Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of Square Enix, Inc. No infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Another update? I cannot bring myself to skip participating in Tifa Week 2020, and decided, it had to be this story. After all, Tifa is a queen!

I am still on an update/creative hiatus from most of my other stories. Don't Think Twice is still being worked on heavily, but might take longer than expected. Thank you to Denebola Leo for the beta time she put in, along with DrWaffle from the FinalHeaven Discord Server.

The title of the story was inspired by Queen's song 'Play the Game'.

-. Play the Game .-

Chapter V: The Passion

He loathed cold showers.

He took enough on the road when he was away from Tifa before they fell apart, but he didn't think he had to take one in the same home he shared with her. But this was the only way to resolve the issue that had arisen to him: getting an erection from his girlfriend that she wasn't going to help him with.

Cloud could only partly blame her, as he was receiving his own dose of medicine after what he did to her last night. She was merely doing the same: throwing the game logic in his face. But he didn't want to play anymore, he just wanted Tifa back.

Trying to kiss her wouldn't work, so perhaps, playing the game for just a little longer was the only way to go. He'd order a drink, catch her off guard, and finally kiss her. This wasn't a game to him anymore, it was about them.

He loved Tifa dearly. And he wasn't going to let silly rules get in the way of showing her anymore. Stepping into the bar area, he saw the very beautiful woman he was hoping to woo, pouring beer from the tap. There were a few patrons in the bar, common for the early afternoon, so he made himself comfortable at a table in the back corner of the tavern. When her vermillion eyes met his from across the room, widening for a moment at his presence, before her familiar warmth for him glossed over. She reached into the icebox below her, and grabbed a bottle of his favorite beer, and made her way over to him.

"Here," she smiled at him, placing it on the wooden space between them.

"Thank you, but…" he accepted the bottle, but didn't want her to go back to her customers just yet. His fingers tapped the tabletop as he considered his words carefully.

"Hmmm?" Ruby eyes watched him questioningly, but patiently. She tilted her head to the side, waiting for him. A small sparkle appeared in her irises, one that spoke of yearning for him.

"I was hoping that perhaps, you had a different drink in mind for me?" he mirthfully asked, hoping she would get the hint he would play for a kiss they both wanted. A kiss that they both needed.

"Like what?"

"From your...special menu?" he hinted a little more.

Tifa squinted for a moment at his proposition, almost as if she was completing a fitting response. He knew this could only go one way or another, and it seemed his suggestion for the special menu diminished the glint in her eyes.

The barmaid grabbed the menu from the centerpiece, placing it directly in front of him. "Here is the menu for Seventh Heaven. House specialties are the Cosmo Canyon and Corellian Gangbuster," her voice was short and succinct on the topic.

"Oh."

"When you make up your mind of what you want," she paused, giving him a wink. "I'll be around."

He could only nod before she turned back her attention to the now busy tavern. She wasn't going to make him any more drinks for their game, and she was unapproachable right now to properly kiss her. And judging by her last statement, this was up to him now to make it right.

No more games.

Cloud had to figure out how to do this, if he could even do what just popped into his mind. Quietly, he walked from the bar area towards the entrance, needing to run a small errand if he was going to make this work. He had kept his eyes low to avoid hers, but could feel her unwavering gaze on his retreating form. He could always feel when Tifa was watching him, and instead of assuring her things were alright, he was determined to keep any hint of making up to himself.

Not too much longer, Tifa.

When Tifa had retired for the night, no light crept under the bottom of his office door, and hoping she would find him in her room, instead of finding her bed to be bare. She never had the chance to ask him where he went out to, as he kept to himself once he returned later that night. Her heart plummeted from his absence, a little miffed that her earlier hint he'd make a move was going to be unfulfilled. She had been putting herself out for him, drink after drink for him to throw it in her face. And as soon as she got a little revenge from what he was doing to her, he pulled out of the game entirely.

She had washed her hair furiously, trying to scrub away the thoughts of her desired kiss and his reluctance to fulfill that desire, but it just made her madder. At this point, she probably just had to yell at him to kiss her, she thought as she brushed her drenched locks, blow drying her hair. It was too late tonight to yell at him, and maybe if he fretted about her obvious hint for one more day, he just might man up and make a real play for her. Fully dressed in her navy pajama shorts and matching loose tank top, she exited her private bath to try and get some sleep. Or so she expected to do.

It was a pleasant surprise finding him in her bedroom, her eyes inevitably roaming his chiseled abs. Cloud just had to show up without a shirt on, didn't he? she mused to herself, trying to hide her sense of gratification from his presence. Yet she was more thrilled to see two champagne flutes on the dresser in front of the mirror, filled with orange-colored drinks.

