Month 03 - Day 16 - Thursday

His uneven breathing makes his life a little uneasy as he quietly stands outside the bar. The door around the corner is the back entrance to the kitchen of the well known establishment Seventh Heaven. It was a bar, and also his home. The place he came home too every night now.

But as he stood in his lazy silence his heart thumped a thousand beats, and at times he even swore it skipped some beats. The night had grown quiet, and the city streets were filled with only street lamps. The people were all fast asleep, or rather turning in for the night. But here he stood, with his hefty thoughts racing in his mind and his heart beat ready to thump right out of his chest.

He was never good at things like this; at approaching a conversation with the person closest to him.

His fingertips are shaking and his bones are tingling, because let's face it; he isn't good at things like this. But the words in his mind are all clearly set out, so he thinks it won't be too difficult. After all, he has memorized everything and planned it out correctly.

"Cloud...?"

He turns his head roughly, and sees her standing at the door way looking at him rather curiously. He chokes a cough before straightening his stand and staring at her dumbfounded.

"Are you... okay?" she asked plainly.

"I... yeah," he answers, hanging his head just a little as he tries to place a smile upon his lips.

"Well, don't stand out there, I'm about to lock up," she said with a toss of the kitchen towel at her shoulder. "Say, could you help me take the trash out since you're out there?"

He gives her a solid nod, and he walks over to receive the trash bag from her. She places it carefully in his hands after mumbling something about there being liquid in the trash. He takes it and gives her a solemn gaze before walking to the trash bin at the corner. He tossed it in quietly, and then made his way back to the closed bar.

He entered the bar in his casual manor, his armour and buster sword swaying carefully so he didn't shuffle things off the counter tops. He unbuckled the buster sword and placed it at a stand beside the fridge. Then he turned and settled to a frozen state when she looked at him questionably.

Her brows narrowed a little as she placed the kitchen towel on the counter top.

"Are you okay, Cloud?" she asked.

It struck him weird all of a sudden as he gauged her rather narrowed expression on her face. It was as if she was only waiting for him to say something bad, because even if she didn't admit it, her fears were always plainly open to him.

It was the look in her eyes, and in the language her body spoke. The way her eyes narrow, and her brows tighten. The way her hands casually curl into fists at either side of her.

"Yes," he says, hoping it would answer her question.

But her expression doesn't change, and he thinks he started their conversation off wrongly tonight. He swears a little inwardly and tries for a better course of action.

"I was just..." he motioned with his hands, trying to get the message to her. "Just thinking, that's all."

Her expression plasters somewhat a unconvinced look as he stares at her. "About the past?" she asks quietly.

"No..." he says almost immediately. "It's not the burdens."

"Then..." she pauses a little as she motions with her hand, "What is it? Are you hurt again?"

He glances down at his arm and shakes his head. "No, I think the potion cured it all," he answers.

"That's good."

"I just..." he begins, but pauses when his eyes look into hers.

The words he so carefully constructed moments ago seem meaningless to him as he stared upon her gentle eyes. He was so transfixed in this lock of eyes that even if he knew the words to his carefully memorized speech, he was sure he could not have even spoken a word. Because there was something in her gaze, her presence and simply just staring at her that made his world stop and his world cease.

She was so captivating in this moment they shared that felt like an eternity. It was one of the few times in his life that he ever realized how beautiful she actually looked. Despite the way her hair flowed down messily over her shoulders and roughly scattered itself against her ragged clothing, she was still beautiful. It was all the little things that made her beautiful; the way her eyes stared longingly at his in the silent moment that passed by unnoticed.

This moment seem rather natural to him as he stared longingly into her eyes. But it was in the quiet corners of his darkest part of his mind did he silently wish he could share more moments like this with her. Because for a few months now, he began to feel something much, much more than friendship between them. It felt, pleasant, yet fulfilling.

His thoughts were erupted gently with the touch of her hand against his. His eyes gazed downward to see her small hand touching his arm.

"You don't have to tell me now," she said softly. "I can wait."

He continues to stare at her in his casual silence as she takes her leave and turns to the door. But he stops her briefly, holding her arm firmly yet gently. "Tifa," he says. "I'm going to quit, Strife Delivery Service."

She turns around in a quicken manor, her eyes widen as she looked at him as if making sure he were saying what he really wanted to say.

"I'm going to quit doing the delivery jobs," he says again, his eyes never leaving hers.

"But I thought you loved doing that..."

"I did."

"Then why-"

"I want to help out with the bar," he explains.

"Cloud..."

"Is that okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be okay?"

"I don't-"

"Cloud, why are you doing this?"

He thinks for a long time, lost in the quiet silence that falls upon them again. But before she began to talk again, he answered quietly, "Because it hurts you."

"What hurts me? You doing what you love to do?"

"Coming home late, leaving early..."

"We have the weekends."

He shakes his head as he says, "I just... I can't anymore, Tifa."

He could see she was taken aback with his outburst of emotion.

"I've found my home, and its here, yet every day I still have to leave. I just can't do it anymore."

"Cloud..."

"I want to be here," he added quietly.

"Then stay."

Ring... Ring...

"Vincent..."

"Yes."

"I think I feel it."

"Feel what?"

"That thing you were talking about the other night."

"So you admit it?"

"Yes."

"Does she know?"

"No."

"Then tell her."

"I don't know how."

"I think I know now."

"Know what?"

"That a man with many words says nothing, whilst a man with nothing says everything."

"I just..."

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A/N: I know, it's a rather short update and a rather short present for christmas just around the corner, but either way I wrote it and I posted it so there :) . I'm kind of loosing my touch on writing fanfiction stories, but either way I'll keep writing. From now on I will probably and hopefully update every other week or so. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!!