A/N: This is my first one-shot, so please, if it seems off, tell me. And give me your advice! Please read and review and do not flame me – flaming is not needed here. Lastly, here is my disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII.

SUMMARY: As Cloud's ominously long stay away from his "family" takes over Tifa's emotions, Tifa realizes that a reflection that's not hers and is on Cloud's dresser mirror is lustful and puzzling. The story takes place before Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. It's a one-shot - enjoy(:

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

By: caiko7lovely

Mirror mirror on the wall,
Who's the most mysterious of them all?

'There are many various people in the world who are mysterious,
And I can see them all.
But only one person seems to be the clearest.
His name I cannot uncover,
But from my perception
I shall give you a hint that is not a blunder.
That man had helped one after another.
But since that one wretched day
You will soon realize that his heart will slowly sunder.'

"Where could you possibly be?" I probably asked myself that at least twelve times.

And I was still counting.

Cloud – so mysterious and quiet – had been gone for at least a month, or maybe I was just exaggerating to the point where I could've fooled myself. Even if it wasn't a month, it still felt like it. He rode on his motorcycle Fenrir to a place unknown – unknown especially to me. He never tells me where he's going anymore, and as a result, my desperation about him and my desire to know where he was had shot up through the sky.

I knelt on the wooden floor, at his bedside. I looked through a countless amount of papers for at least two nights – how the time passed by made me feel dreadful. I took all of his papers and laid them sprawled across the bed, and some of them even went on the floor. He was never organized when it came to paperwork, so I just had to take all of his papers and dump them onto the bed and floor - it wouldn't matter much anyway. I searched for a clue as to where he could have gone but to no avail. All I could find were maps of several different places in Gaia and bills relating to Fenrir.

But I didn't give up even if my heart kept sinking deeper and deeper through the process.

Finally, through hours of relentless rummaging, I arrived at his delivery notes which I thought would prove useful. But once again, to no avail – all of his notes were from way in the past, and I doubted that he'd stay in the past.

Or did he?

Ever since his delivery service started, he began to grow disconsolate – it was as if he was reveling in the horrors of the past. When he was still with me, whenever he slept, I'd hear him moan, suffering from his nightmares – nightmares about the horrors of long-ago. I'd always have the urge to go comfort him, and I did, but my help barely worked.

I bit my lip, trying to endure my overflowing frustration. But my emotional endurance for frustration could only last for so long. My brows furrowed, my muscles tightened, I gritted my teeth and I stood up, sinking into my heels.

Then I began to tremble. "Why…? Why?"

Furious, I clenched the stack of delivery notes tight, practically ripping a hole through them all with my nails. The notes began to tremble as well, crackling repeatedly. They started wrinkling slightly, denting. I spun around on my heel, to find something to throw the notes at. And right when I saw my reflection in Cloud's dresser mirror, I threw the notes onto the floor with some slipping out of my hands before I even let go. I clasped my fists taut, and dropped to the floor on my knees with a loud clunk.

I fell forward, landing on my hands with my hair falling in front of my face, altering my appearance – I was sure that I looked like a tired old maid. But despite my disorderly appearance and my emotional distress, something managed to catch my attention, pulling me away from my suffering slightly. It was a voice: "Remember the promise?" I heard something say.

It was so sudden.

I shot up and fixed my hair. I looked around the room scrupulously, examining every knick and cranny I could find. I looked around about three times, but no one was in the room except me. I sighed heavily, placing weight on my heels again. I looked in the mirror once more, trying to recollect myself. There was my reflection again – I was pouting and tearing up, and I could almost feel my tears shedding, staining my cheeks. My eyes looked glossy due to the forming tears, but they turned rather pink. Although my tears blurred my vision somewhat, I managed to catch something different in my surroundings.

It had something to do with the mirror.

I wiped my eyes dry, regaining my entire vision. Then I saw it – him.

Cloud.

"Wh-What…?" I was in awe.

Cloud was standing next to me, holding my shoulders. We were both looking directly at the mirror, at each other. My eyes started tearing up again – finally, he came home! I thought, cracking a small smile in the process. I didn't realize myself giggling at the sight of him until I looked at myself in the mirror rather than his perfect face. His hands slid up and down the sides of my arms, comforting me, caressing me. I leaned back into him, exhaling softly, reveling in his return. I was practically ecstatic, but I tried not to over-do it.

I placed my hand on my chest, and sighed in relief, "Oh, thank God you're safe."

I felt my heart pound against my chest, slowly relaxing from a panicked state to a calm one. I felt Cloud's heart beat as well; his was steady and tranquil, beating softly against my back. His breaths slid down my neck, making me shudder – he never got this close to me. Ever. My brows furrowed for a moment – this wasn't like Cloud.

Or was it now?

I didn't know.

"Tifa," he purred in my ear, "I couldn't keep our promise."

I kept silent. I didn't comprehend what he meant. But it was to be expected – he was hard to understand at times anyway.

After listening to his heart beat quietly and feeling his hands rub my arms, I spoke, "What're you talking about?"

It was his turn to keep silent.

I felt his hands slide down my arms and his arms wrap around my waist. His breath became warmer as his body came closer to mine. I closed my eyes and virtually lost myself in his touch; my breathing became ragged as I enveloped myself in his lust. He rested his chin on the nape of my neck, and he whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry."

Then I felt his pale lips touch my neck gently, but a stinging sensation filled my body afterwards.

My eyes shot open, and suddenly, I realized another error in the mirror:

Cloud was gone.

And it was real – I felt nothing touch my body; I felt nothing caressing me.

Nothing.

It was all just a dark reverie.

A/N: Again, this is my first one-shot, so if there's something off about it, please tell me. Give me your advice and please review(: