Author's Note: Well this might be it, the conclusion of Barfly, I'm not sure. If it is it will be the first multi-chapter story I have ever completed. I got a new idea for a story last night that will be like Barfly only the other way around where Tifa is rich and Cloud is poor. I was beginning to get pretty lax about Victim so maybe I should take a little break from it. It's been about 12 chapters since something substantial has happened so I think that the story will get back on track soon. I'm sorry that nothing major was happening but I needed a lot of time to go by between chapters so that the rest of the story will fall into place, if that makes any sense. Trust me, it will eventually. Anyway onto my life. Bryan and I spoke on Saturday when I worked, and he called me later that night and left a message of my phone just to say that he enjoyed talking to me. Isn't that sweet? Funny though, I never thought in my wildest dreams he would ever like me the way I wanted him too, and I never thought that he would be so sweet or care about me so much. Also, mission golf kart boy is making slow but steady progress . Now on with Barfly! P.S. again, please note that songs sung by Tifa are NOT written by me.
The crowd went wild as the beautiful young woman walked up to the stage nervously. Cloud leaned forward on his knees as his jaw dropped to the floor. He couldn't believe his eyes. Tifa...was famous? When did that happen? He grinned widely, finally knowing where she was. He was so happy for her, that she finally got her life to go the way she wanted, but a prick of jealousy snapped in his mind. What if she had moved on and forgotten about him?
He watched the screen in front of him intensely, hanging on her every word, hoping that she would mention him in some way. He turned up the volume and reached for his cell phone, nearly yelling into it. He ordered his private helicopter to come and pick him up, he was going to Costa Del Sol to find her and apologize.
"Now Miss Lockheart," Rod said, grinning as he looked her up and down, "how does it feel to be one of the world's leading singers?"
Tifa was wearing an incredibly short dark green miniskirt with her yellow thong sides stretched up over her hips. She had on a yellow belt with two small pouches on it and very loose boots. She wore the top of a yellow string bikini and a red scarf that faded to yellow at the ends. She wore no gloves so that she could work on her already perfect tan and her hair was up in a thick ponytail with braids looped up into just as when she had first arrived in Junon. (A/N: Rikku's 'Thief' dress sphere)
"It feels pretty good and I never thought it would ever happen." Tifa answered nervously, glancing over at the camera as her feather earrings blew softly in a quick breeze.
Cloud couldn't get over how gorgeous she was. He checked his watch; it had only been five minutes since he had called his pilot, but still he wondered where the man was. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her and how sorry he was, in front of the whole world. He wanted to tell her that he would give up his entire fortune to spend the rest of his life with her.
"And, I know it says in your contract that I am forbidden to speak about this but," Rod prodded as Tifa began to turn red in the face, "I, and I'm sure our viewer's at home would like to know once and for all, what really happened between you and millionaire Cloud Strife?"
Tifa looked down at her lap and uncrossed her legs, allowing the audience to see a glimpse of her yellow panties. She closed her knees together tightly and rested her hands on them, rocking forward in her chair. She was in a bind, she needed to answer, she could hear the audience chanting for her to tell them what had happened on that night. But she was also angry that Rod had the gall to break her contract.
She had specifically asked in her contract that it be stated that no interviewer may talk about her stint with the president of Midgar U or anything about her life as a stripper. The world knew about it, but she didn't want to talk about it. She was still afraid that her popularity had stemmed from such a background and he wanted that as far in her past as possible. She wanted to forget, to move on. Whenever she thought back to Cloud...she choked up and would nearly cry but she couldn't on national television.
"Well...umm..." She trailed off, looking out at the audience and the cameras. "Nothing happened between us, we talked and he walked me home, then he left and I haven't seen or talked to him since..." She looked down at her lap briefly, trying to hide her obvious pain. But Rod couldn't let her be, he wouldn't stop there, he had to probe further into her psyche.
"So you're saying that the most eligible bachelor in the world walked you home, and NOTHING happened?"
