Disclaimer: Characters belong to Square Enix

Warnings: Just lil bit of language.

Thanks for reading!

Chapter six: Tifa's Sadness

Tifa came out from her hiding spot, and saw Barret with his face in his hand. She walked around the bar and came to stand beside him. "What's wrong?" she asked, rubbing his back.

He looked up at her. "Like you don't know. He's fuckin...insane" Barret said, chuckling darkly.

Tifa shook her head in disagreement. "He's not. He's just, going through a tough time...I guess."

Barret looked at his empty glass, and refilled it. "Oh boy, there's always...somethin up with that kid," He paused and took a sip of his drink. Tifa looked at Barret and sighed. "First it was Sephiroth and Meteor, then he had to deal with his identity crisis, and now this, this...whatever." Barret stopped, finally resigned, and gulped down the rest of his drink. He reached for the bottle's neck, just to have Tifa snatch it out of his grasp.

"I think you've had enough, Barret." She smiled gently at him. He smiled back tiredly and let out a heavy sigh. "Damn I guess your right, Tifa. I think I'll just go on up and hit the haystack."

He got up and stretched, letting out a groan as his back popped in protest. He looked down at Tifa. "I think you should go up and talk to him." She shook her head. He nodded back and continued. "You do, sweetheart. You need to go up...and clear the air." His hands waving in the air as to make known the meaning of his words.

"Clear the air, what do you mean?" she asked, his effort in vain.

"You know...tell him how you feel, save him from himself, do somethin--I don't know!" Barret answered.

She blushed and looked away. "He already knows how I feel, Barret." She said.

Barret let out a huff, the sour smell of liquor hitting her face. "Really?" She nodded. "You've, told him...how you feel?" She looked to Barret then looked away. She hadn't.

"I always believed actions speak louder than words, and he can see by all my actions that I...love him." She said in a hushed tone, embarrassed that after all this time, she still hadn't told him how she truly feels, but she knows he knows, and he knows she knows he knows...how she feels. She thinks.

Barret then let out a loud laugh. "Girl, this is fuckin Cloud we're talking about here," He continued to chuckle. "He's so damn thick headed. You can't just show him, you need to fuckin tell him. Has he even told you how he feels?" Barret looked at her. She didn't need to answer. He already knew 'cause he knows Cloud, and Cloud doesn't tell anyone how he feels. 'But goddamn if his eyes do...' Barret thought, remembering the look in Cloud's eyes.

She looked down, then spoke in a quiet voice. "No, but--" Barret rudely and loudly cut her off. "--he's shown you?" She looked at Barret, his mocking tone doing more than making her angry. It was hurting her feelings too.

She nodded. "Yes, he has. I have come to terms with the fact that he's never going to get me flowers, or...or hold my hand, or give me kisses," she paused and looked down her feet. "Even say those three little words I want to hear most of all..." Barret grabbed her chin and lifted her face up to look into her eyes. She started crying. "oh, Barret..." He hugged her close as sob after sob thwacked her body.

"What's wrong girl, why you upset?" Barret asked as she quieted down. She shook her head and her lip trembled, she didn't know why she was so upset. "Don't cry no mo' boo. You a tough bitch, I don't like to see you so...out o'sort." Barret said as he wiped at the two remaining tears that had slipped down. She gave him a watery smile.

She let out a sigh. "Thanks, Barr..." she said as she continued to wipe at her face. "You know, he's just a, shy...person is all. He doesn't know how to express his emotions."

Barret nodded. "You still need to talk to him." He said.

"I will." She said as Barret pulled her into a hug. "Good. Night, boo." He gave her a kiss on the forehead then moved to the stairs. He staggered a little.

She called to him. "You need help?"

He waved his hand at her. "No, no, I'll be all right." He said as he steadily climbed up the stairs.

She sat down heavily on the chair Cloud had occupied moments before, and looked down at the bottle of liquor that she still held in her hands, and took a gulp, wincing at the taste. She wasn't much for drinking, in fact she didn't drink at all, but felt she needed something to steel her nerves. She took another swallow.

'What am I even going to say to him.' She slammed the bottle down, got up and made her way to Cloud. 'Now is the moment of truth, Tifa.' She thought to herself as she made her way up the stairs.

TBC