Chapter Summary: Waking the morning after hearing the story of Cloud's life, Tifa is pleased her friend has come to visit. But to her shock, Aerith reveals a history with Strife before she became involved with Zack. Why didn't Cloud tell her during his life story? Why was he trying to hide his connection to the green-eyed florist?

Chapter 5: Surprises

Wandering downstairs in a haze caused by bad dreams and too little sleep, Tifa still had to pause at the foot of the steps and just stare for a moment. Last night she hadn't been able to ogle that finely-toned body of his to her heart's content, because the former General of Wutai didn't like to be gawked at any more than she liked men to drool over her chest.

But Cloud was still sleeping on the padded bench beneath the side window of her bar, so wasn't able to complain right at that moment.

The wild head of spiky blonde hair was in complete disarray, as if Cloud had tossed and turned all night before finally falling asleep when exhaustion took hold. He had kicked off his covers at some point and now lay sprawled out on his back, one arm behind his head, the other resting on his stomach. One leg was bent at the knee, the other straight and nearly falling off the narrow space. The white t-shirt she was so fond of was rucked up just a bit, giving her a small, tantalizing glimpse of his flat, toned stomach.

And a scar. It ran its fine white line down his right side and disappeared into the waist band of his sleep pants. Once she noticed it, she was able to pick out nearly half a dozen more just from where she stood.

Tifa's head was no longer remotely hazy. It startled her to realize that, had he still been alive, she would have hunted Professor Hojo to the farthest ends of the planet and killed him with her bare hands - and the former President of ShinRa as well, just for allowing the insane scientist to get his vile mitts on Cloud in the first place. Such violent tendencies were totally unlike her, but something about Cloud brought out the same type of protective instincts she felt for her children.

And if there was one thing the former General of Wutai didn't need it was defenders. The man was fully capable of taking on all adversaries by himself without breaking a sweat.

So she walked as quietly as she could into the kitchen and eased the door shut, not wanting to wake him. Cloud didn't look quite as washed out this morning, but was still a bit pale. The long journey from Wutai had taken its toll. And instead of resting, he had stopped by Seventh Heaven because he missed her. Tifa knew she should regret encouraging him to reveal his history last night, but it had brought them so much closer and made her finally understand her utter fascination for the man.

He was quite simply a hero, whether he wished to admit it or not.

Turning, thinking vaguely of starting breakfast, Tifa had to bite back the scream when movement caught her attention. There stood her friend and fellow mischief-maker, Aerith, with arms crossed over her chest and humor twinkling in her richly green eyes. "Got you this time, didn't I?"

With a laugh, Tifa hurried over to embrace her friend. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" Pushing her back just a bit, she could see the soft, radiant tan that graced Aerith's face and arms from her month-long vacation in Costa del Sol. "I hate you, you know. Here I am all fish belly white, while you're glowing gold!"

"And it's all over me, too," Aerith said smugly. "Zack is going to flip when I tell him."

"Not show him?" Tifa teased lightly, tugging at the twisted braid of brown hair.

"No, not show," and this was said with some aggravation. "Tifa, you're terrible!"

Then they both laughed and all was right in the world again.

"So, I suppose all you did last night was work late, and all you're doing today is cleaning, right?" Since there was a basket of scrub brushes on the table, Aerith had come to help, as was her habit.

Drawing back, not really knowing what to say, Tifa muttered, "Not quite." She blew out a breath that ruffled her bangs and admitted, "I've got company, Aerith. Cloud Strife stayed last night."

Now, she expected her friend to be shocked. Tifa didn't let men stay over, even if the kids weren't home. It wasn't in her nature to be so forward. But Aerith's response startled her.

Her knees buckled, depositing her in the middle of the kitchen floor even as she burst into tears. "I knew it! I just knew I sensed his presence, but I kept telling myself it couldn't be him! Not here!" The words were whispered, but before Tifa could hurry to Aerith, the kitchen door opened.

Hair still mussed from sleep, Cloud calmly walked into the room and knelt at Aerith's side. "If I had known you would be here, I would have warned you first. I'm sorry, Aerith." Gentle hands lifted her chin and wiped away the tears spilling down cheeks gone pale with distress. "Would you like me to leave?" He offered this quietly, his gaze full of understanding and compassion.

"Why are you here?" she stammered out, tugging her face from his hands.

"Here in Edge, or in Seventh Heaven?" he asked, his voice still low. There was regret in his gaze now.