"Yes, that's what I'm saying." Tifa said coldly. Her cheerful smile had faded into a hint of a glare.
"Now what about your songs, the ones about lost loves and heartbreak? Do those have anything to do with Mr. Strife?"
Tifa swallowed the lump in her throat harshly. She wanted to get up and leave the interview, she wanted to run and hide. She was not supposed to be treated this way anymore. Men were supposed to respect her now, not throw all of her wishes down the drain like they had before. People were supposed to listen to her, not force her into doing things she didn't want to any longer.
Cloud sat on the edge of his seat, waiting for her to respond. How could she say that nothing had happened? In truth, nothing did happen, but still, sparks were ignited, right? At least they were to him, but maybe he had hurt her too badly or maybe his father had been right about her. Either way he needed to know.
"The songs I sing are about love, any love, not specifically about one person. Why would I write a song about someone who thought nothing about me? A love song, saying that I missed such a man, that's crazy!" Tifa said.
Cloud could feel his heart split. Is that what she thought? Did she really think that he thought nothing of her? He grasped at his chest to control his anguish. Maybe he shouldn't speak with her; maybe it would be best for the both of them if he just stayed away from her. But he couldn't. There were things left unsaid, emotions he had not confronted and that needed to be told. He could hear the whirling of his helicopter outside as he thought and ran to jump in. He knew that he would be seeing her in just a few minutes and he couldn't wait.
"Now about your career as a stripper?" Rod asked, but he had gone too far.
Tifa would not stand to be humiliated like this. She stood up and slapped Rod across the face hard. He clutched his cheek as the crowd cheered for her. She didn't care if her sales went down or if she were fired, she would not allow herself to be embarrassed anymore.
"Sorry, moving right along..." Rod said as Tifa sat back down, anger in her eyes. "We know that you're a very strong-willed person, we just...witnessed that," He continued, rubbing his cheek, "but what is a major fear of yours?"
"That I will have to have another interview with someone like you." Tifa responded, dryly. Rod closed his eyes tightly and sucked in his lips, hurt.
"I'm sorry, Miss Lockheart, I truly am, I won't ask another stupid question." Rod said, bowing his head.
"It's all right, Rod, you're just doing your job." Tifa said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Even after being so angry, she couldn't hold a grudge against anyone.
She could feel a strong wind blowing from outside of town and moved to cover her face from the sand. She coughed a little bit after some flew into her mouth but she was fine. The audience had ducked for cover, being used to sudden sandstorms during the summer. After it was over, Rod returned to his questions.
"Now I know that you have a brand new song for us, would you all like to hear it?" He said to the audience, who responded by roaring. Tifa blushed; she couldn't believe that she was so popular. She stood up and walked to center stage, smiling at everyone who was reaching up to try and touch her hand.
Alone for awhile I've been searching through the dark
For traces of the love you left inside my lonely heart
To weave, by picking up the pieces that remain
Melodies of Life--Love's lost refrain
This song was truly for Cloud, but she wouldn't admit that. She was trying to push him out of her life, but it was just so hard. He had meant so much to her, even if she hardly knew him. It was one of her sadder songs, so she stood still at center stage and did not dance. She would choose different people in the audience to sing a line to so that she could focus. Singing her songs about him made her want to collapse and the heat was getting to her as well.
Our paths they did cross, now I can not say just why
We met, we laughed, we held on fast, and then we said good-bye
And who'll hear the echoes of stories never told?
Let them ring, out loud, 'til they unfold
She could have sworn that she saw spiky blonde hair like Cloud's standing in the audience, pushing their way through, but she couldn't be sure. She couldn't see the man's face but she could feel her heart flutter. Maybe...he was here, for her. She knew that she was just dreaming and went on with her song.
