So I watched Final Fantasy: Last Order and Advent Children ("Just now?" yeah I know) and well… I don't know if it's because I was watching the English version (for Advent Children) or because it was so frickin blurry (or both), but I got bored and didn't finish it. But since I am a fan of Cloud and Tifa, I decided to write this anyway. So if this sucks, sorry, but it's the stupid English version, blurry, movie's fault!
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Me & You
You've been waiting so long
I'm here to answer your call
I know that I shouldn't
Have had you waiting at all
I've so busy
But I've been thinking 'bout
What I wanna do with you
Tifa was quite irritated- irritated with Cloud actually. She knew he loved her (everyone did!), and she knew she loved him. But that man… she shook her head. He just wouldn't tell her. The closest he'd ever gotten to saying anything about his feelings towards her was "Tifa… uh… never mind."
"And he's said that about five times already." She grumbled to herself.
And so she made up her mind. She'd MAKE Cloud tell her. Force him to say those words she knew he wanted to say. Well, not force, she amended. More like FLIRT him into saying it.
Tifa considered asking Yuffie for help but quickly discarded the idea. If she told Yuffie, Cloud would know before she even got downstairs; as would everybody else. And because Yuffie was well…Yuffie, it would somehow come out to "Cloud and Tifa are getting married and moving into a one room apartment so they can screw each other silly!" Calling Yuffie was a disaster waiting to happen, she decided.
I know them other guys
They been talking 'bout
The way I do what I do
They heard I was good
They wanna see if it's true
They know you're the one
I wanna give it to
I can see you want me too
Putting on her lowest top and her shortest bottom- which made Tifa very uncomfortable, she walked slowly down the steps, making sure to put a little sway in her hips. As she reached the bottom of the steps, she peered into the bar and saw Cloud sitting at one of the tables.
"Good morning Cloud!" She called out cheerfully. Pretend nothing is out of the ordinary Tif, she told herself. Pretend not to notice your super low top and your super high bottom.
Cloud looked up and then looked quickly away and then back again before managing to croak out a "Good morning Tifa."
Score one!
"Did you have breakfast yet?" Tifa pretended not to notice his stares and blushes at her noticeably revealing attire. He wouldn't say anything- at least not yet.
He mumbled something and taking that as "no" she began throwing together something for him to eat. It doesn't really matter what, she told herself. He'll eat it anyway, especially after seeing this…
Putting week old eggs and sausage (she decided to be nice) onto a plate, she set it before him, leaning farther over then was necessary. "Here you go Cloud. Enjoy." She gave him an innocent smile.
Score two! She HAD seen his eyes flick to her chest for about a second before finding something else to stare at. His face had given him away too. Was that color even possible? She wondered.
Tifa smiled to herself as she went to the door and flipped over the "Open" sign. Soon enough, the members of AVALANCHE began to trickle in along with other customers. And typically, all of the guys stopped to stare at the unusual apparel of the bar's owner.
"Tifa…" Barret was at a loss for words. He just hoped that Marlene wouldn't be taking an example from this.
Reno on the other hand, smirked and "politely" asked if this was all for Cloud. Tifa decided to ignore that and instead focused on satisfying her customers, stopping every now and then to flirt with a few of them, making sure Cloud was watching. He was… and looked pissed.
Now it's me and you
It's me and you now
I've been waiting
Think I wanna make that move now
Baby tell me if you like it
It's me and you now
I've been waiting
Think I wanna make that move now
Baby tell me how you like it
Cloud was irritated- irritated with Tifa actually. He wondered just what she was doing. Flirting, wearing very revealing clothes (which he wouldn't admit even to himself that he liked)… it definitely wasn't Tifa behavior.
And the men- he was irritated with the men too. They were soaking it up. All the giggles at their jokes, the way she leaned over the table to give them their drinks, the sway in her hips and the coy looks that just screamed "sexy, you know you want it!" at them. Cloud wanted to throw them all out (even AVALANCHE) so that she'd just STOP doing it! Or rather just aim it at him. Just at him… only at him.
I was waiting for you
To tell me you were ready
I know what to do
If only you would let me
As long as you're cool with it
I'll treat you right
Here is where you wanna be
I know them other guys
They been talking 'bout
The way I do what I do
They heard I was good
They wanna see if it's true
They know you're the one
I wanna give it to
I can see you want me too
It was working! Tifa could just see the daggers coming out of Cloud's eyes, aimed everywhere, even at the innocent AVALANCHE team sitting around him. Once the bar closes… she thought. But for now, she had a feeling that Cloud would stay right where he was. She hummed as she polished the glasses.