But Aerith wouldn't look at him, didn't want to see his pity. "Both," she said harshly, her head turned away so he couldn't enjoy her misery. And she knew that thought was completely unfair - Cloud would never wish her pain. But she wasn't ready to be reasonable yet and his presence rattled her more than she had expected.

He had always been attractive, but time had fined down his face to the point he had finally grown into those mesmerizing vividly blue eyes - and she was no more immune to their power now than she had been back then. He was no longer a child in any way, which made him far more dangerous.

"Sephiroth and Tifa," he answered simply. "I've just gotten back from Wutai." He rose and looked at Tifa, his eyes pleading for a chance to explain.

But Tifa wasn't quite willing to be reasonable herself. "You didn't mention Aerith last night," she pointed out, feeling hollowed out.

No matter how illogical, Tifa had always felt inferior to Aerith. Her friend was beautiful and delicate, with a grace that made her seem not of this earth. Many were attracted to her, but somehow the reckless, restless Zack Fair had caught her attention. Tifa believed them happy together - Zack certainly seemed besotted.

And Zack was one of Cloud's best friends, so it made sense they would have at least met. But Aerith's reaction hinted at something deeper than mere acquaintance. It cut, the knowledge she could be second choice. The intimacy of their discussion earlier in the wee hours of the morning was shattered.

But she had work to do, and standing there feeling sorry for herself wasn't getting it done. "I'm sorry, but I've got cleaning."

When she would have turned away, Cloud touched her arm. There was such need in his eyes, and a pallor to his skin that alarmed her. "Tifa, give me just a minute to talk to Aerith, then I'll explain. It wasn't right to speak of it before, without her permission."

"Speak of what, Strife?" Aerith asked, pulling herself together. The anger she felt over the situation was useless; the one person innocent in the whole matter was Cloud. Despite her bitterness, he hadn't done anything to warrant her wrath.

Instead of rubbing the back of his neck, this time Cloud actually tugged at the unruly spikes on his head. "For being stupidly insensitive, Aerith. What else?" There was such self-incrimination in his tone both women looked at him in surprise. "Tifa, Aerith is the last of the Cetra, the only remaining descendant of the original race of this world. And she's the only reason I'm still alive. I would have died if Aerith hadn't intervened, even with all Godo did to save me."

The deep breath Tifa took helped to calm frayed nerves. "Strife," she commanded, pointing at the door. "Out." And he went without a word of protest. Aerith gave her a look of such complete helplessness that Tifa had to turn away. Reaching into the cabinets, she gathered the makings for coffee and started a pot. It kept her hands busy as she said in a surprisingly matter-of-fact tone, "You fell in love with him, didn't you?"

Aerith pulled out a chair and sank into it. Putting her face in her hands, she said miserably, "You hate me now, don't you?"

"No," Tifa admitted easily, and there was no questioning the honesty of her answer. "But I will beat you bloody if you don't start explaining some of this. And if you leave," she said, raising her voice to be sure Cloud could hear her, "before I pry the story out of her, Strife, I will hunt you down like a dog!" Giving Aerith a sidelong glance, she muttered under her breath, "Or chocobo. That might be more appropriate."

The grudging correction enticed a watery giggle out of Aerith. "He didn't do anything but be himself, Tifa." She sipped at the coffee Tifa handed her, hoping it would give her the courage to continue. "You've never asked how I happened to met Zack. You've waited patiently ever since my return to Midgar for me to explain, and I've always cherished that about you. Well, it's time you learned. I should have told you weeks ago when you mentioned Cloud so casually. I could tell you were trying to see if I had any information about him, which stands to reason, since I'm dating one of his friends." Rubbing at her forehead, she gave a soft groan, "Oh, Tifa! I was in Wutai when they pulled Cloud, Zack and Kunsel out of Hojo's lab!"

Jerking in surprise, Tifa almost spilled her own coffee. Plunking the mug down on the table, she nearly missed the chair in her shock when she sat down. "What?!"

"Yes, I was there. ShinRa was showing just a little too much interest in me, and by ShinRa, I mean Hojo. With the death of my real mother, Ifalna, I was the last remaining Ancient on this planet and he knew it. Tseng, the head of the Turks, made sure I knew in advance so I could run when the order came to 'collect' me for Hojo's experiments. He suggested Wutai as it was one of the few places left with no major interests in ShinRa or its reactors."

"I always wondered why you suddenly disappeared. Your mother -well, I mean Elmyra, of course- didn't seem upset by your absence, but I was worried out of my mind. You were gone for over a year!"

