Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of Square Enix, Inc. No infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is a Cloud and Tifa story, just with a dramatic twist due to his absence. They will be happy later.

Hello, I know I said 2023 would be different for updates. But I'm going to be upfront about why most of last year and this year I've been sporadic with my schedule.

My mother got a rare and aggressive cancer in 2022 and then suddenly passed away four months ago. Her results before were always so good and getting better, and her doctors were very optimistic. I was completely shocked at how the treatments stopped working and there was nothing else they could do for her. I stayed by her side until she was gone and it's been really hard with her absence.

My father's cancer is also back. To say this has been a complicated time would be an understatement but I am trying to stay positive and strong through this.

Going forward, I'll be doing my best here. I obviously had a mental block during my grief and started to slowly keep up with my writing goals again.

Thank you to my friends and readers in the community for being so sympathetic during this difficult time. Your kindness has been truly appreciated. I hope you enjoy this update and I look forward to your reviews. Also, much appreciation to my beta readers in this Cloud and Tifa reunion arc: Kelleyj17 and mayelisa from Ao3.

-. Don't Think Twice .-

Chapter XXVI

January 27th, εγλ 0010, 11:16 a.m.

Cloud: I managed to get an extended lunch today. Should I stop by the house instead?

Tifa smiled upon reading his text about their plans to meet up today. She was both anxious and excited about this moment. The purpose of today was to meet up and talk about moving forward with their new beginning before they ventured out on their first date. There hadn't been much time for her and Cloud since the revelation at his apartment, from the couch to the bedroom…and the willingness to try again. It was a busy weekend with the bar reopening even though she had her regular staff waiting tables and taking drink orders.

That Friday she took a nap, packed up her belongings, and left to get Seventh Heaven ready now that the heat was back on. She tried calling her husband that day but he was stuck in a meeting. There was still so much to prep for her dinner service that evening but she just wanted to hear his voice again after the past few days. Looking between the ingredients on the counter and her phone, she decided to send a quick text to give her a call around 10:30 p.m. that night before diving into her workload.

The evening went by quickly with patrons coming in and ordering food and drink at a rate faster than she could keep up with. The next few moments were seared into her memory: after jotting down the latest order she started to make her way back to the bar and then froze in her tracks. She took in the shock of blond hair and striking blue eyes across the bar followed by the two little kids in front of him, all smiling at her. It wrung her heart into a puddle to see Cloud showing up with Marlene and Denzel like that. While the children were sitting down at the table, she caught his arm as he passed her by.

"I wasn't expecting you here tonight. Not that I mind."

"I just needed to see you."

She blushed. "Did you get my text about calling me later?"

"Yeah. But like I said, I just needed to see you."

Cloud, Denzel, and Marlene only stayed at the bar for an hour that night. The kids gave her a farewell hug while her husband gave her a soft smile and nod before they left. Tifa went back to mixing drinks behind the bar and later that night she managed to step away to take a call from Cloud. He asked about her night and told her it was wonderful to see her after that morning in his kitchen, and how he just wished he could've hugged her too.

Just remembering the confession made her smile. Then he proposed they go out to talk before they go on their first date.

"We can meet up on Monday during my lunch to talk. Then we can go from there."

"Just give me a time and place, and I'll get us a table."

"We should also think about how to get around the kids," Cloud pointed out. "I don't want this to be confusing for them right now."

"Yuffie will probably have an idea for that."

"Hoo boy."

Tifa giggled. "You know we were going to have to ask for her help one way or another. She's helped us before."

"Yeah, just like old times." She loved that she could hear the smile in his voice.

They had a few more late-night phone calls, though all were less than twenty minutes since Cloud didn't want to keep her up too late. It was nice listening to his voice while leaning back on her bed, basking in his charm, and hashing out date details. He was looking forward to this as much as she was.

Her stomach filled with butterflies thinking about the last week between her and Cloud. She began typing out her response to his text.

