Yuffie walked home in the pouring rain, though the thunder and the cold water pelting her skin were the last thing on her mind. She never felt so foolish. Why did she think that Vincent would want to kiss her? She wasn't sure he even liked her. She had long taken off her heels and she now carried them under her arm, glaring at them and vowing to never wear heels again, even to impress someone.

Her bare feet on the cool, wet cement was strangely soothing and she continued to walk until a bright sign caught her eye. Jazz-matazz! Yuffie put her palms up to the glass and looked into the jazz club, a plan forming in her head.

Tifa leaned back on the wall watching Aerith watch her. The two women stood there in an awkward silence.

"May I sit down?" Aerith asked, sensing the tension already. Tifa walked towards her the word 'no' and 'get out' at the tip of her tongue. But no matter how much aggression she had built up, she knew she couldn't take it out on Aerith. In fact, as she looked at the girl standing in the middle of her livingroom she started to feel little pangs of guilt in the pit of her stomach.

"Of course." Tifa said, motioning to the couch. She remained standing, finding she was more than a little uncomfortable with the girl's presence. It was as if she'd only been thinking about her and Cloud. But now that Aerith was in her livingroom looking as worried as she was, she realized she hadn't considered the effect it would have on the flowergirl. She'd hadn't considered that while she was repossessing the love that she knew was there between her and Cloud, she would also be betraying a friend.

"Have you seen Cloud?" Aerith got right to the point, not liking what she was feeling at all. Something was wrong.

"No, I haven't." Tifa went to the lounging chair, unnecessarily fluffing the cushion.

"You haven't?"Aerith asked again, now slightly suspicious. She watched Tifa's back, waiting for an answer. Tifa sighed.

"I haven't seen him Aerith."A flash of thunder sounded from outside and Aerith got up and started walking towards Tifa, feeling as though each step was taking an eternity. She could hear the beat of her own heart drowning out everything else. Why was she feeling this way?

Aerith stopped until she was at Tifa's side.

"Are you sure?" Tifa stopped fluffing the pillows and stood up. She could feel tears coming and she knew she had to keep them back. She couldn't let herself cry or Aerith would know. Aerith placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?" Her voice wasn't cynical in the least, in fact it was caring. And Tifa couldn't take it. Did she know? Was that why she'd asked so many times? Why was she being so nice? Why couldn't she be nasty and make it easier to hate her? "Tifa-"

"Will you leave me alone! I told I don't know where he is!" Aerith stepped back, surprised at her outburst. Tifa immediately regretted it, ashamed of her behavior. Aerith's suspicion only grew at her unprovoked outburst and she tried to banish the feeling, but it was all for naught. Tifa was hiding something. "I'm sorry." her apology was ruined by a sob and she turned away again.

"Look at me." Aerith asked gently. Tifa turned around and sighed. "I'm sorry."she apologized again, but not for her outburst. But Aerith thought it was.

Suddenly the door flew open and there standing in the doorway was Cloud. The scene before him alarmed him and Tifa sent a look his way telling him that she hadn't told. The panic melted away from his eyes and he closed the door.

Aerith wondered why he'd come to Tifa's house in the first place, but she was unable to give that much thought, considering the immense happiness she felt at seeing Cloud. She immediately ran up to him and threw her arm around him, happily. Cloud weakly returned her embrace looking at Tifa over her shoulder. Boy, had he screwed things up. Aerith was saying something to him but all he could pay attention to was the way Tifa was avoiding his eyes, the way she was trying not to cry. Everything in her body language gave her away. He'd known her long enough to know when something was wrong.

She'd never been one to break down in tears. She was tough, and Cloud was used to that, he loved that about her. Not that he didn't accept her vulnerability as well, but he been the one to make her feel that way...

"Cloud, let's go home." He heard Aerith say, he looked down into those trusting emerald eyes and it broke his heart. What had he done? He wanted to stay and talk with Tifa but he knew he at least owed Aerith a bit of time without complications. He followed Aerith out of the door, without a word to Tifa.

