those of you that read kimouski's OPT war... where did you think I got it? ;)

Chapter 80: It Don't Mean a Thing

Denzel ended up escorting Yuffie to dinner and Barrett escorted Marlene. Shera had the vouchers that Dio had given them and they ended up at a very nice restaurant. Tifa wondered about the wisdom of that choice. Usually when she went out it was to kid friendly places – often because having Barrett along meant you had to be around things that were meant to be unbreakable. But Aerith led them all to one of the nicest places there and cheerfully ordered a large table for all of them. The host looked at them with concern and Tifa almost hoped he'd tell them the tables were all full but whatever was on the vouchers Shera flashed had them at a very nice table on the veranda of the restaurant. Above, the night was full of stars and music whispered out through the open glass doors. Cloud and Zack shifted uncomfortably in their seats for a while.

The staff had made them leave their swords in the 'coat room'.

Tifa looked around their table and thought what an odd group they made. Cid was cheerfully chain smoking and insulting the 'hoity toity staff' while Shera tried her best to keep him from saying anything in front of said staff. Barrett was growling at the wine list. Leon was pretending he had accidentally sat at the table without realizing he'd get stuck with the strangers that were already there. Denzel, Marlene, and Yuffie were snorting laughter over some of the names of items on the menu. Zack was blowing bubbles in his complimentary glass of water and Aerith was practically glowing as she giggled at his antics. Under the table, Tifa felt Cloud's hand slip around hers, warm and strong and she turned her head to give him a smile, feeling content and full surrounded by her friends and the people she loved.

"Feels right, doesn't it?" Cloud's soft voice asked and she nodded, knowing he understood. After all they'd been through – how could they not savor this moment? She watched Cloud's eyes drift over the table and watched the way his lips relaxed into a quiet smile.

Dinner was a group affair with everyone passing food around from their plates for everyone else to taste. Or at least the women did and the men were subjected to it with various degrees of grace on their part. No one's food was sacred and that included the food Zack tried to defend with his elbows out and his hands hovering over his plate. He was no match for Aerith though. Watching them laughing and joking together – in a way it made Tifa's chest ache. This was what her friend had had once – or, if not 'this', than something a great deal like it. A man that laughed and joked and teased and treasured her. What she'd had – and what she'd lost. And Tifa wondered if it hurt, even as it made her friend laugh, to have it again – and yet not have it again at all.

She also noticed that Zack was careful. It was only something someone that had known him a long time would notice but he was. He was flirting and laughing and teasing – and he was keeping a very definite boundary in front of himself. Tifa wondered what it felt like – knowing that when someone looked at you with shining eyes it was because they were seeing a ghost at the edges? In a way, it was a bittersweet moment and it broke her heart for both of them even as it made it lighter to see them both smiling honestly.

After dinner came dessert and then it was definitely every man for himself as the women insisted on sharing that as well. Cloud gave most of his cheesecake up with good-natured resignation and Zack's peanut butter pie slice disappeared despite his best attempts to defend it. Even Cid pretended not to notice when Shera carefully swiped a bit of his 'terror me sue'. The drinks came steadily too though some parts of the table drank more than other parts. Cloud had his usual single glass that sat in front of him the whole night and Tifa worked her way slowly through a single glass of wine. The kids abstained by choice while Yuffie abstained by big brother decree. Everyone else had a little bit and even Aerith's eyes had the shiny glitter to them by the time dessert was finished. It was more than the flower girl usually drank but Tifa wasn't alarmed. She knew how much it took to get her friend drunk and she wasn't near there yet - even if it was a little strange because Aerith usually didn't drink at all.

"Come on," Aerith pushed away from the table after everyone was quieting down after the latest joke and tugged on Zack's arm. "I want to dance."

Zack looked surprised and then thought it over before shrugging easily and standing up himself to offer his arm.

"If the lady wants to dance, dance we will."

And with that he led her over to the cleared spot between their table and the railing and spun her so that she laughed. Tifa watched it with a smile and yet, a part of her was nagging. Worried over something nameless she couldn't put her finger on.

"You should ask Tifa to dance," Yuffie informed her big brother and Cloud just gave her a dry look.

"You just want me out of the way so you can order a drink," he stated calmly and she pouted. Which meant he was right.

"You should still dance with her. It's sweet and romantic and gooey. I mean come on! You owe her!"

"I do?"

"Yes." Yuffie sighed it as if he was dense for not figuring it out on his own. "Her love gave you the strength to defeat all those monsters today!"

The story of Cloud's arena time had been told in very edited version during dinner. Tifa had had to fight squirming when Aerith had mentioned her part in it all.

"Yuffie, I don't think – " she began and the other girl interrupted her with hissing noises and flapping hands.

"Tifa, he owes you! Don't let him get out of it!"

Cloud appeared to contemplate this for a long moment before he looked at his little sister.

"And this… debt. Dancing pays it off?"

"Of course not!" Yuffie was pleased. "Dancing with her just starts to pay it back. Cause, you know, it takes like a lot of little romantic gestures to pay back her big, big one."

"I don't think that's the way it works – "

"Tifa!" Yuffie looked at her strictly. "Don't ruin this for women all over the world everywhere. Everyone knows guys are supposed to pay back for big mushy acts like yours."

"Right," Cid surprised them all by agreeing. "Cause when the dame gives you good, ya gotta give it right back. Good!"

