A/N: Alright,this is the 2nd draft for this story. The 1st one was totally obliterated when I tried to copy the text and instead pasted something else. I'm a little ticked...BUT ITS ALRIGHT...I've got a new scenario...that will hopefully work...the prompt is {handyman}. But it turns to {angsting about Aerith} really quick. Luckily, I managed to get back on track. XD Pure WAFF. No lemony goodness.

"Here?" Tifa asked. "No...I don't think so...too dark." she moved towards one of the windows hopefully. "There? Is that too dark? Maybe not. Too much sun from the window." Cloud was behind her, hefting a rather weighted table Tifa had acquired at an antique store. It seemed to be made entirely out of reinforced steel. His face was flushed from exertion, and his muscles ached for relaxation. But he remained dutifully silent. "Then again..I could always stick Cid or Barret there...I'm not sure. Cloud, what do you think?" Cloud's eyebrows raised.

"Huh?" he gasped out.

"Where do you think I-oh, Cloud, you don't have to pick it up yet! It's heavy!" Tifa exclaimed as she saw the young man's face. Cloud smoothly placed the table on the floor.

"Let me tell you." he said. Tifa laughed.

"I need to find a place to put it first." Cloud sighed.

"So..."

"I just don't know where." Tifa surveyed the room diligently. "Maybe we could just put it upstairs in your office..."

"All the way up there?" Cloud asked worriedly.

"Maybe. I mean, I kind of have a bunch of tables here already."

"But it's heavy..."

"Then find somewhere to put it down here." Tifa reasoned lightly, moving from behind the counter. "Want something to drink?"

"Water." Cloud said gently. Tifa fixed him a glass and handed it to him; Cloud's palms sweaty and coarse. "Sorry." he said as their hands brushed. Tifa smiled good-naturedly. They sat on the stools by the counter.

"It's alright." she paused a moment. "You didn't have to do this, you know."

"What?"

"Move the table around everywhere."

"Well, who was going to besides me?" Cloud fidgeted.

"Maybe Barret,next time he came over."

"Oh." Cloud took a gulp of his water hastily. "Guess I just felt like helping out." he stared at the glass shyly. Tifa smiled gently at him.

"Well, thank you."

"Yeah." Cloud blushed. "Welcome." Tifa could sense his nervousness, something that had been appearing as of late, and she stood.

"Well, let's get this finished."

After the table had been set up, Cloud tasked himself with repairing some broken chairs; no doubt the result of a over-excited patron and his rival. He felt good, being busy, helping out Tifa. The kids were fawning all over him as he hammered and bolted, chattering about school and adventures they had been on.

"We even saw a snake!" Marlene said excitedly during one of her tirades.

"It wasn't that big,though." Denzel added sorrowfully.

"Yeah, but he was mean,Cloud! Denzel scared him away though. With some rocks." Marlene hugged the boy. Denzel beamed slightly and blushed with the comment. Cloud chuckled.

"Well, I'm glad you guys are alright." he gently turned over the chair so the legs were up.

"Then we went over by where the grocery store is..." Marlene continued. "and there was a lady selling flowers!" Cloud paused.

Flowers...

"She was really nice." Denzel said in agreement.

"Yeah! They were like the church flowers,Cloud!" Cloud eyes furrowed. "All pretty and little..." Marlene said dreamily.

"Did you buy any?" Cloud asked,emotionless.

"No. We didn't have any money." Marlene replied sadly. Denzel shuffled.

"They were nice, though, Cloud. Tifa would have liked them."

"Tifa's not big on flowers." Cloud said, hammering rather loudly.

She used to be.

"We would've gotten her some if we had some money." Marlene said apologetically. "I didn't want to ask her for them for free." Denzel nodded.

"We're gunna go explore some more, okay Cloud?" he said, grabbing the little girl's hand. Marlene's face lit up.

"I promise to protect Denzel from the snakes!" she said as the boy lugged her away excitedly. Cloud's lips curled pleasantly and he sighed. From his side he saw Tifa come up to him, drinking something dark. It looked like soda, but he was unsure.

"Hey." he said, testing the chair by shaking it slightly.

