Tifa's eyes seemed to be glowing with something, the hints of wine more pronounced beneath half-mast lids. Now that he'd kissed her, he had no idea what to do next. At least no idea of anything he knew to be appropriate. All he could think of were things he wasn't sure should happen at the point they'd come to.

"Vincent…" she whispered, chin sliding forward in his hands until her forehead rested against his.

His hands drifted down her neck, sweeping her hair to the center of her back. He thought she'd mention how wrong this was, or perhaps that she wasn't ready to move on. Instead, she kissed him again. His nose was crushed, but somehow it didn't matter. Nothing seemed to.

She broke away and rolled her cheek sideways against his. It was then that he noticed the moisture, like a thin trail of dew.

"Tifa," he said, moving her away so that he could look at her. Light reflected off the slender paths of her tears. "Why are you crying?"

He was a little more than lost. She'd kissed him and she'd seemingly enjoyed it, and now she was crying. With his thumb, he gently dried her tears.

"I don't know, Vincent." She bit her lip and met his eyes, "I guess it was… I guess because I… Oh, gods. I have no clue."

She was quickly becoming the most confusing woman he'd ever known. "Is it really that you don't know, or that you don't want to tell me?"

"Mm. I wish it was that easy. If I didn't want to tell you, I'd know and I wouldn't be tearing my mind to shreds trying to figure it out." She sighed after a deep breath. "I think I'm just overwhelmed."

"I would not be surprised. You've discovered a lot tonight." And I shouldn't have pushed it.

"No… not in that sense."

Silence seemed the best reply.

"In the sense that I knew there was something here with you, but I never could let myself believe it. And now… well, there's no way I can deny it now."

"Is that a bad thing?" He knew that his tone sounded far too pretentious.

"Not at all. But I guess I just have to sort things out."

"With Cloud?" He cringed inwardly, hoping that things wouldn't cycle back to that point.

"No," she blurted, almost indignantly. "I think I've got that sorted. It's mostly the kids. And you."

She found a more comfortable position on the bed, but reached for his hand.

"I know that I feel something for you, Vincent. And I know I've been pushing it away and calling it friendship because I was so stuck on the idea of Cloud. More recently… as I've been realizing that he's only an idea, I've known I wanted nothing more with him than friendship. That's why I left, to be honest." She paused, lacing her fingers in and out of his. "I left because I was honest with myself. I knew those things we discussed at dinner months ago. I guess I just finally came to the conclusion that I want to be happy. And you make me happy."

He wanted to question her on the last little bit. She'd certainly gone on quite a bit at the lounge, but he decided better of it. She was confused, but he didn't doubt that she was honest about moving on.

"I just need some time to get there, if that's okay with you?" Her smile seemed much brighter than it had in a while.

"Tifa, you know what's best for you. If you need time, take it. I know that these things don't happen over night." But I can certainly try.

"Thank you for understanding."

He didn't like the way she was looking at him, head tilted slightly to the side, eyes glimmering.

"I want you to be honest with me, now," she started. "What do you want?"

And the tables turned. Now that heavy question he'd dealt her was lying in front of him. Seconds passed while he considered his answer. Since they were on such an honest streak, he decided on chance.

"I'd like very much to find out what could be between us."

"Really?" she questioned, tilting her head further.

"Yes, really."

"Why?"

A fair question, but it caught him off-guard nonetheless. He suspected she was fishing for a couple of compliments and some reassurance.

"Why? Hm," he drew the word out, drawing her in. Suspense was a great weapon sometimes.

"Oh, come on."

"Tifa, you're quite simply the most amazing woman I've ever met. I believe I've mentioned that before. Confusing as you are, I really enjoy your company and remember? I'm selfish and indulgent. I want more of that company."

She looked surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered. "Is that all?"

"What do you mean 'is that all'? I'd say that's quite a bit. Never mind that kissing you turns—"

She interrupted him, seven deliberate kisses stealing words.

—turns my insides to mush. "That was unfair."

"Sometimes life goes that way," she said through a smile. "So I guess you'd like to know what I really want."

"That would be nice."

