A/N: Heh, I'll try to update more in this period before school starts. Meanwhile, this chapter is like really sad and I cried while I wrote it (Fine, ladyicicle, I teared.) It may be a exegeration but… hell. The chapter title, by the way, is an allusion to Utada Hikaru's song, "Kremlin Dusk"
Morning had broken.
The sizzling sounds of Tifa making breakfast woke Cloud up. It was still fairly early in the morning, and the girls were not up yet.
We can't go on like this forever.
By ignoring each other, what would the children think of them? As immature adults who were angry at one another?
Cloud reluctantly got up from bed, fearing to broach the subject to Tifa. But he had to do it and now too. It was the only time of the day when Tifa was not busy and the girls were not around to hear them.
He got up and changed, then making his way to the dining room or rather, a small room that was everything cramped into one room, living room, study and dining room. Tripping on a chair, he nervously sat down as he watched Tifa serve breakfast.
Barely daring to raise his eyes to her, he mumbled "Tifa we need to talk."
"About what?"
"About us, just the two of us. We can't go on ignoring each other. What will the children think?"
Tifa continued to get milk out of the refrigerator and place a cup by everyone's plate, as if Cloud had said nothing.
"It's you…you're the problem."
Underneath Tifa's uncaring front, Cloud could feel the seething anger of Tifa.
"You made my life broken a long time ago. I've just managed to live a life without you, but you've come to break it up, with your lover's daughter. Why can't you leave Fait and I alone! We're happier here withoutyou!"
Tifa was shrieking at Cloud now. "I will not be a substitute! Don't come back with your daughter now that your legal wife is dead and gone and rotting!"
Cloud became angry too. He had tolerated Tifa's mood swings and this was the final straw. Couldn't they have a proper conversation with each other without her getting angry or crying?
"Fine!" boomed Cloud "Since there is no point in me staying here with anunreasonable woman, I might as well leave!" and leave he did, slamming the door just as Tifa threw a glass at him.
The glass was shattered by the impact as it was thrown onto the door and its fragments fell onto the floor. Tifa's anger was like that glass, now shattered and broken.
Nothing remained of it except her guilt and sorrow.
A small sob alerted Tifa to the presence of another person. Turning her head she saw Fait hugging Reit, who was crying into Fait's pajamas. Although Fait was not crying, her eyes showed her fright and her figure shook with fear.
Seeing two innocent children, Tifa lost control of her emotions. She fell on her knees and cried, loudly and unabashedly, while mourning.
"Cloud, please come back. I really didn't mean it, I really love you!" shrieked Tifa at the door.
But Cloud could not hear Tifa, nor could the door send a message to Cloud.
He was too far away.
A/n: Was that sad? I realised my chapters are getting shorter. Sigh. Anyway, I forgot to put this at the start of the fic.
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own any of the characters other than my OCs.