A/N: There is something special at the bottom. AND DONT YOU DARE SCROLL AHEAD TO LOOK! Heh

Is That My Ring?

I practically drive at the speed of sound to get home by my usual hour...

And yes also because I'm covered and pink and the way I see it if they just see a pink blur they won't be able to tell who the pink blur is... not that I'm exactly sure who 'they' are, I just know they're watching...

Paranoia!

Anyways...

I pull up the bar, and it's busy, as to be expected since it's around seven. The bar is in its peak hours...so maybe the best idea wasn't to go rushing home to a place probably full of burly men getting off of manly work...

Since I'm pink and everything...

I pull into the garage; at least I'll get a little reprieve, though I'm pretty sure I heard some snickering from the alley. Still, let's try to minimize damage as it is.

I kick down the stand on Fenrir, and stand slowly, stretching my arms. The dried paint cracks as I move, and I swallow, staring down.

Alright...let's formulate a strategy here...

I open up the garage door; down the hall I can see the bright lights of the bar, the opening to behind the bar, and the steps on the left. All I need to do is make it to the steps...covered in pink.

I'm trying to figure out which will cause a bigger show...me in pink, or me shirtless. Still, there's pink on my pants...splatters, but hopefully they'll be more distracted by the fact that I'm shirtless instead of pink.

Not that I want to be shirtless in front of these people, by weighing my options is kinda taking a toll on my brain right now.

Shirtless wouldn't be so bad... I'm sure Tifa wouldn't mind–

Oh shit

It's Reno.

Now anything I do will be announced to the whole of Edge, and probably the world. Crap oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap–

Maybe I should wait until he leaves...

I check my watch; if I don't enter soon Tifa will call me, and then what? I answer her while I'm in the garage and tell her I'm where?

Crap.

This is way too hard.

How bout this? Yeah, that'll work.

Five minutes later I make my way down the hallway fully clothed, and fully armed. Yes...what bastard dare make fun of the man covered in pink paint with six swords strapped to his back?

NONE.

"Cloud?"

Shit, except Tifa. Well...except she isn't a bastard but you get the idea.

I glance over my shoulder. "Hmm?"

"What...happened?"

Reno is staring at me bug eyed, biting his tongue; I can tell. There's no way he dares to laugh at me because of this. I broke his nose when he gave me a birthday card...who knows what in the hell I'll do if he makes fun of my pink state of being.

"I helped Cid paint...he threw a bucket at me."

Tifa gives a little laugh. "Well, go get changed."

She leans in close to kiss my cheek, and grins into my ear. "So any particular reason you're carrying all your swords on your back?"

Damn...she knows me too well.

I flush slightly. "They need cleaning...sharpened..."

"Right." She grins wide, but releases my arm to go tend to the impatient bar crowd.

I head upstairs. I barely make it up before I hear Reno roar with laughter.

I hate him.

I take a quick shower, throwing my clothes in a heap in the corner of my room...

I should probably pick those up. Tifa might not like my pink clothing on her floor...our floor.

Still.

Ah who cares. I think after the suffering I've dealt with today she can stand to have some pink clothing on her floor.

I sigh, slipping into some comfortable clothing before heading downstairs. Marlene and Denzel are in the back coloring pictures on the table.

Denzel grins when he sees me. "Hey Cloud!"

I grunt in response, heading to the fridge; I just want a cold beer... And thank freaking everything holy that I'm in a bar because that's pretty easy to come by when you're in one.

Woot beer!

I pop the cap on the bottle with my thumb and glance at the kids. They're staring at me. I take a deep drag, and glance over my shoulder. "How long has Reno been here?"

"An hour or so." Marlene shrugs, going back to coloring.

"Hn."

"Why are you late, Cloud?" Denzel asks.

Yeah, it's probably a good thing that Denzel or Marlene didn't see me in pink paint. Marlene probably would try to con me into her tea parties if she saw me so...girlish.

Not that I would actually let that happen, but that's beside the point.

I hear Reno's voice echo down the hall; it might be kind of dangerous approaching him so soon after seeing me in pink, but who the hell cares. I feel like seeing Tifa, and besides...he's a damned- I mean, claimed man.

