A/N: Okay so here's the smut, the lemon, the whatever you want to call it. I'll admit it took me a long time to post it, but honestly, I had writers block for this and who can blame me! It's not easy to write a story up to 26 parts and then try and make the two main people shag each other! xD

Anyway, I hope this makes up for the long wait and I hope you're not disappointed. If you are, I may re-write it and try again... But you'd have to say.

Part 26

She shut the door with a click and almost immediately he was on her, his hands slipping round her waist and pulling her back against him as his lips went to work, licking and tasting along her pulse point, letting his teeth graze every now and then. Her breath hitched in her chest as his fingers began fiddling with the buttons on her shirt. "Cloud," She breathed, "Slow down. Please?"

He moaned disapproval against her throat and continued on his quest until her hand stopped him, light and gentle over his, her voice sounding near his ear. "Please?"

After a moment's pause he raised his head, shifting his exploratory movements to a warm embrace hugging her from behind and letting the both of them breathe. "Sorry," he mumbled after a while, "I just can't help myself. You're just so perfect..."

She raised an eyebrow, trying to see him over her shoulder in the dark of the room. "And that means you can't keep your hands off me, does it?"

"Yes," he chuckled, his hands travelling down her front to the hem of her shirt, pulling it gently, teasingly. "To my credit, I did an excellent job at keeping my hands to myself in the taxi. And in the elevator! But we're alone now and unless the world is coming to an end or you have a very good reason why not, I'm not letting you go tonight."

He waited a moment for her very good reason, but when it never came, and she simply spun in his grasp, a shy smile gracing her lips, he backed her slowly against her door, twining their fingers and bracing her hands against the wood either side of her head, before claiming those lips for his own in long, slow, soft kisses.

Tifa couldn't help the smile that widened across her face as their lips moved in sync, she had kissed men before, sure, but this was different. She felt vulnerable and safe and cold and hot and flustered and calm all at the same time and she was fairly sure it was as a result of this man right here. She wanted to move her hands, wanted to feel his hair beneath her fingertips and she struggled her hands in his grip.

"What is it?" He asked, his lips brushing hers as he spoke, his voice holding concern and hesitance, but also promises and hints of what was to come, if she didn't stop him first.

"I want my hands back." She whispered, her eyes fluttering open to gaze into his glowing blue eyes, before they fluttered closed again and she tugged emphatically on his hands, signalling what she wanted.

"What if I said no?" He asked and practically heard her heartbeat race as her eyes flew open to gaze at his mischievous smirk.

"Then..." she mumbled, realising she had no idea what she would do if he said no. She was at his mercy now and there was no chance of overpowering him, he was just too strong for that. And besides, she wasn't so sure she wanted to stop him... He was... Intoxicating.

"What's this?" He asked mockingly, his smirk turning into a full grin as he moved his hands to her waist, her fingers still entwined through his. "The police lieutenant doesn't have an answer to her reckless lover's question?"

She blushed at the way her hands were now held securely behind her back and looked away as his words by her ear sounded somewhat triumphant. "I-I don't consider you to be my lover." She stammered in an effort to help her pride.

Immediately he withdrew, a slightly hurt look on his face. "Oh..." He let go of her hands and they fell to the sides limply. A crushing feeling of dread stabbed through her as she realised she'd hurt his feelings.

"I didn't mean it like that..." She whispered, unable to meet his bruising gaze, so instead looking awkwardly at her feet. "I meant... I haven't had the chance to really let it settle in... It doesn't feel as though you're really here as my... Lover..."

"Oh..." He still sounded hurt, as though he was waiting for another explanation. When she said nothing, and continued to fiddle with her feet in the carpet he said quietly, "Sorry... I just assumed..."

"It's alright..." She mumbled, then laughed, catching his attention and forcing eye contact as she laughed out, "Trust me to ruin the mood!"

His grin returned immediately as he took a step towards her, his words like velvet or smoke on silk in the darkness of the room – they hadn't even bothered to turn on the lights in their rush to get into the apartment – "I don't think the mood is ruined, even if you don't love me..."

She couldn't help but grin at his childish pout as he made his way slowly towards her, a glint in his eyes that she wasn't sure if it frightened her, or made her more excited and weak against him. His arms came around her waist and pulled her flush against him, leaving her hands to slide up his chest and tangle in his hair. "I do love you..."

