Disclaimer: I do not FF7 or FFAC. Oh to be a part of the Square Enix creative team. *sigh*

Rating: M for language, fluff, & violence.

Author's Note: Hope you liked chapter 11, here's chapter 12. Poor Barrett, getting schooled by Tifa Lockhart. Lol. Review and lemme know whatcha think of this one. Hope you guys continue to love this like I am. It's getting great!

Barrett rubbed his throbbing left eye, glowering at the unnoticing Tifa as he wallowed in his embarrassment. She had completely torn him apart in a mere matter of seconds and Strife had just sat there and let her beat the living hell out of him. Not that he was proud of it, but what better woman to kick his ass than Tifa Lockhart? She was truly deadly with those legs and arms of hers…and that body was another matter of being dangerous. Her physical beauty was dangerous in the wonderful sense of the word.

He continued to cast dark glares at the spirited beauty, listening to her ramble on about something that Marlene and Denzel did the other day. Cloud never answered but continued to look at her as if he were interested in what she had to say. He seemed tense; almost annoyed that Barrett was still here?

'That only makes me wanna stay longer, asshole,' the gun-wielder thought, clearing his throat as he finished off his second glass of alcohol, "I think that'll do for me, Teef."

She nodded, taking the glass from in front of him, placing it at the end of the bar. "You sure?"

Barrett grumbled a 'yes' and got to his feet, letting out a slight burp, "God I forgot how much that stuff tore up my stomach. Well I think I'm gonna head over and see Marlene now."

"You sure you don't want to stay any longer? I didn't mean to lose my temper, Barrett, but I warned you," Tifa told him matter-of-factly, her dark eyes shimmering with laughter.

He shook his head, "No, I think I'll go. I'll stop back by tomorrow before I leave," he added gruffly.

Cloud raised an eyebrow, "You'll be leaving tomorrow, so soon?"

"I can't stay for too long, but I had to see Marlene. I couldn't stand another day of not seeing her. I'm glad I got to see you two as well. Next time I visit I'll be sure to keep my mouth shut. I forgot how crazy women get sometimes," He muttered, glancing at Tifa who seemed to smile at that comment.

"Well then we will have a lunch just for you then, Barrett. I'll cook for ya. Sound yummy?" Tifa asked him, flashing her beautiful smile that drove the men crazy. 'How are you such an idiot, Strife? Look at what you have standing right in front of you!' He mentally scolded the blond sitting next to him, apparently lost in a daze.

Barrett nodded, his temporary anger slipping away quietly, "Sounds great, Tifa. I'll bring Denzel and Marlene home tomorrow. I'll be staying at the inn tonight so don't worry about me staying here or anything."

"Alright then," Cloud said as the three of them walked towards the door, "Oh," Barrett sighed, turning back to Tifa, "I meant to tell you earlier but didn't get a chance. There's this red-headed Turk down at the inn that keeps mentioning you. Says something about you two might be heading on a date soon? I don't know but please tell me you aren't going out with one of 'them.' Especially since you and Cloud are 'figuring' things out."

Tifa shook her head quickly, catching sight of Cloud's face glow a slight shade of red. 'That damn Turk never shuts his mouth,' the blond thought, letting his eyes busy themselves with Fenrir parked just outside the bar.

"No I'm not going. He asked me out but I'm not gonna go. I still haven't told him yet."

Barrett laughed warmly, "Want me to tell him for ya?"

Tifa nibbled on her lower lip for a second before she laughed, "You know what? Yeah, I do. Would you do that for me Barrett?"

He grinned, nodding quickly, "Sure thing, Tifa. See you two tomorrow. Hope you two sleep well…" He cleared his throat, "Or whatever it is that two people who are figuring things out do."

"Goodbye, Barrett," Cloud grumbled, throwing his friend a warning glare. Barrett swatted in comprehension at the ex-SOLDIER as he left the bar, the bell on the door ringing as it closed behind him. Tifa locked it and sighed, glancing over at Cloud, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, "He sure does speak his mind doesn't he?"

