Rated R for mature situations, drug references, mature language, and explicit sex scenes. You've been warned.

Author's Notes: Not really too much to say. Enjoy and leave some comments as we get to the climax of Part 1.

G A W D Y F O R T U N E S

Part 1: Unfaithful

By: Xtine

Chapter 9: Fate or Destiny

Cloud stooped on a folding chair with a small cup of vodka in his hand. He twirled the cup and watched the ripples form across the top of the liquid, enchanting his attention. His attention, however, was averted when it was caught by a burly man walking towards him.

"I thought you were gonna head back to Kalm," Cloud commented when he saw Barret take a seat next to him.

"I'll go in a bit," Barret replied and leaned down to pick up the bottle of alcohol that was perched next to the legs of Cloud's chair. "Besides, Tifa is a big girl. I'm sure she can take care of herself for awhile."

Cloud raised his eyebrow at his friend. He distinctly remembered calling him to come to town to keep Tifa company during his long week of work and to make sure a certain loathsome creature didn't go near her.

"I suppose," Cloud replied a bit unsure. "I just don't trust Reno around her. I'm sure he's still holding a grudge against us."

Barret clenched his teeth at the thought of that greasy man touching Tifa, but kept his disgust to himself.

"I saw 'em today," Barret's voice wavered. Cloud looked over to the burly man, and for some reason he felt as if there was something more to his story, but he didn't bother to pursue asking.

"I wonder what the Hell he's doing here," Cloud questioned, a bit oblivious to the obvious distress Barret was feeling towards the man right now.

"Cloud, do you love Tifa?" The subject quickly changed throwing Cloud off guard.

"What?" he looked at Barret utterly confused.

"Do you love her?"

Cloud looked back down to the ground before answering feeling that the answer he was giving was forced. "Of course I do. I asked her to marry me..."

Barret fell silent. Guilt plagued his mind, but he knew he was in no position to tell him of Tifa's wrongdoings.

"Why do you ask? Is there something wrong?" Cloud asked perplexed.

Barret shook his head to his question and a grin spread on his lips. "I's just worried, ya know? I dun wanna see my girl get hurt."

He patted Cloud on the back and proceeded to take another swig of Cloud's vodka. "I wish you two the best of luck."

With that last statement said, Barret stood and walked towards the vehicles that were parked not too far away. Cloud watched him as he started his vehicle and drove off into the distance towards Kalm. Questions were beginning to eat away at him, and he was bothered by Barret's behavior and questions. He became so distraught from the slightly bizarre conversation they had, that he made the decision to leave work the next day after his night shift was over.

xoxox

The moon crept away as the morning sun once again reached up over the horizon to light up the darkened world. The sun began to warm the naked woman's body as she rested peacefully. Rays of light seeped into Tifa's room and pierced through her eyelids stirring her awake from her humble sleep.

A grave smile spread upon her lips as she felt the soft breathing of a body beneath her head. Her cheek rested comfortably on the man's chest, and she felt as if she were being rocked back to sleep by the rhythm of his breathing.

She felt him stir a little beneath her and his arm that was around her waist tightened, signaling that he was being roused from his sleep from the same god awful sun striking down on them.

"You think you're friend is coming back?" a groggy voice asked.

"Probably," she spoke quietly, not wanting to face the realization that this seriously had to stop now. With her faint words Reno sat up in the bed, making Tifa sit up along with him. He moved his legs to the side of the bed and stretched them down to the ground and attempted to stand. He was a bit weary at first, but he was able to stand with only a little gimp from the wound. He stretched out his arms greeting the dawn of a new day as he looked out the window and down upon the world.

Tifa watched him and she felt a tear streak down the side of her face. She didn't want this to end now, not after the night they shared. Their true passions for each other had surfaced and she simply could not deny her strong desire to be with him. She knew however, what she had to do, and the longer she drew out the inevitable the more it tore her up inside.

"We have to end this," her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Why..?" he didn't even bother to turn to her when asking. He lowered his head and felt the words crush his heart. Not now…he thought to himself. I'm too involved now. I'm not willing to let you go that easily.

"You know why," she replied coolly, although on the inside it was tearing her apart. Why does he have to make it so hard?

Reno started to speak softly, "I always believe that things happen for a reason..."