His eyes widened and if his grin had gotten any wider it would have split his face in two. "Good," He whispered against her lips, slowly beginning to guide her through the apartment as he added, "It would be inconvenient if you didn't."

"Inconvenient?" She feigned insult as she frowned at him, one hand untangling from his hair to turn the knob on her bedroom door, "I would hope you would feel a little more than inconvenienced Mr Strife."

He smirked but didn't answer as they fell back on the bed, their lips joining again in a series of open mouthed kisses that, when Cloud shifted his attention to her neck and collarbones, left Tifa gasping for breath. She was laying back and enjoying the kisses he was lavishing upon her body, so much engrossed in the feel of his lips on her skin that at first she didn't notice what his right hand was doing until it was halfway down her shirt.

"Cloud I-..." She stammered, stopping and biting her lip. He raised his lips to frown at her. He felt sort of defeated and he wasn't at all happy with how things were going. He'd never had this much trouble having sex before but now it seemed there was a problem at every turn.

"You don't want to do this do you..."

She felt guilty the moment the words left his lips and she could understand why he might come to that conclusion. Her hesitance and reluctance were not encouraging signs when you were about to have sex with someone. She shook her head, "That's not it I just..." She bit her lip, wondering how she should phrase this...

"I've never done this before..."

As soon as she spoke those words, panic rose up into his chest. She was a virgin! She was inexperienced and fragile and this would hurt her. He didn't want to hurt her. He sat up, scooting away from her and turning to the edge of the bed, his legs crossed and huddled to his chest as he thought.

Tifa sat up, watching his back. She knew she shouldn't have said anything. And now he was backing away. But if they didn't do it tonight then when would they? She was going to have to lose it some time and she didn't like the thought of losing it to any other man. No, scratch that. She hated the thought. She moved to the other side of the bed and swung her legs over the edge. Somehow they had ended up in the middle of the bed and now they were sitting on opposite sides of it. There she was again, ruining the mood. She sighed with frustration and kicked her shoes off, making to stand up, but cloud's hand round her shoulders stopped her.

"I'm sorry I'm making you do this..." He mumbled and she felt his forehead fall against her back. She was feeling a little shocked, she hadn't even noticed him moving he was so silent and so quick, but she managed to nod any way. And then shake her head.

"Don't be. It's going to happen at some point isn't it?"

He shook his head, his hair making a noise against her shirt as he moved. "But it'll hurt you. And you deserve someone better for your first time. Someone more secure. More... Permanent..."

She sighed. She knew what he was referring to. At some point she was going to have to bring him in in cuffs and a label on his shirt. At some point he was going to be going to jail and if she continued her involvement with him any further she would lose her job. This was a losing battle no matter which way they looked at it.

"I know..." It was all she could think to answer and his arm tightened around her, a shuddering breath fluttering against her back. She didn't make much of it at first, it was just a sign of defeat. But then something struck her, it sounded like... But it couldn't be... Was he... Crying?

She swivelled round in his grip to try and see. He looked up at her movement and in the moonlight she could see he wasn't crying. But he looked odd. His eyes were dull and he looked depressed, but at the same time angry and a little turned on. She frowned. He blinked. And immediately the expression was gone. Now he just looked plain miserable.

"We shouldn't do this."

She nodded, peeling his arm from around her shoulders and stepping off the bed. "You're right. It isn't right for you to be my first time. I'm too pure for you. I should just go out and find someone else who's willing to ruin me. Don't worry, it's not like I had my hopes up or anything."

She didn't know why she turned to sarcasm, but the look on his face was just priceless. Shrugging, she turned and slipped her shoes back on her feet, did up the buttons on her shirt and made to leave the room. She jumped as his hand slammed the door shut, even before she had gotten round to opening it. Dammit he was so fast! It was frightening her, and when she turned to see him towering over her, only inches away, she took an involuntary step backwards.

He was pissed. Not angry, and certainly not at her. But he was pissed all the same. He didn't even bother with normal speed as he tried to stop her leaving. He only controlled his temper enough to stop himself punching a hole through her bedroom door, and even that was marginal. He was sure there would be a dent there in the morning. Her step backwards didn't slip his notice and he found himself growling, "Don't ever threaten to pass yourself off to some low life ever again. Do you hear me Tifa?"