In my dearest memories, I see you reaching out to me
Then you're gone, I still believe that you can call out my name
She couldn't hide her feelings from the camera. She knew that the audience could tell that this song was about the blonde haired millionaire. The girls all stood love struck, thinking about being Tifa and what it would be like to have Cloud, even if it was ephemeral. She still wished that he were there with her, that he was the man in the audience and would call out her name.
A voice from the past, joining yours and mine
Adding up the layers of harmony
And so it goes on and on
Melodies of life
To the sky beyond the flying birds—forever and beyond
She could still hear his voice in her head, calling out her name, but she knew that she was just imagining things. She felt tears running down her cheeks, racing with the sweat that was dooming to make her pass out from heat exhaustion. How she wished that he really was calling for her, but she knew that it was just the audience cheering.
So far and away, see the bird as it flies by
Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky
I've laid my memories and dreams upon those wings
Lift them high and see what tomorrow brings
She was looking at the clear blue sky above her, searching for her inspiration. She smiled at her last verse, remembering what tomorrow had been bringing her for the past six months. Tomorrow had brought her a career, a livelihood. Tomorrow had brought her the fame she had always wanted. Tomorrow had brought her...no closer to Cloud.
In your dearest memories do you remember loving me?
Was it fate that brought us close and now leaves me behind?
She still wondered if he ever thought about her. She wanted to know if sometimes deep in the back of his mind, he missed her. While he was working if he ever doodled her name or thought back to the conversation they had at her bar. She wondered...could he ever love her? Or had he moved on and left her behind, as part of his past?
A voice from the past, joining yours and mine
Adding up the layers of harmony
And so it goes on and on
Melodies of life
To the sky beyond the flying birds—forever and beyond
The blonde man had made his way up to the front of the stage and was looking directly up at her. The stage had a runway on it that she had been singing on so the crowd surrounded her on three sides. She glanced down at the blonde man and nearly fainted. Cloud was standing below her, looking up at her. Her eyes met his and she smiled. He really was calling her name, her wish had come true. It was a voice from the past, joining hers. She couldn't believe that he was really there.
If I should leave, this lonely world behind
Your voice will still remember our melody
Now I know we'll carry on
Melodies of life
Come circle round and grow dear in our hearts
As long as we remember
Some people in the audience had noticed Cloud looking at her and began to lift him onto the stage. He climbed up into the camera's view, and no one stopped him. He had enough money to buy them off so no one dared mess with him. He looked at Tifa with an apologetic look in his eyes.
She didn't know what to do. She couldn't do anything harsh to him since she was on live T.V. but she wanted to hit him so badly for hurting her. One look into his deep crystal eyes made her forget all her anger. She tilted her head and waited for him to say something. She could not be the first one to speak, not after what he had done. She wanted to turn away from him, make him work for her respect, but she knew what the audience wanted and for now, she would forgive him.
"Forgive me, please?" Cloud asked, taking her hands in his and facing towards her.
Tifa looked down, then out at the audience that was cheering louder than ever before. She looked back up at Cloud, who had a solemn look on his face, pleading with her to forgive him. Her eyes searched his for truth, darting back and forth as she frowned. Finally she gave him her trademark smile and threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and felt for the first time how good it was to hold her.
"I already have." She whispered, the audience barely hearing.
The crowd began to scream and applaud for them. Tifa pulled away from Cloud, still holding his hand, and blushed. She was so embarrassed, but she was still hurt. She waved to the cameras with Cloud, who put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She couldn't have asked for a more magical reunion.
The sun was setting on Costa Del Sol, and all the partygoers had already left for their hotels for the night. Cloud sat on the sand, looking out across the ocean at the orange sky and magenta sun. The sun cast a yellow glare onto the darkening water as the tide flowed in and out.
He could see Tifa's silhouette outlined in the setting sun. He could see every perfect curve of her body as she twisted back and forth gently, her hands clasped behind her back. Her head was tilted as she looked off into the distance, one foot crossed behind the other. Cloud had never seen a more beautiful woman in all his life and he knew that this time...his dream was real, but Tifa would not die.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked, not turning to look at him. He kept his eyes focused on her, with a smile on his lips.
