Wow, past the sixty reviews mark. This is honestly a first for me so early into the story, so thank you and enjoy!

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Spotlight

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Cloud watched Tifa curiously as she revised some articles with practiced ease. They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes while she finished up. He knew that she was agitated because of the articles in the magazine regarding their date, especially since they had broken the news before Tifa had decided to do it herself. "They got the jump on us," he said, watching her set the papers and pen aside.

Tifa nodded and smiled slightly to herself. "I didn't know I was being followed. I guess we'll have to watch our backs every time we go out."

Cloud made an amused sound. "What do you want to do now?"

"We'll go about our normal plan. My brother will probably talk to you about your intentions at some point, but you can go ahead and ignore him. He's not the violent type," Tifa said lightly.

"That's good to know," Cloud mumbled. "Do I get to suggest where we'll go for our dates, or is this something that you'll decide?"

"Well, we can take turns if you'd like. Oh, and I must tell you that there's a fundraiser coming up that requires a black suit and tie," Tifa said. At the look on his face, she laughed. "Do you own any suits?"

"Never had need for them," he replied with a shrug.

"Okay, well, I'll find something for you, and don't say no. I know you really want to pay for your own things, but I can get you a suit at no cost," Tifa said. At his unconvinced look, she smiled. "I promise that this will be the only time I'll give you a gift."

"Okay," he said lightly, convinced by the sweet curve of her lips. Cloud stood from the chair he had been lounging in and looked at his watch. "My break is over and I need to get back to work. I'm delivering a few things to Shinra from your brother today," he said.

Tifa's gaze snapped to his. "I'll only advice you to be on your guard. If you deal with Rufus personally, he will probably attempt to rile you up. Please, don't rise to his bait."

Cloud nodded once. "I'll try my very best to not snap." He stopped at the door and turned to her. "What are you doing this Saturday night?"

Tifa thought about it for a moment. "I think I'm free. Why?"

Cloud nodded. "How about I pick you up at six?"

"For what?" Tifa asked, pleasantly curious.

"That is a secret, Miss Valentine," he said with a wink. "Oh, and wear relaxed clothing. Jeans—if you own any," Cloud said before smiling slightly and walking out.

Tifa smiled to herself and watched him leave her office as quietly as he had arrived during his break. She had been happy to see him, even though she had still fuming over the fact that her "relationship" with him had been discovered before she had wanted it to.

She stood to walk out of her office for a short meeting with the graphics team on the third floor; it was the only meeting for the day, and that made her happy. Jessie was ready to go, a bright smile on her face and an electronic planner in her hand. Standing in front of her, was a little girl. "Hello," Tifa said with a friendly smile. "Who might you be?"

The girl looked up at her with big, brown eyes and from under long bangs of brown hair. She smiled sweetly back at her. "My name is Marlene. My papa couldn't find a babysitter for me, but I wanted to come see the last floor of this really pretty building!" she said excitedly.

Tifa felt her heart warm at the sight of the child, so carefree and excited to explore everything around her. "Who is your papa?" she asked.

"Barret Wallace. He sits at the computers and keeps everyone safe. But I have to get back now. He'll be looking for me," said Marlene, moving towards the elevators.

Tifa felt worry gnaw at her chest when she realized that the little girl couldn't have been more than six and that she had been exploring the building on her own. She was all for allowing a developing mind freedom to discover new things, but there were unknown individuals walking in and out of the building. "How would you like to go see how we decide what pictures we put into our magazines?" she asked.

Marlene's eyes lit up. "I like pictures, but my papa is waiting for me," she said a little sadly.

Tifa lifted her chin and offered Marlene a reassuring smile. "Then let's go ask your papa if he's okay with you spending some time with me, okay?"

"Okay!" Marlene cheered, slipping her tiny hand into Tifa's.

Jessie smiled and noticed the sad look on her boss's face. "Are you okay, Tifa?"

"Yes," Tifa assured her quickly. "Marlene—she reminds me of the last time I was truly happy," she said quietly.

Jessie offered her a sympathetic smile and avoided questioning her. It was always best to keep a limit, and though she did love juicy gossip, Tifa had been nothing but good to her. Inquiring about Tifa's past was not something she was willing to do. "I'll go ahead and let the graphics team know that you're on your way so that they can get everything ready."

