Tifa softly closed the door behind her while Cloud walked over to the desk, sitting down. Tifa also went over to him and sat down next to her boss and gave him a pitiful look.
"Want to talk about it?" she asked softly. For a few more minutes, Cloud just sat there, staring down at the floor. Then, he spoke up.
"I wanted to kill him, Tifa. If you wouldn't have been there, too…I would've shot him, no matter the cost."
"But you didn't." Tifa replied, putting a gentle hand on Clouds shoulder. The inspector looked at her, tears shimmering in his eyes. That sight touched Tifas heart in a way it had never been touched before.
"Oh, Cloud, I'm so sorry…" she whispered before she pulled the surprised inspector into a hug. After a short moment of hesitation, Cloud returned it, and he buried his face in Tifas shirt. His shoulders started to shake violently, and Tifa felt some hot liquid against her throat. Her boss was crying.
Twenty minutes later, Cloud and Tifa returned to the room were Vessel still sat, waiting, with a malicious grin on his face.
"Had a quick fuck, or what?" Vessel asked. Cloud didn't bother to answer; instead, he handcuffed Vessels wrists behind him and ordered two officers, which brought Vessel into one of the cells. As soon as the men were gone, Cloud gave Tifa a small smile.
"I need a coffee now…may I invite you, too?" the inspector asked. Tifa smiled and nodded.
"I'd be flattered, Cloud." Cloud's smile grew bigger, and the two of them left the room. They headed over to the coffee machine, and Cloud dug out enough coins to get two cups of coffee. He inserted them into the machine and waited until the coffee was ready, then he handed one of them to Tifa.
"There you go."
"Thanks." Tifa smiled at her boss, took a sip of her coffee and declined the cigarette Cloud offered her.
"I don't smoke, thanks." Cloud shrugged and tucked the package away again before he said:
"You have to be real good in fighting, as fast as you had Vessel down." Tifa blushed and replied:
"Really, I wasn't that good…" Cloud laughed and patted her shoulder.
"Always humble, eh?" he grinned. "I talked to your teacher, and he told me that you were the first one who defeated him once." Tifas blush deepened, and she looked down at her feet.
"Please, stop that." She begged. "It makes me turn into a tomato." Cloud laughed and shook his head.
"Okay, I'll stop it." He answered. "But only if you go out for dinner with me tonight." Tifa considered this for a moment, then she answered:
"It would be my pleasure, Cloud. Pick me up at eight?" Cloud beamed and nodded.
"At eight at your apartment." He answered. "See you tonight, then." And with that, he turned around and left.
Cloud was nervous. He had his first date after five years, and he was terribly nervous. Checking himself over in the large mirror of his bedroom again, he found that he looked okay: black tuxedo, white shirt and dark blue tie. His hair was as spiky as always, but there was nothing he could do against it; it was natural. Once the inspector had tried to keep his anti-gravity hair down with gel, and he had ended up looking like some wet animal. After a glance on his watch, Cloud grabbed his car keys and left the apartment, locking the door behind him. He hurried down to his car, a black Mazda 626 (A/N: I have the same one! ^_^), jumped into it and drove off, to the address Tifa had gave him.
When he arrived at the hotel Tifa had told him – she stayed there temporally, since Johnny wanted to keep the apartment – the brunette was already waiting in the entrance hall. Clouds jaw met the floor when he saw her through the huge glass window that dominated the front wall of the hotel. Wearing a long, blue dress, Tifa looked absolutely gorgeous.
"H-hi", Cloud stammered, getting even more nervous when Tifa sweetly smiled at him.
"Hi Cloud." She replied. Cloud made a vague gesture at his car.
"Shall we leave, then?" he asked, his voice shaking. Tifa, amused of his nervousness, smiled and nodded. Cloud offered his arm to her, she accepted it gladly and the two walked out of the hall, over to Clouds car.