Tifa: Yeah. Did you want me to make us something to eat? I can make those club sandwiches pretty fast.

And sent. Then a phone chime shortly followed.

Cloud: Sounds great. Thank you, Tifa. See ya soon.

After putting her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, she grabbed the ingredients from her refrigerator to begin prepping. Lettuce, tomato, turkey, avocado, bacon, and a small jar of mayonnaise. While the bacon was cooking in the frying pan, she retrieved the bread from the countertop box and began toasting a few slices. Cloud would be here soon and she'd be ready for him.

She was building the sandwiches when she heard him walk through the front door of the tavern. His footsteps grew louder and louder until he opened the pocket door to the kitchen.

"Hey," Cloud greeted softly.

She turned to him with a smile. "Hey."

The top few buttons of his shirt were undone, both of his sleeves were rolled up, and his necktie hung loosely around his neck. He wasn't donning his blazer and his coat must've been on the rack by the front door. Cloud looked incredibly handsome, leaning against her counter with his hands in the pockets of his work pants. The navy fabric of the WRO uniform brought out the color in his bright blue eyes, but her eyes wandered to his exposed forearms. Even though he took a desk job, his arms still looked so capable and strong.

But he wasn't here for her to dwell on his good looks. She diverted her eyes back up to his. "Shall we eat and then talk?"

"Yeah," he replied while stepping away from the counter and closing the distance to her. He grabbed both plates, giving her a small smirk when he noticed her blushing. "After you."

She knew he caught her checking him out, but how could she not when she hasn't seen him for a few days? Not even bothering to deny it, she walked to the table where they both took their seats.

Tifa recalled the weekend success of her bar reopening, how she almost ran out of food for her customers on Saturday but Rem came to the rescue. It's always a big hit when she does a dinner menu but the demand that weekend was more than she planned for. Cloud listened intently as she talked, but only summed up how the last week he had in the office could've just been a damn email.

"They are making me wear a tie to these things and the meetings are a waste of time."

"I actually like seeing you in a tie."

His brows lifted up. "You do?"

She nodded.

"Then it's not a total waste to wear them." His eyes sparkled when he said that. There was a moment of comfortable silence between them while staring into each other's eyes from across the table. There wasn't any tension, but Cloud ended the silence between them with his words. "We should probably get to talking soon."

Tifa stood up from her chair. "The couch would be more comfortable."

His silent agreement was apparent when he followed her to the living room area, each sitting on their side of the couch with one cushion spaced in between them. She brought up her legs to curl under her, leaning her back on the accent pillow. Cloud crossed one leg up while the other hung on the side when he was facing her, putting his back to the armrest. His arm was propped up on the headrest.

"Maybe we should start with what we want from one another," he began. "Like what we need to do differently this time around."

Tifa thought for a few minutes before she responded. "Some of what I needed is something you're already doing."

"Oh?"

"You've been more accessible to our family…and it was one of the reasons I thought trying again would work out this time. You were proving what kind of man you would be if we were together again."

"We could communicate better." Cloud suggested. It was one of their biggest downfalls.

Even though they had been communicating about their family, there was still more to do. "About our feelings? Our…insecurities?"

The blond nodded in agreement.

Tifa wasn't so sure what to say in return and crossed her arms over her belly. This was about what she had confessed the other night.

"I know I screwed this up for us, Cloud. Really bad. I wanted a better commitment with you before you left us. Now I'm just so scared. I love you but I'm scared after the back and forth."

It was an honest point to bring up. Nothing will change if nothing changes on both of their ends, right? She gazed down at her lap while she gathered up the nerve to finally speak. After building the new bar and living here together as a family, she didn't share her uncertainties with him very much. Tifa was always afraid he would run off if she did, which did happen after she opened up to him one Christmas Eve.

Things were different now and if she wanted this to work, she had to do her part in trying. Another moment passed by and she took a deep breath while keeping her head down.

