A/N: I'm sorry, but I had to take a break on the Poker Series. So I decided to add this to my one-shots. Just another little look at the pitfalls in the life and times of Cloud Strife...

Summary: Reeve Tuesti might be the head of the WRO, but even he can walk into deadly situations. Cloud comes to his rescue, but Murphy's Law kicks into effect in a big way. It's the aftermath that counts, though. Heh. Set sometime/when/where after Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus.

Jealousy, Take 2

By Ivy Tanté

ab

It had been a very busy day at Seventh Heaven. Mixing drinks, Tifa found herself musing that her bar was more home to some of the inhabitants of Edge than whatever apartment or living space they currently occupied. The college crowd filled their usual corner, laptops and handhelds much in evidence as they divided their attention between class work and the casual conversations floating through the room. The corner across the way was the property of the office crowd that came in nearly everyday after work, to enjoy a drink and catch up on the various gossip to be had from the different departments of the WRO. Nearer to the bar, seated at the two-tops, were the couples sharing appetizers and small talk as they unwound from the day.

At the bar, the loners ordered drinks in quiet voices. Some came for the company, some came for the whiskey. And some, Tifa thought as she filled another order, came for the chance to ogle her and any other female present. This was allowed up to a certain point - as long as all they did was ogle discretely. Tifa didn't need Cloud to enforce courtesy and respect in her own establishment.

But it sure was fun watching him on the few and rare times he stepped in.

A pleased smile lighting her beautiful face, Tifa looked up absentmindedly as the door to Seventh Heaven thwacked open with unaccustomed force. The glass in her hand dropped, but Tifa was already around the bar and halfway across the room before it hit the floor and shattered. Even as she reached them, anxious hands all around her were stretched out to help Reeve Tuesti support the battered and bleeding form of Cloud Strife.

She didn't notice that the table closest to the door was cleared in seconds, chairs yanked out of the way and items swept off the surface. She didn't take note of the number of hands that immediately assisted in lowering his limp form onto the polished wood surface. A medical kit was shoved at her by one of her regulars as another stood waiting, a bowl of water and several towels at the ready. Someone's coat was balled up and gently edged under his head as a make-shift pillow.

Whatever had befallen Cloud, Reeve hadn't come through it unscathed. The elegant robes were slashed in several places and a nasty looking cut just about his right eyebrow left his face streaked with blood. The fingers of his right hand were swollen to the point he had trouble helping to position his fallen companion on the table so Tifa could see the full extent of his injuries.

Cloud's pauldron and dust skirt were gone, as was the sleeve and most of the left side of the cable knit sweater. Bloodied nearly to the waist, it was impossible -at first glance- to even tell where he'd been hit until Reeve croaked out, "It's his shoulder, Tifa. Kalm Fangs caught me just outside of the canyon. I was able to hold them off while I called for aid, but one got through." Grimacing, he rubbed ineffectively at the blood smearing his face. "Cloud got there just in time, otherwise I would have been a nice little tidbit for the pack." His laugh was hollow as he added, "He had everything under control when the Midgar Zolom slithered in from Ifrit knows where and cut loose. I cast Barrier, but enough punched through to take him down. It was only for a moment -you know how he is in a fight, Tifa- but enough for the pack leader to open up his shoulder. Goddess, Tifa! From the spray of blood I thought he'd been slashed from throat to crotch."

Tifa's steady hands had washed most of the blood away from wound, exposing the extent of the damage. Cloud had two deep gashes running parallel from his collarbone to across his shoulder and halfway down to his elbow. "How did the Kalm Fang get past the pauldron?" Intent on her task, Tifa's voice was clipped and focused.

The humor on Reeve's face was at odds with the blood. "Every strap on his torso was crisped by the Beta the Zolom cast. As bad as it had to hurt, Cloud was cursing the critter to Hades and back because he'd have to made new ones now, and they weren't that old to begin with."

Though the situation wasn't the slightest bit funny, the comment was just so Cloud that even Tifa laughed. Chuckling, Reeve dipped a clean towel into the bowl and started carefully cleaning Cloud's chest as Tifa continued her work on his left arm. Uncovering a small circular indention just above his sternum, Reeve looked up. "Is this where he was shot by Loz and Yazoo?" he asked, swallowing. Heart-shot, he thought, remembering the stories. Seeing the proof was staggering.

"Yes. And the mark lower is where Sephiroth stabbed him the first time, in Nibelheim. The second time in the ruins of Midgar was in the right shoulder. There's enough of his shirt left that you can't see that one."

The dry wit in the comment caused Reeve to look up. It only took a second to see what had her so amused. Everyone in the bar was obviously concerned for Cloud's well-being, and stood ready to assist in whatever manner they could.

And every female there was craning their necks to see more of the impressive physique on display.

Reeve's eyebrow shot up nearly to his hairline. Grinning, he suggested, "It's a bit crowded in here, how about clearing out a bit? I think we've got the situation in hand." There were some severely disappointed looks aimed at the President of the WRO, but he was the boss of most of them, after all.

Before anyone could move, however, a husky whisper sounded. "Tifa..."

Looking down, Tifa jolted. Cloud was conscious, but barely. His eyes were slits of impossible blue in his pale face, but his gaze was fastened on her. "Hurts..."

"Give me the kit, Tyson. There's painkillers in there somewhere," Tifa ordered, but Cloud's slight movement stopped her.

"No," he whispered.

Tifa could understand Cloud's reluctance. After all Hojo's experiments, Cloud preferred to keep his body and mind clean of any altering substances. But there were exceptions. "Cloud, I've still got to clean this wound, and the antiseptic is going to burn like hellfire." The slightest movement of his head indicated his refusal. Tifa opened her mouth to object...

...and lost her breath and train of thought completely when Cloud insisted, "Kiss..."

She blushed, clear to her hairline. But Cloud was in pain and asking for her comfort, so she leaned in and placed a gentle but lingering kiss on his mouth that had him humming in pleasure despite the situation. When she raised her head, there was a faint, rueful smile on his face. Struggling, he raised his uninjured hand and stroked her cheek once. "Best drug in the world, Lockhart," he murmured before his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out again.

Coughing to disguise his embarrassment, as well as to clear his Beta-seared throat, Reeve looked back at the crowd with a faint scowl. Realizing their presence was now a hindrance, many jumped to get away. But they mentally tallied up their accounts and left the appropriate gil on the bar by the cash register first before they filed out. The last of her regulars refilled the bowl of water, added more towels to the stack, and gave Reeve an ice pack for his hand and a glass of water for his parched throat.

"You've got some really good customers, Tifa," Reeve told her, pausing to sip the cool water.

"You've got some really good employees, Reeve," she returned, using the cloth shears to cut away the rest of his shirt. "Good thing he isn't awake for this part. Strife is rather inhibited when it comes to nudity." Tossing the scraps away, Tifa soaked another towel and attacked the rest of the caked blood and gore covering her partner.

Putting down his glass, Reeve grinned as he did likewise. "You learn some of the most interest facts in some of the most unlikely situations."

"Shut up, Reeve," Tifa growled.

"Only for the moment, dear Tifa. This information is too good not to use at a later date," was the laughing response.