"Well, I do want to move on and be happy. That isn't all, though. I really want to spend more time with you. So I guess I could indulge you with that company."

"That would be very nice."

"But I have to take care of a few things first."

He was dreading that part, though he knew it was necessary. He just hoped that things wouldn't regress. And he wasn't excited about going along, but knew that she needed support.

"I know. Would you like a ride?"

"Not right this second. I can put it off a little longer. Say… tomorrow? It's getting late anyway"

He'd lost track of time. "Tomorrow it is."

And suddenly she was hugging him, arms tight around his neck. It felt like heaven to hold her.

"I get the feeling I'll never be able to thank you enough."

"You don't need to."

- - -

Tomorrow came far too swiftly, stealing sleep and bringing Tifa to consciousness. She rolled slightly to her left, only to find her hair tangled around Vincent's bicep. Pulling slowly, she managed to free herself, but she could feel a dull ache where his arm had pushed her hair up at the scalp. She was so unused to sleeping with someone else, but she knew that the feeling of waking up beside him was worth it.

She watched him for a moment, enjoying the way his lips were curved in sleep and charmed by his dark, long lashes. Men always had the best lashes. Ironic when women are the one's who craved them. With the tips of her fingers she brushed his cheek, ending with a kiss, unable to help the show of affection.

She crawled out from beneath the sheets, pausing a moment when her feet hit the floor. It had gotten cold overnight, and she suddenly craved something warm. Her best attempts at quietly pulling the kettle off the stove and filling it with water seemed silly once she realized it would whistle once hot. She scanned the kitchen, eyeing the microwave. It would beep loudly. Back to the kettle. She set it on one of the burners and lit the flame.

Waking up to the whistle of a kettle would be unpleasant. She padded across the room and bent over the edge of the bed, "Vincent?"

His eyelids flickered, and he mumbled something she didn't catch.

"Vincent." She touched his shoulder.

"Mmph."

"Sorry, I have to. Otherwise, the kettle will do it for me."

Not to mention she was anxious to get moving.

"What time is it?" he managed, eyes still closed.

"It's eight o'clock."

"Damn."

"Sleep must have been good."

He finally opened his eyes, looking groggy, but dangerous with the smirk that suddenly inched onto his lips.

"If you hadn't been rolling around, perhaps I would have gotten to sleep a little sooner."

She felt warmth seep onto her cheeks. "I didn't…"

"But," he started, sitting up. She couldn't help but remember how wonderful he looked shirtless. "You are still the best person to sleep next to."

"Even with the rolling?"

He nodded firmly. "I guess I enjoy you too much."

"I'm okay with that."

He reached up and tucked loose strands behind her ear. She was on the verge of climbing back into bed when the kettle screamed. She rolled her eyes and went to tend to it, leaving a very disappointed looking Vincent.

"What are you making?"

"Tea?"

"It's in the cabinet beside the refrigerator."

"Can I make you a cup?"

"I'm not one for tea in the morning."

"Okay then. Get dressed; we'll grab breakfast before hitting the road."

He smirked at her bossiness, and she was instantly self-conscious about it. She dropped the tea bag into a mug and added steaming water, waiting for the transformation.

"The shower is calling my name."

Tifa watched him as he got out of bed and stretched, resisting the impulse to join him in the shower. She settled for dipping the tea bag, eyes following him as he grabbed clean clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. And that was where the trouble started. The entire time she listened to the water run, she couldn't keep her imagination from taking a run of its own.

Sipping tea like it was going out of style, she paced the room. Would it be rushing things? Would it be wrong in any way? Why was she thinking like this? Once she started toward the door, but quickly diverted to the kitchen. She was sitting on the counter, swinging her legs impatiently when he finally emerged twenty minutes later.

She half expected him to ask her why she'd been pacing and why her legs wouldn't quit swinging. When he approached her, she was afraid her train of thought would be too obvious.

"How was the tea?"

Tea was the last thing she could focus on when the scent of timber drifted between them. His hair was wet, smelling of shampoo and clinging to his cheek on the right side.

"It was perfect…"

"Good." He was fidgeting with various things, moving objects around. "Any chance you remember where I put the keys?"

