Greener on the other side
by NihilisticAmbition313
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7. I do this only for entertainment purposes. I do not make a dime from this.
--
Chapter #26-"Life of the party"
As she said she would, Yuffie retrieved Marlene and Denzel from the video game arcade just a few blocks from Tifa's building. Normally, they would have been reluctant to leave the arena of loud noises and flashing lights, but not on this occasion. For on this day, Cloud and Tifa were home safe and sound, and with loads of souvenirs (Marlene hoped).
"Okay, guys. Go on ahead." Yuffie ordered them as they arrived outside of the bar.
It was clear that Yuffie had no intention of going inside with them.
"C'mon, Denzel! I bet I got cooler presents than you!"
"Na-uh!"
"C'mon, Yuffie!"
"No, not this time guys. I'm afraid I can't stay."
"Okey-dokey. See ya!"
The kids were too excited to care about Yuffie, and left her right on the sidewalk as they burst into the bar to find their newly married guardians. The young ninja just sighed, contemplating whether or not she had overreacted earlier, and if maybe she should talk to Tifa.
After all, Tifa was her best friend. At least, the closest thing she'd ever had to a best friend, which was saying a whole world's worth. Growing up, not a lot of people really wanted to be bothered with her. Even her father, Godo, seemed to go out of his way to avoid her.
By the time she was sixteen, Yuffie had made being an outcast an art form. She had begun doing things that were not nice or honest, and in a lot of ways were even passive aggressive. Stealing was the main offense amongst her ill behaviors. It started with covertly snatching tips left for the service at Turtle's Paradise. Somehow it graduated all the way up to robbing innocent travelers in the woods outside of Fort Condor, or any other wooded area on the map for that matter.
Comfortable in the knowledge that she was untouchable, Yuffie did not care who came her way during one of her robbery stake-outs. That is, until a band of travelers led by a guy with spikey hair showed up in her area. Try as she did, the young ninja descendant had met her match, and actually ended up joining that guy's motley crew (if only for the opportunity to rob them later). Tifa, a member of the group, subsequently took her under her wing, and had been there for her ever since...
Yuffie still stood there on the sidewalk, almost embarrassed about the scene she made in Tifa's home. Was it really necessary to have gotten so upset? Yuffie knew that she could simply be too sensitive at times. Despite her spunky attitude, her ego was very delicate and not at all difficult to shatter.
On the other hand, that was not the first instance of Tifa displaying mean spirited behavior toward her. It was always just easier to laugh it off.
Because, it's only me after all. Little Yuffie Kisaragi, the good ol' joke member of the team. That's me...Nah, you don't have to, gasp, treat me like a person. Matter of fact, you don't have to treat me at all. You can just leave me where I am and it won't matter. Nothing will change without me around...
In her heart she knew that was nonsense, but Yuffie did so love a good pity party...
Realizing that she was making an impasse of herself on the sidewalk, Yuffie crossed the road to that same bench she had shared with Krysten earlier, then sat...
--
"...Teef, just go to her." Cloud tried to encourage his wife, who'd been staring out at Yuffie.
The kids had come, said their hellos and gave their hugs, then disappeared to play with some new toys that the newlyweds bought for them in Costa Del Sol. Tifa had since been standing at a window by the front of the bar, looking at her best girlfriend while staying hidden from Yuffie's own line of vision.
"Go to her...How can I just go to her, Cloud? I snapped on her for no reason, once again...I can't just go to her and say 'I'm sorry', again. It would sound ridiculous."
"It'd be better than acting like nothing happened."
"I'm not acting like nothing happened, Cloud. I know what I did. It's what I always do to that girl...Some friend I am, huh?"
Cloud said something, but it was lost on Tifa. She'd moved away from the window and back behind the bar. For a few moments, she studied the liquid inventory lined up along the counter behind the bar. It would be only a thought, however. Tifa never drank that which she served, not even in stressful times. Were that the case, she would have been useless at her own wedding.
Instead of a bottle, Tifa grabbed a rag and began polishing the finished wooden surface of the bar.
"...You gonna be alright?" Cloud asked from the other side of the room.
"Yeah...I'll be fine. Go ahead."
Tifa could read Cloud like a grade school textbook. He wanted to go out and take a long ride.
"I'll be back before supper." He promised.
"Don't worry about it, honey. Just go on."
"...I love you."
Cloud's sudden declaration caught Tifa off guard. Not because he said it, but because of how he said it...
"I...love you too. You know that, right?"
"I do...I'll be back."
"And I'll be here."
