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PART 6 I'll Be Seeing You


Zack stared at Tifa absentmindedly as she poured a beer
for a customer.

'Everything seems to be going okay now,' Zack thought,
remembering the past week and a half. 'Tifa seems all right
now. It looks like she's coping. The bar's been doing good and
she seems to be returning to her old self. But...' He took a
big gulp of the drink on the counter. 'Damn. I can't be getting
drunk now.' He pushed the glass away and sat there, staring
at the brunette bar hostess.

"Heh, heh, heh..."

Zack turned his head and saw a man in his forties, looking
at him with a strange, drunken smile on his face.

"You thinkin' of getting it on with her?" he asked.

Zack's eyes bulged. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"It looks like you got the hots for the cute bartender," the
man laughed. He was obviously drunk.

"I have no idea why the hell you're talking to me about this
so could you please take your drunken ass somewhere else?"

"Hmm... Maybe to the cute bartender's bedroom? I'd
sure love to get some, ya know."

He was REALLY drunk. And perverted. And he was making
Zack angry. Zack grabbed the man by the collar and looked
him in the eye with a threatening glare.

"I swear, if you do anything to Tifa, old man, I will..."

The man calmly removed Zack's hands and brushed off his
shirt as if there was any dirt. "Heh, heh. This shirt is
expensive, y'know."

"Old man..."

"I wasn't going to do anything to her. Just joking around!
Besides, she'd look better with you anyways. And also..."
The man winked. "I think she's got the hots for you, too."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Drunken old man..." he mumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh." The man stood up and took his drink. "Well,
see you later, man."

Zack glared at him as he left. He then turned to stare at
Tifa again. He absentmindedly licked his lips upon realizing
how attractive Tifa really was. 'Me and Tifa...' he
thought. 'Not too bad...'

"Hm?" After serving a customer, Tifa looked over her
shoulder at Zack who was staring at her strangely. "Zack?"

Zack snapped out of his daze. "Huh? Yeah? What is it,
Tifa?"

"You okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. What makes you think I'm not?"

"It's just...you've been looking at me weird..."

"No...I wasn't..."

"Yes, you were."

Zack let out a long sigh and then smiled up at her. "Fine.
Fine, fine, fine..."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"I was just fantasizing about you. Is that so bad?"

Tifa felt her cheeks grow warmer. "Don't...kid around..."

Zack stood up and walked over to her. "You're a sexy
woman, you know that, Tifa?"

Tifa hit him playfully as she tried to hide her blushing
face. "I'm serious! Stop it!"

"So am I," Zack replied as he stood up from his seat
and turned to walk away. "See ya later, Tifa," he said,
looking over his shoulder and winking at her.

Tifa blushed again as she watched him leave. "What
a silly man..."





~*~*~*~





"Looking at the stars again?"

Tifa turned around to see who was behind her. "Good
evening, Zack."

Zack went and stood next to her, leaning his arms on the
railing. "You always come up here to the room. Even on
rainy nights."

"Why? Is there a problem with that?"

"No." Zack shook his head. "No. Just curious."

"Of what?"

"Of what's up with you and the stars."

Tifa looked up. "It's just... I don't know. I really should
hate them. They always create false hopes inside of
people."

"How so?"

"People believe that the stars could make their wishes
come true. It's stupid. Those who believe in those
lies are all dumbasses."

"Haven't you ever wished on a star? Even once? And
hope it would come true?"

Tifa lowered her head. "Of course. That's why I'm such
a dumbass."

"Don't say that!"

"It's true, isn't it?"

"No! I'm sure your wishes will come true eventually..."

Tifa looked sidelong at him. "Heh. I never thought you'd
be so dumb to think that."

"C'mon. Wishes do come true."

"Not this one. No. This one will never come true."

"How come?"

"I...I've been wishing since I was 5...and yet...nothing.
I gave up years ago..."

"What was that wish?"

Tifa hesitated. "I wished that...someone would care for me...
Yeah, my parents cared a lot but...I...wanted something...
more than that... I...wanted...Cl..." She shook her head. "No.
Forget it, it's nothing. Nothing important, anyway."

"No..." Zack moved closer. "It's very important. Tell me what
it was."

Tifa stared at him for a while then turned away. "I just...
wanted...someone to..." She made her voice barely audible.
"I just wanted someone to love me...that's all..." She then
looked up at him with a smile plastered onto her face. "B-But
it'll never come true, anyway! It's been more than a decade
now and it still hasn't come true. I'm fine. It wasn't like I
wanted it to come true that badly!"

Zack could see the tears forming in her eyes. "Tifa..."

"I-I'm sorry..." Tifa said, wiping away the tears. "I-I
have something in my eye..."

Zack put down her hand and wiped her tears away with
his own. He let his hand caress her face. He slowly moved
closer until less than a centimeter was between their
bodies. "I think it already has come true..." He leaned his
face closer and closer to hers. "And it'll be much more than
you wished for..." Their lips were practically touching now.
Just a little...more...

Tifa shut her eyes and waited. 'Me and Zack...' she
thought. 'Maybe...it could work...'

Zack shut his eyes as well and prepared for the moment
their lips would met. It was only then that he realized how
much he wanted this. And now was finally the moment.
"...if you let me..."

'Of course...I'd let you...'

"...please..."

'Zack...'

"Tifa..."

'...but...'

That logical part of Tifa was at it again. It kept on telling
her that this was not what she wanted. She tried hard to
push it away but it just wouldn't go away. It was coming
back stronger. But as it did, Zack was coming closer. Should
she let him or should she push him away?

"Tifa..."

It sounded so good when he said it.

"Let me..."

She wanted to let him. 'Closer, please, closer...' She wanted
him to say her name again.

"Tifa???"

Their eyes both shot wide open. Tifa stepped backward.
They turned around when the door leading to the roof opened
and a familiar blonde came out.





~*~*~*~





"Want me to help you pack?"

Tifa wiped away her tears as she stopped packing for a while
and turned around.

"N-No thank you," Tifa replied. "I'm all right." She began
packing her things again.

Zack went ahead and handed her items for packing.

"T-Thank you..." Tifa said softly.

They stood silent, Zack handing her things as Tifa added
them to her suitcase. Then Zack suddenly stopped and Tifa
did the same when he did so.

"What's wrong?" Tifa asked.

"It's just..." Zack forced himself to smile at her. "It's hard
to believe you're actually leaving... It wasn't until now that I
realized that..."

Tifa felt her heart ache. It wasn't until then that she
realized she would miss him so much.

"It's kinda amazing, though," Zack said. "You love him that
much to agree to anything he asked of you. Even after he
left."

It WAS amazing, wasn't it? She agreed immediately when
Cloud has asked her the other night to go with him. She didn't
know where, she didn't know why but she agreed anyway.

Zack sighed. "What a lucky bastard," he chuckled. "Well,
good luck on whatever you're doing, Tifa." He held out his
hand. She shook his hand. God, it was wonderful to be
touching her, even if it was just a handshake.

"I'll miss you," he whispered.

"I'll miss you, too," Tifa replied. She tried to pull away from
him but he just wouldn't let go. Zack then realized what he
was doing and quickly let go.

"S-Sorry..." Zack stammered. He turned to leave. "Well,
Tifa...I-I'll be seeing you... Bye..."

Before Tifa could say a word, he was gone.