"Thank you, Jessie," Tifa said with grateful smile. "Come on Marlene, let's go talk to your papa," she said, leading the child towards the elevator. Marlene looked up at her with a captivating smile and sparkling brown eyes, awakening a feeling inside of Tifa she hadn't experienced before. She smiled back and together they stepped onto the elevator.

……

Fortunately for Cloud, Rufus Shinra hadn't been in his office when he had arrived to deliver the packages. He had a few envelopes for the floor Zack worked on, and Cloud was really dreading the moment he saw his brother again. He must've known about the article by now, and Cloud could imagine the lecture he would receive. It annoyed him to no end that Zack couldn't get a clue and leave him alone. Even their mother didn't nag him half as much.

He waved at the secretary sitting at her desk, typing away on her computer, and she waved him in without putting up a fuss. Cloud's blue eyes searched out Zack once inside his office, and he spotted him standing by the window, talking into his earpiece. Zack's eyes darted to him and the look he sent him was not very friendly.

Cloud waited patiently until the conversation ended, and Zack had pulled the earpiece out. "Just say it," the blond said after a moment of silence.

Zack shook his head, blue eyes sharp and piercing. "Why should I even bother? You're obviously not going to listen to me. I'll let you do your thing and find out the hard way why I warned you," he said, taking a seat at his massive desk.

Cloud felt his eyebrows rise high in surprise. "That's it? You're not going to nag and lecture?" he asked with a smirk.

Zack glared at him instead. "I told you I wouldn't," he said in aggravation. "But shit, man. You've only known her for less than two weeks and already she's reeling you in?"

Cloud refrained from replying too rudely. "Well, since you're in an understanding mood," he said sarcastically. "I'll go. I need to get back to work anyway." He turned to go, but Zack let out an annoyed sigh. "What?" Cloud bit out.

"All I want to do is be your big brother," Zack said seriously.

"You can be—you still are, but you can't protect me from everything, Zack. It's not your job. I have to live my life and you have to live yours," Cloud said with a long sigh.

Zack grunted. "I'll be here when the shit hits the fan, and you find that you need me."

"Thanks for the support," Cloud said derisively. "Take care of yourself, brother."

Zack winced at his tone and watched the younger man go. It made him angry to see that Tifa was already driving a wedge between them. If he was honest with himself, he knew that she wasn't a bad person, but still… given her dating history and the fact that after a few months she was the one who usually broke things off, it made him wary for Cloud. Though they weren't related by blood, Cloud had lived with his family and had been his brother for thirteen years. How was he supposed to make himself not care? How was he supposed to ignore his instincts when all he wanted was for his brother to be happy? Zack let out a small sigh and brushed his fingers through his hair tiredly.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number he had only recently memorized. "Hey, Cissnei. How about dinner tonight?"

"As long as we have an intelligent conversation, okay," she said, voice amused.

Zack let out a chuckle. "I guess I'll have to catch up on my newspaper and scientific magazine reading," he said wryly.

Cissnei laughed softly. "And don't forget the stock market."

He felt his mood lift considerably at the sound of her light teasing. "I memorize those before breakfast everyday," he said, delighting in her continuous laughs. "I'll pick you up at seven tonight."

"I can't wait," she said before hanging up.

Zack found himself smiling at the dead line and he set the phone back on receiver. At least he'd have something else to look forward to but thoughts on what his brother and Tifa were doing. He really, really hoped she didn't hurt him. If she did, Tifa would find that Zack Fair wasn't all cheerful smiles the way everyone thought.

……

Despite things not going so bad, Cloud still found himself in a foul mood. At least he hadn't crossed paths with Shinra; then his day would've gone completely to hell. As he waited in front of the elevator, tapping his foot and attempting to ignore the women gathered around a nearby desk, tittering and giggling as they looked at him, his day officially went to hell. The elevator doors opened and he found himself face to face with Shinra. "Nice," Cloud muttered to himself.

"I'm not usually, no," said Rufus with a haughty smirk. "Maybe you and I should have a talk in my office."

"Hmm, unless you're the one signing my paychecks, I don't think so," Cloud said, stepping into the elevator as he brushed past the other man.