Sometimes she thought a uterus was necessary to find keys and vacuum properly.

"They're behind the waste basket."

He looked at her oddly. "How did that happen?"

"You threw them across the room when you came in last night."

"I obviously missed the counter."

"Clearly. Maybe you shouldn't toss things around when you're upset."

"I wasn't upset."

"Oh, Vincent, don't lie. You were tenser than I've seen you in a long time."

"Only because of you."

"I know. I'm terrible," she jested.

"You really are. You've the ability to drive me crazy."

She smiled, loving the banter. He'd changed so much since she first met him. Or perhaps it was just that he'd grown comfortable. Whatever it was, it was. But she loved the way he was, and more accurately she loved the way they were together. Something she found invaluable.

"I guess I'd better get cleaned up."

"I might have some tea after all."

"The water's still hot."

With a push, she slid off the counter. Finding a new outfit in the shopping bag was easy. Putting aside the scent of shampoo and soap associated with Vincent was not. She turned the water back on, finding the water perfectly warm from use. She laid her clean clothes on the bathroom counter and stripped, thinking only of getting tangles and rat's nests out of her hair without removing half of it. She'd have to stop rolling around in bed with Vincent. The thought gave her a guilty smile.

Once she'd finished and dressed, she headed into the living room, steam rolling out with her. Things would get ugly if she didn't get a hold of a hair dryer.

"You don't have a blow dryer, do you?"

"No, I don't."

"Great," she huffed, "get ready to see disastrous hair." Served her right for making last minute decisions.

"It looked fine after the rain."

"Well, that's because all of the products hadn't washed out."

"I'm sure you will look fine."

"You've never seen it."

"How bad could it possibly be?"

"Bad. Horrible. Unmanageable."

- - -

"Tifa, I think it's beautiful."

She was staring out the window, watching trees pass by. They were half way to the next town and he was glad the weather had brightened. At least something was going right. He was more than a little unhappy to be headed for Edge.

"Shut up. It's terrible."

Her hair was naturally wavy, and he never would have known. There weren't any curls, just long, flowing waves toward the ends that looked as if they'd been styled. He found it lovely.

"I don't think so. In fact, I like it that way."

"It's frizzy," she whined, pulling at the ends.

It was a losing battle. He'd told her ten times that she looked amazing, but she was convinced her waves were the work of Ifrit.

A change of subject was in order. She'd wanted to know why he'd thrown in a small duffel bag, and he thought it a good time to tell her.

"I was thinking I'd stay in Edge for a couple of days."

She finally looked at him, "Ah. That's good to hear."

He knew that she'd need his support, and he'd thought up the idea while she was in the shower. He'd also been wondering how a long distance relationship would work if she really did want to see where they could go.

"Does that mean you'll take me out to cheer me up after I deal with this mess?"

She was grinning, but he knew she was concerned behind the mask. Despite their suspicions about Cloud's feelings for her, there was always a chance that it could be a different story. As determined as she was to break things off and move on, he wondered how it'd affect her if Cloud was upset by that. Though she hadn't said it, he could tell she was worried.

"If you'd like, we can have dinner or relax."

"I'd love that."

He was glad to hear that. It meant that she was not simply talking the past night. He wanted to believe every word she'd said, but he was guarded and afraid that she'd change her mind if Cloud asked. Though he was ninety percent sure that Cloud wouldn't ask that, another ten percent ate at his mind and dampened his mood.

Despite the doubts, he focused on the road ahead. Trees blurred and he listened to the sounds as other cars passed. It seemed the closer they came to Edge, the more uncomfortable the silence became. He was about to search for a decent radio station when his phone rang.

He glanced around the car, remembering that he'd tossed the phone in the center console.

"Can you get that?"

Tifa opened the compartment and pulled out the phone, silencing the ring. "It's my home number."

Great. "Well, we'll be there in an hour."

She nodded and answered.

"Yeah, it's me… actually, we're on our way there now." She paused and looked out the passenger window. "An hour or so…" She was biting her nails, "Yeah. Sure. Okay." Tense.

When she hung up, she rolled the phone end over end in her fingers.

"Was that Cloud?"

