To Heal a Broken Heart
Chapter Ten - Choices
Disclaimer: I do not own FF7, its characters, settings or the like. These words, however, are mine.
Sunlight bathed the bedroom in a brilliant glow and Tifa's eyelids fluttered drowsily. Letting her eyes get used to the light that was coming through the very much opened blinds, which Tifa found increasingly annoying, it took her a few moments to focus and sit up.
She regretted that.
She let out a moan and placed a hand on her head. Her vision swam and she closed her eyes. How much had she had to drink? Better yet, what was she doing in... Rufus' room? She blinked. Huh? How had she even gotten home last night?
She stood and swayed slightly but eventually walked out into the living room.
'I guess it doesn't really matter...'
There was nothing around to indicate that either Rufus or the children were still in the house and she was somewhat glad for it. The last thing she needed was an absolutely pounding headache -- it wasn't all that bad at the moment, she noticed. In fact, all things considered, she felt a lot better. About everything.
Go figure.
She searched the cupboards in the adjoining kitchen for ingredients to a simple mix she'd learnt about long ago. It cured headaches -- hangovers -- quickly and effectively. Not altogether of course, but...
Mixing it, she wondered where her three companions had gone.
'Funny how I seem to have gotten used to the fact of Rufus being with the kids... It doesn't seem to bother me at all anymore...' She thought, frowning at the thought.
It was funny how much she'd learnt about Rufus. Before now she could have confidently said he was a cold and uncaring bastard, but now... She had to admit there was more to him.
She also had to admit, she wanted the chance to figure out what that 'something more' was.
She sighed as she downed the drink in one swallow and proceeded to make her way to the bathroom. For a nice, soothing shower.
She took a second to look over her appearance in the mirror upon entering and shutting the door. She tilted her head in confusion and sadness.
Not where I thought I'd end up.
What happened to me?
She smiled, defeated, and decided she really needed to not choose now to start her pity party. Stripping her clothing, she stepped into the shower and turned the water first to cold and then to hot. The rivulets of water slid down her frame and she closed her eyes in relaxation.
'Maybe...'
She scrubbed her body down with her strawberry shower gel and began to work on her hair.
'I'll call one of the others when I go home today...'
She had decided now, that she wanted to go home. She wanted to go back to the bar, to her business.
'Once I've saved up enough money... I'll get away from there, from Midgar. I'll make a living somewhere else.' Rinsing herself, she wrapped a towel around her form and walked out of the bathroom into surprisingly cold air. She walked into the the children's room and dressed.
'I'll give my children a proper life.'
She couldn't help but grin and stretch with the grace of a feline when she walked out the front door and into the sunlight. "It's so beautiful here!" She said aloud, waving at the passersby and the children kicking the soccer ball back and forth to each other.
She didn't need to think of where to go to find the others.
The beach was already crowded at nine thirty. Men were walking around lazily, swimming trunks, surfboards and all with a few women tagging along here or there. Otherwise, the women were lounging underneath the sun that was already warming the sand beneath Tifa's feet. Teenagers were playing their usual games and swimming around in the water and some, she noticed, were staring at her either... with jealousy or...? She was sure she didn't want to know, but it made her laugh all the same.
She felt so different!
She couldn't help but wonder why.
"Good morning!" Tifa chirped happily to Rufus.
"Tifa, look at me!" Marlene called out, waving enthusiastically and diving down under the water. Tifa clapped for her when she surfaced after performing a hand stand.
"That's great sweetie!" She called back out to her. She frowned down at Rufus at his lack of response. She sat beside him, hugged her knees to her chest and looked over at him inquisitively. "Is something wrong?"
She was shocked at how annoyed he was as he spared her a glance. She racked her brain then for any possible reason as to why he might be feeling that way.
"Do you really have no idea?" He asked and she couldn't deny there being an edge to his voice.
"I..." She began, but something clicked in her mind before she could even finish her sentence.
'I was at the villa this morning...'
'...I couldn't remember how...?'
The words suddenly formed in her mind and she could feel her stomach drop.
"You mean a lot to me... You know that?"
The last thing she could remember were those words and her lips touching his. Everything after that was gone.
'How could I have forgotten!? Oh my...'
"Oh my... God." Tifa gasped, looking over at him, horrified. He was standing now, to her dismay and he wasn't looking at her -- he was watching the children.
She couldn't describe what she was feeling.
Sorry and not sorry? She felt like she'd betrayed Cloud... Yet she felt like she had done something right for once.
She couldn't bring herself to say she regretted it -- not with it being true, anyways.
"It's funny the things people do when they spend their entire life loving and waiting for someone... When they don't come back, everything crashes down around you and you do... The stupidest things."
She was left to contemplate his words and what she was feeling... thinking... as he walked away from her.