The Thin Line Between
by : Beatriz

Chapter 4 - Ruby Eyes

Are these time contagious, I've never been this bored before, is this the prize I've waited for.
- Collective Soul


She pushed aside a short, dark strand away from her vision as she unlocked the door to the bar she had called her pride and joy. To open this narrow spaced and previously desolate bar, it cost her sweat and blood as well as lifetime of consistent payments. At first, when she was just getting started, the bills were impossible to pay. Now, money was literally being thrown at her like it was a piece of trash, worth nothing to the consumer. Bills were paid on time. A beautiful house was bought. And, finally, a comfortable lifestyle, which this hard working woman had never even been exposed to, was accustomed.

'Why do I keep getting this feeling like someone is watching me?'

Turning around inconspicuously, Tifa Lockheart glanced around the town square like a paranoid sociopath. It was ridiculous for a woman, who had been in contact with many disturbing people and, to add, had a left hook which could knock an attacker out for the rest of his natural life, to be reduced to a quivering damsel in distress. Actually, it was down right embarrassing. But something in the air seemed to be telling her a fable of certain force that was beyond her source of power.

'This is getting to peculiar, even for me.'

Trying to ignore the emotional conflict within, Tifa made her way into the now opened-to-the-public bar. Steering through the few amount of tables in the empty pub, the owner immediately began her responsibilities. Flipping the chairs over, another sudden chill made it's way up and down her spine at rollercoaster velocities, almost seemingly trying to find a home inside her. This feeling was indescribable and so very undeniable to say the least. Her stomach was overpopulated with fluttering butterflies as her skin acquired unwanted goosebumps. She hadn't felt this nervous or anxious since she fought Sephiroth along side all her comrades at the Northern Cave.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"I would love to tell you if you promise not to send me rushing to the hospital."

The voice caused Tifa to jump out of her skin as she spun around impetuously on instinct. The sight which she foresaw was not what she expected, at all. A drunk with a need to drown his sorrows, most likely. A local date rapist out to fulfill a morning craving, possibly. Her husband, not so expectant, but also a possible decision in this morning's game show of 'Who's at the Door?' But she did not, in all of eternity, think it was him, or anybody resembling him.

"Hey Tifa, long time no see," Cloud responded softly, staring into her eyes so intensely, it was as though he was taking a behind the scenes glance into her soul.

All the barmaid saw was blue. It was empowering, gravity-defying almost, because Tifa could swear she was flying. Looking into the mako eyes, which the she had adored ever since she was a child, the ruby eyed girl realized this was a natural high. No drugs or reality altering substances were needed. All it took was one look into the eye of the storm, and you were hooked, craving more and more each day. But the downfall to the too-good-to-be-true ecstasy was if those precious orbs, which have sucked you so far in, that you have slowly but surely began to drown, were taken away, withdrawal symptoms would unfortunately occur.
Tifa had suffered from those symptoms when Cloud had vanished into the night, taking with him the only source of comfort she had ever known and truly appreciated.

"C...Cloud?"

A comatose smile appeared on Cloud Strife's features. It was the only genuine smile he had processed for the past two years, needless to say it was the two most miserably lonely years of his entire life. Eyes, could not remove from the exotic ruby ones ahead of him as his body froze in place, not even able to twitch a muscle. Tifa Lockheart had the undoubted ability to paralyze him both physically and spiritually. Only she could arise the sun within the storm of his heart.

"Yeah, Tifa. It's me."

"Wha....what are you doing here? When did you get back," Tifa asked, shivering from the coldness seeing Cloud again was bringing. She wanted to know everything that went on in the past 2 years of his life, and what she wanted, she usually got.

"I just got back today...this morning actually. I visited Barrett at the cafe up the steps..."

"Veronica's cafe," Tifa corrected, rubbing her temples and hoping the throbbing pain would simply escape her with the circular motions being produced.

"You look...good," Cloud pointed out suddenly, taking quick glances at her facial features and body structure before refocusing on her hair, "and you cut your hair, too. I like it."

She wanted to hit him so badly. One quick swing would satisfy the despondency burning deep inside her soul. How did he do this to her? Exit her life, leaving her all alone for what it felt to be an eternity, and then suddenly, being invited back in with open arms, not a single bitter comment to make him explain himself. Tifa couldn't go back to being the gullible girl she was before. She had to be strong and hold in place the walls stacked high up in the skies of her heart to keep from ever feeling the pain that had been brought to her practically throughout her whole existence.

