Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past

Chapter 5: On the Move

The constant buzzing of Tifa's alarm clock eventually woke her up. Without opening her eyes, her hand frantically searched for the off button. After much flailing she finally managed to stop the noise. She lifted her head up, still feeling rather sleepy. Her eyes were half open. She was searching to room. The reason for this she didn't really know herself. Soon, she remembered her little visit last night. It all came back to her. Cloud had been in her room, watching her sleep. She could remember exactly how his touch felt when his fingertips came across her face. A thousand battles could never scar his soft hands. The tingling her skin felt was overcoming her again as it did the night before. In a hurry she got up, throwing the covers off of her as quickly as she could. She looked out her window, hearing noises coming from Cloud's Fenrir.

Tifa watched him work on improving his bike. She smiled warmly. I think this is it. If there ever was a perfect time, it has to be now. She quickly got dressed, the smile still resting on her lips. Before leaving the room, she fixed her hair a little bit; not that she really needed to, but, better safe than sorry. After almost running down the stairs, she saw the kids at the kitchen table…. eating breakfast. There was definitely something off here. Usually the kids had to wake her up with the jaws of life to eat.

"Now this is rare." she said. "Usually you two can't survive until I wake up."

"Cloud made breakfast for us!" Marlene was very excited about this sudden change in Cloud. He had never gotten up early enough for breakfast before. Cooking it was definitely a sign.

"Yeah! He's really good, Tifa. Have some!" Denzel was very happy to have his hero back.

Tifa giggled at the children's enthusiasm. "That's ok. I'm not very hungry. Is Cloud still outside?"

"Yeah." Marlene continued. "He's been outside since we started eating."

Tifa nodded in response, making her way out the door to talk to Cloud. The children giggled, noticing that Tifa was a lot happier than she was the day before.

She stopped beside Cloud, who was under his motorcycle, tuning up its engine. Tifa bent down with a smile on her face, waiting for Cloud to see her. Unfortunately, he didn't pick up on her presence, so she decided to talk first.

"You know, if you wanted to talk to me last night, you could have." Cloud stuck his head out and finally saw Tifa there. She winked at him, making him feel very nervous. He tried to keep his cool as he kept working on his Fenrir.

"I didn't want to disturb you. You were quite peaceful in your sleep." He looked back up at her. Tifa still had the same smile on her face. "Plus, I thought you were still mad at me."

Tifa's smile vanished as she recalled the events that took place yesterday. She straightened herself and went back to the steps to have a seat. "Listen…" she responded. "About that…"

"I'm sorry." Cloud said it first. He had every right to be sorry, after all it was him who screwed up Denzel's special day. "I shouldn't have forgotten his birthday." He stopped working for a minute to come out from underneath his bike to talk to Tifa face to face. He looked into her brown eyes as he continued. "I know I haven't been the easiest person to get along with. But… thanks for sticking with me Tifa. It really means a lot to me." Tifa's face started to grow red as she tried to hide it by looking down.

"It's no big deal. I know it must be hard for you, adjusting to a normal life and all."

"That's no excuse. I hurt you and the kids too much. I promise to change though. I'll try my damndest to never be stupid again." She looked back at him, and what she saw was something she could stare at all day. Cloud was smiling at her, his blue eyes staring right through her. Tifa was a little nervous of this new side of Cloud. She was finally able to welcome it by smiling back at him.

"I'll make sure you do that." she responded. Cloud chuckled a little while getting up off the ground. He mounted his Fenrir and was about to start the engine when Tifa stopped him. "You going away?" she asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Just to make a quick delivery. I'll be back in a few hours, then we can all go to the park for Denzel's birthday."

Tifa finally remembered the promise Cloud made to the boy yesterday. "Well…. how about I go with you?"

Cloud looked at Tifa with a confused face. "Huh?"

"Yeah. It'll be a great way to catch some fresh air. I've been cooped up in the bar for so long that I think a little drive will do some good." She turned around to the neighbors house to ask them to watch Denzel and Marlene for a few hours while she was gone. Cloud called out to her before she got too far.

"Tifa, I appreciate you wanting to spend some time with me, but I don't…"

Tifa immediately turned around and grasped Cloud's hand that rested on the throttle of his motorcycle. She looked at him with a crooked smile and very serious eyes. "Mr. Strife, I have been locked in this bar for over a month with two hyperactive children, while you get to spend countless hours away and come home when said children and relatively calm. Not to mention the various stinking, womanizing, and drunk men that I have to throw out. I'm cranky and going out of my mind." Cloud began to notice that her squeeze was getting tighter with each word she spoke, to the point that it was really starting to hurt. "You will either take me on this trip with you, or neither of us will go." That smile was still on her face as her squeeze became tighter.

