Cloud shoved his hands into his pockets and ambled back towards his room but not before glancing back over his shoulder at Tifa who appeared not to notice. She was frowning at the wall, a small crease forming in between her eyebrows, her lips pointed slightly downwards. Cloud frowned too but continued back to his room to get dressed.
For the most part Tifa was the same that she'd always been since they first met all those years ago, he thought as he pulled off his top and started rummaging around drawers for a clean shirt. Sometimes though and especially lately she had been slightly distant with him, pulling away quickly if he hugged her and unless the kids were around she often smiled much less. Cloud had noticed all these things but was hesitant to ask what was wrong; she would talk about it when she was ready. He absent-mindedly rubbed his right shoulder, running his fingers over the smooth white scar left from his battle with Sephiroth a year ago. Not even Aerith's little pond in the church had been able to erase it.
Aerith. He pictured her face in his mind a tinge of sadness. After he'd defeated Sephiroth again he'd finally been able to let go of his guilt over her death and cast off the angry man he'd once been. He sighed. Once he had let go of his guilt things had changed. He thought he had loved Aerith. Certainly he had felt something for her once but now he realized that though he loved Aerith once he wasn't in love with her now. His guilt had been holding him to her and now that it was gone he felt different, freer and he did not know how to act about it.
Could Tifa sense he was distressed about something too? She had once joked that they were like a pair of radios and they could always decode each other's channels. Cloud suddenly felt the urge to confront her and tell her what he knew she was upset; he wanted to help her with whatever she was going through. Lately he had been feeling more protective over her. He knew she wasn't fragile but he wanted to protect her all the same.
She does not belong to me, Cloud told himself sternly but a small part of him could not help but asking what if I want her too? He shook his head of blonde unruly hair, banishing the thought. They were best friends, nothing more.
Cloud laced up his boots, brushed his teeth and walked downstairs to say good-bye to Denzel and Marlene before checking his cell phone for messages. He couldn't help but grin when he saw the screen flashing with new messages. Yuffi was in Watui, Red and Cait were visiting Cosmo Canyon and Vincent wouldn't be in Midgar until tomorrow but Barrett and Cid were coming to the bar tonight to celebrate Tifa's birthday. He though of the two men together tonight and the last time the two of them had been here drunk together and shook his head sadly. They had promised him that like their last appearance at Seventh Heaven this one would not be boring either.
He briefly scanned the messages before checking his voicemail. There was a message from one of his clients requesting an important delivery today. Cloud swore, cursing his bad luck. This client was too important to turn down but he hated the fact he wouldn't be able to spend the day with Tifa and he'd be missing her party. He knew she would be upset even if she did not say so and that bothered him. He seriously considered telling the client to shove it but he knew there was no way around it. His heart twinged a little as he thought of the unspoken disappointment she would have. He hated to be the cause of that disappointment but what else could he do?
I'm always letting her down he thought to himself sadly before he grabbed a box of pop tarts and scribbled a note for Tifa before heading for his bike.
He would make it up to her when he got home he thought as he shut the door behind him. Maybe he would pick up take-out, she could close the bar early and they could hangout. He smiled to himself. It's been so long since it's been just the two of us he thought.