Disclaimer: Don't own, blah, blah, blah.

Rating M for language, violence, and lemony goodness in chapters ahead.

Author's note: Really liking what I'm hearing so far. Glad to see this appeal to others and not just my Cloti fetish, lol. Hope this one is just as good for you all. Review please!

Either way, this was going to be messy. She should be throwing his sleep walking form off of her and running to her room, but she wasn't. She should be telling him no but she couldn't. Everything about this whole situation was wrong but it felt too damn right, and that killed her. But it wasn't Tifa he was imagining, it was Aeris. The long departed flower girl that had captured his heart from the moment he had laid eyes upon her.

Tifa remembered the way he acted whenever Aeris had been around, and it hadn't been anything close to the way he had been around Tifa. She had been his best friend since they were kids, and as much as she had dreamed of him to look at her the way he did Aeris, he never did. Reno had made up for all the lack of interest shown to her by Cloud. Regardless of how much she wished it hadn't happened, a part of her was glad that it did.

She had needed release and he had given it to her. Even if he had mentally been replaced by Cloud. The whole experience had been a freeing feeling that still filled her chest to this day.

"Aeris, why are you so tense?"

The husky voice of the sleeping Cloud jerked her back to reality, the automatic pink tint filling her cheeks. She pushed her head as far back into the pillow as she could muster, buying a few inches between her face and his own. A look of confusion flashed over his face before he chuckled, "Oh I get it, tonight we're playing hard to get? You shouldn't deny a man what he thirsts for, it makes him do things he normally wouldn't do."

Tifa's dark chocolate eyes rounded in horror as Cloud grabbed both of her wrists with one hand and pinned them up over her head. She fought back the urge to cry out in surprise at his quick movements. Even when he was sleeping he was still quick and powerful like he was when he was awake. The beautiful woman swallowed at her dry throat in vain, trying to remove the lump that was beginning to grow there, "Cloud, stop it."

She said the words, but a part of her hated them. Stopping Cloud was the least on her priority list right now, in all honesty, she would be in heaven if he continued, but she knew that she couldn't let him. She couldn't play on his emotions like that, and she couldn't play with her own feelings in that way either.

Tifa's arms struggled against his strong hand in an attempt to free her arms from his grasp. A rumble emitted from his throat as she did this, his hand only tightening its grip, "Don't be a tease."

Her pink tongue ran over her dry lips as she tried to devise a plan of escape. She couldn't free her hands, so the only alternative she had was to either kick him off of her and to the floor, or to try and reveal herself to him. She decided that the second option wouldn't hurt. If it happened to fail, she could always physically remove him from her with her strong legs.

"Cloud, stop it. I'm not Aeris. It's Tifa."

He hesitated, running a tongue over his lips and then back into his mouth as he stared at her, not really seeing her but seeing his dream of Aeris. "Tifa…" Her spirits lifted as he spoke her name. Perhaps he was beginning to wake up.

"That's right, it's Tifa. And you're dreaming Cloud," she explained to him, trying to look at his strong body overtop of her own. The mere thought of it made her insides tingle with want. She couldn't let this happen, not this way. She would be cheating herself and Cloud.

The hand that had been holding her wrists high above her head loosened its grip as he listened, "Dreaming?" He repeated to her, his eyes still glassy with sleep. Tifa nodded, "Yes, you're dreaming. Aeris is…dead, Cloud."

With the mention of Aeris' death, his eyes seemed to focus, the light film over the mako eyes receding and bringing to life eyes that were awake. She sucked in a breath, waiting for his reaction. His blue eyes roamed over Tifa's face for a long while before he looked over her head to find that he had her hands pinned over her in an attempt to keep her from moving.

"Tifa-" Cloud muttered, still a little confused but knowing more and more with each second. Panic crossed his normally collected face as he studied her, suddenly realizing what had transpired, "Tifa!" He said again, his voice breaking with surprise upon knowing what he had done or attempted.

