A/N: Hello again! I forgot to say in the beginning what the M rating is for, so here we go: sexual content, mental health issues (depression, anxiety) and implied/referenced suicide. Sorry about that! Alright, well, enjoy!

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Impromptu Op.90 No.2 in E-flat Major – Schubert.

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A Sea of Silence

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4: Impromptu Op.90 No.2 in E-flat Major

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"It's time we speak of the piano."

With a sigh, Tifa lifts her head to look at her friend. "Hi to you too."

Aerith sits across Tifa; she crosses her arms over her bag and rests on it. "Yes, yes. Good afternoon. Now, tell me about the piano."

"Do I have to?" Tifa focuses on her laptop, putting the finishing touches to an assignment. "It was an impulsive purchase."

"A piano is not an impulsive purchase," Aerith says. "Not in your case."

Tifa glances at her, then back to her assignment. Though she doesn't want to discuss this, she can see from Aerith's determined expression that she won't let this go. "I disagree."

"Of course you do. It's the only way you can justify this to yourself."

"Aerith," Tifa says, a wisp of annoyance in her voice, "just say what you have to say."

Her friend takes a moment to think, then says, "It was a long time coming. And it's a good thing. So, I'd rather you admitted to yourself you bought a piano because you want to play again. Because you miss it."

Tifa knows there's some truth to Aerith's words. But it's one thing to recognize it and another to admit it—and Tifa isn't ready for the latter. Her emotions about the piano are too jumbled, too complex for her to say a simple yes, I want to play again. Because while she does wish it was the case, she also wishes she'd never played at all.

"It's complicated," is all Tifa can bring herself to say.

Aerith hums. "No one is saying it isn't. Have you played yet?" When she gets no reply, she goes on, softer this time, "Maybe you need to find a reason to play. A new one."

Her words hit too close to home for Tifa; her breakdown three days ago is still fresh in her mind, and she's not up to talk about finding new reasons when she can't let go of the old one.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Tifa says as she saves her assignment and closes the laptop, "but this is not a conversation I want to have right now."

"I think you mean 'not anytime soon', but fine."

Aerith waves her hand around. The gesture is nonchalant, as if she doesn't mind, but Tifa knows better. Guilt snakes through her, making her hesitate until she remembers the suffocating, all-encompassing sensation the music brought her three days ago. Still, she doesn't want to leave things as they are.

"When I'm ready, we'll talk about it, okay?" Tifa gives her friend a smile. "I promise."

"I'll hold you to that."

Tifa's phone lights up with a message, and she glances at the screen.

Mastermind: he's up to something. i can FEEL it.

She shakes her head, quiet laughter escaping her. Aerith sends her an inquisitive glance.

"Zack is being a dumbass," Tifa says, showing her the message. "By the way, how did the make-up date go?"

Aerith grins as she hands back the phone. "Great, actually. We have another one this weekend."

Tifa opens her mouth to answer but closes it as she reads another message.

Mastermind: i saw that reaction, neighbor. ye of little faith.

Tifa twists around in her seat, searching for him. The cafeteria they are in is relatively busy, but she spots him fast enough; his wide, amused smile makes it easy. Zack waves at her, then nudges the person sitting next to him—Cloud, she realizes with no surprise. Cloud raises his head, but she turns around before he can meet her eyes. They haven't seen each other since Tuesday. When she woke up from her nap that day, the awareness that she had a breakdown before her neighbor—friendly as they are—hit her with unrestrained strength, and it hasn't subdued since. It's not his reaction that upset her; she appreciated his presence and lack of questions, which helped her get her mind off the situation. Rather, it's the concept of after—of being around him like he didn't see a part of her she locks away. She's not sure that's something she can manage.

"Oh, speak of the devil."

Aerith's teasing tone lets Tifa know the guys have made their way over. She takes a steadying breath when the chair next to hers is pulled back and someone sits down.

"Hey."

Cloud's voice makes her look up—she can't ignore them now. Zack sat next to Aerith; he winks at her as he drops his arm over the back of Aerith's chair.

"What's up, neighbor?"

The casual greeting helps Tifa relax a little. "Just finished an assignment due next week."