"Why are you here right now," Tifa asked, not even bothering to comment on her once true love's appearance. This was on a need to know basis. Cloud being back would most likely not only haunt her from the rest of her life, but also change that life in ways she didn't even want to imagine.

"I came here....to see you. You, Barrett, Cid, Red XIII, Vincent, Reeve.....and Yuffie," the blonde responded, voice softening to lower depths when he mentioned the dearly departed ninja, "I wanted to apologize for the trouble and pain I put you all through."

The strong woman, which stood before Cloud, allowed feelings of grief and lacking to be shown as the mere mention of Yuffie's name was unfolded. To think of the young girl was a though someone had taken death's sanguine arrows and murdered her with them. Yuffie had been like a daughter to Tifa, and when she had died, it was not the pain of a friend's loss, but the pain of a mother's.

"It's too late for now, people moved on, and Yuffie.....is gone. You should have came to that conclusion a year ago."

That comment was venomous, poisonous. It was like drinking from a wine glass filled with arsenic and dying it's slow painful discourse. Tifa's words meant so much to him. Those comments had gotten him through so much avoided self-destruction. Cloud could not allow the sweet honey that had filled his soul with perpetual light to become austerely sour.

"It's never too late to tell someone the feelings that lie underneath the surface. It may be too late for forgiveness, which I only pray I receive, but it'll never be too late for redemption."

"It is when you scarred the souls of so many people. We all finally went on with our lives, not forgetting you completely but at least we're happy now," Tifa began, trying to keep herself from flying into the arms of the humble man, "maybe it'll just be better if you left. Just not visiting anybody else. You will cause so much more pain if you run into and right out of their lives again."

"What about you? How do you feel right now," Cloud asked, allowing himself to move towards the fragile woman with complete ease as though he were trying to catch a rabbit out in the wilderness.

"What about me? I feel nothing for you."

She was such a good liar it hurt. What if he did believe her? Would she have enough strength within her withering heart to let him leave again? Maybe yes or maybe no. It was so confusing, the emotions pulsating inside her at maximum voltage. Tifa was over him. She had two whole years to get over him, why was it so hard to look him in the eyes and tell him he meant nothing to her anymore?

"You're lying, Tifa," Cloud sang with a hopeful voice as he continued to approach her, "I could always tell when you lied. Or when you were sad. When you were mad. Or when you just had so much hope inside your heart it was as though you would explode. I know this about you because you mean everything to me."

He became so close to her, she could almost feel the warmth of his breath on her face. Even though deep inside she knew this was wrong, a part of her screamed that it never felt so right. Riley. It was the only name she could think of that gave her the strength to back away slightly. Just enough so there was a small gap between them and that they weren't in the so-close proximity of each other.

"Cloud....I have something to tell you."

He glanced at her curiously, an eyebrow quirking up in inquiry as he asked, "What is it, Tifa?"

It was going to break Tifa's heart exposing this valuable information, but it had to be said. Nothing would be more wrong than to allow something between Cloud and herself to occur when she was married and abiding by strict vows of loyalty. So with a deep breath, Tifa began, "Ever since you left, I never felt more alone in my entire life. Everyone had someone, but I had nobody. As I went on with my life, the loneliness caused this black spot in my heart to form, and I hated what I was becoming because of that. That was when my wish of finding someone special came true. That was when Riley came into my life."

"Who's Riley," blue eyes asked bitterly, feeling the knife of jealousy twisting a full 360 degree turn.

"Riley...is my husband," Tifa spat out, looking away from a moment to hide to shame in her eyes. It was nothing to feel sorry about, but deep inside, she knew she had hurt this man immensely.

As time went by, nothing was said. The two individuals stood there, taking in the information and air around them. But fortunately, after enough time had passed, Tifa felt a warm hand cupping her chin and tilting it gently up to come into contact with the same mako blue eyes that had laid themselves down to sleep on her so many times. Coming closer and closer to her face, she heard a small whisper near her ear, "I'm not leaving. I don't care if you're married or not. I'm going to fight for you.... and your heart...."

That was when the moment she had always been waiting for, had happened. Tifa felt Cloud's eyes intensely on her before he leaned down and placed a soft yet yearning kiss on her lips. That burning kiss would be a tattoo of constant reminder for months and maybe years yet to come.

As quick as that feeling of wanting had occurred, it was abruptly taken away. Allowing her eyes to flutter open, Cloud Strife was no longer in front of her. He had vanished into the thin air of the morning. Running her fingertips over her lips, the words, "I'm going to fight for you....and your heart," hung in the soundless bar reposingly.