And now it's me and you
It's me and you now
I've been waiting
Think I wanna make that move now
Thinking 'bout making that move
Baby tell me if you like it
Tell me if you like it
It's me and you now
I've been waiting
Think I wanna make that move
Now
Baby tell me how you like it
Hours passed and the people came and went from the bar carrying tales about the bar-owner who ether went a little crazy or was tired of the SOLDIER staying with her and was looking for another man. But then the rumors reached Denzel and Marlene who were out playing on the street.
"Is it true," Marlene asked as she came running into the bar, Denzel trailing behind her. "That Tifa went crazy?"
Barret groped for words to say to his daughter but couldn't find any as he couldn't help wondering himself.
"Yes," Reno smirked, saving or rather destroying Barret's effort to explain the situation that they were now all aware of. And lowering his voice he continued: "Tifa's love-crazy." A glance over at Cloud showed that he wasn't even paying the slightest attention. He was focused solely on shooting imaginary daggers out of his eyes at the young man whom Tifa was flirting with. "You see Marlene…"
"Okay Reno that's enough." Barret cut the Turk off. "They don't need to know."
"Why not?" Yuffie piped in.
"Well they're kids."
"Am not," Denzel said.
"And they don't need to- Yuffie!"
"Sorry," the ninja grinned sheepishly and stuck the materia back into Barret's bag. "But why'd ya need it for anyway?"
Barret ignored her and held out his hand for the rest of it which she handed over reluctantly.
"Stealing materia again Yuffie?" Tifa had flirted her way over to her friends.
"Not stealing," Yuffie muttered. "Borrowing."
This was another reason why Tifa had decided not to ask Yuffie for help. Yuffie frequently stole materia from her friends and even if Tifa had asked her for help, Yuffie would probably take that as a "you're welcome to steal my materia any time!" and follow through. And the way things were going; Tifa figured that she had things well under control. Even now, she pointedly ignored Cloud who was staring at her rather hopefully.
Baby I'll love you all the way down
Get you right where you like it
I promise you'll like it
I swear
Just relax and let me make that move
It's our secret thang
Keep it between me and you
Soon it was closing time and both Cloud and Tifa had made up their minds to talk once everyone had left.
After goodbyes from the AVALANCHE group and a few knowing winks from Reno, Cloud, Tifa, Denzel and Marlene were left in the sudden quiet silence of the bar.
"Why don't you two go upstairs?" Tifa told the children gently and ushered them upstairs. But before following them up, she sneaked a look at Cloud. He was still sitting at the table, looking like he hadn't been sitting there for a whole day, his arms crossed and staring blankly at the wall.
"Are you coming Tifa?" Denzel asked.
"Yes," she replied. And I think I'll change too.
She changed quickly and after whispering a "good night" to Denzel and Marlene, she made her way back downstairs.
Cloud was standing and waiting and now he walked towards her and Tifa was grateful she had decided to cover herself more thoroughly.
"What was that about?" He asked.
"About what?" She walked around him and began to clear the tables, bringing empty glasses to the counter and fixing the chairs strew across the bar. Tifa could feel his eyes on her.
"You know what I mean."
"Do I?"
Silence followed and Tifa was just beginning to wonder whether she should just come right out and say it when,
"Tifa… uh…"
"Dammit Cloud!" Suddenly she really hated those words. "That makes six times!"
"Six times?"
"Six times you started and never finished what you had to say! What are you going to say?"
And then he was in front of her. And he was kissing her.
It's me and you now
I've been waiting
Think I wanna make that move now
Baby tell me if you like it
Tell me if you like it
It's me and you now
I've been waiting
Think I wanna make that move now
Baby tell me how you like it
It's me and you
Me and you
It's just me and you now
It's just us two
It's just me and you now
In the Life-Stream, Aerith sighed.
"It's about time isn't it?" She turned slightly to see Zack standing behind her.
"It is."
"You don't mind?" He asked.
"No." And then almost as an afterthought she said, "Well I've got you."
"True." His laugh was the same carefree laugh that she had always known. Slipping his fingers into hers, they turned and walked away.
*****
"It's about time isn't it?" Barret commented, echoing unknown thoughts. The whole AVALANCHE team was crouched underneath the windows spying on the oblivious couple inside.
"Yup!" Yuffie agreed cheerfully.
"Shhh!"
"Sorry!" She whined and then ducked as Tifa and Cloud broke away from each other to glare at the windows.
"They're there aren't they?" Yuffie heard Tifa ask. And the whole team took that as their cue to run.
But Yuffie couldn't resist. "Don't forget to invite me to your wedding!" A chair burst through the glass and narrowly missed her head.
Back inside, Tifa turned her gaze back to Cloud who was smiling. "What?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if Aerith had a hand in this."
"And Zack," Tifa added. "Anyway, weren't you going to say something?"
"Tifa… I love you."
"I love you too Cloud."
"Tifa?"
"Um?"
"Can you put your other clothes back on?"