"I am nervous about this approach. I understand it but still…I'm just scared you'll have one foot in the door while the other is on the way out. I worry you might leave once the baby is here. Or when I am much further into my pregnancy."

"I sometimes wonder if that guy will ever try and come back."

Tifa looked up and blinked at him. "No."

"No? What will happen if he ever shows up here?"

"He won't," she shook her head, her chest tightening up. "He wants nothing to do with the baby and I think it's better that way after the materia he used on me."

"He isn't the type to change his mind?" Cloud prodded.

"He told me to get rid of it," she admitted to him. "So that's how I know he won't come back and why I don't care for him to show up."

"What an asshole," he muttered while looking away. She noticed his hand on the headrest turned into a fist.

She couldn't say she disagreed.

"I can't assure you how I am going to feel about the baby. I'm still getting used to the idea, but I know I should at least try to make this work," Cloud stated. He ran his hand through his hair and looked her in the eyes. "To try and be happy…not let anything hold me back. I can only promise that I won't be going anywhere whatever way it works out. I love you too much to not try."

"We're still a family Tifa, even if we're not together."

"I love you too much to not try either."

"I'm glad you understand," he replied. "And I'm glad you trusted me enough to share your feelings with me. I know that didn't go so well before I left."

That Christmas Eve late into the night outside his room. It wasn't a pleasant memory for her. She was kissing him and he just pushed her away from him…

"It won't be like that this time."

"I know," Tifa smiled back at him. "You've proven that to me a lot these past few months."

"Don't ever hesitate with your old fears," Cloud said. "If you need to talk, I'll listen."

"You too."

"Yeah," he ran his hand through his hair again. It was a cute habit he displayed when he was nervous.

"So, one date at a time…how will that go?"

"Isn't it weird that we've been married for over two years and have only ever been on one date?"

Tifa giggled. "We were never the conventional couple."

"No, we weren't." He was beaming. "But I thought it might be good to try it for once. You get dressed up, I take you out, and then I drop you off at home with a goodnight kiss. Ask you out on another, then repeat."

"That sounds nice," she felt warm inside. Maybe this one date at a time wouldn't be so bad. They were both trying and that's all she could ask for. "Would Wednesday work for you?"

"Tifa, I'm supposed to ask you that."

"Oh, right ," she blushed. "So much for trying to be like a conventional couple."

He laughed. "Yeah," he looked down at his watch. "I really should start heading back."

Both of them raised themselves off the couch at the same time. "I'll walk you out."

Cloud led the way out through the bar area and reached for his jacket on the coat rack. Silently, he put it on while she waited, and adjusted the crooked collar. His hand searched around inside his jacket before he presented her with a yellow stargazer lily.

Her chest tightened upon seeing the golden petals and she reached out to take it from his hand. It was surprisingly romantic, just like he did a few years ago in her old bar. She smiled softly at the flower while recalling the special meaning: lovers used to give these when they reunited. And in a sense, they surely were.

"Tifa, will you go out with me for a date Wednesday night?" The look in his eyes stole her breath away.

"Yes." She looked up and her smile grew bigger.

"I'll talk to you later." Before he departed, he placed a chaste kiss on her lips to say goodbye.

January 27th, εγλ 0010, 05:45 p.m.

Yuffie: Tifa just told me about the date. Finally! I'm so happy for you both. Where are you taking her?

Cloud: I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Yuffie: I can help!

Cloud: I appreciate the enthusiasm but I got this handled.

Yuffie: At least tell me when you do so I can help her pick out an outfit.

Cloud: Will do.

He put his phone down after rereading the text messages he had with Yuffie earlier that day. Even though she was always inserting herself into his love life and it had kinda annoyed him, he knew she meant well.

Cloud felt rather foolish sitting in front of his laptop. Taking Tifa out one date at a time was one thing, but figuring out where to take her was another. He'd never dated before while she had, so he had to bring his A-game this Wednesday. Even though that one date that they were on at the Gold Saucer was really fun, he didn't think fighting dragons and dancing on stage should be a repeat. The gondola ride that night where Tifa shyly confessed her feelings to him was the best part.

