A/N: Well, it's been a while. The last time I wrote any fanfic was 10 years ago, and it was of the Twilight variety. But after a play-through of the FFVII remake I was so captivated by these two I knew I had to write once more and make a fun crossover of Final Fantasy 7 characters put into the Vegas world.

Almost all places referenced in the story are made up except for the Bellagio (which does indeed have a free botanical garden) and the Wynn, which are two real casino hotels. I figured they'd appreciate the free advertising. Everything else is based off of something else, which I will try to mention in the notes when I can.

Just a heads-up, even though this story will take place mostly in Vegas and involve hotel rooms, it is capital T for Teen. So... keep that in mind if you're expecting something naughty.

Also, while this chapter is Tifa-centric, it's only there to give backstory and move the plot along a little. This is a Clerith fic, afterall.

Okay, here goes...


It seemed like it was going to be another ordinary day of work for Cloud at the Seventh Heaven Barif only he had known what would be in store.

Cloud was working on yet another random project for his good friend Tifa. This time he was helping to put in a jukebox to give the customers a choice of music.

"It's looking great, Cloud," Tifa said as she surveyed the new installed piece of hardware, her dark hair swaying back and forth. The yellow and pink neon lights on the front began to flicker on and illuminate the room.

"Yeah," Cloud responded, brushing his short blonde hair away as he tinkered with a few more things.

"Thank you for helping me get this up and running. Customers have been asking for one for a while now and I know I couldn't have done it myself."

Cloud grunted and continued working with some wires, obviously deep in focus. But Tifa knew that was Cloud language for "you're welcome" and didn't take offense.

Tifa paused and stepped back from the jukebox, letting herself see the whole bar in its entirety. As she observed all the little details, she started to reminisce about how each piece had been slowly improved. She still couldn't believe she had opened the bar only a year ago. She had gotten a great deal on the place, but it had definitely been a fixer-upper and needed a lot of repairs. She had enlisted the help of her long-time friend Cloud, knowing his electrical and handy-man skills.

At first Tifa had been worried about hiring her good friend and ruining their friendship, but Cloud had insisted that, as long as they had a contract and had everything in writing, it should be good on both sides. They had agreed upon a friendly but fair hourly price, and for the past year it had been working out well for both of them. Cloud had gotten a little bit of extra spending money and he got to help out his friend too.

It was amazing, the progress that they had made in just a year. The lighting had been fixed and a point-of-sale system was installed so that Tifa could properly ring up and keep track of drinks. After a few months, they had been able to focus on adding more fun things. Tifa was especially proud of the pinball machine and dart boards which were a real hit with the customers. She knew she couldn't have done it without Cloud's help, and she was grateful for their friendship.

But Tifa also knew that it had helped get Cloud out of his shell.. He was a computer engineer by day who worked from home and rarely left the house. Cloud's social skills left much to be desired, and if he and Tifa hadn't been friends since elementary school, she wasn't sure he would have talked to her, either. She had known Cloud for over fifteen years, but she had barely ever seen him with a girl, even as just a friend. And the few experiences that Cloud did have with girls the ones she knew about, anyway didn't go so well. Tifa had learned over the years all the grunts and awkward pauses that Cloud used to communicate, but she wasn't too sure another woman would have been able to put up with all of that or even look past it.

Cloud wasn't the only friend Tifa had relied on to help get the place up and running. She turned her attention toward the front of the bar, and saw her college friend Biggs happily chatting up a customer as he poured drinks.

She smiled, thinking about the day he proposed the idea of employment to her. In fact, it hadn't been that long after the bar had just opened.

"You're always here," Biggs had commented that day as Tifa handed him another drink. "Are you ever not working?"

"Not really," Tifa had sighed. "I want to make sure I can get this business off the ground. And it's hard to find good help."

"I can do it," Biggs had suggested as he took a swig of his mixed beverage. "You know, I was a bartender in college."

"I don't know…" Tifa had said. The thought of giving up some control had been a little worrisome to her at first.

"Plus," Biggs had continued, "it would give you some time to take care of the administrative things, or even take a day off if you wanted."

Her lips had begun to curl into a smile at the thought of a day off. She had been working so hard she forgot that taking an actual day off was even a possibility. And so, that day they had decided to make a deal.

At first Tifa had been worried about hiring another friend, but it was nice to have a second pair of hands around when things got busy, and she knew making drinks was outside of Cloud's skillset. It had been a learning experience not to take control over everything, but she slowly learned to delegate. Biggs was a great employee, as he was friendly with the customers and knew how to make a mean drink.

