In human nature, when falling in love, people who are truly in love try their hardest not to fall in love because they are afraid that they will lose the right to be themselves. Because of this factor, one or both of the two people in question become hostile towards the other when the slightest goes wrong. Eventually, their attempts to stay away from each other will be smothered by their need for each other (aka The Love/Hate Complex). This fact has subconsciously been displayed through many books and movies as well; some examples of entertainment are:

Pride and Prejudice

Ever After

Love Hina

Full Metal Panic!

One Night With the King

Breakfast at Tiffany's

I must confess that I may have subconsciously written about the exact same thing in this fanfic...sorry...

Tis a terrible thing to have a noisy friend. Tifa Lockhart had already learned this truth time and time again. Sitting at the table in her room, eating breakfast, Tifa was learning it once more, in Yuffie. Not that you could really blame her, though.

"I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me!" Yuffie cooed. "What was going on?"

Tifa finished sipping on her orange juice and slammed the glass on the table.

"He was just saying thank you, Yuffie," she answered. "Get off of it."

"That was one heck of a 'thank you'," said Yuffie.

"You're wrong, Yufs. Hugging me and kissing me on the face is one thing. Making out with him would be one heck of a thank you."

Yuffie's eyes widened with shock. A wide, wily, grin appeared on her face. Tifa hated it when Yuffie smiled like.

"You want to make out with him?!" she asked in a sultry manner.

"That's not what I said!" Tifa shouted angrily. "Stop twisting my words!"

Yuffie bent down, put her elbows on the table, and leaned. "Someone's touchy this morning. When I usually joke with you being with a guy, you laugh and slap me on the arm."

"The guy was never our charge, Yuffie. This is completely different."

"You're such a sourpuss!" Yuffie cried.

Tifa glared at her friend in a hostile manner and began to eat her breakfast with gusto. Yuffie chuckled under her breathe and cocked her head to the side.

"Ah, come on, Tifa," Yuffie said soothingly. "I'm sure Shinra won't mind if you get romantic with your client…"

"Nothing was going on!" Tifa loudly interrupted. "It was just a stupid thank you, okay?! I said something to encourage him, and it made him happy. Got it?! Now STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!"

Yuffie became more amused than ever.

"Why so defending about it, Tifa?" Yuffie prodded. "Did I hit a sore spot?"

Tifa quickly got out her chair. She grabbed Yuffie by the arms and forced her away from the table. Tifa kept on pushing Yuffie out the door and walked her down the long hall. Tifa stopped at Vincent's bedroom door. Releasing one of Yuffie's arms, she knocked on Vincent's door, and he answered. Tifa opened the door and roughly shoved Yuffie in.

"Go bother Vincent for a while!" Tifa screamed.

Tifa turned around and walked back to her room, grumbling. Nearly slamming the door, she rushed into the room and pounced on the bed to scream into a pillow. Her cell phone sounded its ring tone and vibrated by her breakfast. She quickly forced herself up and answered it before it stopped.

"Hello?"

She listened carefully to the voice on the other end.

"Oh, hello Susan…"

The voice interrupted and continued jabbering on to her. Her eyes widened, and she clenched her teeth.

"I'm sorry, but I can't make it," Tifa said. "I…I'm really busy and…"

The person on the other end persisted desperately.

"But…but I can't! You don't understand…"

The voice on the other end made a comment and hung up the phone before Tifa could protest any further. Tifa looked at her cell phone for a moment before tossing it on the bed in frustration.

Cloud strolled along the halls toward Marlene's suite. He glanced at the five tickets he had in his hand and reviewed them for a third time.

"Five tickets to Romeo and Juliet…what is that girl thanking these days?"

He shrugged his shoulders, resigned, and walked on. Suddenly, a burst of agonized wailing erupted from Tifa's room. Out of curiosity and concern, Cloud quietly opened the door and peaked in.

"I miss my job!" Tifa whined.

Cloud raised an eyebrow in confusion. Tifa stood at the window.

"I've turned down three modeling jobs since I've been here."

Tifa sat down on her bed.

"I've turned down three," Tifa repeated, "and now, I have to turn down one more. I hate this. This side job is ruining my life!"

She let the rest of her body fall on the bed. Tifa rolled onto her stomach and buried her face into the bed dress. After a while, she felt a disturbance on the surface of the bed.

"I understand," Cloud replied. "You've been addicted… to your passion for so long…and now…you have the itch."

Tifa got up so quickly that it was as if she had leapt. Cloud turned to see an awful glare on her face that said: "You have some nerve!"

"Here we go again," Cloud thought.

"You arrogant, spoiled, overgrown brat! You think you have all the answers! I never asked your opinion! I didn't even say that you could come in!"

Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but Tifa immediately said that he dare not speak. Her voice, thankfully, became softer.

"I'm sorry…again. I'm always snapping at you. Not just you… everyone. And their just trying to help…or at least show that they care…I don't know why I get like that…"

"You don't need to apologize," Cloud replied. "I should have knocked."

Tifa moaned and let her herself fall on her back onto the bed again.

"It doesn't really matter," said Tifa. "It doesn't change anything. I am strictly prohibited to take any modeling jobs until this job is over."

"You're not on the job," he corrected. "You're taking therapy."

"They don't know that."

Cloud stood up and began to pace back and forth. A family trait.

"The last hit job I took was located in the same area where I took a job for my modeling agency. Most of my hit jobs are like that. This is the longest I've ever been away from modeling: four whole weeks. And I'm going crazy. The only excitement we got was when those freaks attacked us three weeks ago."

Tifa realized something and raised her head.

"No offense," she said to Cloud.

"None taken."

Her head fell back on the bed like a rock falling on water. Tifa stared helplessly at the ceiling and had no idea what to do.

"I could try to sneak out," Tifa mumbled, "but if I got caught, the others would have to report me. Mr. Shinra's probably mad enough at me already. Even if I did sign those papers…"

"The answer to your dilemma is quite simple," Cloud interrupted. "I need to buy a gift for Marlene…and I can't go alone."

Tifa rolled onto her side.

"So we flat out lie," she said.

"No," he said. "I really do need to get one. I'll just say that I'm getting it earlier…and then, without their knowledge, we'll make 'stop' at your agency while we get the present. Think of it as an extra errand. We just need to get back in time for the detention class."

Tifa sat up in bed again and smiled mischievously. "Cloud-sensei…you sneaky, conniver…you are a pure genius."

Cloud shrugged his shoulders unabashedly.

"These are the latest styles from Versace," said Susan. "These four items."

Tifa touched and felt at the blue, strapless, sleeveless dress that she wore.

"I like how it stops at the middle of the thigh," Tifa cooed, "and starts again with draped, black lace."

"The lace opens at the front as well. That's Versace alright."

Tifa and Susan turned around and saw Cloud, leaned against the wall near the door.

"GET OUT!" they shouted in unison.

Cloud rolled his eyes and opened the door.

"Don't you roll your eyes at us!" Susan scolded. "This is a private room."

The door clicked shut. Susan gave a maternal hmph and continued to pin up the dress on Tifa.

"Don't mind him," Tifa said. "He's almost harmless."

"He's really cute though," Susan commented. "Are you two going out with him?"

Tifa's face went into a deep crimson hue. Susan noticed and laughed.

"I'll take that as a yes," she continued. "It's good. A girl like you needs to start dating. I've even heard a rumor in the building that you've never had a boyfriend…that's a little unusual for a supermodel."

"We're not dating, Suzy," Tifa answered. "We're barely even friends."

"But the rumor's true, isn't it?"

Tifa grinned and nodded sheepishly.

"Oh well," Susan said. "In all actuality, not everyone's doing it…even if the media says otherwise…I admire your morals though…most models throw themselves at men… I'm sure no one will really care…It doesn't really matter for me…I'm happily married after all."

"Marriage solved all of your problems, eh?"

Susan giggled and pulled more pins out of her pin cushion.

"Not all of them," Susan retorted. "It brought some new ones…but it was worth it. You should get a man to call your own too. Too bad that you're barely even friends…"

"Ah, leave him out of this," Tifa grumbled. "Yuffie was joking about it us getting together this morning, and you're not helping."

"Don't worry, dear. Twice is only a coincidence. It has to be five times in a short period of time to be a fact."

Cloud struggled to walk out of the door with Tifa's arms wrapped around his neck. She showered the whole side of his face with kisses that felt like tingling suction cups. Cloud had a nervous smile on his face.

"Thank you so much!" she cried. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you like a million bucks!"

"Uh, glad to here it…"

Cloud eyed a bag that was against his arm, in Tifa's hand.

"What's this?" he asked. "What's in the bag."

"Marlene's present," Tifa replied. "A red, wool, child's long coat. I got some favors."

Tifa let go of him and handed over the bag. Cloud pushed the tissues back and marveled at the beautiful coat.

"No doubt she'll wear this for the play," he said. "Thanks."

"It's not enough!" Tifa cried.

Tifa grabbed Cloud's wrist and dragged him forward.

"We have three hours until your class starts," Tifa declared. "We're going to lunch, Mister Sensei! And don't you dare pay for any of it!"

As the two walked on, a pair of stiletto heels stopped, yards away from them.

Until next time...