"Yeah, it is." He said, referring to her. Tifa still had not looked at him, and that had been the first thing she had said to him since they were on stage together. He was worried that she would reject him, and had only pretended to forgive him for the cameras.
"This isn't enough." She said with a deep sigh after a long pause. Cloud looked up at her, confused. He tilted his head and drew his eyebrows together.
"What do you mean?" He asked, a fear striking his heart. She turned to look at him, her dark chocolate hair flipping behind her and making her look like a model. She had a look of deep discern on her face that he could just barely make out by the shadow covering her face.
"This isn't enough, Cloud. You hurt me. I can't just let that fade away..." She was lying through her teeth. Cloud had come back to her, and he was with her now, but she knew that she needed to let him know how badly he had hurt her. She couldn't let him get away with it. Cloud bowed his head and took a deep breath.
"I know and...I'm sorry. I never wanted to say those things about you but...I thought that was the only way to help you get out of the papers, I knew that you didn't want to be famous that way..." He trailed, looking at the sand off to his side. She closed her eyes and took a step towards him, hesitant.
"You said I meant nothing to you..." She said, looking away from him so that he could not see the tears in her eyes. "You said that I was a mistake and a stupid decision, that I was just some stripper..."
Cloud closed his eyes, remembering his words and how much they stung now that she said them. He stood up and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders as she continued to stare at the ground. He could feel her shaking as she cried, the tears falling to the sand beneath her.
He never realized that he had hurt her so badly. He wanted to shoot himself for making her cry, possibly more than once. Maybe he should have never come to see her, maybe this was just too difficult for her and that it was best if he left. He should have just let her get on with her career and be happy for her and her success. Perhaps he should have just let her move on with her life, and that being here brought all the pain of that day back to her.
"I know that what I said hurt you...but you have to believe me," He said, choking back the tears in his own eyes and lifting her chin to look up at him, "I did not want to do it." Again she searched for truth in his eyes and she could only find sincerity in them. It reassured her but still...what if he was just setting her up for another fall?
"Then why did you say it?" She asked, allowing him to see her cry.
"Because..." He didn't know how to say it without sounding like a jerk. Because he would lose the college if he didn't? How would that sound to her? He just seemed so selfish and he hung his head. "Because if I didn't I would lose the college..."
He had to tell her straight up. He wanted to be honest with her from this day forward, and he hoped that she could find it in her heart to forgive him. Her eyes turned from sad to angry, and she quickly turned her back on him. He couldn't blame her, and he took a step towards her and put his arms on her shoulders once again, but she shook him off.
"You would...say something horrible about me...just to secure your inheritance?" She said, her shoulders gently rising and falling from her tears and anguish.
She had wanted so badly to forgive him, to be with him. But now...after what he said...she couldn't. She couldn't accept the fact that he would step on her to get his money. She couldn't forgive him for destroying her, just to get what he wanted. She couldn't be with him knowing that he could just be ready to cast her aside if he felt he needed to in order to help his own future.
"Tifa, please listen to me..." Cloud pleaded, but Tifa spun on her heel and shot him a hard look.
"No, you listen, Cloud." She said, barely being able to speak from all the tears. "Don't think that just because you feel bad for what you did, and now that I'm famous, that you can just come here and make me forgive you, there's more to life than publicity, so don't ask me to forgive you for saying such horrible things about me because I can't!" She cried, her voice cracking at nearly every word.
She didn't want to leave him. She didn't want to turn and run away from him at that moment but she did. She fled from the beach and back into her hotel room. She had waited for months to see him again, dreaming of him, praying that he would say it was all a mistake, but she had never figured how he would tell her the reason for what he did. She had never thought about why he had done such a terrible thing. She packed her bags quickly and fled to her awaiting limo.
