Hey there! So I decided to write about my favorite FF couple, even though FF 7 is so old now.. I feel like an old fart because it's been so long since fanfiction has had any stories out about cloud tifa or zack but I don't care! Lol please enjoy! This takes place after advent children and DOC a few years, so Tifa is about 25 yrs old now. Marlene and Denzel are about 12. IF there are misspelled words, or gramatical mistakes please forgive me, I am educated, but I'm writing on my phone... so that means autocorrect and what not... :P This is not a CLOTI although I don't have anything against the pair.

Chapter one: interruption

Tifa rose early, at precisely 5:05 AM to begin making breakfast for her motley crew. Marlene liked her eggs scrambled and smothered in ketchup, however, she absolutely hated bacon, so Tifa withheld the pork from Marlene's plate. Denzle hated eggs all together, so instead he got oatmeal and oranges with two slices of bacon on the side. Cloud liked everything. Well if he didn't, he never said so. Tifa made him scrambled eggs, toast, bacon , oatmeal and coffee every morning without fail. Tifa, who was slicing an orange, heard the growling of the coffee maker andpaused as she stared at the dripping brown substance as it slowly brewed. Tifa remembered when she and Cloud had been so happy after defeating Sephiroth and Kadaj. They had celebrated their success over coffee and even discussed marriage plans one day. It had been an awful long time since she'd seen Cloud smile, since she felt his touch or even had a decent conversation with him. They were just growing further apart each day. He just seemed to pull himself away from her everytime they got close.

Cloud arose at approximately 5:35 and threw on a pair of jeans and walked downstairs and stopped in the middle and watched his brunette companion a stirring a skillet of eggs. She was still in pajamas, which in her case was a white wife beater, and a pair of black booty shorts. Cloud smiled to himself as he studied her. He was probably the only one to ever see her with her hair in a messy bun atop her head. The only one to catch her completely with her guard down. He continued his way down the stairs and sat at the counter and rubbed his sleepy blue eyes.

"Well good morning Cloud, how did you sleep?" Tifa asked looking over her shoulder at the sleepy blonde. She had to ask, how was she to know? They didn't share a room anymore. She resolved that Cloud had his own issues to deal with, and his own reasons for pulling away. For the sake of the kids, Tifa would hang on.

"Not bad I guess." Cloud replied with a scratch of the head. "Listen I'm going on a delivery today. I have to leave early so.." Tifa immediately turned around and glared at him.

"What? No I specifically asked you not to take any jobs this weekend! You were supposed to take Marlene and Denzle to the parade today, I was planning on relaxing some and getting this house clean." she gave him a stern look and crossed her arms.

"Ah damn Tifa I forgot..." Cloud once more scratched his head. "Well can you take the kids?" He asked sheepishly, knowing a harsh scolding was coming his way. Cloud knew full well he was acting like a lousy partner, and a lousy friend. He felt as though as soon as he got too close to Tifa, she would be swept away from him in some tragic way or another. He resolved to keep her on his own long leash, because he knew he couldn't possibly live without her.

"No! You call and cancel that job, the kids are looking forward to YOU actually doing something with them! They need YOU right now Cloud!" Tifa slammed her palms down onto the counter and stared him in the face with fire in her wine colored eyes.

Cloud hated more than anything when Tifa was right, it put him on the defense. He got angry and usually said something rude and harsh, causing them to not talk for a few days until they forget about the fight and come together as a fragmented family once more. "Fine! Have it Tifa's way, as always! You know, you piss me off when you nag at me all the time, like some old house wife!" Cloud said standing.

"You shut Your mouth! If I were a house wife I certainly wouldn't be with you!" Tifa yelled. Immediately tears fell from her eyes and she put a hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that, or at least not so harshly. But it was said and nothing could be done about it. If Tifa was honest though, she really didn't see them together anymore.

Cloud's heart shattered. Now he knew, Tifa was done. He knew he had made a lot of mistakes during their relationship. He should've tried so much harder to be there for her like she was always there for her. What could he do now? He felt helpless. "well then, if that's the way you feel, we're done. I'll take the kids out today like you asked, and when I get home we can discuss new living arrangements." And with his reply, Cloud turned around and walked up the stairs to ready the kids for the day, praying they hadn't just heard what just took place in the kitchen.

