A/N: This is the result of 20 mins of midnight randomness. This idea is probably played around a lot already, but I still wanna get it out of my head and interpretate it Cloti style. But I'm lazy, so we'll see how this project shall progress. Please read and review. Feel free to point out any stupid mistakes I have.

Rated M, but might change it later as I'm still unsure of what I will really write.

Also struggling for a title x.x

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII of any kind. Literally.

perfect - having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.

Perfect.

Gorgeously perfect. Stunningly perfect.

Perfect.

They had had a fair share of the word; the word they were getting sick of listening to.

Perfect.

The word people would use to describe them; their appearances, their marriage.

There was no denying the truth in that word, though.

Right then, under the glimmering lights of the chandelier hanging in the red-carpeted ballroom, they both looked amazing. She was clad in a one-strapped emerald dress with a small bow tied to the side, her skirt flowing out nicely against her long legs; covering her opened-toe heels. The upper half adorned her curves beautifully, making every men in the room faltered in their paths. She had all the features that would fueled women with unequivocal jealousy: porcelain skin, soulful red eyes with perky, full lips to match those fiery orbs. She didn't need make up to look so flawless; everything was given to her, all of those distinctive features.

He himself was no less than stunning. His body lean but muscular at the same time, something men was envy of him. They'd spent hours eating and working out, but would either end up too big, or too scrawny. He had blond and spiky hair; and his eyes were of deep blue. Women would swoon whenever those orbs directed to them. Tonight, adorned with a jet black suit tailored to his own taste, he matched her in every way.

How perfect. How very perfect.

Or at the very least, they appeared that way.

Something was missing from the picture, something was not so perfect. And they both knew it.

Love.

It was never there.

And that appearance was their perfect cover.

It made his parents happy that they got along, since it was merely a marriage of convenience and nothing else. They only knew each other for 2 days prior to the wedding. Cloud Strife, the one with few words, only made their awkward situation worse. The ice was broken somehow in the past year, but affection couldn't be found. It was something they'd call, 'keeping it professional'.

Her family was the heart of Nibelheim. Without the Lockharts, Nibelheim would probably be at the bottom of all economy charts. For that matter, the Strife decided that it was better for them to join forces through marriage, to strengthen both enterprises' position in the market, thus stand a chance against Shinra Inc. Business was though. Strife Enterprise was huge in the market, and had had a good reputation for years. If Cloud wasn't interested in keeping his family's business up and running, he would have turned down the parents' proposal right away. To add to his list of 'reasons why Cloud Strife should not get married just yet', he enjoyed bachelorhood. He wasn't ready for any kind of commitment. He liked playing around, and not settling down.

Tifa Lockhart was pretty much the same. She did it for her family, for her hometown, for her people who had put so much faith on Lockhart Inc. to keep the town alive. And, she wasn't prepared for all of those lovey-dovey things she had seen with her married friends. She wanted to be free, or at least, not to settle down yet. She was glad they understood each other's predicament, and not press on further than that.

Tifa was a lovely girl, Cloud admitted. And Cloud wasn't such a bad guy, Tifa confessed. They might not have been one another's first choice of marriage, but they knew they could have ended up with worse. For example, Cloud was thanking mother Gaia every day that he didn't have to marry that red-head, Priscilla because of her parents' disapproval, claiming that Cloud was not good enough to be her suitor. She was his parents' initial plan for marriage. Priscilla's family owned a big record label, Shiva, and it was a popular name throughout the world. Joining Priscilla in marriage would benefit a lot for Strife Enterprise, but she was annoying beyond words. And, she enjoyed maxing out credit cards; which was something out of Cloud's tolerance. Tifa was completely different; she cared less for those things women would usually make a fuss about: clothes, make up…such things were trivial to her. Business was much more important. Cloud also realized (after some expedition of the fridge at night when he was busy at work) that, Tifa was domestically intelligent. Her cooking was absolutely to die for, and it deserved a Michelin star, no less. He could live with good home-cooking; he wouldn't have food to worry about, at the least. Tifa also discovered something interesting, Cloud was good with cleaning, which many other women in Midgar did not know the first thing about. He knew the cleaning products' purposes; he knew what to do with a dirty floor or a dusty cupboard. She could live with that. She would cook and he would clean. No harm done. Keeping it professional.

At night, especially after parties, Cloud would usually spend his nightlife away from home with another woman. Tifa did not mind, as they had agreed that it was merely for their families' business; no romance involved. They had never bedded, due to that policy. Not like she was 'devoted' herself. She would sometimes spent nights with men she'd come across in random pubs in the streets of Midgar, or maybe scoring herself some hot studs in parties she'd attend with Cloud. In the morning, they could come home feeling a little dazed, and enjoy breakfast in each other's company; telling one another about their previous night. After that, everything was back to normal. The cover was back on again for the rest of the day. She'd go to work with him like every morning since their business joined; and then, unless he was too busy, he'd 'go home' with her every evening after everything was done. Everything stayed that way, and they preferred to keep it that way. They did not mind. After all, they were 'business associates', as they'd call it.

Love.

Affection.

Those didn't exist in their dictionary.

But sometimes, when they would take one precious moment to truly look at each other at breakfast, they would wonder if anything could change between them.

They would wonder if 'they' could truly be what people labeled them as.

Perfect.

A/N: As I said above, I am very lazy, and this year is crucial for me. As much as I love writing, getting a proper mark for entrance exam is important, too. So, I will be needing help from YOU READERS. I have actually written many prompts paragraphs, small ones, that I thought could go with this story. If this received enough positive reviews (say, 5? LOL I don't get much reviews), I will post those up on my blog, and see if anyone has new ideas to connect them. Feel free to suggest ANYTHING, because, all I've written is pretty much fluff, and I don't know what to write to lead to the 'fluff' part. So, please, help.

Read and review. All are appreciated.