Haha...he's Yuffie's bitch.

I pat Marlene's head and ruffle Denzel's hair before heading out towards the bar. It's packed, filled with the usual crowd and some other strangers. There are jackets strewn across tables and chairs; I keep forgetting it's October already. I wonder when we'll set a date? Or better yet, when that date will actually be. And where...

Another rowdy crowd makes its way into the bar, joining a party already seated around three tables. It shakes me from my reverie and I head behind the bar to where Tifa is mixing drinks with a practiced deftness. She sighs blowing her bangs up out of her eyes as she hands out another drink.

"Need help?" I ask softly.

She almost jumps out of her skin, and sends me a withering glance. "No...I'm just a bit behind."

A bit? Pssh.

"I can–

"You can't mix drinks," Tifa cuts me off. "Remember last time?"

Yeah, let's not go to last time.

"I mean, really, I don't know how you took out three people, and I really don't want to replace another window just because you can't hold onto the bottles."

I can do nifty bar tricks...

So what if I lose my grip sometimes?

"But–

"Cloud." She sighs, turning to face me. "It's fine, really."

This is why you need to hire help woman.

She glowers irritably at me, "I do not need hired help."

I don't know why she's so determined to do everything on her own.

"Because I can handle everything on my own."

Quit reading my mind!

"I can't help it your responses are so predictable."

Dammit I hate it when she does this.

And I am not predictable.

"Your crowd is getting impatient."

She glances over her shoulder, and sighs. "Shoot...you're right." She sighs again before thrusting a tray of drinks into my hands. "Take these to that big party in the left corner, and ignore Reno. The last thing I need is for you to start a bar fight."

I nod my head, taking the tray and turn around.

I can tell it's been a long day on her. She is a bit frazzled, and short tempered. She really should hire someone, but really there's not that many people in Edge that want this job are...well... let's just say Tifa's first applicant replier was a male stripper.

Yeah...that wasn't exactly what she was looking for...at all.

I suppress a sigh, dodging the rowdy bodies as they celebrate the week's end. Can't say I really blame them.

I glance up from my intense concentration on the tray as I arrive at the tables.

Well great.

It's about fifteen women, mostly drunk if not all the way. I think it's a bachelorette party.

They laugh over something, and then go silent as they see me standing before them.

"Uh..." Drinks anyone?

"Ooh," one of the women mumbles, and they all stare.

I hate it...it's like I'm in a fish bowl or something.

Great, now they're ogling.

I'll just leave these here.

I sit the tray of drinks on one of the tables. I feel like I'm surrounded by a pack of wild animals... Since when did Tifa agree to host bachelorette parties?

I turn to leave as they begin to snicker.

"Oh shoot! Sir?"

Shit.

I turn back to them, and one of the women pouts. "I dropped my earring...see? It's right there by your foot." She points at the ground.

I glance down; it's about a foot in front of me.

Uh.

"Could you get that for me? Since you're already there and everything." She gives a mischievous grin.

...something's not right. But what's the harm in picking up an earring?

I turn away from them and bend forward to pick up the earring.

"Ahhh..." A collective sigh emits from the tables, and I glance sharply over my shoulder.

Shit I just got played.

'Good thing you aren't wearing a kilt, boy toy.'

Screw you Zack.

'No you're about to get screwed...just don't make eye contact. They can smell fear.'

I pick up the earring and turn quickly, standing, eyeing the women. The animals.

I feel so...violated. I think they're undressing me with their eyes... of course Tifa freaking sends me to the drunk bachelorette party.

I wonder which one is getting married...

'The one with the veil... the one that dropped the earring.'

Crap.

I hope this isn't what Tifa will do when she has her bachelorette party. Well, knowing Yuffie she'll probably hire the male stripper Tifa almost hired that one time.

Great.

'Dude...what if they think you're their stripper?'

Shut up Zack!

I've been standing here for too long as it is.

But I've still got to give her the earring back. I'll just put it on the table, that's what I'll do–

Crap, now she's holding out her hand.

That would be rude...

But who the hell cares about being rude? After everything they've done I should just throw this stupid earring at them.

And people wonder why I'm antisocial and don't go to bars.