"He'll kill you if he sees you!" Tifa blurted out, interrupting his speech. "The only reason Barret even let you live was for my sake. Please Reno," her voice was choked with tears, "don't make this more difficult then it has to be."

He remained silent. How could she say things like that? She obviously had some sort of undistinguished feelings for me or she wouldn't have gone through all the hassle the night before. And our lovemaking...there was something there that I have never felt before and I know she's never felt that too...

"I don't understand why you keep denying me," Reno turned to her, his face stern and cold. Tears now ran down the young woman's face as she looked at this man that stood before her. "You know Cloud doesn't love you the way you want him to love you. I just don't understand why you keep hanging onto him like a lost puppy. You're nothing but filler to him Tifa! You're just simply there to fill that empty hole Aerith had left when she died."

Tifa looked at him stricken with grief. She already knew everything that he had just told her, but she just never really came to accept it. She closed her eyes and her fingers fumbled with the engagement ring that rested on her ring finger. Her life was turning into a blur of emotions and she just simply could not put the puzzle pieces together.

"I don't want to see you die," she spoke through a stuffled sob. He gave a small chuckle, flattered at the fact she was that worried about him. A smirk spread on his lips and he leaned over the bed to her, letting his lips plant softly caress hers in a comforting fashion. She gratefully returned the favor and she felt Reno's warm hand be placed upon her cheek where another tear slipped onto his skin. Their passion was obstructed when the front door started rattling from a key being forcefully pushed into it. Tifa's eyes opened wide and she looked down the stair case towards the door, knowing that there was only one other person besides her that had a key to her bar.

"Cloud.." she whispered and jumped up from the bed and looked down the stairs that led to the bar and the front door. "You have to hide...!"

Reno desperately looked around the room but there was no place that would keep him well hidden from the eyes of Cloud, so he shook his head from there being no options at hand.

"Just...stay up here, I'll go talk to him," she spoke quietly while she raised herself from her bed. She had run out of ideas, so she just prayed that things would turn out.

Quickly putting on an oversized T-shirt to cover her naked form, she then proceeded down the stairs wiping the tears from her eyes before meeting Cloud.

She reached the bottom step just as the front door of the bar opened, and she saw Cloud turn towards her with a smile on his face, showing his eagerness to see her. With great effort she returned the smile.

"What are you doing home?" she asked tiredly.

"Barret had me a bit worried about you last night," he replied honestly and walked up towards her, and embraced her in his loving arms.

"Worried?" she asked frightened about what Barret could have said to him.

"Yeah, Barret said he saw Reno as well, so I figured I should come home to protect you until we know for a fact that he's left town," he spoke defiantly. Tifa gave a small giggle at the irony of the situation, but tried to make it sound like she was just happy to have Cloud there with her.

"Well...I don't think we have to worry about hi--," she didn't even have a chance to finish her statement when they both heard the familiar thumps of footsteps down their stairwell. They both averted their attention to the bottom of the stairwell to see Reno making an entrance with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his lips.

"Well isn't this cute," he gave a crude remark to the two. Cloud instinctively let Tifa go and stood in front of her as her protector against the intruder.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" Cloud growled at the other male. Reno just rolled his eyes not really worried by his threat. He gimped towards the two before speaking again.

"I was just about to leave, actually," his voice was cold and emotionless. His face wore an expression of stone as he felt the jealously of this other man touching his love drive him mad inside. What was worst was that he knew that the only reason he didn't tackle Cloud to the ground was for Tifa's sake. He just prayed that she would stay strong and do what she thought was right. Although deep down he wished she would come to his side and leave the asshole behind.

Cloud's upper lip tightened in defense as he felt Reno push past him and towards the front door. Enraged by the fact that Reno simply was trying to leave nonchalantly with no explanation, Cloud turned to his enemy's back and tried to shout at him to get his attention. Seeing that Reno was completely ignoring him, Cloud lunged at him and drove his elbow into his back. Already weakened from the previous night, Reno collapsed to the floor and scramble to turn on his back so he could see his opponent.

"Cloud stop!" Tifa screamed as she saw him stoop over the fallen man with his arm raised ready to strike him in the face. She grabbed onto Cloud's arm, and fear was written on her face. Confused as to why she wanted him to stop, he let down his guard and turned towards her.