The creaking sound of the door opening snapped Tifa out of her trip down memory lane. She turned to see Wedge in the doorway carrying a couple boxes of fresh pizza.

Ahh… Wedge. He was a roommate of Biggs and he was at the bar quite often, especially when Biggs was working. At first, Tifa had been unsure of what to make of Wedge constantly hanging out, but he had often brought food with him, which was definitely the way to Tifa's heart.

"You gotta try a slice of this," Wedge said as he made his way over to Tifa, being sure to be extra delicate with the pizza box.

"And where's this one from?" Tifa asked as she lifted up the cardboard and let the wonderful smell waft through her nose.

"This is from Don Corneo's."

Tifa reached for a slice and took a bite, savoring the perfect flavor of cheese and tomatoes. It was even still piping hot. "Wow, Don knows how to make a good slice."

"For sure," Wedge agreed. "The owner is a little… strange. But he makes a mean pizza."

Tifa didn't get out much, so she was grateful for Wedge bringing her all sorts of new food to try. She was pretty sure she had tried every pizza shop in Midgar. He always had plenty to share, and the customers loved it too. Tifa was grateful, since it would be a while before she could handle having a kitchen on the premises too. She was just trying to get the bar under control first.

She turned her attention back to Cloud, who was still tinkering with the jukebox. Biggs and Wedge were coming over to inspect it.

"Wow man," Wedge said. "This is looking great, Cloud."

"Yeah," Biggs agreed. "It really makes the room come alive. How long did this take you to put in?"

"Only a couple hours," Cloud answered as he finally poked his head out and turned to face the two of them for a second. "And it's just about ready for showtime."

"Great!" Wedge exclaimed. "I just brought some pizza and you don't want it to get cold."

Tifa smiled as she watched Cloud finally drop down his tools to join his friends.

Cloud had grown closer to Biggs and Wedge over the past few months, and Tifa had loved watching their friendship blossom. In the beginning, Cloud had only showed up for jobs when he was asked, but slowly he had started coming around to the bar on his days off to hang out with the guys, too. She had a hunch the free pizza didn't hurt, either. They had grown so close, in fact, that they were planning a trip to Vegas to happen very soon. Tifa couldn't wait to live vicariously through that trip, as she was known to occasionally play slot machines herself. But she knew there was no way she could take the time off from the bar right now and actually enjoy herself.

As Cloud left the jukebox to go sit with his friends, she took a second to admire the space. Above the jukebox was a neon sign that sat on the mantle. It flashed a mixture of red, yellow, and blue, and simply read "Games" at the time, Tifa hadn't even been sure what games she could put in, so she purposely kept it vague. Next to the sign on the mantle was a small bouquet of flowers you'd almost miss it if you weren't paying attention. She started reminiscing again about how those two objects came to find their place there, too.

As the bar had started to come together, Tifa had decided it was time to spruce the place up a little and give it more personality. As helpful as Cloud and Biggs had been, she had known that interior decorating was not their specialty, nor was it hers. She had been deliberating over what to do with her friend Aerith when they had gone out to lunch one day, one of the rare days off Tifa had actually taken.

"I feel like the bar needs something. But I don't know exactly what. It feels too... rustic. But I think I'm just too focused on the place to be creative right now."

"Maybe I can help?" Aerith had asked sweetly. "I've been able to fix up my mom's flower shop, so I feel like I have a little decorating experience."

Tifa's eyes had widened and the excitement had begun to set in. She had started piecing together all the little changes that Aerith had made over the years — a new thing had popped up or changed every time that Tifa had visited the shop.

"That's right. You did such a good job, it's easy to forget it wasn't always like that."

"I have some ideas," Aerith had continued. "It would be something else to add to the portfolio. I could even spruce the place up with my flowers."

Tifa's smile had grown even bigger imagining all the possibilities.

She returned to the present moment and surveyed all the changes for the umpteenth time that Aerith had done so far. The walls were painted, the furniture was updated, and just as Aerith had promised, there were beautiful bouquets all around too — not just on the mantle but the tables as well. Lots of subtle changes that she wouldn't have the eye for, but Aerith certainly did. It always made Tifa smile, and she didn't want to take any of it for granted. She knew how lucky she was to have reliable and talented friends.

Aerith's latest project for Tifa was working on decorating the walls, making the liquor cabinet more appealing, and updating the sign out front. She had been coming in a couple of times a week when she could, in between her full-time flower shop job. Just like with Cloud and Biggs, Tifa had been able to work out a fair deal with Aerith for her time.