Did he…? "W-what is all this?"

"Would you like to share a drink with me?" he offered, picking up one of the flutes to hold out to her.

"That...depends," she demurely accepted the cocktail. "What's the drink?" she asked with a smile. He really did make drinks for her!

"Ah, ah," Cloud teased her. "You have to drink it first before I tell you."

"And I suppose if I drink it, I have to do whatever the drink is?"

"Not this time. We're playing with a different set of rules now. You drink, and I'll do whatever it is."

Tifa bit her lip a little from what he just proposed. "Well, when you put it that way…" she held the rim to her mouth, accepting his offer. The cocktail was sweet and smooth, with a sense of tartness to the overall flavor. She could identify the orange liqueur in the mixture, and the champagne, but the juice itself was still a mystery. It was delicious, and she was impressed as a bartender at his mixology skills.

Cloud had just finished his drink when she was almost done with hers, taking the time to decipher what it could be. Only a feeling gave her an idea of what it could be, as well as the look in his azure eyes.

"So...the name of the drink?" she questioned, watching him take the empty glass from her hand and placing it on the dresser next to his.

His hand slipped around her slender waist, while the other cupped her cheek. Tender and warm, his fingers tucked her loose hair behind her ear, then found their place at the nape of her neck. Tifa had only stayed still when he gathered her closer, but she began trailing her hands up his bare chest, curling her fingers on his shoulders in pure anticipation of what was to come. She hadn't been held like this in months, and his shy boy exterior was adding to her excitement, as well as his hot breath that tickled her face. His mouth was hovering just above hers, teasing its presence.

"It's called, 'Passionate Kiss'," he answered huskily, and in an instant, he pressed his lips to hers. Fingers gripped her hair tighter, his palm pressing her lower back closer to him at the urgency of his kiss. A pivotal moment she could only imagine for months was finally here, and she could only close her eyes to take it all in. But it was all real: the heat of his body pressed against hers, the tenderness of his lips, and the probing tongue that slipped between, coaxing hers to play.

His mouth worked at a desperate pace, rousing a moan from her when her fingers threaded through his pale locks. Every frenzied touch of his lips heightened her elation, making her knees a little weak as she held onto dear life under his deep kisses. All the teasing they put each other through led to this passion.

She missed this, the taste of him.

Cloud couldn't seem to get enough either, as each exchange of his lips was both hot and heated against hers. His breath was quick, letting out a deep groan. He didn't wander too far when he stopped, and his cyaneous eye was so clear when he looked at her. "I should've done this sooner."

"Yes, you should have," Tifa giggled before kissing him again. She tilted her head to the side, twirling her fingers in his hair at the nape of his neck, tasting him again. She didn't want this to end. The perpetual bliss was making her heart pound faster.

He groaned again, possibly in agreement to her words, running his hot tongue over her bottom lip before slipping inside once more. His kisses grew hungry again, making the brunette shiver in delight.

"Tifa…" he said breathily, releasing the hold on her hair. His hand trailed gingerly to her mid-back, his other from his waist to hook under her legs, kissing her once again when he hoisted her up in his arms. She slipped her arms around his neck, matching the passionate exchange as he carried her to the bed. Gently, he placed her against the cushioned fabric, breaking the kiss to climb in, pressing his body against hers.

"Hmmm, I thought this drink only covered kissing," Tifa teased, rolling her hips against his, feeling his hardened groin hit her inner thigh. Her fingers grazed his bare back.

Cloud nuzzled her neck. "Do you really wanna stop?"

"No, but the rules—"

"Fuck the rules," his breath tickled under her ear, trailing kisses along the porcelain column of her neck, before sucking the tender skin of her collarbone. His hand snuck up the loose fabric of her pajama top to touch her bare breast.

"Mmm," she hummed into his ear, her hand cupping the back of his neck. "It's about time we ended this game anyway."

"It's about time this shirt came off," he countered back, pulling up the hem of her shirt.

After lifting her arms to help get rid of her top, her body trembled from the cool air hitting her exposed chest. Blue eyes bore into her, and his breath quivered against her cheek when they were skin against skin. Her cheeks colored to a rosy hue under his intense focus, feeling his sharp erection against her dampened core.

Pleasant memories of the night before flooded her mind, but she knew from his gaze that tonight's passion would play out very differently. Their last two encounters were steamy and rough, months of tension built up from their game, but tonight would be sensual and romantic. That's what his sapphire eyes were saying to her now, with the devoted desire burning inside him for her.