There wouldn't be a fireworks show to take her to anytime soon so there he sat in front of a keyboard researching date ideas. Cloud typed in "best places for a first date in Edge" into the search engine bar and a few articles popped up that ranked them in order. The first three choices he didn't think would work. Sitting down in a restaurant to eat and talk might be too much for them, and he wanted to ease the tension of a first date by picking a fun spot. It was the fourth option on the list that caught his eye.

He never knew there was a place like this in Edge before. Cloud clicked the link to the venue and read the contents on the About page.

This place would be like their first date but also different. And both he and Tifa would have to dress up for it.

Cloud: Found the perfect place.

Then he forwarded a link to the venue.

Yuffie: Whoa Strife. I didn't know you had it in you.

Cloud: I'm trying.

Yuffie: I can tell. This is going to be so great! There are so many great dresses she can wear to this place!

Cloud: Don't make her wear something she wouldn't feel comfortable in, please.

Yuffie: You're no fun! You'd get the biggest benefit of a low neckline all evening…

Cloud: Yuffie…

Yuffie: I'll keep it tame yet sexy, I swear!

Cloud: Thanks.

His knee was shaking while he held the phone in his hands. Taking a deep breath, he sent Tifa a text message.

Cloud: How does meeting up at 7:30 pm sound for Wednesday? No dinner, just going to have fun for our first date.

It took her little time to respond to him.

Tifa: Sounds perfect. Where are we going?

Cloud: That's a surprise, but I did tell Yuffie so she can help you get ready. She promised to keep it tame.

Tifa: I'll hold her to that :)

He smiled, placing his phone in his pocket before turning his attention back to the website. Cloud knew he had to get fancy clothes for this place too, but he didn't have much. And he wasn't going to be able to wear the same suit he got for the play either. Scratching the back of his head, he summed up to himself he was going to have to do a little shopping for himself tonight. Getting up, he grabbed both his coat and wallet and headed out to the streets of Edge.

January 29th, εγλ 0010, 6:54 p.m.

Tifa was in her bedroom getting ready for her date with Cloud. Yuffie had come into town yesterday and after going through her closet to see what dresses she had, her friend declared them all unwearable. They were purchased for that stupid jockey and thus immediately lame, according to her. Even through Yuffie's theatrics of grabbing a trash bag and stuffing the dresses in it, Yuffie promised to donate them and bought her new ones.

Yuffie had dragged her to a boutique and made her try on a few dresses, but let Tifa know she did have the final say. But the ninja kept the date details a secret from her. Tifa had worn casual yet pretty dresses for her dates with Jace, but the ones that Yuffie had her try on led her to believe this wasn't your typical date.

Tifa was already anxious about tonight but had become more nervous than ever before. The dresses that she had tried on were of a fancier variety. Tonight wasn't a dinner date, so what did Cloud have planned? Butterflies flourished in her stomach over the aspect of finally going on a date with her husband. Married for over two years and tonight was officially their first traditional date.

It was only an hour ago that Yuffie had arrived at the house, toting along her makeup case for the both of them. Since both Tifa and Cloud wanted to keep it from the kids that they were trying out dating one another, the official story for tonight was that Yuffie needed a girls' night out. And thus, both of them needed to dress up for the evening…

Surprisingly, Yuffie had picked out a dress with a rather subdued neckline. It was a long sleeve bodycon dress, in a scarlet red and a v-neck, so her chest was modestly covered yet still showed some cleavage. When Tifa had tried it on at the boutique she was impressed with not only how great she looked in it, but how comfortable the snug dress was.

The dress that Yuffie had picked out for herself was a little more revealing but still red: a sparkly mini skirt with straps. They would be a couple of ladies in red tonight, but Yuffie dressing up wasn't a waste of her time. After she dropped off Tifa, she was going to meet up with her boyfriend for the evening.