He sat up quickly, releasing her arms and moving off of the bed in one quick movement, "Tifa, I'm…"

She didn't answer as she rolled off of the bed, running her slender fingers through her long hair, "Heheh, it's alright Cloud. You were just dreaming. See you in the morning!" Tifa exclaimed, flashing him a quick and obviously false smile as she darted out the door and into her own room.

Cloud remained transfixed in his current position, his eyes staring at the door that Tifa had fled through only moments before. Numbness filled his chest as he stood there, trying to figure out exactly what had happened while he had been sleeping.

Grief and regret of his involuntary actions sent chills through his entire body. Cloud shook his head as he tried to remove the image of the saddened Tifa from his mind. Her dark eyes had been large with surprise but they held a hint of tenderness as well. And the way she laid underneath him, her body had been as stiff as a board, which made him feel like punching a wall. How could he have been so stupid? He needed to start strapping himself down to his bed at night so these sleep walks wouldn't happen any longer. One night he had found himself sprawled out on the floor of the bar, spilled alcohol all around him.

He needed to apologize to her, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her frightened face. He had nearly taken her under the allusion that she was Aeris. Cloud cringed at the hurt he had inflicted upon her. His heart called out to her as he stood in his room, sunlight beginning to poke through the window panes.

Even though it was entirely too early for him to even begin his journey for his delivery, he decided that he would need the air. He grabbed his package, his goggles, and his sword, walking through the halls quickly but silently. Cloud dashed down the stairs and made his escape out the door. He wasted no time at all kicking Fenrir's engine to life, the engine roaring as he tore through the city and away from Seventh Heaven.

************

It was nearing ten thirty when the children had woken Tifa up from her uneasy sleep. She had showered and dressed in her normal black and white attire, leaving the black leather tank top unzipped, her white camisole accenting the curves of her chest as she labored over the breakfast she was cooking for the kids.

"I want mine to be scrambled, Mom," Marlene instructed her mom, dodging a hit from Denzel.

"I want mine sunny side up, Mommy," Denzel added as well, finally landing a flick against Marlene's upper arm. She let out a wail of pain as she glared at him, clawing at his hand.

"Stop it, you two," Tifa warned them nonchalantly, flipping the eggs as she cooked them, scrambling Marlene's, and leaving Denzel's yoke beautifully untouched in the middle of the egg white. She let out a yawn as she buttered their toast and poured their milk, placing their finished meal on the table for them to devour in mere minutes.

"Go brush your teeth, fix your hair, and get dressed you two. You can go outside and play with the other kids today if you'd like."

Denzel and Marlene ran over to Tifa and threw hugs about her waist, bringing a smile to her face at their adoration.

"Love you," they commented as they ran off to prepare for the day. Tifa was left to clean the kitchen and mull over the night's previous events in her mind.

Cloud had been so intimate and caring. A side of him that she had never seen or been able to experience for herself ever and it had been for another woman. A twinge of jealous shot through her as she thought of the departed Aeris. She missed the flower girl as well, but she would always have a part of her that was jealous over her long lost friend. She had taken the man she loved away from her, whether she meant to or not.

Tifa knew that when Cloud came home that things would be awkward yet again. This time it wouldn't be that he was angry with her; it would be that he would be embarrassed and avoid her like she had the night before with him.

"Way too complicated," She whispered to herself, wiping the beads of sweat she had forming on her face away.

"Mommy, mommy!" Marlene called out, running into the kitchen, followed closely by Denzel. Tifa turned to them, putting her hands on her hips lightly, "What is it, Marley?"

The small girl bounced up and down beside her adopted brother, throwing him an award winning smile, "Tell her, Denz."

Denzel nodded, turning his attention up to Tifa, "There's a man that wants to see you. He's waiting downstairs in the bar. We let him in."

"Do you know who it is?" Tifa asked them, a little perturbed at her adopted children for letting a random stranger in the bar. She thought she had taught them better than to do such things.

"Denz says he's a friend of yours. But I don't know, I don't ever see you talk to him," Marlene informed her, giving her adopted brother a haughty look.