Rufus glared at him. "I can have you bodily removed from my elevator and placed into my office," he said coolly.

"You can try," Cloud started. "But you risk your men losing a limb if they lay a hand on me against my will."

Rufus didn't know whether to believe him or not, but the man looked entirely serious. It really wasn't in the best interest of his company if he were to bait the other man into attacking. He decided to use a different tactic. "She's using you, you know," he said calmly.

Cloud smirked. "Who?" he asked, highly aware that there were other people on the elevator. Rufus would never risk having anyone know that he had been harassing another woman when he was a married man.

"You know who," was the cool reply. "It'll eventually end, and you'll be nothing but another notch on her bedpost."

Cloud smirked. "What matters is that I have her now and you don't. You never will again. Remember that every time you see a picture of us together," he said before the doors closed right in the man's face.

The ride down to the first floor was an irritating one. The people left had been listening to the conversation curiously, but one look from Cloud and they turned away their inquisitive stares. Walking out quickly, he tossed his visitor's pass to the security guard at the desk before making his way out to his bike.

He was proud of himself for not rising to the bait and starting a fight with Shinra. Tifa would be pleased. He didn't know why it was that he wanted to keep her happy so badly, but he did know that if his actions kept him on her good side and Rufus on her bad side, this plan would work out. Hopping onto his bike, he revved the engine and drove off towards her offices. He really couldn't wait for their next date. He was itching with curiosity to get to know her better as a friend.

……

Vincent Valentine had always been a man of seriousness and professionalism. He prided himself in being a man in control. Lately, his control had been beyond tested. First of all, he found that his eyes wandered without his permission whenever Yuffie Kisaragi was around and not paying him any attention. She had taken to wearing very short, to very formfitting clothing, but not to the point of being tasteless or obscene. She was a woman who had made her career as a PR in the fashion industry, and she knew how to dress herself. There was always a patch of her smooth, pale skin showing, and even though he tried to fill his head with thoughts of Lucrecia, his mind wouldn't cooperate.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Lucrecia was on a tour with a fashion designer in the Eastern Continent. She had recently signed a contract of six months, and he would only get to see her a few times a month while she was away. But Yuffie wasn't the only problem at the moment. No, he found that ever since Tifa had walked into his life, she had been the main source of his headaches.

Though she had been a straight-A student all through school, she had grown into a beautiful woman. She'd had various men buzzing around her, and seeking her attention. Though it hadn't taken him long to love her, even though they had met almost as adults, he found that being a big brother drove him crazy. Grimoire had chuckled and only asked to meet the boys she dated, but Vincent was the one who had always worried about her safety and of the fact that hormonal males had no business around his little sister. He'd had a problem with her dating Rude, then Weiss, and of course Loz, but Tifa never listened to his words of advice.

Now she was dating some man they had recently hired as the messenger boy and she probably knew nothing about him. He'd have to call his sources to dig up information on this Cloud Strife. What else could the man want but her money? Glaring into space, Vincent grit his teeth when his office phone went off. "Yes?" he asked.

His assistant's voice came through, slightly annoyed. "I have a Mr. Shinra here to see you," she said.

Vincent raised an eyebrow in curiosity. What could the man possibly want? "Send him in," he replied. Shinra walked in and shook hands with him. "What can I do for you, Rufus?" Vincent questioned, motioning for the chair in front of him.

Rufus sat and crossed his ankle over his knee. "I wanted to personally come to invite you to a dinner at my home with my wife," he said.

"Thank you for the invitation. You didn't have to come down here for that," Vincent said.

"I know, but as an esteemed colleague, I felt it was necessary," Rufus said. "I hope you know this means that your sister should be invited as well."

Vincent nodded. "I will make sure to relay the message, but you should know that Tifa doesn't usually have free weekends. Especially now, I think."

"You mean because of the joke of a man she is dating?" Rufus asked, toning down his sneer.

Vincent gave him an inquiring look and leaned back against his chair. "Do you know him?" he asked. If he did, Vincent had a lot of questions about the new man in Tifa's life.

"Not personally, but he's the sibling of a well-regarded employee of mine," Rufus replied. "Zack is an honorable man. I can't say the same about his brother, but that may be because I don't know him."