--
Now that he needed to take a ride, Cloud had to retrieve Fenrir from Cid's garage. He did not want anyone tampering with his bike while he was away, so he left it where no one would dare trespass without a surefire way to avoid the wrath of Ifrit, in the form of Cid Highwind.
"Hey, short stuff." Cloud greeted Yuffie, who was still on the bench feeling sorry for herself.
"Cloud..."
"Y'know, Tifa's in there, not out here."
"I know." Yuffie lightly chuckled.
"...She's sorry, by the way."
"..."
"...Wanna go for a ride?"
"Huh?"
"Do you wanna go for a ride with me?"
"Oh, a ride...Sorry, but I'm not in much of a fun mood right now."
"So you're gonna sit here all day? You know they start charging by the hour to sit on public benches after twelve P.M., don't you?"
"They do not." Yuffie outright giggled.
"Shhh. Don't let Reeve hear that."
By now, Yuffie was all smiles. Cloud always knew how to cheer her up, no matter how much she wanted to 'party'.
"My lips are sealed. Far be it for me to give Reeve another excuse to pump us for gil." Yuffie said of the kindhearted but revenue-hungry leader of the WRO.
"Good...You sure you don't want to go riding?"
"I'm sure. There's something I should take care of now."
"She's right there behind the bar."
--
Tifa was intently polishing the same spot on the bar when she heard the door swing open. To her relief, there stood Yuffie.
"Hey."
"...Yuffie."
Yuffie had to ready herself quickly for Tifa as she came barreling from behind the bar to wrap her in a tight embrace.
"Yuffie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to snap on you like that. I was just upset about coming home and going back to work--"
"Tifa, it's okay. Listen, I'm sorry I got all dramatic about it. I totally overreacted."
"...Truce?"
"Of course...Tifa, could you let up? I can't breathe."
"Sorry...I just don't know my own strength sometimes." Tifa admitted with an embarassed laugh, letting her younger friend loose.
"Tell me about it."
"...Yuffie, I'm sorry that I go off on you sometimes."
Tifa noticed Yuffie simply nod, as if to say "And?"
"I don't know why I give you a hard time in particular. I guess maybe it's because you're like my little sister." Tifa said, and shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, if that's what having a big sister is like, I'm glad I'm an only child." Yuffie said flatly, deliberately making Tifa wonder if she was serious or only joking.
"...Being an only child isn't so much fun."
"No, it's not. At least you had Cloud. I had a Godo." Yuffie expressed bitterly.
"At least you had, and still have, a father." Tifa countered, offended by Yuffie's offhand remark.
"Excuse me, but are we competing over who had the more fucked up childhood here?"
"I never said my childhood was fucked up. You're the one with rejection and father issues."
It took all the resolve Yuffie could summon to not follow her first instinct and run away. She would not run from Tifa this time. Fists clenched so hard that her knuckles hurt, she stood her ground and prepared to defend her dignity.
"...That was mean, Tifa. That was mean and uncalled for, and I demand an apology."
"An apology? You said so yourself that you have issues. I'm just repeating you."
"They're my issues, and I can talk about them however I want. You have no right to talk about them like that."
"...You're right. I'm--"
"Save it. Please, just save it. I'm sick of hearing it. I'm leaving now. Not running away, but leaving of my own accord. Later."
"...Later."
--
As Yuffie hastily walked away from Seventh Heaven, she saw the brand new Valentine clan coming toward her. She stopped and waited for them to approach her, which they did shortly...
"Hi, Yuffie. Long time, no see." Andie greeted, genuinely happy to see her.
"You mean a week?"
"Ha ha. Okay, not that long."
"Where are you guys all going? To have a family portrait done?"
Vincent sensed the slight acidity in Yuffie's tone.
"Nothing of the sort. That will be tomorrow." he joked, nearly giving Yuffie a heart attack.
"Vinnie, did you just make a funny!?"
"He sure did." Krysten proudly spoke up. "I've been teaching Pops the finer points of humor."
"And failing miserably, which is where I came in." Andie followed, wasting no time getting over on Krysten.
"Whatever the case, that was pretty good Vinnie."
"Thank you. Do not expect it to become a habit."
"No way...So, where are you all going?"
"To see Cloud and Tifa."
"Oh." Yuffie uttered, face falling. "Cloud's not home right now. He went for a ride."
"Tifa?"
"Being a mega bi...She's there, in the bar."
"...Tread carefully?"
"Yup." Yuffie said, emphatically nodding her head.
"Hmm. Thank you, Yuffie."
"No problem. See ya."
Without another word, Yuffie continued down the sidewalk.