Conflict of Interests
For: anime girlie10
Prompt: Cloud w/ reading glasses
Summary: The differences between Tifa and Cloud's interests.

They appeared the happy family to most of their neighbors, especially after the events of Geostigma. The man and the woman seemed to fit each other, at times to the public a stark contrast in personalities, but almost fitting that way. They would walk through the market, their two children skipping ahead of them, obviously never a dull moment in their lives. The man and woman dressed in dark colors, only balanced by the pink ribbon on their arms. The man usually wore a solemn look with a watchful eye, the woman with a bright smile and welcoming air. Still, the appearance of a couple was offset by the fact there seemed no intimate action between the two. Unlike most young couples, there was no hand holding, or kisses and hugs in the streets. They merely walked side by side confusing their watchers into what and where exactly the two's relationship stood.

It was logical wasn't it, to assume that the two were a couple?

Tifa Lockhart stopped, forcing her companion to halt with her. Her eye had been caught by a second hand bookstore, a table set out on the sidewalk lined with dusty, worn books.

It was like a field day for Tifa, and already she was slowly moving to glance at the titles.

Her companion turned his head forward unperturbed to see where the two children under his care had gone to. The two were stopping ahead at a toy store and he knew it would take bodily force to remove them from it once they entered.

Cloud glanced over to warn Tifa, but she had already disappeared inside. He glanced back up ahead, maybe having enough time to run ahead and stop them, or he could go inside the book store and get Tifa…

Or he could wrestle with the children by himself considering the two had just rushed inside the toy store.

He mentally sighed, turning slowly to head into the dusty, worn bookstore. Tifa was steadily disappearing behind a stack of books in one arm, wounding around an isle near the back of the store. Cloud moved quickly to find her before she spent every penny she had on these books.

He reached her quickly, her eyes skimming over authors like Brontë. He ignored them, noticing the healthy pile of books in her arms.

"Um…Tifa?"

"Cloud, they're having a sale," she said, "Five for ten dollars. I haven't read these books in ages," she reached up, pulling out a tattered copy of Jane Eyre.

He frowned, picking the top book off of her pile.

He reached into his side pocket on his pants, pulling out a thin case, and slipping on his reading glasses. He was intrigued as to what exactly this book was about, and why Tifa wanted it.

"That one is one of my favorites…I haven't read it in ages. My old copy was in…well, the old bar," she mumbles, pulling down another book.

Cloud frowned, his glasses slipping low on his nose, "Sense and Sensibility? I've never heard of this."

She scoffed, "Of course not. You're a man."

He looked up sharply at the comment, but flipped the book over in his hands to read the back cover.

"…Romantic walks through lush Devonshire and genteel dinner parties at a stately manor draw two pretty sisters into the schemes and manipulations of landed gentry determined to marry wisely and well. Neither sense nor sensibility can guarantee happiness for either—as romantic Marianne falls prey to a dangerous rascal, and reasonable Elinor loses her heart to a gentleman already engaged…"

Cloud's frowned, the line on his brow deepening with each word.

"Here's another one by her," Tifa said, not looking up as she dropped another book into Cloud's hands.

Emma stared back up at him, and he found himself not even able to read the summary.

"Oh, and another," Tifa said, putting another book in his hand.

He frowned, the covers resembling one another, the flowing writing, and overly decorated sentences becoming more and more unappealing.

"How…do you read this stuff?"

Tifa frowned, "What do you mean?" she asked, inspecting a copy of Wuthering Heights, "It's great. I love them."

"But…it isn't real."

Tifa dropped the book in shock, scrambling to pick it up with some difficulty with the other books in her arms.

"So? It's still enjoyable. Don't tell me what you like is enjoyable, Cloud. What was it that you were reading? Something about Wutai and GED? Or was it something about global power. How do you find that interesting?"

"Well, actually it's interesting because they should be—

"It's boring," Tifa said.

"It isn't…its information. Useful information…information that can be applied to daily life."

Tifa sighed, "And you're saying the romantic happenings of the Dashwood sisters isn't useful?"

"The who?"

Tifa sighed again, looking up at him, "The Dash—

She cut off, studying him closely, amusement in her eyes.

"What…?"

She giggled, "You're wearing glasses."

"So…?"

She grinned, "I didn't expect you to wear glasses."

"I need them to read…" he mumbled.

Her grin widened, "Do you wear them every time you read?"

"Yes…" he mumbled, quickly removing his glasses.

"Here…maybe you'd like this better," she tried shoving a copy of The Chocolate War into his hands.

"No."

"Come on Cloud, read something," her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"No," he refused to put the glasses on again in her presence.

She laughed, "Fine…" she said, walking towards the cash register, "But you looked cute in them."

He flushed as she said this, and stood there a moment at a loss.

Sure it was fine if Tifa like the glasses, but he didn't know if he wanted to go out being cute. He had defeated Sephiroth, and he doubted that was cute.

Swordsmen couldn't be cute. That was just plain wrong.

A/N: I could see Cloud being all interested in politics and economics, and Tifa being a romance novel type of gal. I know Jane Austen and all those others aren't really in their world, but we'll just say for creative purposes, they are. I want to see Becoming Jane so bad! Thanks for reviews!