"Always has," Cloud said as he walked past her and up the stairs. She frowned, standing there for a moment in her confusion. Was he upset? Tifa followed close at his heels, keeping quiet as he went to the family room and sat down on the couch. She stood at the doorway, busying her fingers with the hem of her tank top.

He was leaning his head in a gloved hand, closing his eyes, "What is it, Tifa?"

She gulped, her insides giving at slight twinge of nervousness, "I um…I hope he didn't make you upset with that comment about…you know who."

"It doesn't matter, does it?" He growled.

She blinked, "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter if it made me upset or not, it doesn't change anything. She's gone, and it's my fault."

Tifa's heart broke, all the little pieces beating inside her ribcage, causing her chest to hurt. She clutched at her breast, gasping for air ever so slightly, "Cloud, it's not your fault. I thought you had accepted her death-"

"Never mind. I don't want to talk about it, Tifa."

She shook her head with denial. She had been so close to having what she had wanted and the little comment from Barrett had ruined it all in one fell swoop, "Cloud, please-"

"No, Tifa. Go to bed, it's late. I'll see you in the morning when I get back from my delivery," Cloud hissed, almost angrily at her.

The martial artist glared at him, wanting nothing more than to just shake him until he came to his senses, "Fine, goodnight Cloud. Be careful in the morning," She whispered, choking back cries of pain as she hurried from the room, rushing to her own room, locking the door behind her. He wasn't going to be permitted in tonight; she needed to seriously think things through. If he was going to have these episodes all the time would it really be fair to try and 'figure things out' with him?

"Damn it, why do I have to be in love with the one man that can't love me back?" She screamed into her pillow, setting in a death grip on the soft cushion furiously as she wept into the silk pillow case. 'I had to have read his signals wrong earlier. He was just caught in the heat of the moment. Of course he'll act like he has feelings for you if he wants to get in your pants again. You're just a best friend with a huge benefit, that's all you'll ever be, Tifa Lockhart. Better get used to it,' the broken hearted beauty thought to herself, the tears sliding down the silky fabric, landing on the bedspread with a silent splash.

She turned her head so that she could look out the window and gaze at all the stars in the night sky. It reminded her of the promise Cloud had made to her, the night they spent under the stars. Tifa grit her teeth together in agony as a wave of pain shot through her chest as the little pieces of her heart beat again. These memories only tortured her further as she tried to clear her head enough to sleep. 'It's never going to work out for me, is it? It's always a happen ending for everyone except Tifa Lockhart,' she mused, stifling another wave of sobs into the pillow yet again. She wouldn't let him hear her cry, he didn't deserve to hear her cry. He didn't deserve to know how much he hurt her. But if he didn't deserve to know any of these things why did she want so much for him to bust the door down and to make everything alright?

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

He knew he had hurt her. He knew by the silence and her quick exit. He hadn't needed to see her leave; he had heard her hurried feet pitter patter across the wood floor in a near run. It killed him, but he couldn't fake around Tifa. She was his best friend for shit's sake; he shouldn't have to fake around her. But yet that's all he ever seen her do regardless of her position as his best friend. She was always putting on a fake smile, trying the best she could to make her eyes twinkle when she felt like crying. The way she would attempt at a cheery mood when all she felt like doing was screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs. And the way she looked like a heartbroken dog when she looked at him, and how she would attempt to throw on an award winning smile and make her face brighten once she caught him looking at her, it was sickening. It had to be a horrible fate to always have to pretend to be something you really weren't. In all reality, if it weren't for the kids he didn't know if she would even try to pretend at all. Tifa was completely broken and it was entirely all his fault.

His heart pumped hard in his chest, the organ reminding him of the way she had looked at him earlier, like every dream she had ever had was coming true. And he had felt that way too…but then Barrett had said it, the forbidden name that seemed to put him under a spell every time someone mentioned it. It was maddening not being able to move on.