"Tifa, he's a Turk, and you can't trust a Turk. I can't believe he's even in my house!" anger ringed in his voice. Brushing Tifa off his arm, he went back to Reno and gave him a swift kick in side, making him keel over in the fetal position.

"Please don't do this Cloud..." she whispered, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye. She was threatening her relationship with Cloud every minute that she made him stop his actions, and for the first time she didn't care. She wasn't going to take his side this time, and she wasn't going to stand next to him as he beat Reno to a pulp.

"Why are you defending him?" he demanded, completely perplexed by his fiancée's behavior.

Because I share something with him that I never felt with you. Because I can't stand to watch him sitting there in pain. I want to be in his arms right now, not yours. Because…I… her mind kept screaming out reasons, but not a word escaped her mouth. Instead she hung her head and turned her gaze towards the ground so she wouldn't see Cloud's icy orbs piercing her and hoped he wouldn't see the tears streaking down her face. He took a glance at her and back towards Reno who was now working on standing back up.

"What's going on here?" Cloud's voice was gruff.

"Nothing," was the only response Tifa could muster up.

Reno was hurt by her response. Despite the drama that would have been caused if she had told the truth, he wished he could know what her true desires were. But he knew what the outcome of the situation was going to be, and he wasn't going to fight the inevitable anymore. Bowing his head, Reno turned towards the exit once again, this time not having any interruptions in his departure.

xoxox

The chilly air swept in as the door closed behind Reno. Silence hung in the air between the two lovers in turmoil. Tifa just couldn't find any words to speak, and Cloud was still trying to make sense of what just happened.

He shook his head at Tifa whose gaze was still fixed on the ground by her feet. Wishing that she would say something, but knowing that nothing needed to be said, he ventured towards the bar and took a seat on one of the stools. He twirled himself around so he would face the bar and the hundreds of drinks that lined the wall.

Tifa watched him as he stooped on the stool. Cautiously she stepped towards him, trying to be strong in their emotional strife. She swallowed hard as she took a seat next to him, trying to muster up the courage to speak to him.

"Cloud I..." she tried to speak but just watched him shake his head at her attempt.

"I understand," he whispered. His heart had been shattered by the betrayal, and a tear slipped onto the bar table below him, but somehow he felt that this had happened for a reason. He dearly loved Tifa as a friend, but she could feel that his heart truly belonged to someone else, and it was selfish of him to think that she didn't know.

"I'm the one that should be sorry," he continued on but didn't bother to take a glance at her. "I'm sorry for being so selfish."

She knew what his speech was going to be about, and even though she had prepared herself ever since the beginning of their adventure with Aerith, she never thought the truth would hurt her so much.

"I'm sorry for leading you on to believe that I loved you," his voice was barely audible. She felt herself choke as he spoke so softly towards her. "You knew from the beginning that I'm in love with Aerith, even if she has returned to the Lifestream. I just could never give myself to you the way you wanted me too. It was selfish of me to keep you hanging on like you did, hoping that one day maybe some true feelings would spring to life, but they just never did."

"Cloud," Tifa stumbled over his name as a few tears left her eyes. She looked down at her hands and at the engagement ring he had given her. So beautiful and full of life the diamond was as the light danced within the perfectly cut chasms. Gently she tugged at the ring and pulled it off her ring finger and placed it delicately on the bar table in front of Cloud.

Pain was in Cloud's eyes as he looked down at the ring, and then at Tifa who had forced a small smile onto her lips. Knowing that there was nothing else to be said between the two, she scooted off her stool and moved towards Cloud to embrace him one last time. He took her into his arms and held onto her tight, putting his face deep in her neck and taking in her scent one last time before letting her go to be in the arm's of another man. They both shared their tears in their last embrace, as tears of betrayal both overwhelmed them. They knew that letting go was going to be the hardest part…

Author's Note: Oh the drama that can happen within a week. I'm sort of mad that things in the story didn't get time to develop at all, so everything kind of seems like it's being done spur of the moment, but at the same time it seems acceptable hopefully due to the lack of feelings between Cloud and Tifa. However there should be more actual development later in the story as a whole, hopefully.

Disclaimers: I do not own any of the names, characters, or places mentioned in this story.