Tifa lay in bed, staring at the door the familiar spiky-haired figure had walked out of the night before. She could not decide whether to scream with rage, or sob uncontrollably. Sadness got a hold of her and tears trickled slowly down her cheeks, splashing onto her pillow with an ever-saddening sound as she thought of the night before.
With a great effort, Tifa rose out of bed, looking at the spot Cloud had sat in the night before. They had never been that close before, never had he even entered her room, and then there he was, sitting on her bed, trying to get her to understand why he was leaving, trying to get her to understand in his own vacant way, looking back at her once as he walked out her door.
"Why cant Cloud love me as he loved Aeris?" She thought, a sob catching in her throat, "It seems like they could talk about anything, we can talk about nothing, he still thinks of me as 'just one of the guys' as Barrett, Vincent, Red, and the rest of AVALANCHE had. He told me to understand why he had to leave... But I cant..."
She fixed the sheets on the bed and tried to make herself look presentable before she went downstairs to work. She had another job as a bartender in Costa De Sol, with Barrett and Marlene living in rooms very close to hers. Cloud had taken residence in Kalm, visiting every so often to have a drink, or drop by with something for Marlene, a story or present. Marlene would laugh and laugh as Cloud told her stories of his adventures.
"How things have changed," thought Tifa with a smile, thinking of the times when Marlene would not talk to Cloud.
With a sigh Tifa went to downstairs, feeling relieved when she saw that Barrett had gone out to run an errand before the first customers showed up. It was always the same people, the kind who tried to drown their sorrows in alcohol instead of facing the day.
"Maybe I should try that..." She thought with a forced smile.
Half-heartedly, she wiped down the counter, looking at her slender fingers as she did. She noticed a silver ring Cloud has slipped on her finger when they were just kids, only 8 or 9 years old. It was tarnished, and she had forgotten why or how he had given it to her.
"Maybe that day on the well..." More unfinished thoughts ran through her mind as she held back tears until her chest hurt with the effort.
She wanted suddenly to throw the ring across the room in anger, thinking maybe this would help her forget Cloud and all the memories attached to him. Instead, she stopped herself and ran towards the door. If only she could catch him, she would tell him how she really felt, say the words she had wanted to say since she had met Cloud.
Two strong hands caught her as she ran out the door.
"Yo, Tifa... Where you goin' in such a hurry?"
Tifa looked up at Barrett and mumbled "Nothing... Nothing... I have to go back to work..." She walked away silently to await the oncoming customers.
"Hey..." Said a quiet voice from the end of the counter.
She jumped when she heard the voice, not expecting someone to be there. She looked to see the somewhat scrawny figure of Vincent sliding into a bar stool. She had never really looked at him before; she had only seen the impassive glance when he spoke to her. Now she really looked at him, the only one of her old friends who had stayed in touch save Cloud and Barrett. She wondered why he had, maybe he had nowhere else to go, so he stayed with them. She tried to stop herself from staring, but she couldn't help it, she noticed a sparkle in his eyes she had never noticed before.
"Has that always been there?" She wondered, "Have I been too wrapped up in my life to notice it before? Am I just imagining things?"
"TIFA." A voice broke through her thoughts and Barrett placing a worried hand on her shoulder. "You sure yer all right?"
She looked vacantly up at him, somewhat confused, "Huh? Oh. Yeah... I'm okay Barrett. Sorry."
"Well, if yer ok, then get back to work, Tifa... Ya got customers waitin'"
"Yeah..." She answered, looking at her shoes instead of Barrett's worrying gaze. "Look Barrett, I got some stuff I have to do, will you watch the bar?"
"Alright Tifa, go ahead... Only this once..." Barrett said, trying not to sound as worried as he actually was. He watched Tifa leave and turned to Vincent, "What's up with her?" He asked.
Vincent said nothing and just went back to drinking his beer silently. Barrett wondered why he had even tried to ask.
Tifa wandered out of Costa De Sol, debating on whether she should even try to find Cloud or not. There were only a few places she thought to look. Sector five where Aeris had grown her flowers... By the well in Nibelheim... She didn't think she could take going back to other places, but if that was what it took... Then she would.
"Why am I even bothering," she though, disapproving of what she was doing. "Because of the way he looked at me when he was leaving? His eyes, pleading me to make him stay... Seemingly not wanting to leave."
