel this."
Cloud took a deep breath and walked achingly slow to the bed. He sat down and ran a hand over the sheet. "It's nice."
"More than nice, it's amazing!" Tifa sprawled out and tugged on Cloud's shirt. "Come on, lie down!"
"Fine." Cloud lay back, feeling the softness again his skin. "Fine, you're right."
"I knew it!" Tifa turned over to him, a huge smile on her face. "Minus the drugging… did you have a good day?"
"Yeah, you?"
"Definitely!" Tifa yawned and closed her eyes. "And tomorrow will be even better."
"Yeah." Cloud turned over, watching her sleep. Hesitantly, Cloud reached a hand out, smoothing Tifa's hair from her face. "Tomorrow."
--
"Good morning!" Tifa walked through the door.
Cloud looked up from the book he was reading, still in his pajamas. "It's night."
"Yeah, well, you slept all day." Tifa took a towel from the linen closet and started drying her hair. "You were tired, huh?"
"Yeah," Cloud huffed. Maybe Tifa drugged me this time.
"Here!" Tifa put a small cup in front of him.
"What is it?"
"Not only did they supply us food, but drink!" Tifa sat down across from him at the table, setting her own cup and the bottle between them. "Sake."
"I don't know."
"Cloud, live a little, will you?" She finished the cup in one swig and poured herself another. "It's so good."
"Fine." Cloud gave her a skeptical look but picked up the cup, swallowing the contents.
"Well?" He moved his cup towards her and she refilled it. "I take it you like it."
"It's fine." Cloud finished another cup.
"You're unbelievable!" Tifa laughed and drank another cup, pouring for them. "You can't even relax while drinking."
"Relax," Cloud huffed.
They continued drinking for a while, in silence. "I called the kids the other day."
"Yeah?"
"They're a little jealous," she giggled, taking another drink.
"Nothing to be jealous of."
"Oh, you're such a liar." Tifa kicked him under the table.
"Damnit, Tifa!" Cloud grabbed her legs with his. "Don't kick me."
"I'll kick you all I want." She giggled, struggling against his legs. "We're having a great time, aren't we? It's been a week, an amazing week!"
"You're crazy."
"So you haven't been having a good time?"
"No, I have," Cloud smiled softly. "Hey, Tifa?"
"Yes?" She propped her head up with her elbow.
"Are you happy?"
"Of course I am! I'm on a deserted island with a beautiful beach and a beautiful house and…"
"No, I meant… happy with life… at home."
"Well, yeah." She ran her other hand through her hair. "As long as I'm with you, I'm happy." Her hand went immediately from her hair to her mouth, covering it.
"Tifa…"
She started laughing. "I can't believe I said that!" She stood up and cleared the cups and now empty bottle from the table, putting them next to the sink.
"Tifa." Suddenly he was right behind her, his hand touching the small of her back.
She jumped. "What… what is it?" Tifa turned around slowly. Cloud leaned in slowly, his lips touching hers. Tifa wrapped her arms around Cloud's neck, laughing a little as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her. He stumbled slightly, Tifa bumping her head on the cabinets. "Ouch," Tifa squeaked.
"Sorry," Cloud panted, kissing her again softly.
"It's okay," Tifa pushed her hair from her face. He turned around and Tifa slipped out of his arms, staggering back to the table. She lay back on the table. "Come here."
"Tifa…" Cloud shuffled over to the table, pulling himself up onto the top. He kissed Tifa again, running his fingers through her hair. "I feel the same way."
"What?" Tifa opened her eyes, her face flushed with a blush.
"With you, I'm happy."
--
"Good morning!"
Cloud sat up quickly, but regretted it, his head pounding. His eyes focused, seeing Aeris sitting at the foot of the bed. "What are you doing here?" he croaked.
"Well, Zaks got to see you, so I suppose I got jealous."
"Damnit, my head."
"You drank too much!" Aeris laughed. "That and…" she nodded to the side of Cloud.
Cloud looked over, seeing Tifa lying next to him in the bed… naked. He looked down, seeing his own bare frame. "Damnit."
"Drinking and that kind of exercise don't usually mix well." Aeris erupted into giggles. "Zaks would be so proud!"
"Proud?" Cloud scoffed.
"Even he probably could claim to go eight, nine, or was it ten-"
"Stop!" Cloud stood up from the bed and Aeris closed her eyes. "Thanks," Cloud grumbled.
"Your pants are in the kitchen, hanging from the refrigerator." Aeris pointed.
"Damnit." Cloud walked into the kitchen and grabbed his pants, putting them on as he walked back into the bedroom.
"Stop being so gloomy," Aeris sighed. "You enjoyed it."
"I was drunk," Cloud mumbled.
"That only means that you had no inhibitions… which was why you kissed her in the first place. Because for once, you didn't feel like you couldn't." Aeris looked at Tifa. "She's waking up. I'll be going then."
"Bye," Cloud waved and watched as Tifa sat up slowly.
"Ugh," she grasped her head. She turned her head, looking at Cloud. "Cloud?"
"Yeah." Cloud sat down on the bed, his back to her.
"We…"
"Yeah." Cloud ran his fingers through his hair.
"Oh, God." He could hear her pulling at the sheets. After a few moments of silence, she sighed. "It was a mistake. A drunken mistake."
"Yeah."
"Alright." She stood from the bed, hiding her nakedness with the sheet from the bed. "I'll be… Oh, God." He watched as she crumpled to the ground, her hands covering her face.
"Tifa…" Cloud stood up and knelt next to her. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay." Tifa sniffled. "It was just a mistake. It doesn't matter." Tifa turned and looked at Cloud, her eyes searching his. Tell me I'm wrong.
"I'm sorry."
