Break
For: ArEAF-rules
Prompt: Post AC argument
Summary: It is easy to break yourself, but it is much easier to break someone else.

There is silence between you, stretched out and hung in the air, laced with tension and anger. A lot has happened between you two in the past month, and a lot more has happened this night than anything in the past two years. You always try not to get mad; try to make him see reason before your temper gets the best of you, but sometimes it is so damn hard that you break a bit. You break trying to hold yourself together, but you know if you yell or truly show your anger, he might break. You have to be delicate with him, and that doesn't make any sense. He's a grown man who's been through more than many other grown men can account for, but he's as delicate as the tiny cup you clutch in your hand.

You must be delicate; you cannot get mad because if you do he will break. You wonder if he will ever stop breaking…if he'll ever reach the point when he can break no more. He has healed and grown in this past month, but it takes more than a near death experience to get a man like him moving. It takes more than saving your world again, and more than defeating your enemy to make a man like him look up and see something good in the world.

Still, you are angry, and it only serves to prove this fact when the tiny teacup in your hands shatters.

He blinks, a bit of surprise written across his face, and you curse, wincing as hot tea spills over your fingers.

You have always thought it was amazing how little things can bring about pain as much as big things. Things like stubbing your toe or a hangnail could cause excruciating pain.

…Things like hearing the same voicemail over and over hurting just as much when he didn't come home one night…and didn't come home the next night or the night after that…

You shake your head, finding the little brush and dustpan beneath the bar and sweeping up the remains of the delicate teacup. You dump it in the trash, and mop up the tea, still not acknowledging him. You have things to do; laundry to gather, dishes to wash. You cannot be distracted by his foolishness.

You say nothing, storming over to the sink, flipping the faucet it on in a violent manner. You cannot get angry or else he will fall apart forever. You sigh, slamming dishes into the sink, trying to control yourself but failing miserably at the same time.

You hear him moving around behind you, and you hope the faucet running will mask your bitter mutterings.

Moving out doesn't mean moving on; you figured he would've figured that much out when he took up resident in that decrepit church. Apparently he hasn't learned as much from that incident as you wish he would've.

He steps up beside you at the counter, but you don't look up, just keep slamming in dishes, adding soap, and scrubbing away.

You're elbow deep in dirty, soapy water when he finally says something.

"What do you want me to say—?

You sigh, shaking your head, lips pressed tightly together. You can't say anything, because he'll break if you do.

"Tell me Tifa," he doesn't say please, he doesn't have that pleading tone to his voice, but you can almost feel as if he truly wants to know.

Your voice sputters as you try to form words, "I don't know, Cloud. S-say that you're kidding, t-that Yuffie put you up to it just to see if you'd get a reaction out of me. Say that you don't mean it."

No answer.

"Where will you go?" You bite at him.

"I don't know…"

"You aren't going to live in the church. It isn't suitable for living, not when you've got a perfectly good bed here, and food and for God's sake plumbing. Where did you go to the bathroom, anyways?"

This conversation would be funny to you, if it wasn't so serious.

"Tifa—

"Why do you want to move out?" your voice is broken, and the dam is too; you're going to hurt him, you know that, but you're tired of hurting yourself, "Why, Cloud? Why are you so damned determined to distance yourself from us?" you shake your head, flustered, "I thought things were working, just living here…I mean, I try not to ask of you, I really do. Yes a trash bag taken out every now and then, but I really, really, hope you aren't leaving because of something like that. What is it? Is it the kids? I mean, do you feel like you aren't fit to live with children? Do you not want to live with children? I understand if you don't but for once just give me a damn reason. Give me a why. I'm tired of not hearing why. It can't be that hard of a question to answer, Cloud."

There is once again no answer.

Suddenly the weight of what you just said hit you, and you put a wet hand to your face.

"I am so sorry…it's your decision. I-I guess…I was just surprised. Just let me know…when…"

You can't say anything else, just wipe your hands on the dishtowel hanging of the cabinet, and drain the water in the sink. You still haven't finished the dishes, and suddenly that laundry looks like it could wait another night.

You sigh, expecting to turn and see him gone, but he's still staring at you. God you've broken him again, and not all the apologizes in the world will fix him, and you still won't know why he's leaving.

"I…" his voice low, soft.

