authors note: before you guys attack me, I'm going to tell you what happened to Zack later, okay? Oh and sorry about this chapter being so short )
Zack laughed a little at the expression on Tifa's face "what no 'I'm so glad to see you'?"
Tifa shook her head a little in shock, her face turned a bit red, "I... I thought you were dead..."
Zack stepped back a little and laughed, "I love me a warm welcome from Tifa Lockhart."
Tifa looked down, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude."
"Hey it's fine," he gripped her shoulder gently, "I'd probably say the same thing if I were you."
Tifa winced a bit when he touched her; her face was still red from stock, but she looked up at him to study his face, he didn't look much different from the last time she had saw him, his hair was a bit longer and his face seemed to look older, but other than that nothing.
As though he knew what she was thinking, he announced out load, "you look much more different than the last time I saw you."
Tifa looked down at herself, "really?"
He nodded and grinned, "I think you've gained some weight."
Tifa looked a bit taken back and insulted by this.
He laughed at her expression, "I'm kidding, you haven't changed all that much, you are defiantly still gorgeous," he said this as though it was the most casual thing in the world, which made Tifa's face glow a bright pink.
He noticed her discomfort and changed the subject, "where's Cloud, are you here on your own?"
Tifa nodded sadly, "just me, myself, and I."
"What's a girl like you doing in the middle of no-whereas all alone, you could get hurt you know," he smirked a bit as he said this, "that's why I'm going to have to be your bodyguard."
Tifa looked at him, both amused and puzzled, "my bodyguard?"
He straighten up a bit and put a cheap grin on, "yep, keeping you safe from all those weirdos out there!"
Tifa laughed, "then who will protect me from you?"
Zack looked confused, "What a minute... Hey!"
Tifa giggled, "I kidding you."
Zack scratched the back of his neck and put on a famous grin, "Maybe I should of let you fall into that lake."
"I'm sorry to tell you sir, but she left early this morning," the man b
Hind the counter informed Cloud.
Cloud frowned, another escape from Tifa, "did she say anything about where she might be headed off to next, or the reason she left early?"
The man shook his head, "No, sorry sir."
Cloud sighed and turned away, he knew it wasn't going to be that easy to find Tifa anyways, he just needed to know where to go from there.