"So organized," Zack says with a pitying expression. "Where's the fun in that?"

Tifa rolls her eyes but dismisses his comment. "What is Reno up to now?"

"Hard to tell. It's all in his eyes. They have this evil glint." Zack takes in her are-you-serious look. "Watch it happen, neighbor."

"I've seen you before," Aerith blurts. There's no doubt she's speaking to Cloud. "But I'm not sure where."

Cloud looks away from his phone; Tifa can see he's typing a message. "Yeah, I helped get you home when you were drunk. I'm Cloud, Tifa's neighbor."

"Oh." Aerith smirks, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "I didn't know Tifa's neighbor was this cute."

"I'm cuter," Zack says at once. "Definitely cuter."

As they bicker, Tifa pulls her braid over her shoulder and plays with the end, needing to move to expel her nervous energy. She still hasn't looked directly at Cloud, afraid of what she'll see. Apprehension wars within her. On one hand, him acting as usual is what she wants; it's what she expects, really. But part of her also dreads the idea of normal interactions with him, because to her, they can't be normal anymore.

Her phone indicates another message, and she brings it up to read; it's from Cloud. She blinks her surprise away as she reads it.

Cloud: everything okay? it's like you're far away

Aerith and Zack are still immersed in their conversation, and she hears Cloud jump in, though he keeps his phone in hand, the messaging app open. Tifa hesitates for a second before typing i'm fine, just tired. But she doesn't send it. Something about the dishonesty of her message strikes her as wrong. Cloud shared his problems with his brother, and though she doesn't believe she owes him anything in return, she also doesn't want to squander the trust he's showed her. So she deletes the message and starts over.

Tifa: i'm a bit anxious. i don't want what happened tuesday to change the way you view me

From the corner of her eyes, Tifa takes in Cloud's reaction—his forehead mars with a frown, his eyes narrow. Across of them, Zack is still talking, but Aerith is looking at Tifa as if sensing her discomfort; she's always had a sixth sense for this, and Tifa both loves and hates it. But something about her body language must tell Aerith not to push right now as she turns to Zack and carries on their conversation. Tifa isn't even listening—all she can concentrate on are the little dots jumping on the screen. She has the fleeting thought their texting is stupid considering they're next to each other, but then she realizes Cloud did that to avoid bringing attention to her awkwardness in front of the others.

Cloud: i don't understand why it'd change anything

Tifa goes to reply, but no words come to mind. Nothing might have shifted for him—he's not the one who broke down after all. She's just reading too much into possibilities that will never be. It becomes overwhelming suddenly—all those emotions she's keeping down, all those maybe's. Deep inside her, a beast worms its way through her mind, her body, and she can only watch as it wreaks havoc, contaminating everything it touches. Thoughts tumble one after the other, bumping and running into the other until they fall like dominos. At the center of it all is the notion that she should never have bought that fucking piano—all it's done is bring repressed pain and unwanted memories to the surface.

So Tifa puts down the phone and turns to look outside the window. She hears her friends' voices now as if her mind synched back with reality. Zack is complaining he didn't eat enough; Aerith teases him, saying why don't they go get something then? Tifa closes her eyes in resignation; her friend is doing it on purpose to leave her alone with Cloud. Fucking sixth sense. Clothes rustling and chairs scraping let her know they left. She hears Cloud moving, feels his hand drop on the back of her chair, senses his body leaning towards hers. Still, she can't bring herself to face him, too afraid to face both him and herself.

"Hey, c'mon," he says, his voice as soft as can be. "Nothing's changed."

"That's the problem," Tifa replies. "For me, it has changed."

She almost jumps when his hand comes to rest on her back between her shoulder blades, but the gesture loosens something insider her, and she relaxes a little.

"Then tell me what changed."

Tifa finally turns her head to face him. Cloud's worried expression breaks through whatever barriers she had left.

"Cloud, you saw—you saw a part of me no one but my Dad has ever seen. Maybe it's fine with you, but it's not fine with me. I'm not sure how to act around you anymore." His hand withdraws back to his side; she gulps down her anxiety to push through. "When I see you, I can't help but think of my freak out, and I start wondering what you think, if you're just being nice, if—"

"Hey, hey, hey. I'm gonna stop you there." Cloud scoots his chair closer until their knees brush. "Listen to me. We're friends, right?"