"Am I ever going to meet your mystery guy?" Tifa asked as she adjusted her dress while standing in front of the mirror over her dresser. Her makeup was already complete, which was red lipstick, natural contour, and metallic rose eyeshadow.

Yuffie was leaning into the same mirror and carefully held up the mascara to her eyelashes. "Mmm, maybe someday. But not anytime soon."

"Why not?"

"Well, my boyfriend just wants to keep it to ourselves for a little longer. It's nothing about you. He likes what he hears about you. And Spiky."

"Hmm, so this is about Godo." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"I'd have to quit the WRO if Dad knew I was dating anyone outside of a 'man of honor'. So my boyfriend's worried about the Wutaian court trying to make me illegitimate over gossip."

"I see." So it was someone Yuffie could never marry, making her mystery guy just about anyone.

"That's nice he's worried about your career."

"Yeah, it is. He can be pretty sweet without trying."

"Can I at least get a name? You've been talking about this guy for months and I still don't have one for him." Tifa still remembered how Yuffie called her up on the phone that the guy she had been crushing on just kissed her out of the blue one day. There had been an intense argument, then a kiss, and soon enough, Yuffie explained their clothes were on the floor. It wasn't her friend's first time but had explicitly noted it was so much different than the boy from the summer before.

"Not yet." Yuffie only smiled at her in the mirror.

"Whoever he is, he must love you a lot."

"He does… but I only have freedom til I'm 25 years old to do what I want. And who I want." Yuffie turned to Tifa, wagging her eyebrows. The ninja never liked talking about the arranged marriage she'd eventually have to go through with. Godo gave her a time limit before Yuffie had to be tied down to her duty.

"This place that Spiky picked out is pretty amazing," Yuffie changed the subject, putting down the mascara and picking up an eyelash curler. She never really liked dwelling on her impending betrothal, so Tifa didn't either.

"Oh, so you've been there?"

"Yeah, but it was recon work," Yuffie finished up her eyelashes. "Still really fun though."

Tifa leaned up against her dresser. She wanted to pry more but knew Cloud wanted to surprise her, so she held herself back. The unknown was kind of thrilling for her.

"Tifa! Yuffie! Your cab is here!" Marlene had called up the stairs to them.

"Time to go. Are you nervous?"

Tifa shook her head while showing a smile. There were butterflies in her stomach, but they were present for a different reason. She and Cloud were taking a huge step tonight and there was nothing more exciting than that.

January 29th, εγλ 0010, 7:27 p.m.

Cloud had arrived ten minutes ago at the meeting spot he instructed Yuffie to go to and had paid for parking Fenrir on the curbside. He was a few blocks from the venue but that was all planned to not spoil the surprise for Tifa. As a business owner, she would've guessed easily by the street address.

Tonight was going to be a first step for them. They never officially dated before marriage, rushing through their relationship and hurting each other with mutual downfalls. Cloud trusted Tifa in battle but they never trusted each other enough to tell the truth.

His impending death.

Her moving on without him.

He would have given anything to go back in time to prevent this, but he couldn't. Now he could only find a reason to start over new.

And the reason was her . The girl next door who caught his eye as a young boy.

So here he was, waiting on this cold night for their first date in brand-new clothes. It wasn't over the top but Tifa would surely notice the change. Cloud had bought a pair of dark charcoal slacks and a black button-down shirt that he left untucked under his leather coat. He wanted to look sharp but still like himself.

Checking his phone, he saw Yuffie had sent a text that she got into the cab with Tifa eighteen minutes ago. Should be any minute now , Cloud thought to himself while putting the phone back into his pocket. He didn't want to appear anxious to his wife upon her arrival, but he truly was. Even if it was officially their second date, it felt like a first to him. He threaded his fingers through his hair quickly but his heart skipped a beat upon hearing a car turning onto the street. Looking down the road he saw a yellow vehicle approaching him.