"Ummm…. maybe you should tell the kids before we actually go." Cloud managed to speak.

"Perfect! Just give me a few minutes to get ready, ok?" Tifa walked back into the house. Cloud took his hand off the throttle and shook his hurting hand. "Damn. I gotta remember never to say 'no' to her again."

Cloud decided to go inside after about ten minutes to say goodbye to the kids himself. Fist he hugged Marlene. "Come back soon, ok Cloud?" Cloud nodded to her. "I will. Don't worry." Next, he came to Denzel, who still had his head down after Cloud told them he was leaving.

Cloud got down on one knee to be on eye level with the brown-haired boy. "I'll only be gone for a few hours. When I get back, we'll all go out and enjoy the day." He put a hand on Denzel's shoulder, trying to comfort the boy. Denzel couldn't hold himself back as he lunged forward and hugged Cloud. This surprised Cloud at first, but he soon wrapped his arms around the boy.

"You promise?" Denzel wanted to be sure Cloud would keep his word this time.

"I promise." Cloud responded.

Tifa had just come downstairs when she saw Cloud holding Denzel. She stopped herself from going any further. She admired the sight of Cloud acting like a father to Denzel, just as she had always been like the boy's mother. Small tears started to form in her eyes as a warm smile formed on her lips. Before Cloud let go of Denzel, she realized that she was starting to cry and quickly wiped her tears away before anyone noticed. Cloud looked back at Tifa. "Ready to go?" he asked. She nodded before saying her goodbyes to the kids and telling them to be good while she and Cloud were gone. After saying their goodbyes, Cloud and Tifa mounted his Fenrir and rode off down the road on their way to Kalm.

---

The pair had remained silent for most of the trip. It wasn't turning out exactly like she expected, but Tifa figured that it was at least better than waiting for Cloud to come home. Even if she did try to talk, Cloud probably wouldn't have been able to hear her. The roar of Fenrir's engine was enough to drown out a baby's cry for attention. The wind blew Tifa's hair in every direction. However, it would have been much worse if her hair was still as long as it once was. She remembered how hard to was to keep after her flowing locks. Nowadays it wasn't too difficult a task. She had mainly cut her hair to see if Cloud would notice a difference in her appearance. As with a typical guy, and also due to his self-loathing period, Cloud didn't notice. In the aftermath of the battle with Kadaj, Cloud finally said that it was a good look for her. That was enough to make Tifa's day.

It wasn't long before Tifa realized that she didn't know where Cloud was going. The main reason she had come on this trip was to be with Cloud. And…. to find some way to tell him how she really felt about him. "Hey Cloud, you never did tell me where we were going today. Where are you delivering this package to?"

Cloud remained silent for a few seconds. He turned his head slightly toward Tifa while still keeping his eyes on the road. "That's why I was hesitant to take you at first. We're going to Nibelheim."

Tifa's face went to complete shock. "Oh…" was all she managed to say. She hadn't expected to be returning to Nibelheim so soon. That place held very tragic memories for her mind. She could almost feel the heat of the flames on her face while she was thinking about it. Cloud noticed this sudden change in attitude.

"Are you sure you still want to go? I can turn back and take you home if you want."

Tifa was pulled out of her thoughts by Cloud's question. She shook her head in response. "I'll be ok as long as I have you with me." She meant this as more than just their little trip. At first, Cloud thought that she did mean more that just this trip. However, he put the thought out of his mind. It's so hard to read her sometimes.

Tifa then rested her head on Cloud's back. Her ear was pressed so close that she could hear his heartbeat. It helped to soothe her, making her feel more peaceful being with Cloud. She tightened her grip around his waist, holding him closer to her. Cloud noticed this, but tried to stay focused on the road. However, a small smile formed on his lips after Tifa held him tighter. Cloud pulled back the throttle more to speed up the bike.

After nearly an hour and a half, they finally arrived in Kalm. Cloud parked the Fenrir outside the city. He was about to get off the bike, but he soon noticed that Tifa was still holding onto him. She had fallen asleep on the way. Cloud smiled and chuckled a little as he took her arms off of him and picked her up in his arms. Her head rested easily against his chest. Cloud stared at her again, feeling much closer to her than he did last night while he watched her sleep. Without a word, he carried her into the city to the nearest hotel he could find. He purchased a room for two and carried her upstairs. After having some trouble opening the door, he placed Tifa on her bed and pulled the covers over her. She snuggled in her comfortable bed. The trip had really tired her out. Cloud moved hair out of her face again with his fingertips, smiling warmly at her before he turned to leave.

Cloud made his way through the streets of Kalm, trying to locate the bar. He noticed many shops with various items on his way. Some had weapons, others had materia, etc. After much traversing, he finally came upon the bar. Cloud entered through the door. The loud laughs or coughs of the drunks made Cloud annoyed; getting past them was even more annoying. Through some struggle, Cloud made it to the front of the bar, where a gentleman in a black coat waited for him. Cloud leaned over the counter and ordered a drink.