Crimson eyes looked thoughtful. "You believe he is wrong—a danger—for Tifa?"

Rufus smirked inwardly. He had originally planned to turn Vincent against Cloud, and the man was giving him the perfect opening at the moment. What better way to get Strife out of the way than by making Tifa's brother hate him? "A man of his position would look for financial gain. Tifa may be blind to his intentions," he supplied.

Vincent sighed. "If there is one thing I have come to learn about my sister, it's that she does as she pleases. Nothing I do will make her stop seeing this man."

"Why don't you just fire him?" Rufus asked coolly, his blue eyes matching his tone.

"She was the one who hired him, not I. What is your sudden concern with Tifa, Rufus?" Vincent asked suspiciously, giving the other man a piercing look.

"It's nothing in particular. I am beginning to see you as a friend," Rufus said, flipping his hair out of his eyes. "My concern for her stems out of my consideration of you as a friend."

Vincent measured his words, but he somehow had the feeling that Rufus was not being truthful about his interest in Tifa's current love life. It disturbed Vincent on a whole other level. Rufus was a married man, and the last thing Vincent wanted was for his sister to get involved with a man who had a wife. He briefly wondered if they knew each other from Tifa's past. Vincent made a mental note to question her about it later on in the day, when he would proceed to have his "big brother talk" with her.

"In any case, I will speak to her about this," Vincent said with a shrug. "I don't mean to be rude, but I have a meeting in five minutes. I appreciate you coming all the way down here."

Rufus nodded and stood, shaking hands with Vincent as they both walked towards the door. As they exited, Cloud and Tifa stepped out of her office, smiles on their faces. Vincent noted the way Tifa's smile faded completely at the sight of Rufus. Her hand then found its way to Cloud's. "Vince, I think we need to talk," Tifa started, completely ignoring the man standing next to him.

"Hello, Miss Valentine," Rufus said with a snooty smirk.

"Rufus," Tifa said, voice devoid of its usual sweetness. "What brings you around here?"

"I came over to personally invite both you and your brother to have dinner with my wife and me," Rufus said, catching the tightening of her beautiful eyes at the corners. "It is this Saturday."

"Unfortunately I have to decline. Cloud and I already have plans," Tifa said, her gentle demeanor returning as she gazed at the messenger boy.

"Tifa," Vincent said in warning tone.

"No, it's quite alright," Rufus said in a diplomatic tone. "I will have to tell Elena to move the dinner to next weekend. You can bring your friend if you wish," he said, a note of sarcasm slipping into his voice as he said "friend."

Tifa looked at Cloud and winked. "What do you say? Are you up to changing our dinner plans for the Saturday after this one?"

Cloud took a step closer to Tifa, his eyes on her. "If it's what you wish," he said, his eyes darting to her lips.

Tifa smiled and looked back towards Vincent and Rufus, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks. "I guess we'll be there," she said, ignoring Vincent's glare. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I have to get a few things done," she said before walking off with Cloud towards the elevator.

"Do you honestly think that having dinner at Shinra's place is a good idea?" Cloud asked her dubiously.

Tifa bit back a groan of frustration. "Of course not," she hissed. "But what was I supposed to do? It'd be pretty rude to say no, especially in front of my brother. He doesn't know about my past with Rufus," she stressed. Tifa gave Cloud a nervous glance. "Kiss me."

"Now?" Cloud asked, eyes a little wide in his handsome face.

"Both Rufus and my brother are watching. Just something short and nice," Tifa said quickly, the elevator doors opening.

Cloud leaned forward without having to be told twice and brushed his lips against hers. The touch was chaste and lingering only a few seconds. His hand brushed against her cheek and as he pulled back, Cloud realized that Tifa's eyes were half-lidded. She looked at him and blinked, a shy smile slipping onto her face. He mirrored it and his eyes were shining as they looked at her. "See you later, Tifa," he said before stepping into the elevator.

Her eyes stayed on him until the doors slipped closed and he was gone. Tifa turned, her fingers brushing lightly against her lower lip and nearly bowled right into Rufus. His eyes were narrowed and gazing at her fingers on her mouth. "Excuse me," she said in a controlled tone.