This was finally it, they were finally doing this: dating. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down before the cab slowed in front of him. Under the street light, he could see Tifa through the back car window. She was staring up at him with large, ruby eyes and her perfect lips curved into a smile. Tifa was always the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, but her eyes sparkling with excitement had his heart thundering inside his chest.

"Heya, Spiky. I finally got her here," Yuffie stated while emerging from the other side of the cab.

Even when Yuffie closed the car door, he didn't take his eyes away from Tifa. But the sound prompted him to open her car door and hold out his hand like a gentleman. She took his offer and raised out of the car with ease. Tifa's eyes wandered down to his lips, then back up to meet his gaze. His wife looked excited yet nervous.

Cloud felt the same way and his voice caught in his throat. Her gray woolen coat covered what she was wearing, but he saw the hemline of a red dress beneath it. His wife wasn't one to wear makeup often, but tonight she had put on rose gold eye shadow that shimmered around her eyes and a crimson shade on her lips. He couldn't tell if she had blush on or if it was the cold night air, but he always loved how rosy her cheeks got.

Tifa was simply stunning tonight.

"You look…really pretty," he eventually managed to say while still holding her hand. His wife showed up in a heavy winter coat yet still looked like a goddess and that's all he could say? He took a hard swallow, already feeling foolish for not coming up with something better.

"You don't look half bad yourself," Tifa flashed him one of her best smiles after teasing him. She stepped up to the sidewalk to get closer to him.

"I hope this date isn't just you two eye fucking each other on the curbside all night," Yuffie flippantly announced from behind them. "You haven't even seen her dress yet, Spiky."

Her comment had both their faces turning bright red, and had broken up their mutual trance. Tifa let go of his hand after turning away from the embarrassment. Even Cloud had forgotten the other girl was still there.

"Yuffie…"

"I even took a picture to make it last longer," she proclaimed while pointing to her smartphone before typing on the keyboard. "See? I'll send it to you two." Instantly, both his and Tifa's phones chimed together.

"I'm already regretting using her as a cover." Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose.

Tifa looked at her phone screen and smiled. "This is a good picture of us, Cloud."

He moved his hand away from his face and glanced down. Even though he didn't like how officious Yuffie was getting tonight, Cloud had to admit she had photographic talent. He decided after seeing how pleased Tifa was with the photo, he was going to keep the picture too.

"This is great. Thank you for everything, Yuffie," Tifa moved to hug her.

"Yeah, thank you," Cloud spoke with a softer tone this time. "Sorry, you got dressed up for nothing tonight."

Yuffie released Tifa from their hug and slipped a hand to the inside of her coat and planted it on her hip. Her mini sparkle dress was now revealed to them both. "Oh, I'm sure my boyfriend won't mind when I show up like this."

Boyfriend? His mako eyes tapered down to the ninja girl in front of him. "Wait…you have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Yuffie haughtily smiled at him. She was aware that this newfound information wasn't settling well for him.

"When did you get a boyfriend?" Cloud questioned again.

"You know, it doesn't matter," Tifa placed a palm on his chest, trying to interject.

"Did you know that she had a boyfriend?" He looked at Tifa this time.

"I don't even know his name," Tifa said before biting her lower lip.

"Oh, okay," Cloud shrugged before pointing to Yuffie. "So you can barge into our love lives for months and we know next to nothing about yours?"

"Yeah, and you better get used to it, buddy. You two had me be a witness to your wedding, so I need to make sure you two work out." Yuffie teased both of them. "Now just focus on having a great time tonight. This date has been long overdue."

Cloud sighed knowing that in the end, Yuffie was right. But he couldn't let his inner older brother's instinct go. "Fine, but I will find out more about this boyfriend eventually."

"Ha, as if! I'd be more concerned about me hearing a raving report from your wife in the morning." Yuffie shooed them away before walking back over to the cab. "Just get going, already."