When Aerith had first started coming in, Cloud didn't seem to pay much attention. But as she became more of a regular, Tifa had started to notice the subtle glances Cloud gave. She would have probably missed them if she didn't know Cloud that well, but with their friendship going on so long as it had, she had learned to spot the tiny shifts in Cloud's interactions. She had wondered if there was something there, but she was also not sure how Aerith's bubbly personality would mesh with Cloud's serious and stoic demeanor. And Tifa certainly didn't have the courage to talk to Cloud about it. They didn't have that kind of friendship.

She wasn't the only one who had taken notice. Biggs and Wedge had started to see, too, and it had all come to a head yesterday when they were closing up for the night, and Cloud wasn't around.

"This new countertop is a big hit," Biggs had told Tifa as he spread his arms out to feel the smooth new surface. "Aerith really has a keen eye for this stuff."

"I know who has a keen eye for Aerith," Wedge said with a smirk as he finished off the last of his fries.

"Yeah," Tifa said with a sigh, knowing exactly who they were talking about.

"Let me guess," Biggs had continued. "You think he won't ever do anything about it."

"I know he won't," Tifa had confirmed. "I wish he had more… confidence. But that's just not him."

"Maybe we can help," Wedge had piped up. "Give him a little push."

"Good luck," Tifa had said with a laugh. "You're gonna need it. If it's computers or hardware, he's a pro. But when it comes to women, he just freezes up."

Tifa had contemplated elaborating more on Cloud's dating history, or lack thereof, but she hadn't wanted to reveal too much. Plus, she felt it had been pretty obvious to the two boys anyway. Let's be honest — anyone could see it a mile away.

And so, Tifa snapped back to the present, taking her place behind the bar again as Biggs stepped away for some lunch. She started fixing up a drink for another customer, but she kept an eye on the three guys who were chowing down on the pizza a few tables away. Tifa tried not to pry, but she couldn't help but listen in and catch bits here and there. She also wondered just how Biggs and Wedge were planning to execute their help — or if they had any plan at all.

"What do you think of the pizza?" Wedge asked right after Cloud shoved a slice in his mouth. After working so hard on installing that jukebox, Cloud didn't realize how hungry he had gotten.

"Another Wedge hit," Cloud said in between bites.

"So," Biggs began as he reached for another slice. "Are you ready for our Vegas trip next week? You, me, Wedge, and Johnny staying at the fancy Bellagio hotel. It's gonna be a blast!"

"Yeah," Cloud responded with a bit of a pause as he slowed his chewing.

"Oh no," Wedge exclaimed, noticing how his expression changed. "We are still going, right? Can't wait to see some of those dice skills of yours in action!"

"I am," Cloud said. "But I think Johnny's out."

Biggs and Wedge exchanged surprised glances and said "What?" in unison.

"Yeah," Cloud continued. "He said he's been feeling really sick and isn't sure he can make it anymore. So he bailed."

"That sucks," Biggs said with a shake of his head. "So, what are you gonna do with the room you were gonna share? Do you need to room with us?"

"It's okay," Cloud said. "I'll figure something out. I'll pay for the whole thing if I have to."

"Just let us know," Wedge said as he reached for another slice. "But we're glad you're still coming. Johnny can be kind of a flake sometimes."

"Yeah," Cloud muttered as he took another bite of his pizza.

The three guys sat in silence for a bit, enjoying their hearty meal. Soon, it was Biggs who broke the silence with a change in topic.

"So, I heard Aerith is stopping by today."

"Oh." Cloud slowed his chewing.

"I bet she'll love the new jukebox you put in," Wedge said as he shot a glance towards Biggs.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Perhaps you can put on some music and share a dance with her," Biggs said with a smile as he studied Cloud for a reaction.

"I'm not really a dancer," Cloud snorted.

"But for her, maybe?" Wedge asked with a chuckle. He waited for Cloud's response but was met with silence, which told him all he needed to know.

"We got you," Biggs said giving Cloud a pat on the shoulder. "We're rooting for you."

"Thanks," Cloud mumbled, "But, nothing is going to happen. Even if I wanted it to."

Wedge was about to give another encouraging remark, when they all heard the creaking door behind them open up once more. All three guys turned their attention to the doorway they saw a dainty brunette with a big braid in her hair saunter in. Aerith had arrived.

Wedge and Biggs both snuck a glance at Cloud, whose gaze appeared transfixed on the doorway. They shot each other a glance and Wedge mouthed "Oh yeah". Biggs responded with a big smirk and a nod.


A/N: Phew, you made it to the end. Hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more.

Shoutout to Sadsnail and synthpoppy for their beta efforts.