Rufus stared into her eyes and then sneered in disgust. "Just when I think you can't fall any lower."

Tifa's eyes burned with anger. "Get out of my way, Rufus," she said in a quiet tone.

He stepped aside and refrained from pulling her back as she brushed past him. His eyes were drinking her in, and though he was used to conducting himself in a professional manner, he was happy that there were no people around to see his gaze caress her curves as she walked away. "I will see you next Saturday," he said in his smug voice.

Her hands fisted against her thighs, but she didn't turn to look at him. Rufus watched her until she stepped into her office and shut the door behind her. Hmm… dinner with Tifa and her brother would be an interesting affair.

……

"I'd been waiting for you to come and see me. Took you long enough."

Vincent grunted and turned away from the impressive view from the window behind Tifa's desk. "Tifa, do you even know this man?" he asked her in slight agitation.

Tifa stared into his eyes, so familiar yet so different from her own. "I'm tired of dating assholes," she admitted.

Despite the situation, a small chuckle left her brother. "What makes this man different?"

Tifa shrugged. "I knew him when we were children."

"And this makes him trustworthy?" Vincent asked, bemused.

Tifa sighed in irritation. Why was she always being questioned about any personal decision she made? "Vincent, I appreciate the whole 'big brother' thing, but I'm a woman. I've dated enough men to know who's a good guy and who isn't."

"If that's true, why did you last so long with Loz?" Vincent asked in annoyance. He had really despised the man.

Tifa began to organize the papers on her desk, setting them aside so that she could sit at her chair and check her phone when it let her know that there was a message waiting for her. "I don't think you want to know about his prowess in bed," she said, laughing at the disgusted noise Vincent expelled.

"Back to the point. Tifa, have you stopped to think that this man may be interested in furthering his career only?" Vincent asked, leaning on her desk right next to her.

"I'm thinking of redecorating my office," Tifa said absently, ignoring his question.

"Listen to me, Tifa. All I want is to keep you safe. Despite you being a grown woman, you're my kid sister. I don't want to see you get hurt," Vincent said quietly.

Tifa stood and smiled up at him before wrapping her arms around his neck. "We're not getting too old for hugs, are we?" she asked, smiling when his arms remained at his side. Vincent had never been the touchy-feely type. It was a wonder he accepted her hugs at all.

He made an amused sound and nodded. "Grimoire wouldn't say so."

Tifa grinned cheekily. "Grimoire is scared of being a grandfather. I'm telling you Vincent, if we weren't so deeply entrenched in the fashion industry, he'd have pierced his ear, bought himself a leather outfit, a motorcycle, and married himself a twenty-year old."

Vincent did chuckle deeply then. "He wants to be ageless. I practically took on the roll of the worried father," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Vince," Tifa started, waiting for their eyes to meet. "I love you. You're my big brother, but you can't protect me from everything. I appreciate you trying to, but I'm a big girl. I need to learn from my own mistakes," she said lightly.

He nodded once. "It doesn't make me worry less. I don't get a very trustworthy vibe from this man."

"Well, that certainly makes me wonder about your instincts when you do business with a man like Shinra," Tifa said, their sibling moment fading away with his insistent doubt when it came to her judgment.

"Has something happened between the two of you that I am not aware of?" Vincent asked her slowly.

Tifa shook her head and clicked away on her smart phone, replying to the message she had received from Yuffie. "Nothing you should worry about," she said offhandedly.

Vincent found that he didn't have the patience to continue questioning her. He had always prided himself in being observant, and there was no better place to exercise his skill than the dinner with Rufus coming up. "I hope you know I'm going to have that man—Strife—investigated."

"You want him to pee in a cup too?" she asked him with a snort.

"Already comfortable enough to ask him for that?" Vincent countered.

Tifa glared at him. "You did not just imply that I'm easy."

Vincent smirked and stood straight. "Of course I didn't," he deadpanned. He shifted his stance. "A little sibling antagonism never hurt anyone."

She gave him a rude gesture and pointed at her door. "I have work to do and no time to deal with your immature attitude."

He choked back a chuckle and nodded. "At least call Grimoire to tell him about the new guy. You know he'll want to have him over for dinner too," Vincent said as he walked towards the door.

