A/N: Soo! Attention please! All 'couple' comments in this chapter...full credit to Rend...thanks for that review...inspired meh.

Exploding Banana...No Comment

Awkward silence...

...yep...

This is very uncomfortable...

...uh huh...

'Hey, I have a question...since when are you and Tifa a couple?'

Zack...

...hmm, I wasn't aware of the fact you could growl in your mind...I'll have to keep that in mind.

'Bigger fish to fry...' Zack's voice is urgent.

I glance up, seeing what he means. Each of their jaws are slightly parted in disbelief...although I can't say about Vincent with that hell of a high collar he's sporting.

"Cloud! Tifa!" Denzel and Marlene rush in, breaking the awkward silence.

Oh bless all things holy for children.

"What took you so long? We're you two kissing?" Marlene and Denzel pooch out their lips and make smacking noises.

Yeah, that comment about children...you can just scratch that...

'Cloud!' Aerith yells.

Kidding!...I forget you can read my mind...it's rather unsettling.

'For who? You or us? You have some explicit fantasies going on in these far corners of your mind.'

I swear Zack, one more word...and it'll mean pain.

'How does a dead person feel pain?'

I'll find a way...hey, here's one! Aerith...did Zack ever tell you about the time when we were in Midgar...and that Zack visited your church...and he shoved a firecracker in a banana and threw it inside?

...another awkward silence.

'You...did...WHAT?!'

'CLOUD! How could you?! You swore you'd never tell a soul!'

'That was you?!'

'Aerith baby, please...it was just a little joke!'

'You call that a JOKE?! So you're telling me you had time to desecrate my church but not visit me?!'

'We just happened to pass by it!'

'And you just happened to have a banana and a firecracker handy, hmm?'

'Well..yes...I did! Aerith! Opportunity knocked! I couldn't just leave it hanging! You weren't there...so I left my mark!'

'Do you have any idea how long that took me to clean up? I'm going to kill you!'

'HA! You can't do that!'

'You'll wish I could by the time I'm done with you!'

'Aerith!'

Their voices fade out...that should keep 'em busy for a while. I almost smirk, but I realize I never answered Denzel and Marlene's question...soooo everyone is still staring. That didn't help at all.

"Denzel...Marlene...don't you have a present for Tifa?" I ask, changing the subject.

Their eyes brighten immediately, and they nod their head vigorously. They start to rush from the room, but Yuffie catches them in her arms.

"Whoa you two...what did we decide?"

"Oh...sorry, we forgot."

Yuffie releases them and grabs a package from the table. She holds it out to Tifa, and Tifa takes it gingerly. She shakes it lightly, and Yuffie sighs, impatient.

"Just open it!"

Tifa tears the paper, which, by the way is an orange bubble print...who came up with that idea? Orange bubbles? Really...

It's a plain white box, and she tears the tape with her thumb nail and pops the lid open. It's a dress. A black dress.

Tifa in a dress...nice...

'See what I was talking about?'

ZACK! Isn't your girlfriend still trying to kill you?

No answer...I'll take that as a yes.

She lifts it from the box and holds it out. It's simple, looks form fitting. It stops at what I'm guessing will be mid-thigh, and the sleeves drape of the shoulder, and are only a few inches wide.

"It's beautiful...but why this one first?" Tifa asks.

"Because! Cloud being the awesome man he is got us all reservations at some really fancy restaurant tonight! So, everyone needs to get dressed...now!" Yuffie squeals, hopping up and down.

Ow...my ear...she's really excited about this one...probably get us thrown out of the restaurant...and that'll be a waste of money.

"Why didn't you get dressed before we got here?" Tifa asks dubiously.

"Because silly! That might've ruined the surprise!" Yuffie responds, smiling.

"Well, since mister Spiky-ass-I'll-be-on-time-but-not-really was late, we'll be late if we don't get ready in about...oh I'd say ... seven minutes...tops." Cid states nonchalantly.

This is why I am dead. But honestly...is my ass spiky? I can barely keep from glancing back to make sure.

"Scramble!" Yuffie yells.

...Annnnddd...nobody moves.

"What?" Barret growls.

"Get a move you on stupid idiot! Dress! Change! Find a room and put some presentable clothes on, you heathen!"

"Wha'd you call me?"

"You heard me, you overgrown oaf!"

"Why, you lil' f-

"Okay Barret!" Tifa interjects, stepping between the two. "Denzel, Marlene...can you handle getting dressed on your own?"

The two nod their head yes.

"Good, then get to it...Umm, Shera...you and Cid can change in my room...Barret...you can take the bathroom...Yuffie..."

"I'll change in the back, in the storage room."

"If one drop of that alcohol is gone..." Tifa starts.

"Hey! That's for after the fancy dinner, silly!" Yuffie states, turning away.

I watch as the disperse...did she purposely leave me and her by ourselves...with just my room to change?

'Watch those thoughts...'

'ZACK!'

Huh...for once it's not me yelling at him, and for the third time tonight, I feel their presence dissipate from my mind. I glance down, catching Nanaki with Cait Sith sitting on his back.

"Honestly, Reeve...will we ever see you in person?" Tifa asks.