She nodded and something akin to fear flashed through her eyes. He immediately began kicking himself for scaring her and wrapped his arms round her in a hug, whispering into her hair, "Never say that again. Because they will ruin you. And no one's allowed to do that but me."

She nodded, her arms sliding round his middle as she hid her face in his chest. "I'm sorry I scared you." He added.

"I'm sorry I threatened you... It was an empty threat... I was just trying to... help you make up your mind..." She admitted, feeling herself turning a brighter shade of pink with every broken sentence.

He chuckled and she could hear the sound reverberating through his chest beneath her ear. "Help me make up my mind that I would rather ruin you myself than let someone else do it?"

She nodded and he chuckled again, before he pulled away, lifting her chin to look her in the eye. She was glad she wasn't enough of a wuss to cry then as he whispered quietly, "Let me try again... And I'll try not to hurt you..."

She nodded, her eyelids fluttering closed as his mouth settled over hers again, soft and tentative, his tongue sliding along her bottom lip, asking her for permission. She parted her lips and allowed his tongue inside, swallowing a moan that threatened to escape her as it slid alongside her own.

For a single moment he had been the most frightening thing in the world – even more so than the mad man of 4 nights ago – and her first inclination would have been to turn tail and run away. But a part of her, the handful of rationality that remained, kept her where she was. And boy was she glad it did.

She shivered as his hands began exploring her body through the shirt, running down her sides and down her thigh, hitching it up over his hip as he leant her against the door. On the outside he was gentle and calm, but inside he was miserable. He was so frustrated that he had let his control slip enough for him to get angry at her for something he knew was an empty threat. But if he was honest – which he was, sometimes brutally on occasion – he still hated the prospect of someone else with their hands on her. She was his damn it!

"Cloud..." Her voice brought him out of his inner hating and he murmured that he was listening. "You've stopped."

He almost died of embarrassment to find that she was correct; he had stopped dead with her pressed against the door, his hands on her hips and his head hanging somewhere near her shoulder. He had been so busy annoying himself that he hadn't even noticed when his movements became infrequent and slowly ground to a halt all together.

"No I haven't" he lied, trying to patch up his mistake, "I was just wondering how long it would take to make you beg..."

Tifa's eyes widened and she turned her head to look at him, her hands falling to his shoulders as she gawked at him. Would he really? No, that wasn't the right question... How would he? The thought that he might have some crazy tricks up his sleeve – possibly foreign if she was lucky – made her cheeks colour and she was glad the room was so dark.

"You're blushing Lockheart."

His voice was a deep purr in the darkness and if anything it only made her blush even more. Just her luck that he could see in the dark. "Gone back to that little pet name have you?" She questioned with just a hint of irritation.

"If only to make you hotter." He remarked as her cheeks radiated heat, her dark eyes swirling with want and lust. Gods she was beautiful like this, trapped in his arms, and blushing. She always seemed to blush around him. He let the corners of his lips curl upwards slightly as he added, "And I know you can't resist me when I say it, Lockheart."

She couldn't see him properly in the darkness, but she just knew he was smirking, she could hear it in his voice. It didn't help that he was right, she loved the sound of her name rolling off his tongue in that cocky tone he always seemed to have equipped. She didn't get time to reply however, as his lips covered hers with small kisses, trailing along her jaw to her ear.

Cloud smirked, he could hear her breathing increasing in the same way her pulse was racing under his lips. He heard it catch in her chest when he slid a hand under her shirt – unbuttoning the thing obviously wasn't working – and sent his fingers skimming across her stomach, then further up to her breast, stroking his thumb over the nipple, feeling it pebble at his touch.

Needing to feel soft skin under his mouth, he grabbed the rim of the shirt and dragged it off over her head, pausing at the way her hair fell thick and silken around her shoulders, slightly mussed from their activity and so dark against her strikingly white skin. How come she was always able to make him feel like a schoolboy again? Facing his first time with wobbly knees and braces – something he had promised himself he would never be forced to endure again – just by looking at him?

He dropped her shirt on the floor and spun her onto the bed – if only to distract from the urge to scratch the back of his neck – placing a knee on the mattress to fall comfortably over her, supporting his weight so as not to crush her. She was obviously feeling more daring because careful fingers began pulling on his t-shirt, silently demanding that he should remove it. He obliged willingly, straightening to pull it over his head and throw it somewhere in the room, he didn't care where, before returning to her, his mouth open and sliding along the column of her throat as one hand – the hand that wasn't supporting his weight – settled on her breast.