Tifa sighed; he was right. "Will do," she said absently.

"Tifa."

She glanced up and gave him a questioning look.

Vincent looked a little uncomfortable, but it didn't stop him from uttering his next words. "You're my little sister and I love you. Don't blind yourself completely by this new man, or any man for that matter."

Tifa offered him a soft smile. "Thank you, Vincent. I'll keep that in mind," she assured him.

Vincent seemed satisfied with her response and turned to go. Before he could take a step out of the office, he heard her speak. "And I love you too, big brother." Taking those words with him and storing them in a special place in his heart—where only Tifa, Grimoire, and Lucrecia were allowed because they were family—he walked back towards his office. He was intent on getting his work completed so that he would be able to leave in time to be able to call Lucrecia while she stayed in Wutai.

He caught a glance of a certain someone, and he groaned to himself. Today she was wearing shorts far too short to be legal. Vincent shook his head to himself and quickened his pace to his office when his eyes wandered without his permission. He really missed Lucrecia these days.

……………

Cloud pulled up to a luxury home in the suburbs of Midgar and had to admire the structure before him. It was a modern home made up of windows, white stones, and smooth oak. Surrounding the property was a high black fence, and from what he could see from outside, there was a beautiful garden of tulips of various colors all around. Pulling off his riding goggles, he stepped off of his bike and approached the intercom, pressing the button for the main house.

"Hi, Cloud. Would you like to come in or are we running late?" Tifa's voice came through clear.

"We have to leave now if we want to be on time," he said calmly.

"Okay, I'll be right down then," she said before cutting the connection.

Cloud couldn't deny that he was curious to catch a glimpse of Tifa's private home, but now really wasn't the time. Their "date" would be somewhere she would probably not enjoy so much, but she'd encouraged him not to go fancy on her, right? Well, she was in for a surprise. Besides, where they were going, it would be filled with photographers shooting pictures.

She came bounding down some steps to the left, where he supposed the main entrance of her home was and closed the gate after she had stepped out. Cloud stared at her. He knew he had asked her to look casual, but wow. She made casual look infinitely attractive with a pair of formfitting dark jeans, an off the shoulder top, a black jacket, and high-top sneakers. Aside from that, her long hair had been pulled into a pony-tail, her bangs pulled to the side and away from her face. "Hey," she said with a smile, walking up to him. "Maybe next time I can give you a tour," she said, hitching a thumb back towards her home.

Cloud nodded and spared the house a look before looking at her again. "You do know that your hair will get ruined after our ride, right?"

"Oh, is that why your hair is always sticking up?" she asked him cheekily. She laughed at the expression on his face and moved forward to brush her hands through the golden strands before he could protest. "That's not to say that I don't like it," said Tifa quietly, watching his blue eyes intently.

Cloud removed her hand from his hair and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, delighting in her blush. "Jump on," he said, motioning with his head to the space behind him.

Tifa did as he said and tried to contain a nervous giggle when her legs settled on either side of his. She slipped her hands slowly around his waist and felt him twitch under her touch. Even though the layers of clothing he was wearing, she could feel the tautness of muscles underneath it all. It made her wonder—against her will—how Cloud would look without a shirt on.

"Here, put these on. It'll protect your eyes from the cold air," Cloud said, handing over some riding goggles. Tifa put them on and blinked when he revved up the engine. It was… interesting. "Hold on," he called before he took off.

Tifa nearly let out a small shriek, but instead kept her arms tight around Cloud's waist as he maneuvered the bike with ease and accelerated when he needed to. She had never been on a motorcycle before, but it wasn't at all unpleasant. Her hair was already coming undone, but it didn't really bother her all that much. She was enjoying the ride too much to worry about her appearance.

Cloud for his part was attempting to ignore the arms wrapped tightly around him. It really had been a while since he had allowed himself some time to date a girl. School had taken first priority. It would be interesting to date Tifa while they attempted to be friends. Not to mention that it would be a fun way to make passes at Tifa without getting in trouble, he thought with a smirk. Their drive lasted for about twenty minutes, and by the time they arrived at their destination, Cloud had gotten a bit used to feeling Tifa pressed up against him.