"Marlene can abuse me in person...she can drag this old cat robot around through the dirt for all I care...I on the other hand, am much, much more delicate...and only one of a kind...shouldn't you be getting dressed?"

"Yeah, yeah...Come on Cloud." Tifa motions for me to follow.

She can't be serious!

...wow...Aerith must've really chased Zack away...nice.

Tifa sees I'm not moving, so reaches back, grabbing my hand and pulls me towards the steps.

"I'm assuming you've already got something picked out, right?"

"Umm..."

"Cloud..." she scolds as we reach the room.

"How fancy?"

"What?"

"How fancy of a restaurant are we talking about?" Tifa asks, opening my closet.

"I..."

Tifa pulls out a light blue, button up shirt. I don't think I knew I even had that. She reaches out and pulls out a pair of black dress pants, smacking the sides of them once to knock the dust off. She shoves them in my arms before fishing out two black socks and a pair of dress shoes. She has to dust these off as well.

"It's been awhile since we've bought you new dress shoes...there's a small possibility these may be a bit tight..."

"Why...I haven't grown any..."

"Yeah, but you couldn't come with us when we got dress clothes, remember? And that was what...two and a half years ago?"

"True..."

"Well, start getting dressed." She says, laying her dress out on the bed.

"Um...Tifa...?"

She looks up in shock, her face paling, and then turning a deep crimson.

"Oh...right...you just face that way...I'll face this way...crisis averted." Tifa tries to smile as she turns around.

I do the same, facing the opposite direction. Man...this is kind of awkward...I did say earlier that we were a couple...but...I mean...well...

God! Can't she just tell me?

I listen to the rustles of clothes, and the folding of fabric as she changes. I mean...she did just come up here to help me find something to wear...I am that dense as to not pick out something...but I thought that maybe we would get back earlier. I pull up my pants, and clip my belt. As I shrug into my shirt, she speaks.

"Cloud...um, sorry to ask, but can you zip me?"

"Huh?" I ask, turning slightly.

She's still got her back to me, and her dress is unzipped all the way down to her lower back.

"Zip me up, please?" She asks.

She isn't facing me, so she's probably blushing.

"Sure."

As I walk over, I happen to glance down at my chest. There's a number of scars there, but one stands out above the rest. The scar where Masamune pierced my chest all those years ago in the reactor. Tifa has a scar too.

I'm still moving towards her, and I touch my scar lightly, and I don't even realize I'm doing what I'm doing...you have to believe me. I honestly must've been on autopilot or something, because it's when my fingers touch her cool skin, I snap and realize what I'm doing.

I'm standing behind her, and touching her scar. It's very strategically placed you see, and maybe it wouldn't have been so...I don't know...strange...if I hadn't stuck my hand through the opening of the back of her dress and touched it.

Oh.

My.

God.

What am I doing?!

"Does it still hurt?"

Did I just ask that? Am I bipolar or something? What the HELL!

She's frozen at my touch, and she's breathing shallowly, but at least she hasn't thrown me over her shoulder in self defense.

"It burns...all the time."

"Mine too." And it's actually me who answers that.

You know what, I don't care if I'm bipolar...it's true...and I'm glad I know about her scar as well.

I slip my hand from her dress and zip up the back of it, and she turns to face me. She looks me straight in the eye, and then kisses me.

It's the most passionate kiss we've ever shared. Her lips burn against mine, and her body molds against my own, pressed tightly up against me by my arms and hers. One of her hands tangle through my hair, the other presses against my chest, and my hands roam her back, and I'm wishing I hadn't zipped up her dress.

"Cloud!"

The voice makes us both jump and Tifa zips away from me.

"What're you doing?! Hurry it up! And have you seen Tifa?" Yuffie's voice is insistent through the door.

I clear my throat, "Just a minute."

"Alright! But hurry up!"

I hear her footsteps recede, and I turn towards Tifa. She's flustered and straightening her hair, her face a deep crimson.

"Umm...I've still got to get shoes...and stuff..."

"Yeah..."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Um...I'll see you down stairs." She runs from the room, still pulling at her hair.

At first I think I've done something wrong, and she goes to pull the door shut quickly behind her. Not quick enough though that I don't see the huge grin spread across her face. She's still blushing, though.

I smile as I finish getting ready. It's nice to know my kisses can make her flustered. I button up my shirt, and I groan as I hear him come back.

'Don't worry Cloud, we're just here for the night...we being all powerful still can't handle being in your mind for too long.' Zack replies smugly.

What is he so cocky about...Aerith was attacking him earlier.

'Something spicy just happened, didn't it? And I missed it, didn't I?'

No comment.

'Cloud.'

Aerith?

'...it was your idea about the banana, wasn't it?'

No comment.

A/N: Holy crap...I had soooo much fun writing this chapter...and it's really long for Diaries...like super...this is the longest chapter yet. so you guys better enjoy this...and give lots of reviews...cause lots of stuff happened in this one...well, I mean, review if ya want...heh...THANKS for everything! And Rend, thanks again...although ya didn't have to bite! Everyone's review for the last chapter were bloody awesome...so, THANK YOU! FOR everything...seriously...you guys make writing all worth it! Until next time..Love, peace and all that jazz.