Someone to Love

-five-

            Another couple of months passed Tifa by like a blur.  It seemed that she and Sephiroth only grew closer with each passing day.  They were inseparable.  They did everything together.    She loved having him there too.  She loved not being alone, having some one there.  Even if it was Sephiroth.

            Sephiroth too enjoyed her company.  He'd never had thought that Tifa would warm up to him as quickly as she did, or even at all for that matter.  He thought for certain that he'd get the boot after he had healed. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that it was her original plan, but he was happy that it hadn't come to pass yet.  The whole thing meant more to him than it showed.

            Tifa had gone out to the Shinra mansion earlier in the day.  Apparently she was taking care of the mail and plants for a friend of hers that lived there.  Why anyone would want to live there was beyond him.  That place was full of nightmares, so many that he didn't even want to fathom going there.  But according to Tifa, that was exactly why he was living there.

            He decided that he was going to surprise Tifa.  According to a letter from one of her friends, it was her birthday.  Her twenty second birthday.  He was going to clean the house and make a fancy dinner he saw in a women's magazine he'd found on the floor of Tifa's room.  It was going to be great! After all, he did kind of owe her.  He thought it was a bit funny too.  The legendary General Sephiroth Doing common chores.  If only Hojo could see him now.  Sephiroth smirked .

            He cleaned the first floor in record time.  The living room couch even got vacuumed.  He made his was upstairs, picked up the hall way of Tifa's freshly cleaned laundry that she had yet to put away.  He picked up the bathroom, even though it was hardly used at all.  He glanced at him self in the mirror.  His black roots were getting even more evident as his hair grew longer.  It must have been his little swim in the life stream.  He wondered if he was purified of Jenova.  He hoped it were so.

            He wandered into his own room, which was the messiest.  But, it wasn't his fault.  Apparently it was Tifa's storage room before he came.  He gathered all the papers into one pile and put them next to her dusty piano.  He moved four large boxes from under the window and put them into the closet.  When he moved the last box, he found an opened envelope underneath it.  It was plain with "for Tifa" written on it in plain blue ink, with a few splatters of what looked like blood, but Sephiroth couldn't be sure.

            Of course, his new found curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to take a peek inside.  A single sheet of lined paper was all that was inside.  He pulled it out of the envelope and started to read it.  Whoever wrote it certainly had nice handwriting.

Dear Tifa.

There were so many things that I wanted to tell you.  About what was going on inside me.  The pain that I felt for what seemed like no reason.  And, every time I tried to tell you, I'd look into your beautiful eyes, and I couldn't find the words, or, I couldn't bear to tell you.  I'm so sorry for what I've done.  I'm sure that I've hurt you more than I realize right now.  You're probably reading this next to my dead body, with your eyes all red and puffy, and shaking, like you usually do when you're sad.  I think that when you're most beautiful..  I know that you love me, and believe me when I say that I love you too.  I just couldn't go on living.  It felt to me that the entire world kept moving forward with life, and that I was being left behind.  I feel that my life died with Sephiroth.  That my life doesn't have much of a purpose anymore now that he's dead.  And don't you even for one second think that I've killed myself over Aeris! Ok?! Not for one single minute! It wasn't her that made me do this.  It's a bunch of other reasons, and none of which have anything to do with her.  But, I still love you, and I'll always love you.  I just want you to be happy.  Find another love.  I know you can.  I mean, only a complete monster devoid of any emotion could resist the Tifa Lockhart charm.  Don't be depressed over me.  I'm not worth it.  Don't do anything stupid alright! I love you, and I want you to be happy.

Love Cloud.

            Sephiroth was stunned.  He was left speechless.  He all of a sudden felt very guilty again.

            "I feel like my life died with Sephiroth?" He quoted the note questioningly.

            He let out a heavy sigh and pocketed the note.  He felt it was something that shouldn't be thrown away.  Sephiroth finished his chores, and made his way downstairs, and began to work on dinner.  Domesticated Chocobo meat, steamed Milmett greens, a thick Northern Continent soup, and a bottle of fine wine from the Kalm area wineries.  He set the food on the table and arranged it all nice like, with a Nibel Rose of May in the center.   He went upstairs again, put on a pair of dark black slacks and a black sweater and went back downstairs just in time to see Tifa come in.