Smiling faintly, Aerith shook her head, "I didn't dare write a letter to tell you why, Tifa. If there's one thing working with Godo taught me, it was that Hojo utterly controlled nearly every aspect of ShinRa through the President." Rising to get more coffee, she settled back down and started her story again. "I didn't know about the raid, but Godo's daughter Yuffie called me the next day, begging me to come and help some 'refugees' as she called them. Goddess, the shape they were in! Zack and Kunsel nothing but skin and bones, marred by scars, eyes hopeless and lost. None of the rescuers thought Cloud would make it, he was so deep in a coma, body riddled with even more marks than the other two combined. And he was at war with himself." Passing a hand in front of her face, Aerith attempted to explain. "The experiments were changing the very fabric of his being, Tifa. His body was human, as were the S-cells injected into him. But mako is pure spirit, and the Jenova cells from another form of life alien to this planet. The battle between the two was nearly ripping him apart."

She glanced at the door separating the bar from the kitchen. "Cloud, I need you to go somewhere you can't hear us, okay? For my piece of mind, please do this." A moment later they heard his footsteps headed upstairs. "I hope he takes a shower. He really has bed-head with a vengeance this morning."

"Adorable, though," Tifa admitted with a smile. If it hadn't been for the shock of seeing those scars all over his abdomen, she would probably still be standing there like a dunce, just staring at him. Or perhaps drooling would be the better word, she considered with an inward smile.

The man was certainly attractive enough to warrant such a reaction.

Aerith rolled her eyes as if she completely understood the thoughts running through Tifa's mind at that moment. "Nearly everything about the man is adorable, which is part of the problem. He doesn't let many in, Tifa. Sometimes he seems cold and unapproachable, but that's just a mask. Once he trusts you, the sweetness comes out, and that quirky sense of humor is just a killer. What surprises me is how quickly he's opened up to you. I know you aren't aware, but it is totally out of character for him to act as he has around you." Aerith put her mug in the dishwasher and snagged a bottle of water out of the fridge, knowing more caffeine would just compound her rising nerves.

Blinking, Tifa squeaked out, "Really?" Of course this was possible, as she had never run into him outside of the bar, but still. He was a different person when not in her presence? The thought both flattered and alarmed her. "Really," she repeated wonderingly.

Aerith couldn't quite hold down the laugh, "Yes, really." Screwing the cap back on the bottle, she folded her hands around it and continued, "I worked with Godo for weeks, trying to suppress the worse of the Jenova cells inside him. You see, the cells give him the ability to... copy, I guess, though that's not completely correct. I'm not good with schematics like this, Tifa. It was like he could adsorb whole reams of knowledge, just from being touched. And the more he absorbed, the deeper he drifted. Godo had to teach Zack, Kunsel and his daughter Yuffie how to take care of him, because the more strangers that handled him, the worse he became. We were afraid that if Cloud ever did regain consciousness there simply wouldn't be anything left of him. Just all that knowledge poured into an empty shell. But we underestimated him." The smile was a bit pained. "He came out in a rush, literally sitting bolt upright on the bed with a shout that had Godo stumbling backwards. And those eyes, Tifa. Ifrit, the first time he looked at me with those vivid, glowing blue eyes it was like he could see clear through to my very soul."

Tifa, remembering her own first encounter with him, had to smile. At that point, Sephiroth had been in Seventh Heaven only a couple of times before. But the General had introduced himself and been polite, so despite the unease Tifa had greeted him that day when he walked in the door.

And standing behind him, Goddess...

All the way across the room, she could see the unearthly brilliance of Cloud's blue eyes. And she well knew the feeling Aerith described - that she had no defenses against that stare; that he could see deep within to the very core of her being. The contact had only lasted seconds, but something in his expression hinted at warmth, at approval. Whatever he had seen pleased him, and Tifa had been angry that he felt he could judge her - and apprehension because the warmth attracted her.

Then Sephiroth had introduced him with some pride, and wonder had overcome the unease. This youngster was the Cloud Strife of the Wutai war? The same one that harried ShinRa's troops the length and breadth of the island continent? Oh, how Sephiroth's eyes had flared over that question! Cloud had merely smiled, inclined his head respectfully, and walked over to what would become their normal table.

"He's done it to you, too, hasn't he? That man never misses a trick." Aerith's voice pulled Tifa from the memory. "And make no mistake; he is a man, Tifa. He stopped being a child when he woke from the coma. He might have had trouble figuring out his place in society for a while, but nothing he did was ever childish. He doesn't give himself enough credit, never has. A child wouldn't have survived that first year, let alone the next four."