'You just broke your best friend's heart. You just destroyed what sanity Tifa had left in her. She's in pain and it's entirely your fault, you piece of shit!' He thought, punishing himself with the image of the pain-filled Tifa inside her room. It was more than he cared to imagine.

'You know how she feels and you know how you feel and yet you still pull that stupid shit? Way to go, Romeo.'

Cloud pushed himself up from the couch, walking down the hallway with great care not to make even the slightest noise. He paused outside of Tifa's room, inclining his head so that he could hear a little better. It was silent. His mako eyes stared at her door like it was his enemy, wishing for nothing more than x-ray vision at this moment. There wasn't any way she was already asleep, so the silence had his interest piqued.

A gloved hand raised itself, knuckles about to knock on the door when he heard a muffled sob. He froze, his heart fluttering. Slowly he lowered his hand back to his side, his eyes still locked on the door, trying to in vain to see through the thick wood. He had been right, he had hurt her.

Cloud knew he should try and talk with her, but he didn't have the heart to face her. He knew the reason for her tears and there wasn't anything he could do about it. His lingering feelings for Aeris just didn't seem like they wanted to leave him no matter how hard he tried. But at the same time, the feelings he had for Tifa were so undeniable and consuming that he couldn't just let her go. 'You're greedy, Strife.' He mentally warned himself, shaking his head as he quietly trudged to his room.

The door squeaked as he shut it behind him, glancing about the room. The bathroom light was still on. Cloud's throat ran dry as he slowly approached the scene of the incident from earlier, his light blue eyes falling down to see his clothes littering the floor, Tifa's beautiful red top, jeans, undergarments, and running shoes in the midst of the clutter of black. He stared at the pile for a long time, realizing that the only color in the clothes were Tifa's. Cloud bent down and picked up her clothing, staring at the black that remained behind.

His brows furrowed together with deep thought as he glanced at her clothing and dropped them back in the middle of his. Again her clothes were the only color, bringing to life the black that surrounded it. He nodded at the message, leaving the clothes exactly where they were, clicking the light switch down.

The clock flashed the time. It was a long drive to the outskirts of Edge, so if he left now he would arrive at his destination at nearly seven in the morning, and be back around noon. 'I'm not going to be able to sleep anyway,' he mused, grabbing his sword and draping it over his shoulders. He threw on his goggles and left his room, sneaking past Tifa's room. It was silent; she surely had fallen asleep by now.

Cloud grabbed his delivery and hurried down the steps, locking the bar door behind him as he left Seventh Heaven. He mounted Fenrir and kicked it to life, barreling through the still sleeping city.

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

Tifa stared at the screen of her cell phone, contemplating the name in the center of it. Four little letters that had her so confused that all she could was stare. If Cloud wasn't going to step up and be the man she needed or dreamed of, she couldn't just let her life pass her by, could she? 'But he was about to tell you that he…No. He was just caught up in the moment. He was just going to say what he knew you wanted to hear. The only person he'll ever love is Aeris. Not you, you'll never be what he wants. The only reason he ever did anything with you was because he's a man and they have certain needs that memories of the past can't fulfill.'

She nearly shrieked in surprise when the phone vibrated, the four letter name flashing as the caller. Tifa blinked for a moment, wondering if she should even answer it. Apparently Barrett had delivered her news quicker than she had expected. She had known that Reno wouldn't take rejection from her fellow comrade; he would demand to hear it from her mouth and her mouth only. Tifa cleared her throat, her body growing numb as she pressed the green key.

"Hello?"

*bites on nails* Getting all hairy isn't it? I love it. Review and lemme know how this one went for ya. Typical Cloud, all confused with no answers and poor Tifa, always getting let down. Damn you Barrett! Cloud better step up his game, the hounds are loose. Lol. Chapter 13 up in a day or two. =)