"Where's the package?" Cloud was abrupt and direct with this man. He wanted to end this job soon so he could get back to Tifa and the children.

The man in black took a small package from his cloak and handed it to Cloud. "You're here early. Got some other plans for the day?"

"Something like that. Tell your boss that I'm making the delivery today. I can't wait til tomorrow."

The man took a sip from his glass. "I'll be sure to let him know. He'll meet you at the front gate. By the way, here's half your pay." The man handed Cloud an envelope. Cloud took the envelope and opened it. His eyes were wide when he saw how much was in there. It was more than his normal fee, and this was only half of his payment!

"Better get going if you want to make it back home in time." The man took another sip from his glass as Cloud looked back at him. The ex-SOLDIER nodded before turning away from the man and exiting the bar.

Cloud went back to the hotel to check on Tifa. When he opened the door, she wasn't in her bed anymore. She was already awake and waiting for Cloud to get back. "Took you long enough." she said as he came in. Cloud was speechless at first, but finally chuckled after a few seconds.

"I didn't want to wake you while you were sleeping. You looked…. peaceful." Tifa giggled, her bright smile catching Cloud's eye. "I got the package. We can go ahead and leave." "Actually, Cloud…" Cloud had turned halfway before he heard Tifa speak.

"Yeah?"

"Come sit down for a second." She patted her hand on the bed next to her. Cloud walked to the bed and sat down. "Is there something wrong Tifa?"

"No. I just… wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

That was the hard part. Tifa's secret love for Cloud had been buried so deep inside her for so long, that just thinking about actually telling him was scary. What if he rejected her? What if things could never be the same again? Is it worth it? That was the real question she needed to ask.

"Tifa? Tifa?" Cloud was worried about her. She had been silent for a few minutes. She finally came back to reality when she heard Cloud's voice. "Tifa, I'm worried about you. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Cloud… I…"

Cloud was waiting for her response.

"I… I'm kinda tired. Can we stay for just one day here and leave tomorrow?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow at her question. "But I promised Denzel we'd be back today."

"I know, but I just want to get some sleep. Don't worry about Denzel. I'll call him and explain the situation. I'm sorry Cloud, I just need some sleep." Cloud was really worried about Tifa. She had never acted like this before. Cloud got off the bed and got down on one knee in front of Tifa. He took her hand in his as his blue eyes gazed into her brown eyes.

"Tifa. You know you can tell me anything, right?" She almost looked away from him. But, for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was so sincere to her now, for the first time in a very long time. "If you need to say something, then say it." There was that direct nature of Cloud's again. Tifa felt a bit pressured by it and decided to further put off what she really wanted to say. "I'll tell you later. Just get some sleep for now, Cloud." She put a fake smile on, trying to show Cloud that she was ok when in fact she really wasn't. Cloud didn't pick up on this though, and totally fell for her fake smile. "Ok. Here." he handed her his cell phone. "Go ahead and call Denzel. I'm kinda tired too so I'll go ahead and get some sleep." "Ok." Before Cloud got up, he was still holding her hand. She looked at him again, and saw his warm smile. Tifa then smiled back at him, this time with a sincere smile. Cloud then got up and went to his bed for some sleep. Tifa called Denzel after he went to sleep. The boy completely understood Tifa's situation, not wanting her to get sick or anything, and told her to get some rest. After ending the call, Tifa placed Cloud's phone on his nightstand. She then noticed that Cloud had quickly fallen asleep. Taking this opportunity, she placed a warm hand on Cloud's cheek, moving some of his blonde locks away from his eyes. She smiled warmly again before getting in her own bed and falling asleep.

The next morning, the pair were up bright and early, ready to make their journey to Nibelheim. They spoke no very important words, other than "Good morning" and "Sleep well?". They ate breakfast that the hotel provided, then made their way back to Cloud's Fenrir. After mounting the bike, Tifa held onto Cloud's waist tightly as they rode off.

From the distance, the man in black watched the two leave. A small smirk came on his face as he pulled out his cell phone. After dialing the necessary numbers, he put the phone to his ear as the second party answered the phone. "He's on the move."

"Follow him."

The man ended the call after that. He pulled out his own motorcycle he kept hidden and was soon hot on Cloud and Tifa's trail.

A/N: And so it begins! Had you guys goin for a while that Tifa would finally say something, eh? That will come in time, faithful readers. This is where the action part of the Action/Adventure category will finally pick up. I'm very much looking forward to the future chapters. I'll most likely be able to update tomorrow so be ready for a new chapter pretty soon. R&R please!