Tifa twirls the end of her braid around a finger. "I'd like to think so," she says, quiet.

"Then you know I wouldn't bother if it was just a matter of being polite." He catches onto her nervous gesture and reaches out to pull her hand away from her braid, then lets it go. "C'mon, Tifa, I think by now you know I only spend time with people I like."

"I know," Tifa whispers. "I know—it's just that this is something I never share." She laces her fingers together to keep from fidgeting again. "I want things to stay the same, but it's hard for me to imagine they can. I'm just…self-conscious about it."

He shifts in his seat, and his knee presses against her leg. "We can talk about what happened if it'd help."

But that is exactly what Tifa doesn't want—to open the chasm even wider; to allow for even more darkness to escape. She shakes her head and takes a deep breath before sitting straight. Though her insecurities haven't disappeared, she finds their conversation helped soothe them.

"It's fine, but thank you."

Cloud stays silent a moment, his stare intent on her face as if searching for something. Tifa faces forward to avoid it. His fingers graze her elbow to bring her attention back to him, but she only slants her head a bit to show she's listening.

"Tell me how I can help."

"It's—it's fine, Cloud." She musters a tentative smile. "Just keep on being you. You've been helpful and supportive. And so mindful of what happened, I can't ask for more. This is all about me being weird."

"Alright." There's an unsure note in his voice as he asks, "So we're still good for tutoring later?"

"We are."

Cloud runs his hand through his hair, and she has the impression he's debating something before he says, "You've really helped me so far. I could manage for the rest if you're not feeling like it."

"Oh, you'd manage?"

"Probably." Cloud's dry tone makes her chuckle.

"Don't be stupid," she says as she punches his arm lightly. "You said I could ask for something to earn your forgiveness, right?" Tifa's smile widens as his eyebrows go up out of curiosity. "I want you to pass your exam next week."

He groans at that. "You don't play fair."

Tifa shrugs. "You said it was up to me."

"Yeah, yeah." He blows out a breath and gives her a wry glance. "Not what I had in mind."

"No?" she asks, all innocence. She can guess what it was from the times he's flirted with her.

A faint smirk curls his lips; it spells trouble, and Tifa can't deny she looks forward to it.

"If I study hard enough, it'll be my turn to ask for something," he says as he gives her braid a gentle tug.

"If you pass your exam, you mean."

There's no hiding from the expectant twinkle in his eyes. "Or both." Cloud bends forward until he is close enough to whisper in her ear. "I have a lot of requests."

Tifa can sense the heat spreading from her neck to her cheeks, but she doesn't pull away—she doesn't want to. "Hm. What kind of requests are we talking about?"

Cloud slants his body back a little; he's still close, closer than he'd normally be. "You'll see tonight."

"Oh, I will?"

She bites her bottom lip, an unconscious habit. Cloud's gaze strays down to her mouth, then back up to her eyes, and he nods.

"Hey, c'mon, we're gonna be late for Hojo's class!"

Zack's voice startles them both; he and Aerith stand a few meters away from the table, and relief flows through Tifa. They couldn't have heard them. There's something about her interaction with Cloud that makes her want to keep it to herself, a secret belonging to the two of them. Cloud frowns, clearly annoyed at the interruption, but he smooths his expression before turning around.

"Since when do you care?"

Zack crosses his arms. "You care. I'm just being a wonderful friend."

"Alright, give me a second." Cloud faces Tifa again as he pockets his phone. "I'll be there around eight?"

"Okay," she replies, her voice low.

He tugs on her braid again and says, "Later," before walking towards Zack.

Aerith tells them goodbye and comes back to the table. Tifa pretends to be busy with her laptop again as her friend sits across her and tries to catch her eyes.

"He's cute," Aerith says with a grin.

"He is." Tifa does her best to keep her tone even. There's no point in denying Cloud is attractive.

Aerith rests her chin on her folded hands and stares at Tifa as she awaits more details.

"I'm tutoring him for a sociology class. That's all." Tifa swallows back the for now.

"Does he have a special someone?" Aerith waggles her eyebrows, her amusement obvious.