"You're still tender from it, aren't you?"

And Aerith sighed. "Yes. And the worse thing is I have no one but myself to blame. Cloud's world was in ruins, and he was trying desperately to rebuild his foundations, struggling to adjust to all the changes, to somehow alter his thinking from the simplicity of a child to the complexity of an adult. I fell so effortlessly, Tifa. The courage of the man was almost more than I could take in. And the strength he had - no, not the physical, although that was impressive, too. I mean his mental strength. He actually looked me in the eye one day and told me this was his life now, and he intended to live it to the fullest. With a wave of his hand, he banished Hojo to the past and faced his future. Could you do that, Tifa?"

If I had to, Tifa thought immediately. But she had never faced anything remotely like Cloud, so of course the answer would come easily to her. "Okay, so you fell in love with him. But aren't you and Zack...?"

Eyes narrowed, Aerith ignored the unsubtle hint and kept right on talking, "Cloud didn't know how I felt about him. If I had bothered to think about it for a minute, I would have realized he had no clue anyone could think about him in that way. His mind wasn't capable, at that time, of keeping up with the instincts of his body. Although he was sixteen when I kissed him for the first time... Oh, Tifa!"

Laughing, Aerith spun around the kitchen, making herself dizzy. "The kid inside him was screaming oh, yuck! while his body was trying to say oh, yeah! And torn between the two, Cloud couldn't backpedal away from me fast enough. He demanded to know what in the world I thought I was doing." Giggling, she tumbled into a chair and attempted to stop her head from whirling by capturing it between her hands. "I told him I was kissing him. And he looked at me in disgust and said, 'That was kissing? Overrated, don't you think?' Oh, how I laughed, because he so was serious! He honestly thought it was the most appalling thing he had ever experienced."

Tifa had to admit the mental image was hilarious. But Cloud's response, and his words on the subject, proved Aerith's point. No child would have known to react in such a manner. "He doesn't seem to have the same problem with kissing now," she told her friend blandly.

It was funny how Aerith pounced all over that. "He's kissed you?!" she asked in disbelief. Wide eyed at Tifa's nod, she questioned in a breathless rush, "How was it?" When Tifa didn't immediately answer, Aerith grabbed hold of her arm and shook her, "Tell me, blast you. Surely he's caught up enough to be curious."

"I have a feeling he's done more than simply catch up, as you put it. He admitted that although the shyness is still a problem, he's not an innocent anymore." Grinning at the stink-eye aimed at her, Tifa finally told her, "He's - really good at it. Gave me one last night hot enough I had to check in the mirror, just to be sure my eyebrows weren't singed. The man has a seriously talented tongue."

And a taste verging right on the edge of addicting, Tifa admitted… but only to herself.

Fortunately Aerith couldn't read minds to hear that comment. "He's never done anything halfway, so why should this be an exception?" Aerith thought it over for a minute, and then nodded. "It makes sense, though. He was promoted to General of Wutai's forces. There are a lot of women that would be attracted to that kind power. If any of them was really determined, I don't think he could hold out against them for long, no matter what his attitude toward kissing."

Since she had gotten the impression he hadn't, Tifa remained silent. She was, however, coldly angry over those that would take advantage of his inexperience to further their own designs. And why hadn't Zack and Kunsel tried to shield him?

Sighing, she had to admit the answer was simple; they couldn't. There was no way they could have guarded him twenty-four hours a day to keep the predators away. It was a trial by fire all had to survive.

But her own question hadn't been answered yet, and Tifa was bound and determined to pin Aerith down and finally get the whole story. "Zack," Tifa reminded succinctly. And she had to grin upon receiving another slant-eyed look.

Aerith had always been really good with those.

"You've got a one track mind, Tifa. I used to admire that."

"And you're stalling. I want details, Aerith. Zack?"

Waving her hands around, Aerith told her dramatically, "He healed my broken heart, okay? He was there when I told Cloud I loved him. And he heard Cloud ask me why I would do something so silly as to love him. It made no sense to him. He hadn't even figured out what in the world he was, much less whom." Heat came into her eyes at that point, "And Cloud told me to stop being foolish and take a good look at Zack Fair before I broke his heart pining for what I couldn't have. Just because Cloud couldn't recognize love when it was directed at him didn't mean he couldn't see it in someone else. He knew exactly how Zack felt about me."

The words tumbled out of her mouth before Tifa could stop herself, "Oh, that was a royal kick in the ass; a literal kid telling you to stop being stupid and look behind you."