Cloud wanted to chase after her. He didn't want to ruin his last chance at being with the girl of his dreams, but he knew that he needed to let her go. What she said made perfect sense to him, even though he didn't want it to. She was right, how could he have done such a horrible thing to her and expect her to forgive him?
He lowered his head and returned to his helicopter, knowing that this was the last time he could ever see her. She could never return to him after this and he couldn't try and force her to forgive him. He wanted to be with her so badly that it hurt, but he knew that he had ruined his chance. It was his nightmare all over again, she had died in his arms, her spirit had gone from his. He closed his eyes, mentally killing himself for his actions.
The crowd went wild as the beautiful young woman walked up to the stage nervously. Cloud leaned forward on his knees as his jaw dropped to the floor. He couldn't believe his eyes. Tifa...was famous? When did that happen? He grinned widely, finally knowing where she was. He was so happy for her, that she finally got her life to go the way she wanted, but a prick of jealousy snapped in his mind. What if she had moved on and forgotten about him?
He watched the screen in front of him intensely, hanging on her every word, hoping that she would mention him in some way. He turned up the volume and reached for his cell phone, nearly yelling into it. He ordered his private helicopter to come and pick him up, he was going to Costa Del Sol to find her and apologize.
"Now Miss Lockheart," Rod said, grinning as he looked her up and down, "how does it feel to be one of the world's leading singers?"
Tifa was wearing an incredibly short dark green miniskirt with her yellow thong sides stretched up over her hips. She had on a yellow belt with two small pouches on it and very loose boots. She wore the top of a yellow string bikini and a red scarf that faded to yellow at the ends. She wore no gloves so that she could work on her already perfect tan and her hair was up in a thick ponytail with braids looped up into just as when she had first arrived in Junon. (A/N: Rikku's 'Thief' dress sphere)
"It feels pretty good and I never thought it would ever happen." Tifa answered nervously, glancing over at the camera as her feather earrings blew softly in a quick breeze.
Cloud couldn't get over how gorgeous she was. He checked his watch; it had only been five minutes since he had called his pilot, but still he wondered where the man was. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her and how sorry he was, in front of the whole world. He wanted to tell her that he would give up his entire fortune to spend the rest of his life with her.
"And, I know it says in your contract that I am forbidden to speak about this but," Rod prodded as Tifa began to turn red in the face, "I, and I'm sure our viewer's at home would like to know once and for all, what really happened between you and millionaire Cloud Strife?"
Tifa looked down at her lap and uncrossed her legs, allowing the audience to see a glimpse of her yellow panties. She closed her knees together tightly and rested her hands on them, rocking forward in her chair. She was in a bind, she needed to answer, she could hear the audience chanting for her to tell them what had happened on that night. But she was also angry that Rod had the gall to break her contract.
She had specifically asked in her contract that it be stated that no interviewer may talk about her stint with the president of Midgar U or anything about her life as a stripper. The world knew about it, but she didn't want to talk about it. She was still afraid that her popularity had stemmed from such a background and he wanted that as far in her past as possible. She wanted to forget, to move on. Whenever she thought back to Cloud...she choked up and would nearly cry but she couldn't on national television.
"Well...umm..." She trailed off, looking out at the audience and the cameras. "Nothing happened between us, we talked and he walked me home, then he left and I haven't seen or talked to him since..." She looked down at her lap briefly, trying to hide her obvious pain. But Rod couldn't let her be, he wouldn't stop there, he had to probe further into her psyche.
"So you're saying that the most eligible bachelor in the world walked you home, and NOTHING happened?"
"Yes, that's what I'm saying." Tifa said coldly. Her cheerful smile had faded into a hint of a glare.
"Now what about your songs, the ones about lost loves and heartbreak? Do those have anything to do with Mr. Strife?"
Tifa swallowed the lump in her throat harshly. She wanted to get up and leave the interview, she wanted to run and hide. She was not supposed to be treated this way anymore. Men were supposed to respect her now, not throw all of her wishes down the drain like they had before. People were supposed to listen to her, not force her into doing things she didn't want to any longer.
