27: Blessed

Tifa woke up that morning with a permanent smile etched on her mouth. "Happy birthday," she whispered to herself as she got up from bed. The scent of the coffee mingling with the bacons' was delightful. Outside, her pool shimmered like it was full of diamonds. A butterfly fluttered past and rested on top of a rose. Her phone rang.

"Hello Cloud… good morning!" she said.

"Good morning, Teef…um… happy birthday!" he said. Cloud's voice was warm, and it dripped with sleepiness. She could tell that he had just woken up. "I love you."

"Aww… thanks Cloud. I love you too!"

He chuckled a little, then yawned. "Wait for me there. I'll come over and pick you up, okay?"

"Alright."

"Later then."

"Later…"

Half an hour passed before she heard his Fenrir revving towards her home. It was pretty normal for Tifa to rush to her door whenever she hears his motorbike coming. Like a little girl, or something. She felt really wonderful whenever this happens. Cloud disembarked from his bike, and waved to her before he took off his helmet. He was wearing an all-black outfit again. He had a leather jacket on. He was Gaiadamned sexy in it.

Tifa half ran to meet him at the middle of her pathway. Cloud pulled her close and embraced her. "Happy birthday again," he whispered. "Thank you, again." Tifa giggled in his ear.

He pulled away from her and pecked her cheek. "We need to go to the Lexington Square now, huh?"

"Yeah…let me just get my bag."

"Okay."

Lexington Square was bustling with busybodies by the time that the couple arrived. It was the day before the show, and everybody had to make sure that everything would work as planned. Rufus and Lazard met them at the backdoor, where they were entering.

"Happy birthday darling girl!" Lazard said, embracing Tifa like an affectionate mother. He kissed both her cheeks and handed her a small package. "This is for you."

"Thank you Lazard."

"I reserved the Y Bar for us later tonight." Rufus said. "Who do you want to invite for the party? Of course, aside from the ones working with us today…" he murmured.

"I'll tell you who before lunch time, I promise."

When they entered, the staffers stopped their chatter and work and greeted Tifa a happy birthday. There was a small cake, covered in vanilla icing, with a single candle. "Make a wish," the one holding it for her whispered.

Make a wish? Tifa thought. What could she possibly ask for now? She's got more than what she had originally hoped for. She glanced at Cloud and smiled, and then her eyes flickered towards her staff. Her risks were worth it. Maybe running away had its advantages sometimes, after all. Oh Tifa, stop it, just blow the candle already...

With a huff, she blew out the single, tiny flame and everybody clapped for her. They sang her a short happy birthday then Rufus ordered them to return to work, the celebration would continue afterwards. The couple walked backstage, hand in hand.

"Do you have the final list of songs, Dionne?" she asked.

The younger man turned to her and let his green eyes meet hers. "Yep," he answered. "would you like to hear the final arrangement? I kind of mixed them all together…"

Tifa nodded and took the headset from the sound engineer. It was a forty-eight-minute remix, and it was brilliantly done. "Dionne this is very good!" she said after listening to the track. "The melodramatic violin intro was an almost tearjerker, you know. Then the slow, upbeat rhythms come in… I just love it. It just… just… makes me want to ignore the whole world around me… oh Gaia…"

"Er. I know. It's nice." Dionne deadpanned. "So… is this the one? I mean… I think I messed up at 18:30 or 32, haha."

"No, you totally did not mess up. I'm sure that the crowd will love it."

Rufus cleared his throat and said, "Then… shall we execute the final rehearsal?"

Everything went smoothly that afternoon. The rehearsal ended after exactly forty-seven and fifty seconds. The runway was covered in red glitters and silver-spray painted rose petals. Heart Locker's logo holograms would be flashed at the side of the runway during the show. The staff watched the lights and holograms being adjusted according to the collection. Heart Locker was all set for tomorrow.

"Alright everybody. It's celebration time!" Rufus announced.

Clinks of glasses and loud laughter resonated from inside the club. Y Club had been closed down especially for their group that night, just as Rufus had promised.

"Sorry we're late, Tifa!" Aerith quickly amended as she and Zack entered. The bubbly brunette held a huge bouquet in her arms. "These are for you. Happy birthday!"

"It's okay, Aerith. Thank you, it's so beautiful!" The two girls embraced. "Though… I was kind of worried when you two disappeared after the rehearsals." Tifa laughed as they sat down.