"Hi." Tifa replied with a sigh. "Still working on those?"

"Yeah," Cloud said, grunting as he continued to rattle the legs. The broken one was still wobbly. "this damn leg won't stay on."

"Want me to help?" Tifa asked, kneeling to where he was working. Cloud looked at her and reddened slightly.

"No," he said softly. "I've got it."

"Want some lunch?" Tifa bit her lip as she watched him,anxious. She wanted to do something for him. After all, he was fixing everything that she would have hated to do herself. It was a rare moment where Cloud wanted to feel helpful, instead of saying why he couldn't. " I Could make you a sandwich or something." Cloud looked at her for a moment and smiled.

"A sandwich?" he smiled brighter.

"Your favorite sandwich." Tifa said knowingly. Cloud sniffed.

"Peanut butter and jelly..." he said.

"Do you want one?"

"Two?" Cloud said hopefully.

"Two." Tifa smiled,heading for the counter,then turning towards Cloud again. "Where did the kids go. by the way?"

"Exploring..." Cloud grunted as he nailed the final part of the seat to the chair. Tifa chuckled.

"Where they always go." she muttered. Where she assumed Cloud always went to. Except in a more buisness-like manner. The young man looked at her again, seemingly agitated.

"Tifa?"

"Hm?"

"Uh, can you...put extra jelly this time?"

"This time!?" Tifa said abruptly and with mock concern. "What about all the other times?!" Cloud put his face behind the back of the chair shyly.

"Well...I mean..." he blushed. Tifa smiled at him.

"I'm just kidding. I don't care." Cloud's eyes brightened suddenly, and Tifa gasped when she saw the electric mako color wash over them for a split second.

"You okay?" Cloud asked, gazing at her concernedly.

"Yeah..." Tifa replied, looking down and hiding her face. Cloud furrowed, and tested the chair by standing it up. The broken leg stayed steady without and wobbling or leaning. He beamed.

"Tifa," he said proudly. "I fixed it." He grinned sheepishly, and Tifa had to smile. He felt accomplished, and it was cute. She walked over to him and put her hands on her hips.

"Well, just because it stands by itself doesn't mean it's fixed." Tifa went to the front of the chair and attempted to take a seat, which was interrupted by the almost expected breaking of the already broken chair leg.

Tifa gasped, and felt herself caught by Cloud the second she realized she had been falling. She caught her breath and looked at him, the worried gaze on his face creating a warm flush of affection through her chest.

"T...Tifa?" Cloud managed, still slightly bewildered.

"Gods, Cloud. That was fast, don't you think?" Tifa said in shock as she righted herself, Cloud's hands dragging down her arms lazily. Her skin prickled where he touched her, and Cloud looked down when he became aroused by this.

"Well, you were falling...and there really isn't a lot of time to decide what to do,so..." he swallowed. "I caught you." the two of them were silent for a moment.

"Thanks." Tifa said, grabbing Cloud's hand. The young man's eyes softened. Again, Tifa was treated to the unnatural greenish-blue glow that coursed through them in times of emotion. Cloud smiled shyly.

"Mm." he looked at their hands together, his larger. He swallowed again.

"Tifa......?" he questioned when netheir of them moved. It seemed more like a statement, a reminder that she was there.

"Sorry." Tifa said, remembering her reality, and took her hand away. Cloud's mouth opened slightly as her touch left him, and he caught her hand as it retreated closer to her instinctively.

"Cloud?" It was Tifa's turn to question. Cloud slowly began to hold her, flushing heavily as he took her in his arms.

"Sorry..." he said. Tifa embraced him back, her arms holding his back firmly. They stood with each other for a minute or so, their breaths quiet and slow.

"It's alright. We're okay." Tifa said, her hopeful tone returning. Cloud purred.

"I know." he pulled away from her. "But the chair is still broken..." he looked down at the broken seat despairingly.

"It's alright." Tifa assured him with a small laugh. "I can always get the handyman to fix anything that gets broken." Cloud looked at her.

"Who?"

"Cloud Strife. I heard he's good at catching the girls." Tifa said thoughtfully. Cloud chuckled.

"Where would anybody get that idea..."