Tifa doesn't look up from putting unnecessary finishing touches on her assignment. "No. He said he doesn't have girlfriends."

"Boo. Disappointing," Aerith sighs. "But how come you know that?"

"He mentioned it casually once." Tifa prefers keeping the event of that day to herself on top of not wanting to reveal what Cloud told her about his brother.

Aerith hums. "Is the no-girlfriend thing a problem?"

At this, Tifa raises her head. "Why would it be?"

"Oh, come on." Aerith grins again. "I'm not blind."

After a moment of silence, Tifa says, "If something happens, it happens. I'm not looking for anything, and neither is he. So, no, the no-girlfriend thing is not a problem."

Aerith drums her fingers on the table; it's her usual I-know-you're-bullshitting-me gesture, like she's impatient for the other person to pedal back and admit the truth. But Tifa doesn't—she lets Aerith evacuate her discontent until her friend understands that Tifa is telling the truth. Only then does the drumming stop and Aerith lets the topic go.

—

It's nearing 8PM when Tifa gets back to her apartment. She acts on auto-pilot, climbing the stairs to her floor and unlocking her door, as she looks at her phone to respond to Zack.

Mastermind: the fucker paid me back. I told you so! !

Neighbor: did he now

Mastermind: i've apparently started a career as a stripper. got a lot of calls for bachelorette parties

Neighbor: time to get that money, zack

Mastermind: you know what, you're absolutely right. the worst thing i can do to him is get rich from this

Neighbor: right. you know i was kidding?

Mastermind: can't let such a chance pass by, neighbor.

Mastermind: hey Second in Command get in here.

Tifa shakes her head at his antics as she walks inside; she drops her bag on the floor and removes her jacket. After changing into comfortable clothes, she sits down on the couch and gets everything ready for the tutoring. Her hands freeze as she opens her old Sociology of the environment notebook; Cloud's words come back to her, and she wonders how much he meant them. The phone lights up with more messages, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Mastermind: hey asshole I know you saw my text

Second in Command: what?

Mastermind: finally. how about we start a side business? ? ? 2 studs like us, we'd be a hit

Second in Command: not interested

Mastermind: how about you, neighbor?

Neighbor: i'll pass, thanks

Mastermind: think of the money, guys

Tifa puts her phone on the couch with a shake of her head as someone knocks on her door.

"It's unlocked," she calls out, staying where she is.

"Hey." Footsteps echo as Cloud walks into the apartment. Tifa twists around to wave at him. He smiles back and drops two plastic containers on the kitchen table. Tifa can't say if she's disappointed or relieved when he takes a seat on the opposite end of the couch like usual.

"What did you bring?" Tifa gestures at the food in the kitchen.

Cloud takes out his laptop and textbook. "Sandwiches and cookies."

"No cereals?"

"Thought about it," he says, taking her teasing in stride. "But I figured I might get shit from you if I did that."

"I would never." She chuckles at his 'really?' look. "Alright, let's revise for your midterm."

At the mention of the exam, Cloud smirks; there's nothing subtle about his expression now, not like when they were in the cafeteria. His eyes glitter when they rest on her, and his lips tilt into a genuine smile when she looks away, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. But he says nothing about it, and they get on with the tutoring.

Close to two hours later, Tifa calls a stop to their revision of postmodern epistemology when it becomes clear Cloud isn't retaining a word of what he reads. He doesn't even notice she's stopped talking; his laptop holds his complete attention. Tifa watches as his brow furrows a little, as if whatever he's looking at puzzles him.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

Cloud glances up in surprise at her question. "Oh. Nothing." He clears his throat.

"What is it you don't want me to see?"

"It's nothing."

He makes a move to close the laptop, but Tifa moves faster than him. She bends forward, balancing on her knees, one hand on the back of the couch, and leans into his space to see the screen. Cloud freezes at her sudden movement and his laptop stays half-open.

Whatever Tifa had been expecting, it hadn't been the Wikipedia page for Schubert's Impromptus. It's her turn to become motionless; Cloud puts the laptop on the coffee table and it snaps her out of it. She sits back against the arm of the couch.