Tifa moved forward to seal the distance of their lips once more, showing him she was more than ready as she swept the bottom of his lip with her tongue. His only response was a groan in his throat, deepening the kiss. Her fingers grazed his back, his hand gently held her cheek, and the pressure of their lips onto each other not letting up once. Breathlessly, hot, and wet, their exchange grew more passionate as he pinned himself further between her legs.

His free hand snuck in between to grab ahold of her breast, tweaking her nipple between his forefinger and thumb. The pleasure surprised her, making her gasp into his kisses as she lurched her hips forward. Cloud squeezed her breast tighter, thumbing her hardened bud while sucking her bottom lip hungrily once more. Tifa tangled her hands through his wild hair, planting her knees around his waist, and crushing her mouth further against his. The passion was really brewing up between their lips.

She could care less if she breathed again with how they were kissing, as she needed his mouth more than oxygen to really live. It had been a long time since they kissed. Even longer than how they were kissing each other right now. Air could wait, as tasting Cloud Strife this way was what she longed for the most.

When the blond brought his other hand down to give evened attention to her other breast, a moan from her mouth muffled into his. She felt him smirk while he teased her nipples, before skating his mouth across her cheek. Tifa let out a whimper when his rough hands kneaded her bare bosom harder, feeling his hot breath below her ear in between nips. His lips began to travel down her porcelain neck, to her collar bone, then just above her breasts. Her breath quickened with a tremble when she felt his warm and broad tongue licking her sternum, in tempo with him squeezing her nipples.

"Cloud…" she said his name breathily. He was sending her to heaven, and they barely just got started.

His only answer was to caress each part of her skin, as if her body was a temple, and his kisses were a prayer to her. His calloused hands began to wander lower as his mouth got lower, holding the sides of her abdomen while kissing the hem of her shorts. He was teasing her just as he was about to revisit her wet core.

His fingers brushed along the waistband, easing the fabric of her silky shorts and panties down her thighs before using the same gentle hands to spread her open. Resting on his shins, he pressed kisses along her inner thighs, before settling his head in between them. Upon the first lave of her swollen sex, she bit her lip, tilting her head back. Gripping a fistful of the sheet on her bed, she gasped when he plunged his fingers inside her.

Here they were again, his assault smooth and even with his mouth over her clit. The work of his sleek tongue had easily made her slip into the same sensual haze she had experienced earlier that day. Cloud pressed further in between her wet folds, increasing the tension in her lower abdomen as his strokes got stronger. Her cries of ecstasy grew louder, her breathing more deeply as he passionately thrust his tongue around for every drop of her essence. Tifa was almost there, and he needed to bring her there.

It was incredible; the fervor of his mouth along her nether lips. The rush, it was here. Her knuckles went white, her back arched when a sobbing moan tore through her throat. Finally, he brought her over the edge. Her eyes still closed as she shuddered from her blissful orgasm. Cloud groaned as he finished up, dropping a few kisses on her tummy before reaching the top of her collarbone with the same tiny pecks.

"Mmm," Tifa hummed once more, hooking her fingers on his pants to start tugging them off. His mouth nestled the crook of her neck when he shifted to help rid the unnecessary article. With a grunt, the pants were off, and Cloud caressed her lips with his own, settling himself against and on top of her. Tongue delved inside, teasing hers to play back. The brunette wrapped her arms around his back, kissing him back, welcoming the passion he was giving her. Tifa's body began to yearn and clamor for more, still raw from the recent high he gave her. He pressed the tip of his hot cock at her entrance, much to her dismay as he was fully focused on the flavor of her lips it seemed. Cloud had deepened the kiss further, pressuring his mouth against hers, with vigor intensity. He was sucking the air out of her again, and she didn't care.

But she desired him, and she couldn't ignore yet another thrilling shiver down her spine just from his lips on hers. Her arms tightened around his neck further, her fingers in the nape of his neck when she wiggled her groin against his. A groan emerged his mouth into hers, finally thrusting himself forward to fully sheath himself inside her.

He was perfect against her, and unlike the night before, his movements were slow and hesitant. Their mouths still mingled as he moved deeper inside her, keeping himself steady to make it last. Tifa knew this was all about passion, making things right, even if she wanted to get on to a more powerful pace after her earlier peak. But Cloud's devotion through smooth strokes, delicate touches, and crushing kisses were sending her straight to seventh heaven. It was maddening, yet marvelous at the same time.

He was making love to her, but the pressure and the heat from where their bodies deeply connected were making her head spin. She coiled her tongue around his, her fingers now digging into his shoulders, savoring in his warmth. They were so close to a release before, but because he kept the tempo slow, her ache became more desperate. After all this foreplay today, did they need to limit themselves further?