A month later Cloud still hadn't talked with Tifa. Times he wanted to, something would always come up and the more time passed the more he lost his nerve. However, somewhere else, a young ninja was scheming. After weeks of persuasion Vincent had finally agreed to meet with her. Tjid time she slipped on a pair of jeans, comfortable sneakers and t shirt that was a bit on the tight side. Hey, she couldn't completely let herself go! After that, she took off. Ready to meet Vincent.

She saw him standing where she'd asked him to wait and she slowed down marveling at Vincent's clothes which were strangely not his usual ones. He stood there with his bone straight posture, his black pants, black shirt and heavy black jacket looking better than Yuffie could have imagined. Yuffie smiled, maybe someday she could get him to wear something colorful and bright.

She walked up to him where she stood on the hill and smiled cheesily. He didn't smile back, in fact he was almost frowning. But it didn't deter Yuffie.

"What do you want?" He said coldly. Yuffie raised an eyebrow, so the walls were up again? Fine, she would just have to break them down again.

"Come on, I wanna take you somewhere." Vincent didn't move.

"I am not in the mood for games." Yuffie sighed.

"This isn't a game Vincey."

"I know you Yuffie, and don't call me that."

"Hey, after leaving a girl hangin,' the least you could do is this." Yuffie kept a cool exterior but this was the last piece of persuasion in her bag of tricks. Vincent really was a tough egg to crack. But fortunately it seemed to work and in no time they arrived at the destination.

"Ta-daaa!" Yuffie exclaimed, motioning to the club.

"Jazz?" Vincent asked.

"You got it!" Yuffie said, holding out her hand. But Vincent didn't take it.

"No." Vincent had to admit that a part of him was touched that she'd remembered what he's told her about his tastes and that he really wanted to go inside. But he knew that all of this spelled trouble. He felt that the desire to give in, which conveniently seemed to pop up whenever Yuffie was around, was somewhere close.

Yuffie pouted.

"Vincey, please?" Vincent tried not to smile. Why was her incessant whining not annoying him? Why was it almost...cute? "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaase!" Vincent took her hand.

"Fine, but only for a minute."

The entered the club and grabbed a table near the band. They both ordered coffee and Vincet eyed Yuffie's cup warily, finding he wasn't all that comfortable knowing she was about to consume a fair share of caffeine.

"You enjoy jazz?" Vincent asked leaning back in his chair.

"Uh...sure. It's so... jazzy." Yuffie sighed, why did she get so stupid around him?

"What do you like the most about it?" Vincent asked h a twinkle in his scarlet eyes.

"Um, the jazziness?"

"Oh." An awkward silence settled and Yuffie couldn't take it anymore.

"Wait, Vincent, I have to tell you something." Yuffie looked at a spot on the table. "I'm not really into jazz, and I know hardly anything about it."

"I never would have guessed." Vincent said sarcastically. "Why then, did you say you were?"

"It's really stupid. You don't want to know."

"I wouldn't have asked if that was true."

Well, I um..." Vincent raised an eyebrow. "I just wanted to impress you okay!" Yuffie put her hands over her face. "This is so embarrassing."

"You do not have to try to impress me." Vincent pulled her hands down from her face, taking her hands in his. "I like you the way you are."

"You like me?" Vincent sighed, there was no taking it back now.

"Is it not obvious?"

"So...how much do you like me?"

"Yuffie, taking this any farther would be a good mistake. This whole thing is a bad idea."

"Well aren't you Mr. Sunshine!" Yuffie stood up. "But, while we're here, just one dance?"

"Yuffie..."

"Pleeeeeaaase." She put on her biggest cheesiest smile and Vincent gave in.

"Fine."

He took her hand and led her out onto the floor and the lively song that was playing before faded into a much slower one. She was never all that good at slow dancing. But Vincent seemed to be strangely in his element and he immediately took charge, she basically just went along with him.

She leaned her head on his chest and he took another sweeping turn, nearly lifting her off of her feet.

Vincent found he liked the way she fit into his arms, and with his body. His hands moved down to her waist and he pulled her closer. Oh how he wanted to push her away, but he couldn't. Not this time. He tried to soothe his conflicting thoughts with the prospect that their dance would end soon but it didn't work at all. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard her laugh.

"What is it?"

"Your hair...it tickled me." She giggled again when the soft hair brushed past the sensitive skin of her neck.