"I wouldn't call this studying hard," she says, injecting amusement in her voice. A part of her is apprehensive, wondering what prompted his sudden interest. She doesn't want to bring back the topic of Tuesday.

Cloud runs a hand through his hair, ruffling it. "I was until ten minutes ago."

"Sure."

He blows out a loud breath. "I saw your piano and I just… I got curious about that piece. So I looked it up and next thing I knew, I was down the Wikipedia rabbit hole." At her silence, he carries on, "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't want to bring it up and upset you."

"I'm not upset." She brings her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them. "Taken by surprise, sure. But it's true I don't want to speak about that."

"Sorry," Cloud says again. "Let's go back to epistemology or whatever."

"Seriously?" She snorts. "Do you even care about this exam?"

"I care about aspects of it."

His tone leaves no doubt he's thinking of their previous conversation, and Tifa's heart beats a little faster. She plays with the end of her braid—it's not nervousness that has her restless, she realizes, but anticipation.

Both of their phones light up with new messages, and they give each other a knowing look. It can only be one person. Tifa checks hers first.

Mastermind: guys? ? ?

Mastermind: more money for me

"Do you think he'll actually go through with this?"

"The stripping?" Cloud rolls his eyes. "Probably. He'll do it just to spite Reno."

"And you won't join him? You'd be—how did he say… a hit?"

Cloud leans forward a little. "Oh, you think so?"

She bites the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. "I don't see why not."

"All you have to do is ask."

Tifa lets out a laugh. "I'm not gonna ask you to strip."

He rests his elbow on the back of the sofa and slants closer. "You're right, you can't." At her curious glance, he adds, "It's my turn to ask for something."

"I'm not sure you studied hard enough," Tifa teases.

His hand glides along her calf, and she feels the warmth of it through her leggings. He slides closer but makes sure not to crowd her with his presence.

"Are you going to tell me your request?" she asks, her voice soft, coaxing.

His grip on her leg tightens a little at her question. "You already know what I want," he murmurs. "Just tell me it's okay."

Tifa lowers her knees so they don't stand between them, forcing his hand to let go; she lessens whatever distance was left between them, enjoying the flash of pleased surprise in his eyes as she climbs on his lap to straddle him. She winds a hand through his hair, the blond strands silky against her palm, and whispers, "Okay."

She's not sure what she had expected. For his kiss to be as gentles and quiet as his usual demeanor, or maybe light and teasing like his flirting. But Cloud's kiss is slow and assertive, like he knows what he wants, and she realizes he does know—he wants her. Her other hand comes up to his chest, to his neck, and she finds herself wanting to be even closer to him. Cloud wordlessly grants her wish as one hand slides into her hair, and the other to her waist, his fingers brushing the sliver of exposed skin above her leggings. They don't stray further, nothing more than a playful touch that makes her shiver. Cloud feels her reaction, their closeness not allowing space for secrets to grow. Tifa sighs at the sudden hardness of his kiss, and the hand in her hair tightens in response.

"Cloud—"

He kisses his name away before drifting to her cheek, her jaw, her neck; his lips graze her skin when he rasps, "Yeah?"

"Touch me properly."

In answer, he nips her neck and slips the hand at her waist under her hoodie and tank top, applying pressure on her lower back until she curves fully into him.

"Like that?" he asks against her lips.

She hums. "It's a start. But I want more."

He backs off the smallest amount; the smile he gives her is warm and pleased. "Fuck. I've been wanting this ever since you told me you ate my food."

"You deserved me taking your food," she says with a smile as she unzips her hoodie and throws it away. Her loose braid slips over her shoulder. She wraps her arms around his neck and presses her body against his. Cloud kisses her again, rough and deep, and a muted whine escapes her when he gently bites her lower lip, then sucks on it in an apology.

"I did," he says between kisses on her neck, her collarbones, towards her shoulder. "Let me apologize for the trouble."

Taking one of his hands, Tifa slips it under her top, over her stomach, sliding it up and up until his thumb brushes her bra. Not needing another cue, Cloud brings his other hand up to move the straps of her tank top and bra out of the way.

"Uh-uh." She sucks in a sharp breath when the hand below her top slides under her bra; it's a graze of his fingers against the underside of her breast more than anything, but the promise of more sets her skin on fire and turns her voice husky. "What do you have in mind?"

