A/N: Wow, this is a day of milestones. First of all, thank you soooooo very much for all my readers/reviewers who have helped push this collection over 100 (!) reviews. I never thought I'd ever get a story with such great reception. Thanks a million!!! Second, this chapter also marks the first multi-chapter thing that I've posted that has exceeded single digit chapters! Hehehe...I guess that second one isn't really a big deal, but if you're like me and have a couple of stories stuck at 6, 7, and 9 chapters each, then this is a major deal. Lol.

Okay, anyway, with all of that stuff out of the way, hope you all like this newest installment! Read, enjoy, learn a new word, and review!!

WORD OF THE DAY (3/12)

Tetchy

Adj. Peevish; testy; irritable.

If there was any one word that could best encapsulate Tifa's temperament, it would be nothing short of "patient." Those who knew her were infinitely grateful for such a disposition because, for whatever reason, all the idiots of the world seemed attracted to her graciousness and almost innately flocked to her.

This, of course, included one emotionally unstable—though he was working on it—and partial to few words—a habit he tried to break—ex-SOLDIER with a head of spiky hair that shockingly resembled a chocobo's posterior. Or so he was told anyway.

Oh and he was well-aware that he was one of the greatest the beneficiaries—if not the greatest—of Tifa's wondrously enduring soul. For that, he was infinitely grateful, to be sure. No one else, he was absolutely certain, would be willing to outlast his stubborn streak of self-deprecation with the persistent patience that Tifa had done for him.

A faint smile touched his lips when he remembered how she'd only grinned knowingly when he finally told her he loved her. It was almost as if she'd known all along. Or maybe she really had.

Whatever the case, their relationship was enviably loving and one that others would consider undeniably cute if it weren't so sickeningly sweet.

So imagine a certain ninja's extreme surprise when she arrived at the world-renowned Seventh Heaven to catch up with some old friends—and to get some free liquor while she's at it—only to find a certain delivery boy camped out on (read: kicked out to) the living room sofa and furiously grouping the strangest combinations of food items she'd ever seen in her life. This plate looked suspiciously like pickles dipped in peanut butter and chocolate; that plate a crepe filled with mustard and whipped cream....She didn't even want to know what that plate was.

"Whoa. Chocobo head. D'ya finally fall off the deep end? Then again, you kinda already did. But still, this is pretty weird, even for you."

"Yuffie," Cloud acknowledged briefly, barely sparing her a glance before returning dedicatedly to the making of odd edibles (though whether or not they were really edible is another matter altogether).

"Gawd, don't tell me that's what you call dinner. Where's Tifa? She oughtta make a rule that you can't touch the kitchen."

"She's upstairs." When Yuffie started bounding up the steps, Cloud called out, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Not unless you have a peace offering."

"Peace offering? Pshaw! This is Tifa we're talking about. Peace offering…"

Cloud shrugged. "Your funeral."

"Whatever. Just watch me. The Great Ninja Yuffie is afraid of nothing!"

Despite her outward show of confidence, the young ninja couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated. Okay, very intimidated. Cloud wasn't one to exaggerate. He was also not one to get frightened easily. So if he was down here making a peace offering just to see Tifa instead of just marching on upstairs to kiss the barmaid senseless and making her see things his way like that….well…that didn't bode well for everyone else.

Still, this was Tifa, she reminded herself. Tifa had a patience that was unparalleled. How bad could it possibly be?

Right. It can't be that bad. She was just here saying hi anyway. Up the stairs then.

Too bad her feet carried her to the sofa in the living room instead of upstairs to her friend's room. She wasn't scared. No, never. She just wanted to see what Cloud was up to first.

Yup. That's it. Not afraid.

It wasn't before long she heard Cloud take in a deep breath as if to harden his resolve before starting up the stairs while carrying a tray holding all the plates of food he'd made and she couldn't help but shudder at the fact that Cloud was this scared.

She followed him to the bottom of the staircase and watched with fascination as his hands seemed to tremble a little more the closer he got to the top. She couldn't help but feel slightly frightened for him when he hesitantly knocked on the bedroom door he shared with Tifa. The door opened and Cloud looked like he was facing his execution.

A few moments of silence followed, Yuffie not all that willing to get to close in case she'd get caught in the collateral damage, and she thanked her lucky materia that she stayed back because suddenly there was some indistinct yelling—by the sounds of it, all from Tifa—followed by a certain delivery boy getting thrown out of the room. Not quite literally, but close enough that he'd probably made a dent in the wall.

Yuffie stared at the scene incredulously. She'd never in all the years she'd known Tifa EVER seen her quite as tetchy as that. "Strife, what did you do to her?"

Cloud shrugged nonchalantly after he picked himself off the floor, plucking a peanut butter-covered pickle from his hair as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "I got her pregnant."

Shout-outs: ishmaranara, et cetera et cetera, Qwi-Xux, DreadPirateSephy, vx-Luna-xv, Spiritslayer, DarKxKunoichi, Sacred3, elebelly, San Hayashi, rapturesrevenge, Cloti22, Asterxia Sy, rokusan23

Much love to you all!!