She broke the kiss, feathering kisses along his jawline until they met his ear. "Please…" she begged, burying her face in his neck before clenching down her muscles around his cock. She wanted more, needed more, but together. He needed this just as much as she did after today, so she was a little satisfied he stifled a moan while struggling to keep his pace steady.

"Tifa…" he grunted her name before sucking the sweet spot on her collarbone, still thrusting as he tried to remain in control.

"Cloud…please," she purred as she circled her hips back, earning another grunt from his mouth at the slow grind of her pelvis. There was nothing for him to prove anymore. She had enough of their game, as this has always been about them going back to the way things were before they fell apart. He teased her, she teased him, sometimes both taking things too far. "I want this...with you…"

He groaned in between his efforts to make love to her, their breaths were so close as if it were shared. His cobalt eyes were intently glowing as he looked down at her, then a soft kiss landed on the corner of her mouth. His hot breath tickled her skin when he sighed, continuing to kiss down her neck. "Alright." Cloud leveraged himself on his palms next to her, pushing himself out of her.

She was a little surprised he released himself from her, her claret eyes widening as she protested when he leaned back, sitting on the bed away from her. "But—"

"Come here," he gently cut her off, motioning his hand to his lap to calm her fears; he wasn't gonna stop. His other hand lifting her ankle over to the other side of his slightly bent legs. It was all in his eyes––a spark of passion––and his mere suggestion, made her excitement spike. Sitting up, she joined him; arms wrapped around his neck once more, her breasts pressing into his chiseled chest with her legs now hooked around him. His hands caressed her thighs, lifting her up, so her entrance was rubbing his cock. Tifa moaned into the crook of his neck as he carefully guided her in, his arousal now deep inside her. Cupping her flushed cheeks, he kissed her reverently, a sensual pace of his tongue along her bottom lip.

"Do that thing with your hips again," he commanded, his lips tickling hers.

She looked at him with half-lidded eyes, giving him a teasing smile. Circling her hips once, she reveled in the fact she elicited a low growl in his throat. "This?"

"Yeah," he replied, bringing one hand down to the base of her back, the pad of his thumb stroking her cheek. "Just like that, Tifa." With another passionate kiss, he thrust forward, massaging his hand on her tail bone to encourage her motions.

The deep penetration, the tiny circles she created with her pelvic and his steady assault to her core, combined with his steamy kisses, the sensations between her legs were amplified. Fingers carded through her hair as he kept slamming into her hilt, his palm pressing her closely, desperately, needy, as they fucked together in rhythm. Finally, the game was over between them, and they could just be them, together.

She was getting tighter with each thrust, swaying her hips as much as she could, completely caught up in a torrent of ecstasy. She clutched his shoulder, her pelvic becoming more frantic against his as her senses began to overwhelm. The loud beating of his heart against her chest, the sweet taste of his kisses stealing her breath, the sound of their sweaty skin hitting each other, and the heat of his cock impaling her.

Every part of him was intense, and she was finally succumbing to the bliss once more. Cloud kissed her harder when she came, her moans muffled by his tongue swirling inside her mouth. Her wave finished together with his own climax, hugging her closer to his body in his final surge.

He groaned, still kissing her breathlessly, keeping her intimately connected to him. "I hope you liked my drink."

Tifa laughed softly at his joke, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "It was quite tasty. I may have to hire you for a few shifts in the bar."

"Only if the price is right," Cloud teased, kissing her neck as his fingers stroked her back.

"I still haven't figured out how you made it," she admitted into his ear.

"I used passion fruit juice. Not really common, but it's what the recipe called for in my internet search," he explained while pushing her hair back, looking into her eyes with electric blue. His gaze was sincere, yet intense.

"You really went all out on this, didn't you?" she asked, tilting her head into his hand.

"I had to make up to you somehow, so I bent the rules," he related back to her. Gently, he lifted her off of him, pushing her back against the mattress. "I don't wanna play any more games, Tifa."

She smiled when he hovered above her, cupping his face in her hands. "But the game was a little fun, wasn't it?"

"It was, but I rather kiss you anytime I want now without any drink telling me to," he remarked in a cocky tone. His lips brushed against hers, his erection pressed up against her thigh again. "Ready for round two?"

"Yes," she breathed, kissing him passionately as he began to take her once again. Both of them played for far too long, but both of them were now victorious which is how she saw it this time together.

No more games, but a drink once in a while could be fun to play with him again.

Author's Note Continued: Tifa and Cloud have finally made up, but it took five chapters til we got to a damn kiss! I hoped you all enjoyed the ride to this moment. The game might be over, but they will still be playing with drinks in this PWP. Thanks for the read/review!