She can feel his lips move in a smile against her shoulder. He lowers the straps on the other side, and her baggy top goes down her arms; her bra slides down enough to expose the top of her breasts. Tifa shifts so she can unhook her bra, the restraint otherwise uncomfortable. Once she does, it falls the rest of way, and Cloud groans, the sound swallowed by her skin. Tifa slips her hands under his T-shirt, stroking his skin with the lightest touch, then gently scraping her short nails over his stomach.

"A lot of things," he says as he pulls away from her and falls back on the couch. The look he sends her is appreciative, heavy-lidded, full of promises she wants him to fulfill. He grabs the back of her head and tugs her closer; their lips brush when he whispers, "I can't wait to see you come on my fingers."

His words ignite her; her hips rock against him without her meaning to, and she swallows his moan as she kisses him. "That's only one thing," she pants. This time, she moves on purpose, bearing down on him and swaying in his lap.

Cloud drops his forehead against her shoulder, speaking into her neck. "I better do well on my exam, then."

The buzzing of a phone pierces through the haze, and Tifa looks around, unfocused as Cloud's hand comes up to palm her breast. The source of the noise is Cloud's phone on the couch next to them. A photo of an older guy with long hair in a low bun brightens the screen, along with the name SEPH.

"Someone named Seph is calling you." She sighs the word when he strokes her nipple with his thumb. "Should you pick up?"

"My hands are kinda busy," Cloud says, punctuating his statement by dipping one of said hands past the waistband of her leggings and underwear to stroke her hip, then gliding it lower and lower. "I'll call him back tomorrow."

Tifa lets out a short whine as his fingers skim the junction of her thigh and hip. She faintly registers the phone falling silent at last—but then it starts again. Though she doesn't want to, she breaks away, but Cloud doesn't let her get far.

"He's not giving up," she says between kisses.

With a dismayed groan, Cloud draws back, sinking into the couch; one of his hand leaves her to grab the phone, the other one stays on her waist. "He never picks up, but he has to call at the worst time." His thumb hovers the screen.

"That's your brother? You should probably answer if he's finally calling back."

"Yeah." He exhales loudly before accepting the call. "Hey," he says into the phone. "What's up? Uh, that's weird." He pauses, listening to his brother on the other end. "Not sure what you mean, but sure."

Tifa hears his brother's muffled voice through the receiver as it rises in volume. Suddenly feeling shy, she shifts back a little as to give him the illusion of space, but Cloud wraps an arm around her, bringing her back to him. The move has her slide against his lap, flush against his hardness over the material of his jeans. She moans without meaning to, then slaps her hand against her mouth in mortification, her wide eyes meeting Cloud's surprised ones. His mouth hangs open a bit as he stares at her, not listening to his brother anymore, but then his lips tilt up in a playful smile. He startles when Seph calls his name loudly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here," he says, and she marvels at his even tone. "So what was it you wanted to tell me?"

It's Tifa's turn to jump when she feels Cloud's hand leave her waist and slide past her leggings and underwear. Her hand tightens on his shoulder; part of her means it as a warning, another just needs something to hold on as his fingers slip over her. She's glad she kept her other hand over her mouth as he thrusts into her and she lets out another whimper. Cloud's eyes don't stray from her face as he keeps giving his brother one-word answers, clearly not paying attention to what he says. But then again, neither is Tifa as Cloud's thumb presses against her clit and his fingers curl inside her.

"Hey, do you think I could call you tomorrow?" Cloud's voice is both too near and too far. She slants forward into his chest, hiding her face into the soft fabric of his T-shirt. One hand clasps his shoulder in a harsh grip as he doesn't let up despite his brother refusing to end the call. Her other hand comes to rest over his forearm, sensing the movement of his muscles as he fingers her, and she doesn't know if she means to stop him or coax him. Her short nails jab into his skin as Cloud suddenly gets rougher, hitting deeper inside her, and Tifa feels herself clenching up. This time when Cloud speaks, all she hears is distorted noise as she comes over his hand, muffling her moans into his shirt. A whine gets away from her when he gently strokes her before pulling his hand away. She keeps her face hidden into his chest even as the hand that had been holding his phone curves around the back of her neck, tangling in her hair.