            "What's all this for?" She asked.

            "Happy Birthday." He said with a smile as he walked to her and gave her a spare rose.

            "How did you know…?" She trailed off, then it hit her.  She'd left the birthday card Cid and Shera had sent her on the kitchen table.  "Thank you." She said, instantly sniffing it.  She always loved May Roses the best.

            "I made dinner!" He said excitedly.

            "I saw that." She said walking over to the neatly decorated table. "Why don't I go change before we eat."

            Sephiroth said nothing, but only watched her climb up the stairs.  He sighed.  She didn't seem to excited.  What was he doing wrong?

            He heard her come down the stairs and when he saw her, he had to remember to breathe.  She was was wearing one of those "little black dresses" that all women supposedly had.  It was very conservative.  No low cut collar for massive amounts of cleavage, and no high slit.

            "You, look…nice."

            "Thank you." She said again. "I just thought we should match." She said with a smile. 

            They ate dinner together.  They talked about different things.  Tifa mentioned things that were happening around town, what was happening with her friends, and how surprised to find that Sephiroth could cook.  Sephiroth mostly listened to her.  He just liked the sound of her voice, in a way, he felt it comforting.  He gave her birthday gift to her, a simple silver bracelet, with small star shaped charms that made a melodic jingle when she moved her wrist..  She loved it, and immediately put it on, looking at how it seemed to reflect every ray of light that it managed to catch.  Now they were sitting outside on the well, looking up at the stars.

            "You know, this is where I talked, truly talked, to Cloud for the first time."

            "Really?"

            "Yeah," She said. "I said that I'd miss him when he left for Soldier."  She said.

            Sephiroth was silent.  He had to say something to her about Cloud.

            "I figured it out." He said.

            "Figured what out?"
            "Cloud."

"What about him?" She asked

"I finally know what happened to him."

            Tifa tensed a bit, as she watched him pull out Cloud's note.  She began to get teary eyed and immediately ran for her house.  Sephiroth felt bad, and went after her.  When he made it through the front door, he could hear Tifa's door slam above him.  He climbed the stairs, and went to Tifa's door.  He opened the door to her room, and stepped in to find her in a weeping pile on her bed.

            "God, Tifa, I'm sorry."

            "I had just managed to forget about him, and then you had to remind me!"  She yelled.  "Do you have to be so damn insensitive all the time!"  She said, getting up off of the bed and into his face.

            "I'm sorry!" He said, rather loudly.

            "Yeah, sure."

            They stared at each other for a moment until they found themselves moving closer.  It was like, to both of them, they were being pulled together like polar opposites, and in a way, it was true.  Their lips met, and to Sephiroth, it felt like fireworks were going off inside his head.  He'd never felt that way before. Tifa felt the same way.  The kiss deepened, and it continued for what seemed like blissful eternity.  They were both experiencing something that was new, but exciting at the same time, and that only pressed them further. But, soon Tifa pulled away and went back to her bed.

            He didn't say a word, just moved to her bed and sat down next to her.  She got herself up, and wiped a fresh tear away from her cheek, and moved to rest her head against her back.  Sephiroth tensed.  Tifa pulled away while Sephiroth swung his legs up onto the bed and rested his head and upper back against her headboard.

            "Come here." He said, extending one arm.

            Tifa did, nestling herself next to him, with her head upon his chest.  She pulled herself up for a moment to give him another kiss, just a quick peck, but it was a kiss none the less.  She gave a sigh of contentment as she positioned her self back into that comfy spot in his arms.  "I think I'm falling for you." She said.

            "I already have."

***

AN: AWWW Smootchies!  How bad did it suck?! Come on… tell me! But, anyway.  I've noticed that a lot of you are concerned about the domesticated Sephy. And I don't care what you all think, I like it!  Every one else makes him this uptight dude that cant do anything for himself and makes the woman do everything for him! But, any way… don't mind me! Im crazed! Remember to read and review! Thanx a bunch for you reviews! If it hadn't had been for the fear of you all coming after me with torches and pitchforks, this fic never would have gotten as far as it has. : )

-- Jobi!