Cloud lifted one heavy eyelid open and looked around. 'Where is this place?' He whispered to himself.

He willed himself to get up but a sharp stabbing pain filled his head forcing him to lie back down. As the pain slowly dissipates he turned his head to the side and sees Denzel lying on the bed next to him. The sudden shift in movement caused the boy to wake up; he groggily lifted his head and looked at the older blond staring at him. His eyes widened and he sat up on the bed and stared down at his hand guiltily.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked him.

"Are you mad at me?" Denzel asked, his little voice mixed with a tinge of fear.

Cloud tried to remember what had happened, his eyebrows furrowing in the process. The smaller boy nervously anticipated his respond.

Finally his thought was broken with a laugh, "Come to think of it… I can't even remember what happened! Don't look so down…" Cloud replied, raising his two arms and flexing it ala superman style in front of the boy, "See, no harm done?"

The boy giggled at his unlikely act, his face cheerful again. Cloud however was more relief that everything and everyone is fine and that he got the boy smiling again… as he watched the boy chatter on an on in a frenzy the corner of his eyes caught the sight brunette slumped over an uncomfortable looking wooden chair.

Dark bands were threatening to appear under her thick heavy lashes which were held tightly close in a deep slumber.

He edged off the bed to stand up, struggling for a second as his legs wobbled a bit due

lack of usage. He hauled himself towards the brunette, taking a breather before resting a hand over her forehead. The contact of his feverish hand against her cold forehead caused her face to scrunch up in dismay before she finally popped her eyes open to reveal two dazed looking wine-colored orbs.

"C-Cloud? You're up!" Tifa stuttered combing her bedraggled hair consciously and wiping a non-existent dust off her skirt.

"The doctor said you should rest! What are you doing walking around!" Tifa rambled uncontrollably.

Cloud stifled a laugh, amused at how fast she was actually talking.

"Tifa relax… I'm fine and besides my back hurts from lying down for so long… and I think you'll agree that I'm really in dire need of a shower." He said pinching his nose playfully.

Tifa was about to argue but hesitantly she gave in surrendering with a meek smile; fatigue clearly catching up with her.

"I'll go get you your towel," She simply replied before disappearing behind the door.

Cloud looked over at Denzel eyebrows quirking, "Hey, Denzel where is this place?"

Tifa looked at Cloud like he was a kangaroo playing a saxophone.

"What?" Cloud asked innocently, quickly checking if there was anything wrong with him.

"You have never been in Tifa's room?" Denzel questioned him.

He austerely smiled and shrugged the boy off when he heard him giggling at him.

It never occurred to him that for the whole 3 years he's been living with Tifa he had never even took a peek into the petite brunette's bedroom. He should have noticed earlier, the whole room lingered with her unmistakable scent, sort of a mixture of apple and fresh mountain air. He loved the smell, it reminds him of something soothing yet exciting? He scratched his wild blond mane at the thought.

His hair was now flat and plastered all over his head. The water from the shower attacked his body releasing every tight knot in his muscles. He rubbed his neck allowing some suds to slide down slick skin. Turning the water off he shake his head wildly letting the water spray all over the place, one hand reached aimlessly to the towel rack to find… no towel.

'Damn it! And I already put my soiled cloths inside the laundry bag,' Cloud said cursing his luck, he open the bathroom door and peeked into the empty corridor towards his room about 3 meters away from where he stand and along the way was Denzel's and Tifa's room.

"Tifa? … Denzel?" He called but no answers, 'I could just make a run for it…' he thought however he closed the bathroom door to re-think his options.

'Aww…come on Cloud you've escaped monsters, crazy people chasing you with an axe, shadow crawlers and you've even killed Sephiroth! And you can't even take a run down to your room butt-naked?' challenge a tiny voice in his head.

He didn't know why but it seemed like a good idea at that time…

"Tifa, for the 100th time! I'm sorry!" Cloud said from the opposite side of the door.

"Just go away!" Tifa yelled digging her head deeper into her pillow; her face was so red someone could have mistaken her for a tomato.

As Cloud kept saying apologizes from behind the door, she was battling with the images flooding into her head after their little accident.

Flashback

She was busy trying to find where Cloud has placed his towels, rummaging through his cupboards she sighed desperately. Then she heard the door open, "Cloud… I can't find your tow- Uff!" She stopped mid-sentenced as something fast collided with her and toppled her down to the floor. And that something was now right on top of her, she could feel cold water seep through the layers of cloths she wore wetting her skin. A drop of water fell on her eyelid causing it to pop open and in front of her laid Cloud Strife, dripping wet and… naked.

"Tifa?" Cloud said, an equally shocked look adorned his face.

And with that she did the last thing she would ever thought of doing… she screamed.

Cloud got off of her and in a flash went for the curtain, wrapping the thick fabric around his waist and hiding whatever it is that should not be seen by the opposite sex.

"Tifa listen to me, let me explain…" Cloud said, trying to dowse the fiery rage on the female's face.

"YOU JERK!" She roared through a flushed face, throwing a canister that she managed to reach before exiting the room with a slam.

End Flashback

"Leave me alone!" Tifa yelled frustratedly.

Cloud stared at the door, throwing his hand in the air in surrender, "Ok, fine!"

"What's wrong?" Denzel asked, appearing out of nowhere.

Cloud looked down at the boy calmly, 'Ok how do you explain Tifa-caught-me-butt-naked-and-now-she-won't-even-talk-to-me to an 8 year old boy.' He thought before settling with a "I guess I got on her bad side." Quickly leaving the boy before he got further interrogated.