Melody of Delights

We made it back to the bar...relatively unscathed...except for me of course. Why do I always get the bad end of the deal? Man, I have the crappiest luck...or maybe it's bad karma...although you'd figure killing Sephiroth twice, that's right...count 'em...two times...would count for something...but noooo...Man...I must've really messed up in a past life or something.

'Dude, you have no idea...'

Zack! I thought you were gone!

'At that comment, I cannot stay away...you seriously...have no idea...'

How bad was I?

'...um...does the father to JENOVA count as anything involving bad karma?'

Wait...what?!

'You know what they say...it's all the parent's fault.'

...wait...how do you even know that?

'All questions are answered in death.'

Shut the hell up Zack.

Thank you.

"Well...that was an adventure," Tifa states as she flops down onto the couch.

The rest of the gang make an assorted pile here and there. I sit down beside of Tifa and tip my head back. What a freaking night.

Then there's a knock at the door.

Oh no, what now?

Yuffie yanks open the door.

"Reeve!" she yells, surprised.

The rest of us bolt up, looking at the door. It is in fact, Reeve. I glance towards Cait Sith whose sitting silently and motionless. Yep...then he's definitely not on.

"Reeve...I thought..." Tifa stutters.

"Well...after seeing that fiasco with Cloud and the cake...well..what's a birthday without a cake?" he asks, holding out a white box.

"Omagosh! Cake!" Yuffie squeals reaching for the box.

I flinched; somehow, someway, I just know that cake is heading for my face.

Reeve extends his leg, putting distance between himself and Yuffie, "Back off psycho."

Tifa stands and takes the box. The group follows, their desire for birthday cake finally fulfilled.

'See, I knew it would all work out.'

'That's no excuse Aerith.'

'Don't sass me...I'm the Flower Girl...the maiden...'

'Oh, don't you start on one of those high and mighty 'I saved the planet' speeches.'

'No but seriously Cloud...we can't stay any longer.'

Why? You guys have been saying goodbye and popping back up all night long.

'We've really used up too much time...but come and visit us at the church, okay?' Aerith replies.

'Yeah...just don't bring any bananas.'

'We'll still be watching...so you're not alone...'

I know.

'Bye Cloud!'

'Yeah, see ya Spike-o.'

This time I feel their presence completely wash away. It leaves me kind of empty filling. Granted, they were getting annoying...especially since I was the only one who could hear their antics...but still, I miss those two.

I sit silent, almost waiting for Zack to come back with some quirky comment.

He doesn't, and it kind of depresses me.

"Don't want any cake?"

I look up. Tifa is leaning against the door frame.

"Can't say I blame you after what happened tonight," she giggles, "You probably have a morbid fear of cakes now."

I stare, and then sigh. "No, I want cake...just thinking."

She walks over, and sits on my lap. "About those two?"

"Hmm."

"So it was then?" she asks, smiling. "I could feel them...but they're gone for now, aren't they?"

"Yeah...but I'm sure Zack will be back soon enough to annoy me."

"Oh don't act like you don't like it."

Can she honestly read minds? I'm beginning to wonder.

"Let's go get some cake then," I state.

"Okay," she says, and kisses me lightly on the lips before pulling me up.

It's later in the night I learn that the gang plans on staying tonight, and tomorrow night. I groan, burying my face in my hands. Honestly, I really begin to wonder why I missed these guys.

Then, as Yuffie does a somersault over the table and plows into Cid, I remember why.

They're all drunk, though Tifa has opted not to drink. Yuffie whined at her for a while, asking why, and she just shrugged her shoulders. She replied that we still had tomorrow. I don't get it either. I mean, it is Tifa's birthday. She should be celebrating, but I know in her own way she is. I've only had a couple drinks, not enough to affect me that much. I'm smiling more though, especially when Cid retaliates in a storm of curses and grabs Yuffie's ankle. He then proceeds to pull her down with a loud bang, Barret watching on with loud laughter. Shera slaps Cid across the back of the head, and he gives her an innocent look.

It's an hour later that they've all passed out around the living room. I'm sitting on the chair, a glass of whisky in my hand. Tifa is collecting empty glasses, piling them on a tray. Currently, she's prying a glass from Barret's sleeping form. I stand slowly as she deposits the glasses into the sink. Slipping up behind her quietly, I slip my arm around her waist and press my lips against the back of her neck.

"Cloud."

"What?"

"They're others..."

"Who are drunk, and asleep."

She sighs, but she's smiling.

