Drunk, Is Killing Both

Tonight is rather unusual for Seventh Heaven, or specifically, for Tifa.
Why? Cloud is sitting at the corner at the bar today instead of going upstairs and shut himself in his office until the bar closes down. Cloud doesn't budge from his place, only chugging down shots after shots of alcohol.

"What had gotten into him?"

It's rather very difficult for Tifa, she had a hard time to concentrate on her work. From time to time, she will glance over to Cloud, hoping there will be no trouble from him. As the night goes on, she becomes more and more relief as Cloud continues to do the same thing as he did a few hours ago, except that he has stop his drinking. His face is flushed with deep red, evidently showing that he is overly drunk. It's rather out-of-question for Cloud to get very drunk, well, sure he did but the worst experience he ever had is when he can't stand with his own two feet and Tifa have to take the trouble of helping him to his room.

Now, Cloud is breaking the record for being at the point where he will pass out eventually.

But then, Cloud is seen resting his forehead on his wrist lying on the table. His other hand is clenched into a fist to which he slams it weakly on the table over and over again all the while mumbling something inaudible.

Cloud is clearly frustrated by something.

Tifa is about to stop her work but Cloud has already stop his meaningless assault on the table and now, his eyes is closed and he slowly falls asleep. Tifa decides that it's better for Cloud to rest there until the bar closes in the next hour. After all, if he is woken up, there is no doubt that he will finish the very last of his bottle and that spells trouble for Tifa.

In fact, Cloud isn't really asleep. Although his eyes is closed, but he is still listening over to Tifa's surrounding and more importantly, to Tifa's voice.

In half an hour or so before the bar closes, there is a loud cheering over at the counter. Cloud grunts in annoyance and slowly lifts his head. As if it takes every energy he has, he forces his eyelids open and he sees a man kneeling over to Tifa, with a ring on his hand.

"Miss Lockhart, will you marry me?"

Faint, very very faint, or perhaps a delusion made by Cloud, "Yes, I do."

And that does the idea in Cloud's head. With a sudden burst of energy, he finishes the last drops of alcohol in his bottle and eveything goes black.

- The next morning -

Cloud wakes up with a rather heavy head, he rubs his temple slowly and when his vision finally came to view, he can see that he is in his room. The clock is showing 10.46 a.m in bold black numbers.

"Oww..."

Slowly, Cloud regains his sanity and reviews the incident yesterday. So, he heard what he heard last night, then, he finished his bottle, then...

Nothing. Only void of blackness.

But then, thinking back clearly, Tifa had just being proposed last night and... she did said a yes!

Dragging the sheets away from his body, Cloud climbs down from the bed and makes his way downstairs. Scanning aroung the living room, nobody is around. Obviously, Marlene and Denzel are at school being in this hour but where's Tifa? "Maybe she's at the bar cleaning up?"

"Oh, you are awake, Cloud?"

Turning his body around, and there she is. Cloud dazes for a while, standing there speechless. And this leads to Tifa narrowing her eyes, "Are you okay?" There is hints of concern in her voice.

"Except from my head pounding... I am fine." He replies spontaneuosly.

Tifa sighs in slight frustration, she approached Cloud and leads him by his arm to the couch, "If so, then you should stay in bed longer. Lie here for now. I'll go grab you some meds and ice."

"...Okay." It take him a few second before obeying her. After a few minutes, Tifa returns to Cloud with the bag of ice and some pills. In one swift movement, Cloud swallows them and gets the ice on the forehead.

"So, did you recall anything... about last night?" Tifa breaks the silence.

"...I did tried. And there's only one piece I remember."

"Which one?"

Removing the ice from the head, Cloud looks straight into Tifa's eyes, "...You accepted a proposal, didn't you?"

Staring back for a while, Tifa timidly admits, "Yes."

"And who's that guy again?" Cloud sneers.

Taken aback, Tifa looks up to him in surprise. Cloud is still watching her tentively like a beast for an answer. "What do you mean by 'who's that guy'?"

"You know, the one you said yes to." Cloud repeats.

Grabbing the ice from Cloud's hand, Tifa takes the trouble to be the one rubbing his forehead. "Cloud, I think your head's throbbing is really serious this time. You remember the wrong piece."

"What?"

"The one I said yes to... is you."

Cloud stares in awe. Well, his original plan yesterday was to propose to Tifa. He took a few shots of drink to remuster his nerve to say so but... didn't the plan backfired when the alcohol sabotaged his brain instead? He got so drunk, there's another guy proposed to her.

But why the person she said yes to is him?

Cloud glances over to Tifa's fingers but there is no jewellery or whatsoever on them.

As if she can reads his mind and the questons in his head, Tifa begins, "Yeah, there was really a guy propose to me last night. I was about to say 'no' but then... an overly drunk you came over, pulling me away... and did you know what you said?"

Cloud shakes his head.

"You said, 'Sorry, but I will be one and the only one asking.' You get down on your knees and ...there you go. That guy left exactly at that moment and shortly afterwards I said yes... you passed out."

"So, why aren't you wear my ring?"

Tifa chuckles, "Because you need a retry when you are sober... and you promised my customers tonight will be it. So, I returned it to you on the same coat you wore."

"I said so?"

"Yup, drunkhead."

Both grin at themselves, but more specifically to Cloud for his bold actions.

With sudden action, Cloud pulls Tifa closer to him, "Now that we are gonna get officially engaged soon..."
"I don't mind doing a... preview with you right now." His breath mingles over her flushed face.

"...Promise you won't need the alcohol tonight? And you won't get drunk?"

"Yes and yes."

Slowly, very slowly, Tifa closes the gap between them. Both don't back down from each other's will but then it is the oxygen they need that pulls each other away.

Under a very slow voice, Tifa whispers to Cloud's ear, "...You know what? The ring you bought is beautiful."