A/N: I felt drabbly...and Sabith you were right. I wasn't all there with the last chapter. The shortness of this chapter counteracts the speed of the update. If anyone objects...well, that's all you can do. Looks like you're out of luck. Forgive me of my scatterbrainedness last chappie, and hopefully this one will make up for it.

This Is Life

I wake with her warm presence on my left shoulder. I like how her hair feels against my chest, smooth and soft. She idly traces the scar just near my heart; it's a short, thin line that almost disappears in the groves of my flesh, in the dips of my muscles, barely noticeable. But...something tells me, she knows it by heart. It's easy to remember such a small piece of flesh, but there's something about the way she remembers it that makes it special. Different.

I move my left hand, removing it from it's comfortable resting place on her shoulder to trace the line of flesh that breaks her skin between her breasts. It just barely nicks her collarbone, before sweeping all the way down across her rib cage. It still disconcerts me how she backed out of death that day...not that I mind...it's just this long strip of death across her chest; like a plague of nightmares has been stuffed inside of her and sewn up with this scar.

It isn't right, that she had to suffer through that, and even more.

The sunlight is streaming across the bed, slipping in through the gap in the curtains. It breaks across her face as she looks up at me. I let my hand slip back behind her, my fingertips just gracing across her lower back. She shivers in response, curling up against me, tossing her legs over mine.

Something cool and hard bumps up against my chest, and I look down, seeing a chain. I reach out, plucking it up gently between my fingers. There, suspended around the beaded chain, is that wolf ring I gave to her. It seems a whole lot more harsh, and cold compared to the ring she wears on her finger now. It's almost a bad memory, and I almost reach up to finger my matching earring.

Is it a bad memory? It ties us, I guess, to the Geostigma...that and when we were apart and when I still wasn't sure I was myself.

I think I'm myself now...I mean, no one can be this crazy. I broke the mold. I think I remember my mother telling me that once. I think I remember telling Tifa that once when we talked as kids. She told me it was my hair that did it.

The ring twirls, suspended in air, as the light catches the dull steel just barely.

It seems a long time ago, really, that I gave her this. It was another life time, I think. Her finger grazes across my scar once more; that was another life time too.

I feel more clear today. I was frazzled yesterday, my brain wasn't quite working, nor all the way there. As stupid as it sounds, I was skittish.

Well, three hours of sleep can do that to you.

What time is it, anyways? Twelve...twelve o'clock...when was the last time I slept in this late? We need to go. Barret's probably needing to leave...the oil fields...and Tifa's got the bar, and I've got deliveries that are probably waiting on my voice-mail.

Yep, my little button is a blinking...that means many messages for Cloud...many places to travel, many people to see...much time spent away from where I really want to be.

"What are you thinking?" she asks, kissing my chest lightly.

I glance down, feeling heat spread across my body before clearing my throat, "How long have you been awake?"

She shrugs against me, and shifts to prop herself up on her elbow. She gazes down at me, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" she fiddles with the edges of the sheet, staring at me.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

I sigh shortly, watch as she drops the sheet and settle back up against my shoulder, wrapping her arm around me again.

"I had a bad day yesterday," I say, twisting a lock of her hair between my fingers.

"Me too. Marlene accidentally broke the vase on the coffee table."

"The one Cid and Shera gave us from their vacation to Wutai?"

She nods her head, "The very one," she sighs.

We sit in silence for a moment, and I study the wall across from me.

"We need to–

"No. We don't need to do anything."

I wrinkle my eyebrows, frown, looking down to see her expression only to find the top of her head.

"Tifa..." I reprimand softly.

"We're on vacation."

"Tifa."

"Let me have my denial. Life can wait."

What are you talking about, Tifa? This is life, this right here...this is. I kiss the top of her head, relaxing back into my pillow.

"Okay," I close my eyes slowly.

I think we fell asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, the sky was red, and we only had ten minutes to get out to the Ferry.