Eighteen

Tifa stared at the television in shock, she never knew that being seen together that meant nothing would make people think that they were together, if she was her old self, which is Tifa, not Kali, that was seen with Vincent, they would probably spread the news about her being an ugly whore who's cheating on her fiance.

Oh shit! YUFFIE! Tifa hastily grabbed her phone from the coffee table to dial her friend. The phone rang three times before her bestfriend answered it.

"Hello?" Her voice was weak sounding and Tifa couldn't help but wince.

"Yuffie, have you heard?About Vincent and me." She asked, Yuffie was silent for a while before she spoke.

"...Yeah." Tifa winced again.

"Oh, Yuffie, wait, I'm coming there." She flipped her phone shut to go to Yuffie's apartment, she hurriedly grabbed her keys and went out the door to go the next one, then she knocked on her bestfriend's door three times. Yuffie answered it a minute later with a solemn expression.

"Can... Can I come in?" Tifa asked, Yuffie answered with a weak nod then she step aside to let Tifa in. "Yuffie, it's all lies, you believe me right? That's how it is in the industry, they make up lies to make hot and juicy news. We are not together, we just went together towards our rehearsals, because we will work together for fashion week, that's all we are, co-workers." Tifa assured her friend who was looking down. "Yuffie?" She didn't respond. "I promise I'll avoid Vincent from now o-"

"You don't need to do that." Yuffie said without looking at her.

"No, I will, I want you to feel secure about it."

"No, it's fine." She said again. Tifa pinched the bridge of her nose while she closed her eyes tight. "Do you honestly believe those fucking lies more than me?" She suddenly asked while she lowered her hand, Yuffie visibly flinched at her question. "Okay, believe them then, but, you know that there's no way that I'll like Vincent." Tifa turned around before she spoke again. "Because I'm inlove with someone else, who greatly hates me. So I know how you feel right now." She said before she opened the door to go out, Yuffie stared in shock at the spot where Tifa disappeared into before she ran after her, she quickly opened the door just in time before Tifa was inside her apartment, she ran after her to give her a hug, taking the brunette model by surprise.

"I'm sorry Dorkoid, I didn't mean t-" She stopped when Tifa hugged back tightly that she couldn't breathe while her face was buried on her chest.

"It's okay." Tifa said through gritted teeth while she tightened her grip.

"I can't... Some air..." Yuffie said while holding her breath. Tifa let go of her so she could catch some air, Tifa stared at her with an amused look before she pushed Yuffie's head with her fist. Then both of them started laughing out loud.

"You really are an idiot. Most of the time!" Tifa said while she smacked Yuffie's shoulder. The short haired brunette winced then she smacked Tifa back. Tifa gasped then she shoved Yuffie, who shoved her back, then Tifa clobbered her and they started strangling each other while rolling on the floor.

"Let go of me you fugly witch!"

"Not until I kill you first!" Tifa said with a evil grin. Then they both stopped when they saw someone on the halls, it was Barret and Marlene, the big man was staring at them with an amused look while Marlene was all smiles. Then Barret covered his daughter's eyes.

"Don' look now baby, I don' want you growin' up witnessin' such violence." He said with a smirk.

"But they look like they were having so much fun, I think I want to join their little game!" The little girl piped. Tifa and Yuffie hurriedly straightened up themselves them they both smiled sheepishly.

"Y-Yes, Marlene's correct, we were playing! Right Yuffie?!" Tifa asked with a nervous laugh.

"Of course we are! We were playing who kills who firs-OOMF!" Tifa elbowed her bestfriend on her side and Barret started chuckling.

"Le's go Marly, enough brutality for you. Come on."

"Okay! Bye Tifa! Bye Yuffie! Enjoy playing!" The little girl waved, Yuffie waved back while she winced, she was clutching her sides while Tifa waved back to Marlene with more enthusiasm.

"Bye Marly! Come by sometimes and I'll make you a cake!"

"Okay!"

Tifa decided to apologize to Cloud, so she baked him a cake which was his favorite flavor, red velvet, and she was on the process of piping some words on top, she looked away to sneeze before she continued her work, then she looked away to sneeze loudly again.

"Mother...!" Then she angrily grabbed a kitchen towel to wipe her nose. She went back her work and when she was done, she smiled in satisfaction, she started to place it on a box then she wrapped it with light blue ribbon. She stepped back to stare at it and she nodded her head with a smile.

I hope he forgives me...

Cloud straightened himself in the mirror, he furrowed his brows while he cursed silently from what he was doing, then he sighed before he turned around to go to the door, where a bouquet of flowers where waiting at the table beside the door, he grabbed the flowers to straightened them up then he grabbed his keys next. And seconds later, he was out the door.

Tifa waved her hand in the air and the taxi slowed down in front of her, she hurriedly slid in then she closed the door after. Then the taxi started driving away, and minutes later, Cloud's car parked in front of her apartment building.

Tifa couldn't decide if she should use the key to Cloud's home to get in, but she figured that she shouldn't, that would be very rude of her to do so. When she reached his door, she started knocking four times, but no one answered after a while, then she knocked again, but still no answer.

He must be out then. She thought, she sighed then leaned her forehead on the door. She pulled her head back to sneeze then she rubbed her nose before she decided to sit down near the door and wait for him to arrive, she placed the cake beside her while she had her legs crossed in front of her, she leaned her head on the wall before she started blinking slowly.

Cloud knocked on Tifa's door but he got no answer, he sighed in frustration, he wanted to call her to ask where she was but he didn't want to ruin the surprise. He decided to wait for her instead by sitting outside, his flowers right next to him. He raised a leg up then he rested an arm on top of it, thinking of things he could say to her.

Tifa was breathing heavily while she leaned on the wall, she tried to blink away her blurring vision but she was failing. She looked at her wrist watch and saw that it already three hours since she got there. She decided that it was best if she would just go home, she wiped her sweat off her forehead before she decided to stand up, her knees were shaking when she did and when she realized that she forgot the cake, she bent down and that's when her vision suddenly went black.

Cloud sighed as he walked back to his apartment, he started fishing out his keys when got out of the elevator, his bachelor pad was the only one on the floor he's got no neighbors. When he turned around the corner, he got shocked to find someone sprawled on the floor, she was lying on her stomach with her hands on either side of her head, he hurriedly ran towards the person and when he saw who it was, his grip on the flowers slackened which caused them to land on the carpeted floor. Then he knelt down to turn her around, he scooped her up on his chest to touch her face and he winced when he felt that she was feverish.

"Tifa!" He tried to wake her by shaking her slightly. He winced again before he stood up to open his door, then he carried her bridal style towards his home, he noticed her glasses had fallen out and the box she brought with her on the floor and he decided to grab them after he laid Tifa down on his bed. When he made sure that she was comfortable, he hurriedly went back outside to grab the box and glasses then he closed the door behind him. He went to his kitchen then he placed the box on his counter top then he started opening it, and he couldn't help his snort when he saw what was inside.

It was a red, heart shaped fondant cake with the words 'Sorry for being an ass' on top of it, but what him laugh was the pair of fondant butt cheeks just below the words. He closed his eyes while he did his best to laugh silently before he turned around to go back to where Tifa was, but not before grabbing something from his first aid box. He entered his room then he sat on the edge of the bed, he placed the thermometer into her armpit then he opened the plastic wrapping of the cooling pad then he set aside Tifa's bangs so he can stick it to her forehead. His face softened before he caressed her face slowly and gently. He ran his thumb over her smooth skin while he stared into her face. He didn't take his eyes off her before he leaned down to gently brush his lips into hers.