Somebody asked the group to quiet down. "Alright… before we start eating, why don't we give Tifa our messages?" Lazard said with a cheery tone. "I'll go first. Alright?" Everybody nodded. He took a deep breath. "Okay… here it goes. When I first met Tifa, it was a rather sad Saturday morning. Well, I think the weather was sad. Whatevs. Anyway, it's been five years, and let me tell you darling, that I have loved every second of the time we spent together. You're my Barbie doll. My baby. The daughter I don't have yet. I love you in that way, so if Cloud here ever makes you cry, just come to me and I'll show him how sorry he'll be. Kidding aside, I hope that you continue to reach greater heights, to reach things beyond your dreams. I pray that you and Cloud carry on and get stronger as time passes. Happy birthday baby girl!"

When Lazard took his seat, Rufus stood up. "Hmm… well, happy birthday, Tifa. Congratulations on breaking out of your shell, on becoming who you want to be. I know that we have had our ups and downs, and that we had more downs than ups, but I'm happy that you didn't let disappointment and the monsters get to you. I'm sorry if I was really annoying in the past, but that was only to ensure your future in this harsh world you're in right now. Gaia, I sound so out of character, but keep up the good work, Tifa. We will always be behind you if you ever need help."

Shelly, one of the staffers, stood up. Tifa could remember that she had brought her coffee during one of the preparations. "Um... first of all, happy birthday miss Tifa. I just feel so honored to be greeting you happy birthday face to face, you know? I always thought you were just like the other stars I had worked with before, snobby with diva personalities. But… you're so different, you know? You're very nice, very helpful. May Gaia bless you always. H-happy birthday!"

Tifa smiled and nodded at Shelly, who awkwardly smiled back. Still starstruck.

"Hey, Cloud hasn't spoken a word yet!"

"Oh yeah!" the rest agreed.

"Oh no… I'd rather not." Cloud muttered under his breath. Tifa looked up at him expectantly. He scratched his head and frowned. "Nervous?" Tifa whispered.

"No I'm not nervous." He answered. "It's just that I can't find the right words to tell you how happy I am that I'm celebrating your birthday with you. Um, a year ago, you and I didn't know each other. We were living separate worlds. I was a delivery boy and you're this unreachable star. But I never knew that we would become friends. I felt like the luckiest guy on the Planet because we were friends. Then when you went away and came to me when you got back, I was really honored. And now… I…"

"Oh cut it out you!" Zack laughed. "We're all starting to swoon here!"

"Zack, let Cloud have his moment," Aerith said.

"Sorry."

Cloud chuckled. "And now that we're together, I couldn't ask for anything more. I wish you all the best and happiness. I hope that I will always make you smile, and if I disappoint you, tell me. I would do anything to make you happy… so…"

Tifa shut him up with a quick kiss. The crowd erupted in cheers.

"I'm pretty sure that you're all hungry, so let's eat!" she announced shortly after.

Farewells drifted around the chilly midnight air as cabs were hailed. Tifa's group slowly lessened until the couple remained. Tifa was very sleepy thanks to all the wine she's had. Cloud was the sober one, and so, he led the way to her car.

"I'll drive, okay?" he said the moment they reached the SUV. Tifa fell asleep a minute after Cloud started to drive. It was a quiet ride, and Cloud appreciated the momentary peace. His ears were still ringing from all the loud music in the club.

There were very few motorists driving around—he saw more cabs than private cars. He wondered if he and Zack could go racing for fun here someday. Hopefully.

When they arrived in her home, Tifa did not wake up so Cloud had to carry her out.

"Oomph," he breathed. She was quite heavy despite her form. But she sure was soft. How many times had he thought that? Cloud stumbled through his girlfriend's dark home, hitting his thigh against a table. It fucking hurt! "Tifa," he whispered, shaking her gently to rouse her. "Tifa, wake up… hey, wake up."

Tifa groaned and blinked her eyes. "Y…yeah?" she stuttered.

"Where are the light switches?" he asked.

She groaned again and pointed behind him. "Oh… alright. Thanks."

"You can put me down you know."

"Right."

He set her down on her feet and turned on the lights. She was swaying a little from sleep. Cloud rushed to assist her again, and steered her towards the stairs. Tifa practically fell on her bed. He lifted the duvet to tuck her in and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well." he whispered.

Just as he was about to stand up and leave, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Stay," she whispered.

"Okay." Cloud answered. "Just let me lock the front door."

"M'kay."

Author's Note:

HEY HEY HEY! FINALLY. I'VE UPDATED. Sorry about the long wait, I know you want to strangle me. Anyway, this is the last summer of high school. I graduated last March 27. Then I hit the beach. Three, actually. Then the hospital. Apparently, oysters are deadly for me. How'd you like this update? Can it appease you?

Don't forget to review okay?

Victoria