It was true she was worried about Cloud, but was she really this worried?
~~~~~To be continued~~~~~
With a great effort, Tifa rose out of bed, looking at the spot Cloud had sat in the night before. They had never been that close before, never had he even entered her room, and then there he was, sitting on her bed, trying to get her to understand why he was leaving, trying to get her to understand in his own vacant way, looking back at her once as he walked out her door.
"Why cant Cloud love me as he loved Aeris?" She thought, a sob catching in her throat, "It seems like they could talk about anything, we can talk about nothing, he still thinks of me as 'just one of the guys' as Barrett, Vincent, Red, and the rest of AVALANCHE had. He told me to understand why he had to leave... But I cant..."
She fixed the sheets on the bed and tried to make herself look presentable before she went downstairs to work. She had another job as a bartender in Costa De Sol, with Barrett and Marlene living in rooms very close to hers. Cloud had taken residence in Kalm, visiting every so often to have a drink, or drop by with something for Marlene, a story or present. Marlene would laugh and laugh as Cloud told her stories of his adventures.
"How things have changed," thought Tifa with a smile, thinking of the times when Marlene would not talk to Cloud.
With a sigh Tifa went to downstairs, feeling relieved when she saw that Barrett had gone out to run an errand before the first customers showed up. It was always the same people, the kind who tried to drown their sorrows in alcohol instead of facing the day.
"Maybe I should try that..." She thought with a forced smile.
Half-heartedly, she wiped down the counter, looking at her slender fingers as she did. She noticed a silver ring Cloud has slipped on her finger when they were just kids, only 8 or 9 years old. It was tarnished, and she had forgotten why or how he had given it to her.
"Maybe that day on the well..." More unfinished thoughts ran through her mind as she held back tears until her chest hurt with the effort.
She wanted suddenly to throw the ring across the room in anger, thinking maybe this would help her forget Cloud and all the memories attached to him. Instead, she stopped herself and ran towards the door. If only she could catch him, she would tell him how she really felt, say the words she had wanted to say since she had met Cloud.
Two strong hands caught her as she ran out the door.
"Yo, Tifa... Where you goin' in such a hurry?"
Tifa looked up at Barrett and mumbled "Nothing... Nothing... I have to go back to work..." She walked away silently to await the oncoming customers.
"Hey..." Said a quiet voice from the end of the counter.
She jumped when she heard the voice, not expecting someone to be there. She looked to see the somewhat scrawny figure of Vincent sliding into a bar stool. She had never really looked at him before; she had only seen the impassive glance when he spoke to her. Now she really looked at him, the only one of her old friends who had stayed in touch save Cloud and Barrett. She wondered why he had, maybe he had nowhere else to go, so he stayed with them. She tried to stop herself from staring, but she couldn't help it, she noticed a sparkle in his eyes she had never noticed before.
"Has that always been there?" She wondered, "Have I been too wrapped up in my life to notice it before? Am I just imagining things?"
"TIFA." A voice broke through her thoughts and Barrett placing a worried hand on her shoulder. "You sure yer all right?"
She looked vacantly up at him, somewhat confused, "Huh? Oh. Yeah... I'm okay Barrett. Sorry."
"Well, if yer ok, then get back to work, Tifa... Ya got customers waitin'"
"Yeah..." She answered, looking at her shoes instead of Barrett's worrying gaze. "Look Barrett, I got some stuff I have to do, will you watch the bar?"
"Alright Tifa, go ahead... Only this once..." Barrett said, trying not to sound as worried as he actually was. He watched Tifa leave and turned to Vincent, "What's up with her?" He asked.
Vincent said nothing and just went back to drinking his beer silently. Barrett wondered why he had even tried to ask.
Tifa wandered out of Costa De Sol, debating on whether she should even try to find Cloud or not. There were only a few places she thought to look. Sector five where Aeris had grown her flowers... By the well in Nibelheim... She didn't think she could take going back to other places, but if that was what it took... Then she would.
"Why am I even bothering," she though, disapproving of what she was doing. "Because of the way he looked at me when he was leaving? His eyes, pleading me to make him stay... Seemingly not wanting to leave."
It was true she was worried about Cloud, but was she really this worried?
~~~~~To be continued~~~~~