I enjoy my privacy.

I move to drop the earring on the table, but the woman pushes her hand out farther to take the earring. This could be a trap.

'Evasive maneuvers! Abort mission! ABORT!'

So close...

'She's going for your wrist! RUN MAN RUN!'

No!

"Oh, is that my ring?" Tifa's voice comes from behind me.

I almost drop the earring, and the woman hesitates. I take the time to drop the earring into her palm without touching her.

"Uh..."

"No." The earring woman's voice is scything. "It's my earring."

Tifa gives a little laugh...which would sound innocent and completely harmless to untrained ears, but luckily I know better.

"Oh." Tifa smiles in a good nature. "See, I thought it was one of my rings... but silly me, I forgot I put my ring on this necklace that you gave me Cloud." She pulls out the chain with the wolf ring on it. "To, you know, make room for my engagement ring." Tifa wiggles her fingers to show off her ring. "And I certainly didn't want to lose my wolf ring...since it matches his earring and everything. Sort of symbolic, you know."

Ha! You just got owned lady.

"Anyways, sorry for the interuption ladies. Enjoy your night." She turns to me, and smiles. "Thanks for handling these drinks, baby."

Baby? Ha, she's really laying it on thick.

She leans forward and gives me a long kiss on the lips, before breaking it and winking at me. She then flounces back over to the bar leaving a stunned and silenced group behind her.

I swallow once, glancing at the women before following after Tifa.

'Well, that went a lot better than it could of.'

Shut up Zack.

'Good thing you got Tifa to watch out for your defenseless ass and all.'

Shut up Zack.

'I mean, without her, you could've had all your innocence taken away in one fell swoop.'

I hate you.

'I forgive you...after such traumatic moments people always say things they don't mean.'

Oh trust me, I freaking mean it.

THANKS TO EVERYONE SO FAR!

( ) - that was an anonymous reviewer…their name was space, -.XxX.Alone-4eva-Solita.XxX.-, .Angel.x.In.x.Disguise, .winteroverture, 0-0-K-I-T-T-Y-0-0, 0xShelkyx0, 1frickingirl, 234Lily234, Admiral Andalite, Aiden Strifehart, AirGrl, AkimaDoll, Albedo's Will To Power, Alexia Alexendra, Alice001, Altais, Alyde, Amaranthos, Ameria-chan, AmoebazFantasy, AmyRoseAi, Ana Luminita, Anansay, Ange De Crystale, AngelofWrath, Anonymous, Anonymous x Writer, Arie Under Presure, Arisa K, Artemis Maxima, Ash Ai, AzNAnGeL07, AzurePlague, Basia Lynn, Bells of Requiem, Bianka-chanBinkledup, Bio, Biskitty, Bloo.Chocolate, Blue Paper Crane, Bluishorbs, Bytemite, C2-Chikaru, Calistar Heir, CanoeingCutieCardcaptor Hikari, CerberusL, Ceressky, Chaotic Arcadia, Chaotic Symphony, Cheapy Corp., ChiCkkie, ChibiTeef, ChieriAn9el, City of Dis, Ckeffer, CloudForTifa, Cloudti123, CrazyKidDeath, Creative Spark, CreepyCuteness, CrimsinRed, Crying-Nocturne-IX, DarkxKunoichi, Darkness Eternal, Dark Angel, Daylight, DC, DemonLoulou, Devils'kin, Dragon D., DrugFreeBoy, Duderman, Eleidin, Elentaria, Eloa, ellumina, ErekLich, Excelr8.Speed48, FFVII-AC, Faelia, FairyIce, Fall of Normality, Fenrir X), Fenrir21, Fiery Diamond, FinalxHeaven, Fire Behind Your Eyes, FlowerGirls, Free The Dancing Lamas, Frek, G.M.Potter, Gabriela Black, Galaxia Alpha, GaleBread, Garnetstartif, GameConsoleMaster, General Dragon, Ghostly, Gition, Hakubaiko, Heartless, Hitokiri no Makka, InjuredPelican, Iskra Revoir Jaci, Jade003, Janettelle, Jezzi, JingYee, Just Mystical, Just.Short. 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