Tifa continued to cry as she finished preparing their breakfast. Their fights had been getting worse and worse over time. Both were at fault, Cloud for being a recluse and pulling away, Tifa for pushing too hard and being overly demanding. Maybe it was time to finally, after all these years, to call it quits.

Thankfully the kids hadn't heard the argument from earlier, Cloud quickly readied them and got them out the door for the parade without another word to Tifa. She kissed them goodbye and didn't bother saying a thing to Cloud either as they left. Once the house was empty and quiet, Tifa began to clean in aggrivation. Her mind was racing.

"Why does he have to be so hard headed?!" She asked aloud in frustration as she began mopping the kitchen floor. She frantically rushed around the house making sure it was spotless. When she had anger or frustrations, she cleaned. It was a much better alternative to beating Cloud's face in. It would upset the kids too much if Tifa beat him to a bloody pulp. Her mind wandered to and fro... What would the new living arrangements Cloud had in mind consist of? She really couldn't imagine living in a house without him. The kids needed both of them. Sighing, she moved on to laundry. Once everyone's laundry was done she preceeded to clean the bathrooms, bedrooms, living room, dining room, and lastly her sanctuary. The bar. Once her chores were done she sighed heavily and looked up at the clock. It was only around One in the afternoon. She knew that Cloud and the kids wouldn't be home until around 7 PM or so, so she decided it was finally time to relax.

She listened to the sound of her own feet climbing up the stairs from the bar and into her home. She walked slowly to her room and grabbed some clean underwear from her dresser and threw them on the bed, she then walked to her closet and opened the doors. She smiled as she looked upon her old garments. Brown leather skirt with fringe, and a small leather vest complete with a cowboy hat. Tifa chuckled. What a dork I was back then. Even Zack thought I was weird. Tifa lingered on the thought for a moment as her fingers carressed the leather fringes of the vest. Zack. Tifa sighed and shook herself away from the thought. If Zack had still been alive, Cloud wouldn't be nearly as messed up and broken as he was. Tifa had built up such a wall of defense she decided not to let anything hurt her anymore. Being so hard may have been why Cloud pulled away in the first place. I never was a dainty little flower, Cloud. Maybe that's what you wanted all this time. Tifa yanked Her black capri's off a hanger, along with her black vest, grabbed her gloves and cellphone off the top of the dresser and her undergarments on the bed and walked to the bathroom.

Once in the bathrom, she closed and locked the door, lit a candle and turned off the lights. "Relaxation time." She smiled to herself as she started the water of the shower. She switched her phone on and began to play some relaxing quiet music and stripped down. Lastly, she reached abover her head and took down her hair and shook her head. Her hair had grown long again, falling to the middle of her back like it used to when she first met Cloud. Tifa stepped into the shower and sighed heavilly as the water hit her soft pale skin. Should I really just give in so easilly with Cloud? Should I try harder? What if he gets counseling? Ahh... What am I thinking. He hasn't tried at all for at least two years or more. Tifa's mind was still racing, even with the relaxing ambience of the water, and the soft music in the background. She stepped back and pressed her back against the shower wall and slowly slid to a sitting position. Wrapping her arms around her knees, Tifa let out another soft cry as the water hit her head. She held herself there for a few moments until she heard a 'Click' Sound as if the door was propped open. Her head shot up and her eyes widened at the sound. Who on earth...

"Tifa! I knew you'd be home!" A Chipper Yuffie shouted. "Wait...It's not cloud is it?" Yuffie asked, nearly gagging at the thought of Cloud naked. When she saw the lacy underwear on the ground she sighed releived, welcomed herself in and closed the door.

Tifa stood and peaked her head out of the shower curtain. "What are you doing breaking in on me, Yuffie?! I'm trying to relax here!" Tifa asked, a bit annoyed that Yuffie had interrupted her. Tifa then sighed, a little releaved. Yuffie had only interrupted her wild and rushing mind, it actually was good to get her mind off the events that just occured in her kitchen hours earlier. Tifa returned to her shower and began to shampoo her hair.

"Well I came to hang out with ya! Didn't know if that grumpy old Cloud would be moping around you, so I figured you might need some cheeringup! By the way, why were your eyes all red, were you crying? If that Cloud hurt your feelings I'm gonna shove my foot so far up his..."

"Yuffie! I think Cloud and I just broke up." Tifa Replied, cutting off Yuffie from her open threat.