Cloud sat on the edge of his seat, waiting for her to respond. How could she say that nothing had happened? In truth, nothing did happen, but still, sparks were ignited, right? At least they were to him, but maybe he had hurt her too badly or maybe his father had been right about her. Either way he needed to know.
"The songs I sing are about love, any love, not specifically about one person. Why would I write a song about someone who thought nothing about me? A love song, saying that I missed such a man, that's crazy!" Tifa said.
Cloud could feel his heart split. Is that what she thought? Did she really think that he thought nothing of her? He grasped at his chest to control his anguish. Maybe he shouldn't speak with her; maybe it would be best for the both of them if he just stayed away from her. But he couldn't. There were things left unsaid, emotions he had not confronted and that needed to be told. He could hear the whirling of his helicopter outside as he thought and ran to jump in. He knew that he would be seeing her in just a few minutes and he couldn't wait.
"Now about your career as a stripper?" Rod asked, but he had gone too far.
Tifa would not stand to be humiliated like this. She stood up and slapped Rod across the face hard. He clutched his cheek as the crowd cheered for her. She didn't care if her sales went down or if she were fired, she would not allow herself to be embarrassed anymore.
"Sorry, moving right along..." Rod said as Tifa sat back down, anger in her eyes. "We know that you're a very strong-willed person, we just...witnessed that," He continued, rubbing his cheek, "but what is a major fear of yours?"
"That I will have to have another interview with someone like you." Tifa responded, dryly. Rod closed his eyes tightly and sucked in his lips, hurt.
"I'm sorry, Miss Lockheart, I truly am, I won't ask another stupid question." Rod said, bowing his head.
"It's all right, Rod, you're just doing your job." Tifa said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Even after being so angry, she couldn't hold a grudge against anyone.
She could feel a strong wind blowing from outside of town and moved to cover her face from the sand. She coughed a little bit after some flew into her mouth but she was fine. The audience had ducked for cover, being used to sudden sandstorms during the summer. After it was over, Rod returned to his questions.
"Now I know that you have a brand new song for us, would you all like to hear it?" He said to the audience, who responded by roaring. Tifa blushed; she couldn't believe that she was so popular. She stood up and walked to center stage, smiling at everyone who was reaching up to try and touch her hand.
Alone for awhile I've been searching through the dark
For traces of the love you left inside my lonely heart
To weave, by picking up the pieces that remain
Melodies of Life--Love's lost refrain
This song was truly for Cloud, but she wouldn't admit that. She was trying to push him out of her life, but it was just so hard. He had meant so much to her, even if she hardly knew him. It was one of her sadder songs, so she stood still at center stage and did not dance. She would choose different people in the audience to sing a line to so that she could focus. Singing her songs about him made her want to collapse and the heat was getting to her as well.
Our paths they did cross, now I can not say just why
We met, we laughed, we held on fast, and then we said good-bye
And who'll hear the echoes of stories never told?
Let them ring, out loud, 'til they unfold
She could have sworn that she saw spiky blonde hair like Cloud's standing in the audience, pushing their way through, but she couldn't be sure. She couldn't see the man's face but she could feel her heart flutter. Maybe...he was here, for her. She knew that she was just dreaming and went on with her song.
In my dearest memories, I see you reaching out to me
Then you're gone, I still believe that you can call out my name
She couldn't hide her feelings from the camera. She knew that the audience could tell that this song was about the blonde haired millionaire. The girls all stood love struck, thinking about being Tifa and what it would be like to have Cloud, even if it was ephemeral. She still wished that he were there with her, that he was the man in the audience and would call out her name.
A voice from the past, joining yours and mine
Adding up the layers of harmony
And so it goes on and on
Melodies of life
To the sky beyond the flying birds—forever and beyond
She could still hear his voice in her head, calling out her name, but she knew that she was just imagining things. She felt tears running down her cheeks, racing with the sweat that was dooming to make her pass out from heat exhaustion. How she wished that he really was calling for her, but she knew that it was just the audience cheering.