It was obvious he'd hit his limit about two glasses of that 'froo froo green shit' ago but he was nodding sagely, albeit a bit cross-eyed.

"She did you an' now ya gotta do her, Spike."

Everyone squinted at the unintentional innuendo except the kids and Yuffie who just looked confused.

"Mentioning I can't dance isn't going to make a difference at this point, is it?" Cloud rubbed at the back of his neck as he finally asked it to ease the awkward, contemplative silence that followed Cid's statement. Yuffie gave a snort. Barrett however, who wasn't far behind Cid, looked a bit blurrily over at Tifa and frowned.

"Don' see how smashin' her toes is romantic," he gave the most sensible statement of the evening. Fortunately, he was ignored. Cloud frowned and then looked over at Cid.

"I'll dance," he agreed calmly to the collective gasp of the table. "When you do."

"What tha- shit – You mean – damn it!"

Everyone turned expectant eyes on Cid. Except for Shera who was very definitely fascinated by something overhead.

"Ah, fuck this. It's worth it to see ya make an ass of yourself." Cid lurched to his feet and rested a hand on the back of Shera's chair. "Come on, Shera. Let's show these squirts how it's really done."

Shera looked up with huge eyes behind her glasses but Cid was already yelling at a nearby waiter to put on some 'real music like the big bands play'. Apparently those vouchers covered a lot because shortly thereafter the music's volume grew a little and changed to trumpets and drums along with the strings that had already been playing. Cid nodded his approval and led a flushed and pleased looking Shera over to where Aerith and Zack were already swinging away to the new music style.

"I really can't dance," Cloud leaned over to murmur it cautiously in Tifa's ear and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Neither can I."

"Oh, me! I want to go! Leon!"

"No."

"Oh, come on!" Yuffie pleaded and the stoic man just looked at her with flat eyes. "Fine!" She pouted for the space of an eyelash flicker and then yelled:

"Come on, Denzel!" She grabbed the unsuspecting boy by his hand before he had a chance to plead ignorance or two left feet and dragging him out on to the floor. It was soon apparent that neither of them could dance either – at least not the way Shera and Cid were swinging and twirling around the floor but it was also quickly equally apparent that Yuffie at least, didn't care.

"Wha- ? Ohhhh, Marlene. Really?"

Tifa turned to see Marlene giving Barrett her 'big brown eyes' and the giant of a man melted like spilled ice cream during a hot summer day on a Costa del Sol sidewalk. Shortly after, Marlene was twirling around the dance floor with Barrett providing the hand to hang on to while she did. Leon rubbed at his chin.

"I need a camera," he opinionated calmly.

Tifa grinned at him and looked back at the now crowded dance floor as her friends and family tried not to run into each other. It made her heart bubble happily in her chest to see everyone that way. So – happy and carefree… Tonight had been – just right. Just absolutely right and she was already burying it deep in her heart to remember for the rest of her life. Cloud was watching things with narrowed eyes and then he pushed back from the table.

"All right." He stood up and offered his hand and Tifa looked at him in surprise. He was concentrating on careful study of the people on the dance floor.

"Cloud?"

"Right. It doesn't look that hard." He sounded more as if he were being challenged to a sword duel than a dance. "I mean, not the Cid stuff but all Zack is doing is spinning Aerith. He hardly has to move. It can't be that hard."

Tifa looked down at her napkin as she stood up to hide the smile she couldn't seem to stop from taking over her lips. Cloud caught it anyway and seemed torn between a scowl and a goofy grin. He settled for clearing his throat and taking her hand. She followed him to the impromptu dance floor and caught Aerith's blinding grin as her friend spun by with Zack as the trumpets blew and someone sang about a 'boogie woogie bugle boy'. Cloud looked at the rest of the dancers on the floor and then very deliberately put his hand on Tifa's waist and took her other hand in his. He looked so determined and so studious, Tifa didn't know if she'd ever seen him cuter than in this moment with his 'little boy' look. Then he dipped his head down to look at their feet and began the very simple motions of backward, side to side, forward. Something Barrett was doing with Marlene on top of his feet. Tifa tried not to laugh and carefully followed his lead. She hadn't lied – she really didn't know how to dance. Of course she'd danced with Aerith from time to time before on the rare nights they'd gone out to a dance club but that was just moving your body and making sure guys didn't act like you were a leg and they were a dog. It wasn't – it wasn't real dancing. Not with a partner and actual coordination.

"Boring!" Zack sang as he swung by with Aerith. Cloud exhaled and looked hopelessly up at Tifa. She couldn't stop her laughter anymore and slipped forward to wrap her both of arms around his shoulders.

"He only says that because he doesn't know what a great shower kisser you are," she teased him and watched his rare grin break free for a moment.

"Screw Zack," Cloud decided and wrapped his arms around her waist to lift her off her feet the way he had to carry her into the bathroom earlier. It made her laugh and in response Cloud spun. Which had her squeaking a noise and hanging on to him, sure he'd get dizzy and drop her. He didn't – but he did chuckle quietly and she buried her face in his hair with a grin and held him tight.

"You make me so happy, Cloud Strife," she told him and felt his content inhale as he held her.

"It's what I want," he answered her in a murmur.

The music broke to start the next song and in a cheerful voice next to them Reno asked:

"Mind if I cut in, yo?"