Tifa couldn't help the moan that slipped through her lips when his mouth found her breast, biting and laving her through the material of her bra. Before, she would never have thought that such a sensation existed, it was indescribable, almost like a swell of feeling that somehow wasn't enough for her. She wanted to tell him it wasn't enough, but a part of her thought she might sound stupid; as if there was something more he had to give her.

She shut her eyes in the darkness and resigned herself to the feel of his lips on her chest, slowly travelling lower, the soft tips of his hair brushing lightly against her skin. This was the first time she'd felt something like this, and was most likely to be the last, so she wasn't going to make any moves to stop him.

"You can tell me to stop if you get uncomfortable." He murmured against her skin as his fingers hooked into the waist line of her skirt, pulling it down her legs and tossing it aside.

"I won't," She promised, "I'm not sure quite what to be uncomfortable with anyway."

He chuckled, a low noise in the back of his throat that made her shiver, and she could just see the dim light from outside reflecting in his glowing eyes. Glowing eyes? She half frowned, but then sighed, deciding it didn't matter as his lips returned to her body, kissing and licking everywhere they could find, tasting every last little bit of her and she arched her back from the bed to allow his hands to slip behind her and undo the clasp at her back.

Cloud could have groaned at the sight that now lay spread out on the bed before him. Once the most of her clothing was out of the way, he had been free to explore her body at his leisure, but there was one thing that was stopping him. Her underwear. It had occurred to him that removing someone's underwear might come across rather presumptuous, so he warned her beforehand. Well, kind of. She's made no complaints or showed any signs of stopping him – she'd even helped him take it off – so the only thing remaining between them were his clothes and her panties.

He admitted to himself that he felt a little nervous, but that was only to be expected of a couple's first time together right? Besides, he wanted this – scratch that, he needed this – and by her pink complexion and flustered, heated expression, he could tell she wanted his as well. In fact, if she got any redder, she might even set the duvet on fire.

He smirked at the thought and leant in to kiss her, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth to run along her teeth and battle against her own.

Tifa felt a stab of embarrassment when his fingers tucked into her panties and tugged them down her legs far enough for her to kick her feet free. She felt even more embarrassed when long digits fluttered over her swollen lips, then slowly sunk inside. She gasped, her hands fisting in the covers either side of her, unconsciously planting her feet and moving with each thrust of his fingers.

"Good," he crooned, watching her face as she gasped for breath, completely transported as he curled his fingers inside her, almost beckoning her to come for him, "Trust me Tifa."

She struggled with some unintelligible reply, and he smiled as he rotated his wrist, brushing his thumb over her clit. She was beautiful right now – well she was beautiful all the time but now much more than ever – naked and trusting on the sheets in front of him, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks under gleaming ruby eyes, her dark hair splayed out across the pillows, her back arched and small cries and moans falling from her slightly parted lips. Solely for him.

He allowed himself one last glimpse of her face, before he lower his head, replacing the caress of his fingers with the firm heat of his tongue.

"Cloud!" His name left her mouth in a breathless gasp as pleasure wrapped her from head to toe. Her fingers slipped from the sheets, to thread through the soft strands of his hair, holding him still as she bucked under the motion of his tongue, leaving heat and sensation in it's wake, before it repeated the action over tingling flesh and swept her up in a storm of pleasure.

He resisted the urge to groan as he felt her come against his tongue, she tasted like vanilla and musk and although he wasn't overly fond of sweet things, she reminded him of vanilla ice cream. Just not so cold and she left him far more breathless than any ice cream ever had. He gently soothed her down from her high, then sat up laughing.

"What?" She grumbled, feeling a little embarrassed at his laughter and her shameless use of his name. Reaching up, he detangled her fingers from his hair, and then stood from the bed to completely undress, pausing to wipe the shine from his mouth and chin with a tissue.

"You're easy to please huh?" He teased her, lowering himself over her again and kissing her softly. She wrinkled her nose at the taste of herself on his lips but he simply smirked, "I like the way you taste."

She flushed pink and averted her gaze from those blue, glowing orbs. "This will hurt," He whispered, reaching down with one hand to spread her legs further, couching himself closer against her. He was hard and thick already and the feeling stirred something to coil in her stomach. Anticipation perhaps?