So far and away, see the bird as it flies by
Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky
I've laid my memories and dreams upon those wings
Lift them high and see what tomorrow brings
She was looking at the clear blue sky above her, searching for her inspiration. She smiled at her last verse, remembering what tomorrow had been bringing her for the past six months. Tomorrow had brought her a career, a livelihood. Tomorrow had brought her the fame she had always wanted. Tomorrow had brought her...no closer to Cloud.
In your dearest memories do you remember loving me?
Was it fate that brought us close and now leaves me behind?
She still wondered if he ever thought about her. She wanted to know if sometimes deep in the back of his mind, he missed her. While he was working if he ever doodled her name or thought back to the conversation they had at her bar. She wondered...could he ever love her? Or had he moved on and left her behind, as part of his past?
A voice from the past, joining yours and mine
Adding up the layers of harmony
And so it goes on and on
Melodies of life
To the sky beyond the flying birds—forever and beyond
The blonde man had made his way up to the front of the stage and was looking directly up at her. The stage had a runway on it that she had been singing on so the crowd surrounded her on three sides. She glanced down at the blonde man and nearly fainted. Cloud was standing below her, looking up at her. Her eyes met his and she smiled. He really was calling her name, her wish had come true. It was a voice from the past, joining hers. She couldn't believe that he was really there.
If I should leave, this lonely world behind
Your voice will still remember our melody
Now I know we'll carry on
Melodies of life
Come circle round and grow dear in our hearts
As long as we remember
Some people in the audience had noticed Cloud looking at her and began to lift him onto the stage. He climbed up into the camera's view, and no one stopped him. He had enough money to buy them off so no one dared mess with him. He looked at Tifa with an apologetic look in his eyes.
She didn't know what to do. She couldn't do anything harsh to him since she was on live T.V. but she wanted to hit him so badly for hurting her. One look into his deep crystal eyes made her forget all her anger. She tilted her head and waited for him to say something. She could not be the first one to speak, not after what he had done. She wanted to turn away from him, make him work for her respect, but she knew what the audience wanted and for now, she would forgive him.
"Forgive me, please?" Cloud asked, taking her hands in his and facing towards her.
Tifa looked down, then out at the audience that was cheering louder than ever before. She looked back up at Cloud, who had a solemn look on his face, pleading with her to forgive him. Her eyes searched his for truth, darting back and forth as she frowned. Finally she gave him her trademark smile and threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and felt for the first time how good it was to hold her.
"I already have." She whispered, the audience barely hearing.
The crowd began to scream and applaud for them. Tifa pulled away from Cloud, still holding his hand, and blushed. She was so embarrassed, but she was still hurt. She waved to the cameras with Cloud, who put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She couldn't have asked for a more magical reunion.
The sun was setting on Costa Del Sol, and all the partygoers had already left for their hotels for the night. Cloud sat on the sand, looking out across the ocean at the orange sky and magenta sun. The sun cast a yellow glare onto the darkening water as the tide flowed in and out.
He could see Tifa's silhouette outlined in the setting sun. He could see every perfect curve of her body as she twisted back and forth gently, her hands clasped behind her back. Her head was tilted as she looked off into the distance, one foot crossed behind the other. Cloud had never seen a more beautiful woman in all his life and he knew that this time...his dream was real, but Tifa would not die.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked, not turning to look at him. He kept his eyes focused on her, with a smile on his lips.
"Yeah, it is." He said, referring to her. Tifa still had not looked at him, and that had been the first thing she had said to him since they were on stage together. He was worried that she would reject him, and had only pretended to forgive him for the cameras.
"This isn't enough." She said with a deep sigh after a long pause. Cloud looked up at her, confused. He tilted his head and drew his eyebrows together.
