((A/N: Here goes. Please review! Sorry.I'm not good with side couples, so it's not gonna take up this whole chapter. One other couple will be introduced for each of the next chapters.))
"What are you doing in here?" Vincent asked, watching Yuffie search the refrigerator for food. Yuffie turned and smiled.
"I'm getting a snack...duh!" Vincent nearly let a smile slip...but quickly stopped himself. That's how it was with Yuffie. He'd find himself amused by her behavior. She was just a girl, and he still felt this way. There was something about her that seemed...forbidden to him.
"Well, yes, but considering Cloud's mood I presumed everyone had taken up camp out of the ship for the time." Vincent explained. Yuffie grabbed an apple, and plopped down on the seat next to him. She took a huge bite out of it and made a face.
"Those apples went bad around the same time the milk did." Vincent said, hiding a smile which was brough about by Yuffie's face.
"Thanks for telling me." She said sarcastically, as she tossed the apple in the garbage can. Vincent smirked slightly.
"Vincent...." Yuffie said quietly. Vincent was somewhat taken aback by Yuffie being serious.
"Yes..." He replied, somewhat cautiously. Whatever was going on with her, he didn't understand.
"nevermind..." She blushed, and ran out of the kitchen. Vincent watched after her, a puzzled expression on his face for sometime afterward.
"Cloud...." Tifa said his name quietly, gently knocking on the door. She waited a moment, and when she got no response she knocked again, a bit louder.
"Leave me alone!" Was the muffled response. Tifa frowned at the door. She wasn't going to leave him alone, especially now that Jenova was back and he needed support.
"Can't do that, Cloud." She replied, opening the door, and walking inside. Cloud was sitting on his bed, leaning back against the wall. She sat down next to him.
"What do you want?" He spat, turning his head from her. He knew he wouldn't be able to be so rude if he'd looked her in the eye.
"I want to be here for you. If you want to talk or something-"
"-I don't! Now could you just leave!?" Tifa looked at the bedcovers. She hadn't prepared herself for Cloud totally rejecting her.
"No! I can't just leave you here...I care about you and..." She was interrupted by Cloud.
"Well I don't care about you!" Tifa stood suddenly. The comment hurt much more than any of his shooing her away, or trying to keep her out. She felt hot tears sting at her eyes, and knew she couldn't stay in the room, because that would just let Cloud know how weak she was.
So she walked out, then ran down the hall to her own room, knocking Yuffie to the floor as she passed.
Cloud hated himself for what he said. Why'd he have to go and say that? He'd lied to her, and not just a normal lie. He'd gone against everything he'd been meaning to tell her for years...against his very being in a way.
"I'm so stupid..." He closed his eyes, and layed back on the bed. He lay there for a moment, trying not to think about anything, but his thoughts constantly drifting to Tifa. To what he said. To what he could have said instead. To how much he must have hurt her...
"YOU DUMBASS!!! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER!?" Yuffie screamed, standing in the doorway of his room. Cloud refused to open his eyes, because he was sure doing so would let guilty tears spill out.
"I lied to her." He said quietly. Yuffie didn't come any closer, but she didn't leave either. She obviously wasn't pleased with the answer.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" She demanded. Cloud knew she wasn't going to leave untill he told her everything, so he decided to get it over with.
"Tifa came in to talk to me about Jenova and all that, most likely. And I told her to leave and I didn't want her here, and I didn't care about her..."
"You little fuck." She spat, giving Cloud a look that nobody could have foreseen. It was anger, shock, confusion, all sparked with hate. Pure hate for someone who could hurt her friend like that. She'd never seen Tifa cry like that before, and she hated the one person who could to that to the usually cheerfull woman.
"Yuffie, I know. Just...leave me alone." Cloud whispered, turning towards the wall. Yuffie didn't move. She wasn't going to let him off with just three words.
"I don't see why, but Tifa loves you. Can't you see that!? You obviously don't if you'd so quickly break hurt her like that!" Yuffie continued. Cloud kicked the wall.
"I feel bad enough...can't you just leave me alone." Cloud pleaded. Yuffie watched him for a moment. She wasn't going to leave untill she knew she hit him hard. He wasn't getting out of this one untouched.
"NO! I can't just leave you alone. You don't deserve to be left alone. You deserve to be shot, or at least I think so, but that isn't gonna happen. So I'll make you just as miserable." Yuffie said, sitting on his bed.
"Okay, you already have. Just leave me alone." Cloud hissed.
"No...I'm not near done with you. How could you do that to her!? You make her think you love her...then you just turn around and make her think you hate her!? Make up your mind! You're breaking her heart!" Yuffie yelled.
"Shut up. I don't wanna hear it." Cloud mumbled. His face was burried in his pillow, muffling his voice. Yuffie finally stood.
"Ya know, I don't wanna talk to you about this any more. I've had enough of you! You wanna hurt her like this, that's on you; But when she does something you're gonna regret forever...." Yuffie's voice cracked, and she ran out of the room.
Cloud gave up the second she left the room. Hot tears streamed down his face, and soked the pillow thoroughly. Yuffie was right. He was gonna hurt her, and something could happen. It would be his fault, and he knew it.
"Aw man..." He sat up in bed, then stood and started out of his room, slow at first, before breaking into a run.
"I gotta fix this..." He said to himself, running off towards Tifa's room.
((Guah. This took forever, and it's sooo short! I need to get writing more again. Oh well, please review. I know this isn't as good as the first, but it'll get better. I promise!))