Cloud clasped his hand around Tifa's and they both bid Yuffie to have a good evening. Tonight, he had more important things to tend to, so he tugged his wife in the direction of their surprise date. She had a blissful smile on her face while walking beside him, hand-in-hand.

"I like this," Tifa murmured next to him. Her other hand had crossed over and grasped onto his bicep.

"I like this too," Cloud looked down into her eyes and squeezed her hand. Open affection wasn't something they did often before, even if it was just simply holding each other's hands. "But I think you're going to like your surprise even more tonight."

Her claret eyes surveyed their surroundings, then widened when they stumbled upon the neon-illuminated place he picked out. Tifa chuckled slightly upon the realization of what he had in store for them tonight but couldn't help smiling at him. The music was rumbling from inside with a crowd out front, but at least the line to get into Lamia Lounge wasn't that long. It was a brand new music club that opened up a couple of months ago on the outer edge of well, Edge.

"You can't be serious, Cloud Strife."

"Oh, I am very serious, Tifa Lockhart."

"I can't really dance," she shyly confessed.

"With the few moves I've witnessed, I wouldn't worry about that," he whispered into her ear. He wasn't trying to be suggestive with his statement but he realized she did when her cheeks colored at his words. "We've danced together before, haven't we?"

"If you could call it that," Tifa snorted, clearly remembering their night at the Gold Saucer.

"Just follow my lead. Ready?"

"Ready."

Cloud opened the doors to Lamia Lounge, putting his palm on her lower back to lead her inside. He told the host at the podium his name and that he had a reservation; they nodded after checking the list. Cloud then motioned for Tifa to turn around and took off her coat for the staff to put away. Her tight scarlet dress was finally revealed to him and she slowly turned back around to simper at him. The slanted neckline wasn't too low but still fully demonstrated her incredible curves.

"Forget what I said earlier," he said while slipping out of his coat before he handed it to the host to put away. "You look amazing."

"Oh," she blushed. "Yuffie picked it out."

"Then she should take you out shopping more."

She looked at him for a long moment, taking in his attire. His top was a solid black cotton top that had a few unfastened buttons near the top. He had rolled up the sleeves to be tight around his forearms and had on dark gray slacks. Cloud wasn't overly dressed up for tonight, but with how Tifa's eyes roamed over him, appreciating what he was wearing.

"You look…really handsome tonight," she finally managed to say.

"Even without a tie?" Cloud teased, recalling that moment in the house.

Tifa glanced at the area exposed above his chest then went back up to his face. He loved how her cheeks were getting rosy and how her irises danced with his. "Even without a tie."

Cloud offered his hand and tightened it around hers, leading her out to the dance floor between the crowd. The music was a light jazz beat and he hadn't danced like this in a while but he was sure with the upkeep in his combat skills he could lead them just fine. He brought her closer by putting his hand on her lower back and held up their joint hands in the proper position. And his heart swelled when her eyes lit up at him after taking the first few successful dance steps.

He moved slowly with her and concentrated on her face. Being so close to Tifa, he found he couldn't get over how thick her eyelashes were. Making her cherry eyes more enticing, he wouldn't have a problem getting lost in them for hours.

"What made you pick this place tonight?"

"I thought it would be kinda like our first date, with the dancing and music."

"Just no knights, wizards, or dragons." Tifa chuckled in his ear and he loved how her breath tickled his skin.

"Thought we try to be more like the conventional couple tonight."

"Do you think we passed?"

"Probably not," Cloud answered. "Hang on, I'm going to twirl you." His arm vaulted up to spin her and in a few steps, she floated back to him with her palm flat against his chest. Her cheeks turned rouge and her lips formed the perfect 'o'. Tifa was astounded but in a happy way. "Not bad?"

"You're…really good at this."

"I didn't take the dance lessons because I wanted to. Everyone trying out for SOLDIER had to do it."

"Glad to see you still got it."

The music switched up to a quicker pace, signaling a good time for a break. "How about we sit down and grab a drink?"

