Silmeria - Happy reading.

Disclaimer - I claim no rights to Final Fantasy VII

Chapter Twelve - It's Hard to Stand on Both Feet!

"Are you going to keep staring at me? Or, are you going to help me clean up?" Cloud clutched the broom whilst giving Tifa a half-hearted glare before continuing his chore, grumbling under his breath about lazy business owners and friends.

"I didn't do anything to deserve that tone." Tifa remarked playfully, watching him from behind the bar, her eyes curious as he resumed sweeping the dirty floor. The previous night had been long and Cloud's attitude had yet to recover from it. Tifa didn't mind it, there had been a time where she kept an attitude from the previous night, but the next day-and a shot of scotch-usually helped, but Cloud? Cloud wasn't a drinker and she would have to suffer through it, but it was worth it because she wanted to know about the date. The date that Cloud was being rather tight lipped about. At first, she had been worried when he came back in later that night, but when she inquired about how the date went, a blush the color of a deep rose spread across Cloud's cheeks and the Guide squeaked that it had gone fine and vanished into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. That reaction not only prompted Tifa's curiosity, but the temptation to call Zack, whom, much to her shock, remained tight lipped about it as well. During the years that they've known each other, secrets weren't a problem and Zack told Tifa everything and vice versa, but to hide what the date was about?

Something. Happened.

And she wanted to find out.

"I'll help you clean up if you tell me what happened on the date." Tifa bargained, lips twitching when Cloud shot her another half-hearted glare before resuming his sweeping, the motions slow and careful as if he was actually thinking about the offer.

"Nothing happened." Cloud murmured, stopping in the center of the floor with his broom in his hand and a blush on his cheeks. "I mean, nothing worth mentioning, Tifa."

The bar owner tilted her head to the side, her eyes taking in Cloud's still form before a frown touched her lips. It was a definite that Cloud was lying about the situation, but in the end, decided that it was best to stop pressing. If something happened then Cloud would tell her, but otherwise, she decided that she would leave it alone. After all, she wasn't supposed to be pressing about courting rituals between Sentinel and Guides in the first place. It was just that-

"I'm worried." Tifa admitted, causing Cloud's head to shoot up in surprise. "I mean, you've been pretty quiet since you came home and-"

"He kissed me." Cloud interrupted, halting Tifa's words and forcing her mouth shut with an audible 'click' "Zack kissed me."

"Oh." Tifa mumbled, her own cheeks glowing a light red at the confession. "Oh."

"Yeah." Cloud mumbled, his own cheeks turning a deeper red before resuming his sweeping. "I mean, it's not a big deal or anything, you know? It was just a small kiss-"

"Oh." Tifa's eyes widened at the blush and the stammering that her friend was displaying. That kiss wasn't just a kiss, but it must have been- "Your first kiss." she exclaimed, struggling to hold back a smile. "Zack gave you your first kiss!" she rushed from around the bar and took Cloud into her arms, almost lifting from the floor in the process. "Oh, Cloud, that's so-so-so sweet."

"Tifa." Cloud deadpanned. "Let me go."

"Never." Tifa returned cheerfully. "I can't believe that he gave you your first kiss-"

"I did what?" a deep voice startled them both and forced them to turn and see Zack standing at the door with a bouquet of roses and a shocked look on his handsome features. There was a moment of silence-very awkward silence-before Cloud quickly escaped Tifa's hold, gave both Sentinel's an embarrassed look, before racing up the stairs, a blush staining his cheeks. It was only the door slamming shut that snapped both of them out of their dazes and gave each other sheepish looks.

"I'm-"

"Don't." Tifa waved the apology off, walking back behind the bar and grabbing two glasses and a bottle of scotch. "You need to be apologizing to Cloud and not me. But." she shot him a scolding look. "You know better, Zack. You know about the chaperons and keeping it in your pants and-"

"Whoa." Zack approached the bar, taking a seat and waving the glass, grinning when he was given a shot of scotch. "He kissed me." Zack knocked it back, licking his lips at the smooth taste. Only Tifa served the best. "Though, I did instigate it after, we're both at fault, but I didn't know it was his first kiss. How? I mean, have you seen him?"

