Like A Dream

My eyes water up as I open them in the sudden light of morning. I'm on the couch, with a blanket tucked neatly around me. I glance at the clock, it's eleven, and I wonder lightly why I'm not up. Glancing at my phone, I see it's been turned off. Seems that Tifa wanted a day off for me. I know it's one small way to thank me for her gift.

I look over, seeing Tifa asleep in the chair, and I know now that she never means to fall asleep; the corner of my mouth twitches.

Her head is titled to the right a bit in sleep with her hair falling over her face, her knees curled up against her, and her breath steady...but the thing that gets me, is that she's still got a hand resting on her pearls, and the other one is lightly resting on her knee, holding a yellow rose.

I'm cooking lunch when she wakes up in her chair. She looks around baffled, there's a blanket tucked around her. She looks over disoriented.

"Cloud?" She asks, sleepily.

"Morning."

I think it's been a while since she's slept in, which doesn't surprise me. She works just as hard as I do, if not more considering the fact she's got to wrestle with the kids.

She stands slowly, letting the blanket fall to the floor, and it's only then she realizes she'd held a yellow rose all through the night. She blushes, resting it on the chair.

"Denzel? Marlene?" She asks, yawning.

"Apparently didn't have the heart to wake us this morning." I say, handing her a note.

She nods her head as she reads it; they've gone off to play with a few friends, and would be back this evening.

"They told me yesterday."

I watch her as she heads upstairs, going to brush her teeth, as I take lunch off the stove. My mouth twitches. It's not burnt, I've gotten better at cooking.

It's then I hear her yell, and I nearly drop the pot I'm holding. Setting it roughly down, I make a dash for the stairs.

"Teef? You okay?" I ask, moving up the stairs quickly.

The bathroom door is cracked open slightly, and I hesitate, remembering a certain incident that happened a few months back.

"Teef?" I say, cautiously inching the door open.

She's fully clothed, and her eyes are wide in shock. I can tell she's just put up her toothbrush and splashed her face with water to wake her up, a towel resting in her hands. She's caught herself in the mirror, and her hand is lightly touching the pearls.

I clear my throat, and she turns startled.

"I thought..." she blushes, "It was a dream."

I swallow, already feeling the blush creeping up on my face. I don't understand though, because I actually haven't done anything to cause it for once. Does she just have that much of an affect on me?

Or maybe it's the reason I can already see what's going to happen, I can already see her walking up to me, and she hasn't even moved yet. I can already see it happen, so it's not that big of a surprise when she walks up to me, looking up with those big, ruby eyes and smiles.

And kisses me.

Right on the lips.

Sure I knew it was coming, but nothing could prepare me for this tidal wave of emotion rushing over me. I drape my hands on her shoulders, and we stand there for a moment...kissing...

Yes, kissing...I am kissing Tifa Lockhart...I didn't think my gift would go over that well...

...oh...

...wait...

I am kissing...Tifa...wow...I think the same things gone through her mind, except for about me, cause she's pulled back, and she's blood red in the face, her eyes averted on the floor.

And then she's pushing the me out the door.

"I want to take a shower!" She shouts.

BAM!

Oh pain...pain pain pain pain pain.

Doors and foreheads do not make good buddies, I think rubbing my forehead.

But despite the pain, I smile.

I know I'm not dreaming, I just had a door slammed in my face, literally.

I feel the pain, which means I also really felt her lips against mine.

It's so much like a dream, but it's not.

A/N: ahahaha, Rend, that was like...the greatest review ever for chapter eight, just the way you worded it made me laugh...so that was Tifa's gift back to him, and I honestly had that planned out, but even if I didn't, I would've stuck that in there just for you...as always, you guys rock with the reviews and what not, and as always, I am still writing Come Together...as much as that may seem like a lie, tis not...till next time! oh, one last thing, I will not be anywhere near my computer with my stories on it till sunday...I maybe able to post a chappie tomorrow sometime, but after that, I'm going home for the weekend...so, later!