Chapter 2

~ Misunderstandings ~

A few days later Tifa received a phone call from an old friend of theirs. Cloud was in the shower when the phone went off. He also continued to shower as the phone constantly rang, never ceasing, continually in want of someone to answer it until he realised the phone was on the sink hardly an arm-stretch away. Tifa always seemed to leave her mobile there. He sighed and turned off the taps. No doubt the caller would ring again in their apparent desperation to reach her.

She was gazing out of her window of her room when he intruded, still wet from his shower, wrapped from the waist down in his soft towel, holding out her mobile phone. For a moment she seemed to freeze. Quickly she came back to life again and carefully took her mobile from his hand.

"You left your phone on the sink again."

"Thanks, Cloud."

He didn't want this exchange to be awkward but at the same time he was very aware that he was barely covered apart from the towel and considering the other day... it was already a bad start.

"I bet you anything it's Yuffie," he said as he pulled the door tight.

At least he caught sight of a smile.

***

"Guys! It's been too long! I brought you those Wutai spices you like Tifa. I got nothing for you though, Cloud."

"Thanks, Yuffie," he replied.

So began a typical visit of Yuffie. She always livened up the house, brought epic stories from afar, shared the inside knowledge she had on the evolving politics and development of Edge and the rest of the world and so on. Or at least that was what Cloud always saw.

When Cloud heard his office phone ringing he excused himself. Yuffie and Tifa were left alone.

"So, how are things?" Yuffie prodded.

"Business is good. Marlene is getting into cooking now so maybe she'll be my back-up for preparing the food the orders soon. Denzel's started going with Cloud on his deliveries..."

"No, no, no. I'm asking about things between you and Cloud."

Maybe Tifa shouldn't have given her that tequila shot.

"What about them?"

"Have I missed anything major?"

"What are you talking about, Yuffie?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Tifa!"

"What? Like Cloud buying some milk the other day?"

"Anything a little more romantic? Or was that an innuendo?"

"Would you like another drink, Yuffie?"

Yuffie gasped. "So something has happened!"

"No, Yuffie, because I don't know what you mean. We're just... friends."

She'd hit a more serious note.

Yuffie put down her drink as she looked at Tifa. "But you love him."

Tifa bit her lip in response. She didn't want to enter this conversation. Yuffie leaned forward in her chair. She was looking at the ring on Tifa's right hand.

"He's given you a ring, Tifa, with his symbol on it. That's hardly nothing to think about."

"It's just a ring, Yuffie. It's hardly anything significant to me," she said turning away.

Yuffie was stuck on what she should say next when Tifa stood up from her chair and moved towards the bar. A few more drinks was suddenly very tempting. As she manoeuvred herself behind the wooden surface she caught sight of something black and large in the doorway to the stairs in the corner of her eye. She turned her head. Cloud was all at once face-to-face with Tifa, leaning heavily on the door frame, his eyes unreadable, his face expressionless.

In the background Yuffie's hands shot to the back of her head, pushing wildly into her scalp as she muttered under her breath, "Oh shi-."

Cloud remained where he was, blinked lazily, slowly took his weight off the door frame and then headed back up the stairs. The heavy foot falls echoed around Tifa's ears as they faded onto the landing.

Tifa was left mortified staring through the doorway. Yuffie's hair was a mad ball of disbelief.