"I hate you," she mumbles against his T-shirt. It mutes her words, but he hears her anyway.

"You sure?"

The rough edge to his voice makes her pull back and glance up. Cloud looks at her with need and want, and there's a tautness to him that speaks of promises. She hums a noncommittal answer as she pushes herself up high enough to kiss him. Cloud's lips are both harsh and gentle against hers, sharp nips and lazy strokes. There's no more teasing, no more restraint as she tugs his flannel off his shoulder and then his T-shirt over his head; as he pushes her leggings and underwear down, then throws her tank top and bra away. Cloud drops her on the couch, staying in the cradle of her legs while fishes for protection in his pants' pocket. She sits up to place open-mouthed kisses over his chest while he sheaths himself, then laughs when he kisses her again and again as he drives her back down on the couch.

"You really planned on studying hard." She gasps when he pushes into her without warning. "Fuck," she hisses.

Cloud pulls away a little, concern etched over his features. "Sorry, I thought—"

"It's fine." Tifa wraps her legs tighter around his hips to prove her point, keeping him anchored to her. "It was a good 'fuck'." She feels his muscles relax at her words.

"It is a good fuck," Cloud says with a smirk.

"You're such—ah." She moans when he sinks deeper into her; her arms come up around him as he moves his hips in harsh, drawn-out thrusts, the friction from his jeans against her skin adding to the sensations. "An idiot," she pants.

Her hips come up to meet his, prompting a satisfied noise from him. A hand grasps her thigh, hitching it higher, and his other arm rests near her head so he can lean forward and kiss her. There's nothing sweet about it, all wildness and yearning, and it makes Tifa sigh when he breaks away.

"Fuck," he whispers into her skin as he makes his way down to her chest. "You feel fucking good."

His words elicit a soft whine out of her, and her hold on his neck draws tight, pulling him closer. "Cloud—"

"Fuck, fuck," he says again and again. His pace becomes fast and rough; Tifa gasps and throws her head back as she comes, clenching around him, her nails digging into his shoulders. Cloud hides his face into her neck, the hand on her thigh gripping her hard; he tenses as he comes, his lips brushing her skin as he rasps out hushed words.

Their loud breathing fills the air, neither of them ready to move apart for a moment. Then, Cloud lifts his head from her neck to glance at her.

"You okay?" His voice comes out hoarse.

Tifa nods with a lazy smile. "Uh-uh."

Cloud chuckles, gives her a quick, hard kiss, and gets up, keeping her legs around him. She yelps when he stands, having no choice but to cling to him; the position has her sink on him, and she lets out a low moan. Cloud's grip on her tightens. He walks them to a door and pushes it open. Her bedroom is dark, the lights from the streets faintly illuminating it. Cloud places her on the bed, and she lets her body fall back; he pads out of the room for a moment, then comes back. He strips off his jeans, keeping the briefs on, before joining her on the bed. Tifa hasn't moved, still laying above the covers.

"You're gonna get cold," Cloud says with amusement.

"I'm not sure I can move." She bites her lip at the admission.

Though she doesn't miss the trace of smugness in his smile, Cloud doesn't say anything. Instead, he maneuvers them until they are under the covers.

"Wait," he says before she can lie down again. He gently grabs her the mess her braid has become and unravels it, running his fingers through the strands in an effort to detangle it. "There."

The gesture touches Tifa, and she thanks him, ignoring her heart clenching in her chest. "Don't take this the wrong way," she says as they get under the covers, "but I have to ask you something."

Cloud nods, his features shuttering as if he's afraid of what's coming next.

"Does this mean anything beyond now?"

"Does it have to?" Cloud asks softly as if afraid he's saying the wrong thing.

"No." It's the truth just as she told Aerith earlier. "Just making sure we're on the same page."

"Alright. You don't mind if I sleep here?"

Tifa smiles. "You wouldn't be in my bed if I minded."

"Smart-ass," he murmurs as he twists to lie on his side. His arm falls over her waist, heavy and warm, but there is still a short distance between them which neither of them bridges before closing their eyes.

—