Tifa sighed and nodded, "Alright, go ahead and go play. I'll go see what he wants, 'kay?"

They grinned at her and ran off, "Thanks for telling me!" The martial artist yelled after them, turning to the sink to wash her hands. She dried them and then descended the stairs to the bar.

"Who wants to see me this early in the morning? The bar isn't open until five for Pete's sake," she grumbled aloud to herself. She pulled her hair back into a loose pony tail once she reached the bottom of the stairs, "Hello?" She asked, looking around and seeing no one.

"Well hey Teefie, long time no see!"

Tifa whipped around to find two blue eyes and a set of red spiky hair approaching her. Her heart stopped, and her fingers twitched, "R-Reno! What a surprise!" She exclaimed, trying to hide her mortification upon recognizing the man.

He flashed her that quirky grin, tilting his head to the side so that a strand of his red hair covered his eyes partially, "You don't seem too happy to see me. Bad time?"

She shook her head, her long hair swinging side to side from its place in her pony tail, "No, not at all. Just a little…surprised is all. So," Tifa began, hurrying behind her counter to buy a few feet's distance between them, "Where's Rude?"

Reno shrugged, walking over to the bar and sitting down, "Somewhere. I don't care where he's at; I'm not his boyfriend for shit's sake."

Tifa tried not to laugh but couldn't help herself. This was what made Reno so irresistible to the women he seduced. His personality was simply too hard to ignore, and he was handsome to boot. But there was one thing about Reno that Tifa couldn't seem to stand or come to terms with: he wasn't Cloud.

"Well I was just trying to be nice, sheesh," she muttered, casting him an annoyed but playful glare.

Reno laughed, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her, "You know, I left you a voicemail. I didn't get a call back so I decided that I'd come here and see ya. You're a hard one to get a hold of, Tifa Lockhart. Dickhead keeping you pretty preoccupied?"

Tifa frowned at his name for Cloud, "Don't call him that. His name is Cloud, you know. And no, we're just friends, Reno."

"Ka-ching! Good news for me then!" He responded, fisting his hand, bending his arm, and pulling it down towards his side with excitement. She rolled her eyes at his mimic of the noise he had made a second ago, "Listen, it's not like you're winning the lottery here, "She threw at him, folding her arms across her chest.

Reno rolled his eyes, "Speak for yourself. This is like hitting the jackpot. You were single last summer too, so maybe I did just hit the lottery."

She shook her head, a dark look forming in her eyes, "Not with the way you've been talking about me to others." He froze, a sly smirk filling his face, "Oh, that. Heheh, about that…sorry," He muttered, giving her a quick wink

"And besides, I'm not looking for anyone. I'm happy where I'm at, thank you."

His blue eyes twinkled in amusement at her hint at Cloud, "Sure, you've already found someone, but have they found you?"

She stared at him, "What are you talking about, Turk?"

He clicked his tongue together in a disapproving shake of his head, "Now, now, now, that's no way to talk to a friend is it? I thought we were past all of that."

"Well act somewhat like a human being and I'll treat you like you're one," She threw back at him, her tone becoming rough.

"I was just meaning that you've had your eye on someone for a long time but they haven't returned the favor. When are you going to let it all go and move on with your life?" He asked, playing with the toothpicks.

"Leave those alone. You know I really don't feel comfortable with this conversation, Reno," she spat at him, grabbing the toothpicks from him. This made him laugh.

"Well then let's not talk anymore," he said, giving her a wave of his eyebrows and another flirty wink. She let out a gasp of irritation, "Puh-lease! Last time was a mistake Reno, there won't be a second time."

He tilted his head to the side, his sloppy grin following suit, "Well we'll just have to see about that. I can still sweep you off of your feet."

Tifa snorted, "I don't think so."

Reno stood up, placing both hands on the bar, leaning in towards her. Tifa recoiled, "I can still try," he told her, his voice turning into velvet.

So there's Chapter 4. Hope you liked it. Chapter 5 within the next couple of days. Review and lemme know whatcha think! =)

~Nikki~