"Are you ready?" He asked softly, his eyes searching her face for any hesitance, but she simply nodded and kissed him, ignoring the lingering flavour on his lips.

He looked down between them, lining himself up, then returned his eyes to her, locking her gaze as he pushed forwards. He supposed he should have felt guilty – and he did a little - at the pained look on her face as he sunk further in, but she was so hot and so tight, and with the lingering spasms of internal muscles working against him, he found it almost impossible to just not care and to focus on that wonderful feeling, but he could still recognise the way her body tensed the moment he met any resistance.

Gritting his teeth, he paused a moment for her to catch her breath, before breaking through in one vicious thrust. She gasped, the arms that had made their way around his shoulders tightening sharply and he could see the expression of mingled shock and pain on her face very clearly in the darkness. "Sorry..." He muttered, burying his face in her shoulder and hoping it didn't hurt too much, because after all he had no real idea.

"Don't be. I wanted this remember. It's not against my will."

He nodded. It was amazing how trusting this woman was. Slowly, he began to move, altering the pace depending on the intakes of breath at his ear. He was wrapped in his own little world, carefully going slowly and gently when Tifa spoke in his ear, her slightly shaking hands beginning to roam his body. "Move Cloud."

He half smiled at the order which he smugly noted was practically seeping desperation, "Yes ma'am." He leant into her, quickening his pace and grinding their pelvic bones together. It would have appeared that she had gotten over the pain, and now she was just as demanding and confident as any of the other women he had been with. (Although his accounts of these occasions were hazy at best as they were invariably due to vast amounts of drink and drugs being ingested in some form or another.)

They moved in sync, her hips rising to meet his each time he withdrew to surge forward again and after a few minutes Tifa was back on the breaking point again, her pulse quickening beneath his lips and her breaths becoming erratic near his ear.

"Say my name." He urged, detaching his mouth from the deep red hickey now proudly proclaiming her as his. Maybe she had a point, he did have a thing for giving her hickeys, not that he really minded, it was a habit he could get used to.

"Cloud," the word was purred against his skin, sending a shiver down his spine, something he rewarded with a swivel of his hips and his fingers made their way back to find her clit, moving in slow circles around it, prompting a much breathier, much more heartfelt cry. "Oh! Cloud!"

She screwed her eyes shut as she came on a cry of his name. She heard his muffled groan as he spilled inside her, his shaft jerking as he came.

Once the last tremors faded, he pulled out of her and fell to the side, breathing hard, a grin smacked across his face. Folding her close in his arms he sifted his fingers through her hair as she struggled to get her breathing back under control.

"Rubbish..." He muttered near her ear and sniggered at the shocked expression that covered her face, quickly adding , before the shock could form into hurt, "But you know, practice makes perfect."

And then she was pinned beneath him again as his lips made short work of her recently controlled breathing, sending it spiralling out of control again. "Cloud... I..."

He smiled and raised his head to place a light kiss on her forehead. "Not tonight though hmm? You'll need your rest then Teef, big day tomorrow."

When she frowned in the darkness he sighed, "Gotta turn myself in now haven't I. I promised didn't I; tell you my name so you can scream it to me later, kiss me and I let you go, sleep with me and I turn myself in."

She groaned and shook her head, making Cloud hum his commiseration, before rolling onto his side and pulling her close, reaching a hand out to grasp the bed covers – which had been kicked aside at some point in their exchange – and dragged them over them both, before allowing himself to slip into sleep, the sound of Tifa's gentle, settled breathing lulling him off.

Yes, tomorrow he had to turn himself in, and from tomorrow onwards, their relationship would be purely the Cop and the Criminal. But that didn't mean tonight hadn't happened. And anyway, it wasn't tomorrow yet so he could still revel in the feel of her skin against his and her breathing fluttering across his shoulder. Besides, if things went according to his plan, he wouldn't be seen as the criminal for any great length of time. But then again, that all relied on his comrades.

A/N: Boy am I glad that's over haha xD

The next chapter gets on with the story. I had originally said I would finish this by part 27. But obviously it's gonna take me longer than that, as you can probably imagine, seeing as how part 27 is the next bit lol xD Anyway, the plot bunnies have just struck yet again so I'm off and should have the next chapter up fairly soon :D

Cya

-Okami