Eyes narrowed dangerously, Aerith admitted, "I nearly hit him, Tifa." Though she might not look it, Aerith was as much a fighter as Tifa. "He came very close to having the business end of my staff right upside that spiky blonde head of his."

"I'm surprised you didn't aim for the balls," Tifa teased, relieved to see the fiery spark in Aerith's eyes.

"He didn't know how to use them yet, so why damage the possibility?"

The wickedness of the joke had both of them laughing helplessly.

Walking over, Aerith snuggled up to Tifa and just let the love of her friend saturate her. "I ran off to have a good cry, not realizing that Zack followed me. He had no idea what to say or do, but he wanted to make sure I didn't come to any harm. When I discovered him trailing after me, I railed at him - just said some of the most awful things imaginable. Hit him, kicked him in the shin. I was going to slap him as well for eavesdropping on my conversation but the look in his eyes stopped me cold. Zack was hurting just as much as I was, and my actions were punishing him even more. I loved Cloud, and he had heard it with his own ears. And Zack loved me, Tifa. My words had cut into his heart and carved it right out of his chest. And yet, bleeding and broken, he still came after me. He had to know I was safe."

Inhaling the spicy scent of Aerith's flowers that always permeated her clothes, Tifa rubbed her cheek against the silky brown hair and guessed, "And you stopped loving Cloud?"

"No," Aerith said sadly. "But I found, to my surprise, that I can love Zack as well. What I will always love about Cloud is the possibility of what could have been had I been more patient. Not him, really, just that sweet possibility." Looking up, Aerith told her in a pleading tone, "Don't let this get in the way of your feelings for Cloud. All of this hit me so hard today because... I haven't seen Cloud since then. War was declared that afternoon, and by the next morning Cloud was in command of the troops. Zack came to me early to beg me to pack and get out of harm's way. And he wasn't trying to separate me from Cloud, either. He was to be 1st Lieutenant, and he couldn't fulfill his duties unless he knew I was away from the war zone Wutai was about to become. He was still raw, still hurting. And I realized I could love him, Tifa, if I let myself. Really, when you look at it, he and Kunsel actually went through more than Cloud did in many ways. They were conscious through the experiments Hojo performed, all during the six years of captivity. And came out strong and determined, ready to do whatever it took to survive. So I let him convince me to go. And kiss me."

Tifa could envision it, too - Zack earnestly begging her to go so she would be safe, and pleading for a parting kiss. "And was it better than Cloud's?"

"What, the kiss? Oh, definitely. Made my head spin, in fact. I think I said something to the effect he needed a license to kiss that way. He laughed and said he already had one, and if I ever wanted to see proof I had to write to him every week."

"Hence the letters you sent."

"Hence the letters I sent. When he contacted me several months ago and said he, Kunsel and Cloud were coming to Edge, I almost freaked over the possibility of seeing Cloud again. But I missed Zack so much. It wasn't until I left Wutai that I realized I depended on him more than I thought; his warmth, his humor, all those goofy jokes. But Zack can turn so serious sometimes and surprise me with a nearly shocking intelligence. When he wrote that he was coming, I suddenly realized the letters weren't enough anymore. I needed to be with him again."

Sighing, she fiddled with the brushes in the basket on the table, "And then Zack was here, and I was so happy to see him. He's changed, just a little, and is no longer a teenager, no longer gawky or awkward any more. But he still tells his foolish jokes, still makes those silly faces. I found out really quickly his kisses still make my head spin. We've been careful with each other these past months, trying to come to terms with the differences from then to now."

Tifa had to admit, "The two of you look right for each other."

Smiling, Aerith reached out and took Tifa's hand in hers. "You know what? We really do. But I kept waiting for that spiky blonde hair to show up. Weeks passed and no Cloud, so I knew they had somehow worked out a way to keep him away from me. Then you started asking about him and mentioned he was hanging around the bar with the other SOLDIERs. I really didn't know what to do then." Sighing again, she admitted, "But I need you to understand I really do love Zack now, fully and completely." The raised eyebrow aimed her way made Aerith hunch her shoulders. "Okay, okay, I'm making him wait for more. But Tifa, I think I might be ready for more now."

"Because you've faced Cloud," Tifa guessed.

"Oh Hades, no!" Aerith said with a laugh, skipping out of Tifa's reach.

"Okay. If that's not the reason, what is?"

Eyes alight with wicked satisfaction, Aerith told her while backing toward the door, "Because I can stop dreaming of what might have been since Cloud Strife has laid claim to you."

And before Tifa could retaliate, Aerith scooted out of the door…