"Yes," she answered, setting the phone down. "He just wanted to see if I was coming back any time soon. Told me that Marlene has been asking when, and that Denzel has been worried. Had the nerve to mention he thought I was being irresponsible."

That angered him. "After all the times he's gone on deliveries and spent days out?"

"Yep. Can you believe that?"

His stomach tightened. He was certainly more convinced that things would not be going smoothly for the next few days.

"I'm sorry, Vincent. This is all so ridiculous."

"No apologies necessary. I'm just worried about you."

"I'll be fine. I just don't want to fight. I hate fighting."

"Then just lay out the situation and leave it at that. If you avoid giving opportunities for opposition, it will be harder for him to start an argument without feeling like an ass."

She laughed lightly. "I don't think there's ever been a time he hasn't felt like an ass."

That flew right over his head.

"He's always telling me what a failure he is. I actually get tired of seeing that. It's like he has no confidence in himself."

"He's got a lot of growing up to do."

"Well, I wish he'd stop."

"He may not. It is guilt and blame that he is drowning in. Those two can be a powerful combination."

Her eyes questioned him. He knew that it'd sounded like he was speaking from experience.

"We can get into my… colorful past later."

She seemed to accept that. Likely because he'd asked her to, but he knew her curious nature would be back later on.

His foot was not cooperating. The closer Edge came, the less pressure he seemed to be able to put on the gas pedal. He'd never wanted to avoid anything more. Not killing. Not rushing to the aid of the Planet. Not Shin-Ra. Nothing. Because in all truth, nothing scared him more than losing her at this point.

As they passed the city limits, he was relieved in the fact that the streets were congested. It gave him a little more time to prepare for what was to come. Several reminders that what will be, will be and two urges to "accidentally" run out of gas later he realized that this was absolutely unavoidable.

There was much at risk, but what good would a relationship with her be if not based on a clean slate. Not that either of them could hope to have a slate without blemish, but getting as close as possible would be a good idea. Determination and trust pushed him the rest of the distance. If they were meant to be, then they would come out on top of this. If not, then he would find a way to bow out gracefully for her sake.

"I'm glad we're almost there." The comment earned her a strange look. "I think my butt fell asleep miles ago."

He smirked, "I could fix that if you'd like." When he was apprehensive, he could be unpredictable.

"Vincent!" She provided a mock glare.

"Just mentioning…"

"I'll let you know if I need your… assistance."

Seventh Heaven came up on the left. He paralleled the curb and put the car in park, staring at the steering wheel.

"Are you coming in?"

"I think that is a bad idea."

"You're probably right. I've got to deal with this on my own."

"I'll go find a place to stay, why don't you give me a call when you're ready."

"I'll do that."

"Good."

She smiled an anemic smile and reached in back for her things before pushing the door open. "Here goes…"

When she climbed out and stepped onto the curb, she paused and held the corner of the door, almost as if she needed to force herself to leave the car. After hesitating a few more seconds, she closed the door and turned to him with a wave before making her way to the door.

He didn't wait to see that she got inside. It just wasn't in his realm of powers.

Well, there's chapter six. I was slightly torn on the path I'd take from five, but I think that this will be better in the long run. I hope it wasn't too tedious or dramatic. I really am shooting for a realistic take rather than a soap opera ;) it's hard when you're a GH addict. But I will not make a Sam out of Tifa, I promise.

Anyhow, I really hope that readers will enjoy this chapter. I put a lot of work into this one, carefully choosing how to portray the relationships between the characters. I don't want to step on toes or turn Cloud into a villain simply because things didn't work out with Tifa. That happens; it is life in dating and love.

Sorry about the waves, it was a spur of the moment idea to lighten things up a bit. I figured there's a bit of liberty, since we don't really know how hair would naturally be for the characters. I don't think Cloud wakes up to spikes every day. Or maybe he does… but anyway, hope you don't mind.

Vincent is getting more out of his shell, and while it is my goal, I hope I haven't pushed the limit. Let me know what you think, I'd love to know and I love reviews.

My husband is in the field all week and I won't see him, but I do have House to look forward to tonight! Thank goodness I can focus on something :)