"It's your day off...why are you cleaning?" I ask, prying a glass from her fingers.

"Technically it's the day after my day off..."

"Well, I guess I'll have to give you a belated birthday present."

"Cloud...you've already done so much for me...what more could you possibly have?"

"You'll just have to see."

I place my hands over her eyes, and lead her slowly up the stairs. She giggles as she stumbles over the first step, and I catch her.

"Shh." I'm smiling, big.

I've changed a lot lately, I know this. And I'm glad I have. I'm glad I've changed. Granted, I'm still not exactly your most happy-go-lucky guy with smiles all the time, but I do smile more. I laugh more. I enjoy life now; I'm finally happy. I'm relaxing, and enjoying my life, which is a first. It's been awhile since I've been able to enjoy my life without the fate of the world hanging over my head.

Still, I know I'm not relaxing as much I could, and I know Tifa, and Barret, Cid, Vincent, and everyone else isn't relaxing; not near as much as we deserve, at least. I know that they feel the same as I do. We're all wound up deep inside, just waiting to spring into action the moment something goes wrong again. We're all still on edge, and there's no denying that, especially after the geostigma incident. In the back of our heads, we still tell ourselves there's a way for him to come back, even though logically it wouldn't make sense. The bigger part tells us only in our nightmares. Still...

Tifa hisses as she stubs her toe, and I snap back into reality. Pushing the door to her room open, I lead her inside, one hand still over her eyes, and the other on the small of her back. I kick the door shut and flip on the lights.

"Keep your eyes closed." I warn as I release her.

She nods her head yes fervently, and then her brow scrunches up.

"Cloud! Where did you go?" she hisses, holding her arms out in front of her.

I grin as she stumbles across the room.

"Fine, I guess we'll do it this way then." I slip the sheet off of her present.

I walk swiftly back over to her and grab her outstretched hand. She grips mine tightly as I lead her towards her gift.

"Here," I say softly as I lay her hand on the gift.

She graces the wood with her fingertips, trying to figure out what it is. Her hand slips down the smooth wood, and onto cool ivory, and her brow scrunches. She instinctively presses down, and a cool sound resonates around the room. She gasps.

Tifa slowly opens her eyes, and gasps again. She meets my eyes and smiles big.

"A piano? You got me a piano? Cloud!" She flings her arms around my shoulder for a moment, then returns to the piano.

"I can't believe...Cloud! You spent too much! I mean...don't get me wrong I love it, but honestly! You're spoiling me," she says, her fingertips gracing the keys.

"It's not just from me...well, it was my idea...but everyone chipped in a bit."

"Is that what Barret meant when he was talking about how you were too lazy to move it yourself?" she asks, sitting down on the bench.

"You heard that?"

She grins, her fingers arching.

"I love it Cloud, I love it. I can't...I can't even begin to thank you. I honestly don't know how..."

"Play something for me," I say, sitting down beside of her.

"What?" she asks, bewildered.

"You can thank me that way."

She smiles softly, "I'm going to warn you, it's been a while."

She lays her fingers out on the keys and begins a soft, slow melody. As the speed picks up a bit, I slip my arm around her waist loosely, and she grins. She's happy.

It's her neck I kiss first, and it tickles her, she giggles softly, her fingers slipping for a moment. She's back on track again, but I kiss her at the base of her ear, and that makes her squeal; she laughs as I kiss her jaw, and she's completely given up on trying to play.

"I thought...you wanted me to play something for you," she says as I kiss her cheek.

"You did already."

"It wasn't even finished."

I pull back for a moment, wondering if I insulted her, but instead she grins and kisses me.

At some point and time we ended up on her bed.

A/N: Before you even ask, no they did not have sex. I really like this chapter, it's sweet. AND YES...Zack and Aerith have decided to retire for abit...it maybe a while before they surface again...OMG 148 reviews?! YOU GUYS FREAKING ROCK...seriously, I love you all. I give you...a hug...that's right, through the computer...because I'm so good, I can do that and it actually works...uh huh. Meili, enjoy translating! I'm still really honored by that. and the banana idea?...erm...real life experience?...heh...heh...it wasn't me! No seriously...it wasn't.

Actually...here's a real gift for everyone...quotes for down the road chapters:

...Do you know that little pressure point on the back of your neck?

...Guess where that bloody shoe hit.

I dropped like a bloody stone.

And Then!

Why are my clothes against me?!

Come on you guys...that's enough in itself.

Till Next time!