Your eyes soften; he's trying, lord help him he's trying, but you can tell it's more than just one thing. It's a lot of things, and will take a lot of fixing.

You step up to him, and suddenly you don't care, because you've cared too much in the past and it didn't work. You should try this now, because nothing will stop him, but maybe it'll show him your pain, and why you don't want him to leave.

There's no space behind the bar, and you take another step towards him, and you both shuffle, as if trying to find something to say or do to make this conversation, and this pain go away.

You think of the only thing you can do.

He averts his eyes, hesitation written in his frame as you lean slowly in, hesitating and doubting yourself, placing the quickest, softest kiss on his lips. You don't jerk back quickly, because it might startle him more (if possible), so you stand, hesitating again. You're both still pressed up together, but instead of diving back at him, you pull back slightly.

He moves in, as if almost confused and hesitant about this as you are, and he searches your heavy lidded eyes so close your noses brush together.

And his lips find yours in a soft, sort of timid way. You're afraid to touch him, to wrap your arms around him because it's kind of like taming a wild animal with him. Each touch will tell him something, and each touch will either bring him closer or send him running and you don't know what to do or how to react.

So it surprises you when he cups the back of your head and presses up against you further, his lips pressed harder in a demanding fashion as if a flame as ignited and can't be put out. Your hands move slowly into his hair, arched up against him.

It isn't love, not yet, not the unbridled love you hope it will build to, but it is something. It gives you something to hope for, and dream of.

He tells you a lot in that kiss, why he was willing to leave and move away.

It was because he'd rather break himself before he broke you, that he'd have his pain before he caused you any, and that only makes you hold him tighter and kiss him harder trying to make him understand that he would've broken you if he left. He was keeping his promise, he thought, protecting you from himself, from ruining what you had by wanting for more.

You're both fools, you know that, and you know that you're both broken…but maybe this way…maybe this way you stand a chance, and won't break anymore than you already have.

A/N: Woo! Anyways! NO MORE ARGUMENT PROMPTS. I've done three already, and I've decided that three will be the limit of times that anything can be suggested! So, back off! If you want arguments, there's three lovely little diddies already here. I have to draw the line somewhere! Could you imagine 100 chapters of Tifa/Cloud arguing?! That wouldn't be a very healthy relationship. Updated list:

1. Le Pecore Nere- Dog Filled
2. Tri17 – Aeris' dress Filled
3. mistakenXsilence – piano Filled
4. sam – Tifa gets angry, cloud makes up Filled
5. Alice001 – CloTi fluff Filled
6. Aknskywalker – friendship Filled
7. Calistar Heir – argument Filled
8. x.one.winged.angel.x – decorating Filled
9. elebelly – irony Filled
10. Le Pecore Nere – sadness w/ flower, to happiness Filled
11. Meilinoa – Training
12. Mandylion – Mistaken Identity
13. Paintball Willie – Tifa beats Cloud at Paintball
14. Lord Divestre Croft – accident (Hospital) Filled
15. Zaz9-zaa0 – Cloud babysits (who's this guy?)
16. Tifa Lockheart Strife – Songfic When You're Gone Filled
17. Iskra Revoir – Cloud the doctor loses patient Filled
18. G.M. Potter – Tifa gets sick/Cloud takes care of her
19. Lachrymosity – Love subtle
20. sam – songfic (kismet)
21. src83 – Cloud&Tifa detectives (Solve murder)
22. purple parasol – Tying up lose ends
23. Cerberus angel – sweets
24. DynastyWarriors - childhood at school and cloud alone and Tifa asks him to play with her
25. Julian K. Spire – Vincent appearance
26. Ur1Nonly - mistaken jealous Tifa/Zack
27. ArEAf-rules – Post AC Cloud/Tifa argument Filled
28. Flower Girl – ClotTi fluff during sparring
29. anime girlie10 – Cloud w/ reading glasses
30. KaleidoscopeLight – biological parents of toddler Skye w/ fluffy convo
31. Lord Divestre Croft – Nightclub
32. xx-lheanna lockheart-xx – Cloud-bedtime story Marlene/Denzel
33. xXNejiluverXx – Drunk Cloud
34. Verona Sage – "Go ask your mother"
35. Verona Sage – proposal