"I've seen him." Tifa agreed, a smirk painting her lips as Zack's eyes drifted up the stairs, full of curiosity and worry about the Guide. "Don't worry. He's always been really shy and well, it's not the most pleasant thing in the world when your intended realizes that was your first kiss."

"It didn't feel like it." Zack muttered, but not low enough for Tifa not to catch and the bar owner only grinned at the muttering before turning back to her task of straightening up. It was almost time to open and her business always jumped when Zack was around, but he wasn't here to earn her gil, he was here for the silly boy that ran upstairs.

"Why don't you head on up and check up on him?" Tifa suggested, but it sounded more of a command. "I'm sure he would enjoy the company-innocent company."

Zack huffed, smoothly sliding from the bar stool and heading up the stairs, his footsteps heavy against the old, creaking wood. He needed to remind Tifa that it was time to replace the stairs. Or, better, he would send a carpenter out soon so she wouldn't have an excuse to put it off.

"Cloud?" Zack knocked on his future mate's door, a worried expression flickering across his features as he knocked again, the movement more urgent than the last. "Cloud? Are you in there?"

"What?" Cloud's muffled voice came back, a stinging reminder that he was still embarrassed at the turn of events. "I-I don't want to be bothered right now-"

"Of course not, but I still want to see you." Zack leaned against the door, a smile struggling and failing to make an appearance. "You know," he began. "There's nothing really to be embarrassed about, you know? We've all gone through our first kisses."

"At my age?" Cloud's voice was closer to the door and Zack briefly heard a small thump indicated that either Cloud had hit his head against the door or was leaning against it just as he was. "Who has their first kiss at twenty?"

"I had my first kiss at fifteen." Zack began gently, which necessarily didn't make it better, but Zack wasn't working with a lot at the moment. "That's a little early for Sentinel's, but with the war and all, I couldn't be choosy."

"Oh." Cloud still sounded embarrassed, but there was a tinge of guilt to it. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, don't be, I wasn't confessing to get sympathy. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't try and compare when and how you got your first kiss, you know? It's more about how comfortable one feels when doing it when it-" Zack was stopped when the door unexpectedly opened and Clouds red face appeared.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked quietly, getting to his feet and stepping closer to the Guide. "I didn't-"

"No, you didn't do anything." Cloud reassured quietly. "It's okay."

"Really?" Zack pressed, taking a step closer.

"Really." Cloud returned, standing still as Zack approached, invading his space. "It was really stupid of me to runaway like that."

"Your feelings aren't stupid and I don't want to hear your name and stupid in the same sentence, alright?" Zack's grin spread as he watched Cloud lower his head, that endearing blush still present on his cheeks. "So, first kiss, huh?"

"Yeah." Cloud mumbled. "I...have a lot of firsts and-" Cloud blew out a sigh, his head still lowered. "I just want you to know what you're getting into, alright? I'm not experienced or anything like that. There's a lot I haven't done and if you want to walk away then that's okay too."

"Do you think I should walk away?" Zack asked quietly, coming close enough to press Cloud back into the room and out of the doorway, giving him breadth to close the door. "Do you not want me?"

"Yes." Cloud shivered, feeling Zack's body against his own. The warmth and solid muscle that he felt against his own were doing funny things to his mind. "I didn't say that I didn't want you. I just want to make sure what you're getting into is something that you want. Not a lot of people-" Cloud whimpered when he felt the bed against the back of his knees. How long were they moving? When did they start moving was the question.

"You'll come to find out that I'm not a lot of people." Zack whispered, forcing Cloud on the bed with a light smirk, a playful light in his eyes. "I understand the lack of experience and it's not a deal breaker, okay? It was never a deal breaker."

Cloud laid still underneath Zack's heavier body, his cheeks a burning red. "O-okay."

"Okay." Zack stood, straightened his clothing and sat next to Cloud on the bed, that same wild grin painting his lips. "What? Thought we were going to get down and dirty?" Zack wiggled his eyebrows bringing a shy smile to Cloud's lips. "Though so. I'm sorry about that, it was the only way to get your attention."

"We could have just talked like normal people." Cloud muttered, his cheeks still red. "But, thanks, and by the way; where are my roses?"

"Huh?"