Tifa looked on curiously as they pulled into the parking lot of an indoor sports coliseum. "You brought me to watch a sports game?" she asked when he finally found a parking spot and he moved off the bike.

Cloud gave her a small grin. "You said not to go fancy. Besides, it's the ultimate act to show that you're interested in a guy. You go with him to a sports game," he said smartly, helping her dismount.

Tifa just took his hand and rolled her eyes. "What sport?"

"Basketball," he said, pulling her along towards the main entrance of the building. "The Midgar SOLDIERS are playing tonight."

"Your favorite team, huh?" Tifa asked as he handed over their tickets. "Well, I was more of a swimmer back in college. Never competed though, but if I had, I'd be one of the best. Did you ever play basketball?"

Cloud shook his head. "Too short," he muttered, wrinkling his nose in annoyance.

Tifa frowned and hooked her arm around his. "There were a lot of players in my college team that weren't the tallest, yet they still played. Did you have the skill to play?" she asked lightly, hoping the question didn't insult him.

Cloud gave her a look and shook his head. "Zack showed me how to play. He was in the school team. He could've gotten a scholarship to play sports, but it wasn't what he wanted to do."

"Zack—?" Tifa asked curiously.

"My brother," Cloud said, noticing the look on her face. "Do you know him?"

Tifa hesitantly nodded. "Yes. We've crossed paths a few times at some functions," she replied. "Hey, let's get something to drink before getting to our seats."

Cloud just nodded and they walked off to get some sweets, drinks—a soda for her, a beer for him—and two hot dogs. When they finally found their seats, courtside, the game was only a few minutes from starting. "Plenty of people to catch a picture of us here together," he whispered into her ear.

Tifa should've assumed that he would find a good way to get them seen together again. Her eyes darted all around them and she spotted the various photographers. A glimmer of silver made her do a double take. "Look, there's Sephiroth and Aerith. I didn't know they were sports fans," she commented.

"They're not," Cloud started. "Aerith is the one who enjoys sports and Sephiroth indulges her."

Tifa looked at Cloud with a raised eyebrow. "She does girl talk with you?" she asked, giggling.

Cloud stuck a licorice stick into her mouth to stop her teasing and received a slap on his thigh for it. He grinned to himself and waved when Aerith spotted them. Sephiroth just gave them a glance and turned back to the woman next to him. Tifa smiled and waved too. "I don't see how they're together. They look kind of mismatched, don't they?" she asked, watching as Sephiroth curled an arm around Aerith's slim shoulders.

Cloud gave them a brief look and shrugged. "Aren't we mismatched too?"

Tifa smiled and shook her head. "You're hotter than I am, so I guess we are."

He gave her an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me?"

"No," Tifa said, rolling her eyes.

"Tifa, you've grown into a beautiful woman. Even when we were kids, I remember you being a pretty girl. There is no way that I'm hotter than you. Trust me in this," he assured her. His cheeks flushed at the fact that he had said those things without even thinking it through.

Tifa blushed and looked at him shyly. "You think I'm beautiful?" she asked bashfully.

"More than any girlfriend I've had in the past," Cloud said honestly, blue eyes clear and focused on her lips as she nibbled lightly on the bottom one. "Any guy would be privileged to have someone like you in their life."

What happened next had nothing to do with putting up a show for the media, and everything to do with a personal wish. And well, because he'd stroked her ego just right.

She kissed him.

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Ha, I really liked the ending of this chapter. The next one will pick up on the rest of the game, and Cloud will get to know a little more about Tifa as a teenager. Dinner at Shinra's, and a few more of Tifa and Cloud's dating antics should also be included. Also, I just had to add Marlene in there, and never fear, Denzel will show up in a few chapters, maybe sooner. So, I hope everyone enjoyed this one. We're still progressing rather slowly in the whole "fake relationship" department, but next chapter should pick up the pace a little more. This one was more to catch a glimpse of the relationships between Cloud and Zack, and Vincent and Tifa a bit more.

School is finally out and I have about a month-and-a-half to just chill and write some more. I'll try my best to get updates out quickly, but I can't guarantee exactly when they'll be out. Thank you so much for all the awesome reviews and encouragement, and keep them coming. It makes me happy and feeds the muse. I hope everyone has a great day!

Joey