"Yeah."

Many of the other couples had opted for the current rhythm so finding an open table wasn't difficult. Tifa picked out a drink from the virgin cocktails list while he just opted for a cola from the waitress. They stayed huddled over the table for a few songs while making small talk about movies from their childhood. Her eyes widened after he brought up how the actor and actress from the Galaxy Wars movies were in additional films together.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it was an archeology adventure trilogy."

"Sounds like something my dad would've watched at home. Why didn't he?" Her lips were shiny despite her face twisting in wonder.

And he couldn't help but stare at them.

"Well, the guy who cut off Leo's hand was a villain in the first movie. He probably didn't want to traumatize you again."

"Stop," she whined before rolling her eyes at him. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?" She leaned forward to take a sip through her straw, her hand propping up her cheek in the cutest way. Her eyes sparkled up at him, a shade darker than her usual red. And he was really liking it.

Beautiful.

Now he wished that he had taken her out on dates sooner. But there were other factors in the way, one that he yearned to be different this time around.

"Probably not."

"Maybe I could prove you wrong then," she teased him back with a smile.

"I guess I'll have to show them to you sometime."

Her hand reached over to cover his. "I'd really like that."

Cloud didn't say anything to her, but instead turned over his palm to hold hers in return on the tabletop. Enjoying the harmony between them, he finished up the drink next to him while staring into her eyes. Tifa was just as mesmerized as he was and he could tell she was mustering up something to say.

"What is it, Tifa?"

Her face was both shy and hopeful. "I never thought we would ever go out on a date like this, but tonight has exceeded my expectations."

"It's not over yet. Come on."

He beckoned her back out to the dance floor, setting them both back into the proper position before making her move with him. Each step, each turn, and each sway he led her with, Tifa's eyes stayed warm and lively as she smiled up at him.

"This is so nice, Cloud. I wish I had known you danced like this sooner," she said into his ear.

"Couldn't risk Barret finding out how SOLDIER trains," he chuckled back before turning serious. "But I wish I told you sooner too. There are a lot of things I wish I did sooner with you."

"I know what you mean."

"I can promise it'll be different this time, Tifa," Cloud whispered under his breath. Then he twirled her in an underarm turn twice quickly, feeling her hair whip against his shirt.

"I can already tell it is, Cloud," Tifa gazed up at him, her carmine eyes filled with certainty.

His hands slowly trailed up her back before passing through her hair. Cloud tucked a few strands behind her ear, and he both felt and saw how nervous she was under his fingertips. They were married to each other but this was a whole new territory for them: openly affectionate in public and dating.

Tifa's swaying slowed down after he cupped her cheek with one hand. Cloud was one breath away when her hands were on his shoulders and her eyes surrendered shut. With deliberate slowness, he brushed his lips back and forth across hers. He was delirious over the scent of her hair, the tenderness of her lips, and how they tasted like cherry lime soda. But he was most taken away by the small pants she released in between kisses.

Cloud's hand slipped down to her lower back and grounded her body against his, assuring her this was it for him. That Tifa was his everything. Her fingers had threaded onto the hair at the nape of his neck and she pushed her mouth to further mesh into his. They had stopped dancing; Cloud was focused on trying to get closer to her by tilting his head.

Gaia, she was breathtaking.

His intentions were that he would try with her, but right now there was no way he could easily walk away from her. From the moment Cloud made a promise to her under the starlight sky, Tifa was who he existed for.

Author's Note Continued: Awww, they finally went out on their first date. Halfway through the content in this chapter, I ended up changing a lot while writing it, so it was quite a process. I'm so glad these two sat down and had a talk about their relationship before going out. I had to have them do that and they will continue to talk and have fun; two things they are not used to doing together. Their date was mostly writing in free-flow and I'm surprised how it turned out. I'll be working on Chapter 27 slowly.

Hope you are enjoying the release of Final Fantasy XVI and the recent trailer for Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.