"What do you mean?" He asked, a fear striking his heart. She turned to look at him, her dark chocolate hair flipping behind her and making her look like a model. She had a look of deep discern on her face that he could just barely make out by the shadow covering her face.
"This isn't enough, Cloud. You hurt me. I can't just let that fade away..." She was lying through her teeth. Cloud had come back to her, and he was with her now, but she knew that she needed to let him know how badly he had hurt her. She couldn't let him get away with it. Cloud bowed his head and took a deep breath.
"I know and...I'm sorry. I never wanted to say those things about you but...I thought that was the only way to help you get out of the papers, I knew that you didn't want to be famous that way..." He trailed, looking at the sand off to his side. She closed her eyes and took a step towards him, hesitant.
"You said I meant nothing to you..." She said, looking away from him so that he could not see the tears in her eyes. "You said that I was a mistake and a stupid decision, that I was just some stripper..."
Cloud closed his eyes, remembering his words and how much they stung now that she said them. He stood up and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders as she continued to stare at the ground. He could feel her shaking as she cried, the tears falling to the sand beneath her.
He never realized that he had hurt her so badly. He wanted to shoot himself for making her cry, possibly more than once. Maybe he should have never come to see her, maybe this was just too difficult for her and that it was best if he left. He should have just let her get on with her career and be happy for her and her success. Perhaps he should have just let her move on with her life, and that being here brought all the pain of that day back to her.
"I know that what I said hurt you...but you have to believe me," He said, choking back the tears in his own eyes and lifting her chin to look up at him, "I did not want to do it." Again she searched for truth in his eyes and she could only find sincerity in them. It reassured her but still...what if he was just setting her up for another fall?
"Then why did you say it?" She asked, allowing him to see her cry.
"Because..." He didn't know how to say it without sounding like a jerk. Because he would lose the college if he didn't? How would that sound to her? He just seemed so selfish and he hung his head. "Because if I didn't I would lose the college..."
He had to tell her straight up. He wanted to be honest with her from this day forward, and he hoped that she could find it in her heart to forgive him. Her eyes turned from sad to angry, and she quickly turned her back on him. He couldn't blame her, and he took a step towards her and put his arms on her shoulders once again, but she shook him off.
"You would...say something horrible about me...just to secure your inheritance?" She said, her shoulders gently rising and falling from her tears and anguish.
She had wanted so badly to forgive him, to be with him. But now...after what he said...she couldn't. She couldn't accept the fact that he would step on her to get his money. She couldn't forgive him for destroying her, just to get what he wanted. She couldn't be with him knowing that he could just be ready to cast her aside if he felt he needed to in order to help his own future.
"Tifa, please listen to me..." Cloud pleaded, but Tifa spun on her heel and shot him a hard look.
"No, you listen, Cloud." She said, barely being able to speak from all the tears. "Don't think that just because you feel bad for what you did, and now that I'm famous, that you can just come here and make me forgive you, there's more to life than publicity, so don't ask me to forgive you for saying such horrible things about me because I can't!" She cried, her voice cracking at nearly every word.
She didn't want to leave him. She didn't want to turn and run away from him at that moment but she did. She fled from the beach and back into her hotel room. She had waited for months to see him again, dreaming of him, praying that he would say it was all a mistake, but she had never figured how he would tell her the reason for what he did. She had never thought about why he had done such a terrible thing. She packed her bags quickly and fled to her awaiting limo.
Cloud wanted to chase after her. He didn't want to ruin his last chance at being with the girl of his dreams, but he knew that he needed to let her go. What she said made perfect sense to him, even though he didn't want it to. She was right, how could he have done such a horrible thing to her and expect her to forgive him?
He lowered his head and returned to his helicopter, knowing that this was the last time he could ever see her. She could never return to him after this and he couldn't try and force her to forgive him. He wanted to be with her so badly that it hurt, but he knew that he had ruined his chance. It was his nightmare all over again, she had died in his arms, her spirit had gone from his. He closed his eyes, mentally killing himself for his actions.