"My roses." Cloud repeated, a cheeky grin replacing his frown. "You brought me some, right?"

"Eh, yeah?" Zack looked around before remembering that he had left them downstairs on Tifa's bar counter and gave Cloud a cheeky smile of his own. "I left them in the bar, but suffice to say, they're probably Tifa's now. She was eyeing them when I was heading up here. And look at you, asking for a gift! You're getting a bit cheeky, aren't you?"

"I deserve it after that little embarrassment." Cloud rose from the bed, stretching his arms high and grunted when his back cracked, ignoring Zack obvious ogling. "Besides the embarrassment of our situation, what was the reason for you coming here today? Other than to visit me and Tifa, of course."

"Ah." Zack winced, reaching behind him and scratching the back of his head. "You see, I've come to tel you that I'll be going away for a few days."

"Oh?" Cloud inquired. "Where? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"To Junon." Zack looked mildly affronted at the confession. "It's the Annual Conference for the Alpha Sentinels of Gaia."

"The Annual Conference for the Alpha Sentinels of Gaia?" Cloud repeated, tilting his head to the side, confusion in his eyes. "What's that about? It sounds like a normal meeting."

"Technically, on paper, it is, but it's just a pissing contest to see whose city is doing better and making more money. It was held in my city last year and woo-boy was that a freaking disaster-anyway, I'll be gone for about a week and well, I was wondering if, well, if you would come with me?"

Cloud opened his mouth, closed it and could only stare as Zack grinned, clapping his hands together and tilting his own eyes to the side, giving a look reminiscent of a puppy and that was all it took for Cloud to nod, realizing what he had done a fraction of a second later.

"Wait-"

"Awesome." Zack clapped him on the shoulder before wrapping an arm around it and guiding them back to the stairs where Tifa was indeed putting the roses in a vases and setting them next to the counter with a dreamy smile, the look disappearing when she noticed Zack's excited expression and Cloud's dazed one.

"What? What happened? Did you two make up?"

"More than that." Zack cut in before Cloud to even begin to explain the situation. "Cloud and I are going to Junon! For the conference! I told you he would say yes, didn't I?"

"What-"

"You were in on this, Tifa? How could you?"

"I didn't mean for it to happen this way, Cloud, and-why am I apologizing? I didn't do anything!" Tifa sighed heavily, watching with a weary eye as Zack gave a Cloud a hug explaining that he had to go pack before racing out of the bar with a bounce to his step. She held up a hand when Cloud opened his mouth, his eyes wide with anxiety.

"No. Don't even. I didn't do anything and don't panic."

"Tifa-"

"Don't. Panic." Tifa repeated, her own heart racing. What in the world was she going to do now? She had to prepare Cloud and get him ready for his trip and-what about that stupid prophecy? The one about him being at the center of the Trinity? Great. Just great. Junon was getting a little hot at this time of the year. Did Cloud have any summer wear? Shorts? Shirts? Suits? Oh Goddess, did the Guide have suits?

"Tifa." Cloud sounded serious enough for her to snap out of her thoughts and turn to him, quite bewildered as he gave her a deadpanned look. "Stop pacing and tell me what's going on."

"You're going to Junon."

"I know that."

"And Zack needs a second representative."

"He has the council." Cloud cut that excuse to shreds in an instant. Damn. "I'm just going to be shown off?"

"Not...exactly?" Tifa sighed, offering Cloud a stool to which he sat with a solemn slump. "The Conference is indeed a bit of a pissing contest, but this is going to be the second time Zack has shown up without a Guide and that could spell an imbalance between the cities, stating that Zack is incapable of finding a mate, which is where you come in. You two are already courting so why not go full stop?"

"So, you did this all without telling me?" Cloud stared at the roses, making a 'gimmie' motion with his hands. "I want those back. I know those cost a lot and I want them back. I deserve something for all this bullshit I'm going to go through."

Tifa snorted, cheerfully handing him back the vase of roses and watching as he gave a soft sniff. What a sucker. "So? Are you on board? You're going to Junon, right?"

Cloud's irritated sapphire eyes peaked over the roses and his voice came through the flowers, just as irritated. "Don't have much of a choice, do I? I already said yes and you know Mama told me never to go back on my word."

"Alright! You leave tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow!"