"You're ticklish?" Vincent asked amused. Vincent raised his hand to touch that spot on her neck. Yuffie laughed and a wicked spark ignited in his eyes. His placed a chaste kiss on that same spot and her response was caught somewhere between a cry of surprise and a moan. Vincent tried to rid himself of the thoughts running through his head. What was he doing?

"Vincent?" she asked, threading her fingers through his dark silky hair. He grabbed her hands down from his hair and kissed her fingertips.

"This is a bad idea. We have to stop now."

"No we don't." she breathed.

"Yes we do. We shouldn't..." he lost his train of thought the moment her lips pouted and he moved in, despite his own protests. "Yuffie, it's dangerous." He said, his lips now inches from hers.

"What if I like danger?" She giggled. Vincent's eyes glazed over, no matter what he said to her she just didn't care. "Kiss me Vincent?" He wanted to turn her down like last time, but he couldn't. Instead he gave in, thinking as his lips descended upon hers, that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

Tifa dragged her feet to the door, feeling sick as a dog. She didn't know why she was sick but all of a sudden she was stuck in this nagging sickness. She'd been feeling miserable since a week ago and no medicine she took got rid of it. A nice warm bed was waiting upstairs, but someone was at her door. She opened the door and nearly did a double take. It was Cloud. She immediately went to slam the door in his face but he stopped it with his hand and she continued to hold the door hardly open.

"Tifa, please. I know I haven't been here-"

"Oh, and that's all! Go away. I don't want to see your face."

"Please, I just want to talk to you."

"Wow, and it only took you a whole month!" Cloud removed his hand and the door shut. But he still spoke and Tifa listened.

"I'm sorry, just let me explain." Tifa crossed her arms and waited silently at the other side of the door. "I know there isn't an excuse-" the door suddenly opened.

"Just get in here." Cloud looked up surprised at her quick change of mood. He walked in and they both sat at the table.

"I-"

"You've chosen Aerith haven't you?" The question caught Cloud off guard and he didn't know how to answer.

"I think we should be friends." Tifa stared at him.

"That's all you have to say to me!" She stood up quickly. "You sleep with me, disappear and give me the cold shoulder a damn month and that's all you have to say to me!"

"Tifa calm down." he said marveling at how fast she'd switched gears.

"No! I will not! How can you keep on ignoring what we have! Why are you always choosing her over me?" she said practically hysterical. Cloud was shocked, but that shock quickly melted into anger.

" Keep her out of this."

"Wouldn't that be convenient. Let's keep poor innocent Aerith out of this. Too late Cloud, she's in it!"

"She didn't do anything to you." Cloud said, standing up himself.

"No, but you sure did something to her. How do you live with yourself?" Guilt very clearly flashed across Cloud's eyes.

"That was a mistake, we were drunk." he said trying to keep from yelling. Tifa looked as if he had physically hit her and he immediately regretted his words. It became worse when she started to cry. Another mood swing. The tears silently fell and she walked to the door.

"Out."

"Tifa-"

"Out. I can't spend my life thinking you'll recognize something right in front of you. I'm always going to be second best."

"I just want to be friends." He said, part of him not believing his words. He was still confused with his feelings but being with Aerith seemed like the right thing to do. He couldn't just up and leave her. Even if his heart belonged to someone else. Cloud looked at Tifa, knowing he'd never seen her act like this.

"I don't want to be your friend, not anymore. Leave." Cloud glared at her through narrowed eyes. Why was she acting this way? He knew that there was a lot to fix but she was being ridiculous. He cloaked his hurt in anger and walked past her.

"Fine, I'm going home to Aerith. Where I belong." he wasn't sure if he believed his own words, but he left without another word.

Tifa stood in the livingroom alone, until her familiar nausea returned. And so she ran to the bathroom, gone to throw up for the third time that morning.

(A/N: This chapter has left me feeling all jittery! I understand that Tifa's character was a little strange this chapter but I did that because I'm hinting like hell at something... Anyway, I guess I better get started thinking up the next chapter! And like I said before, my new cloti story doesn't mean I'm going to stop writing this story. Thanks for the reviews! Until next time.)