Title: Thoughts
Fandom: Final Fantasy: Advent Children
Characters: Tifa, Cloud
Prompt: 055 - Spirit
Word Count: 530
Date finished: 05/19/2006
Rating: G
Summary: Tifa's thoughts on Cloud, the day he returns with the gift from Yuffie (see the reminiscences on the DVD).
Author's Notes: Random thoughts again - it was just something strange that came out of my head. Sorry. The title is because I've already used Musings.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Square Enix and Sony Pictures as far as I know.

There was enough energy - spirit - in Tifa to keep her from getting depressed.

She wondered, some days, if it wouldn't be easier to just give up, to sell the bar and make Cloud go out on his own - really on his own - and find her own way elsewhere, maybe join Barrett on his excavations, visit Cid and Shera, maybe hang out with Valentine. Marlene would certainly like to spend more time with her adopted father, and the others loved her as much as he did.

She knew something was wrong, but Cloud wouldn't say what, wouldn't speak to her, nothing. It was frustrating as anything she'd ever done or experienced. She really didn't have anyone to talk to; Aeris, who might have had a suggestion, had died thanks to Sephiroth - and Cloud, if she were honest with herself - and Yuffie just wouldn't understand.

She wasn't sure she understood.

But then there were days like today. She hung up the phone, still confused. Close the bar tomorrow? All day? What in the world was going on?

But she kept cleaning, because it had to be done, especially if she wasn't going to open tomorrow. If she got a day off, she was not going to spend it cleaning!

She was still cleaning when he came in, a sign in his hand. "This is from Yuffie," he said, and gave it to her. "Closed for Business" it said, in large writing.

Tifa looked at it, then at him, and to her surprise, caught a smile in the corners of his mouth. "Yuffie?" she repeated, stunned.

"She gave it to Barrett to give to me."

She contemplated the sign a moment longer, then went to put it behind the bar. "So, what am I doing on this day off?" she asked.

He moved closer, his footsteps a cadence she heard in her dreams, recognized after two. "I hoped you spend it with me. Out there." He gestured outside of the city, past Zack's grave and the sword that marked it. "Away from Edge, and Midgar, and … and everything."

She didn't know what he'd been about to say. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. After a moment, she looked at him and saw the uncertainty in his face. "I'd love to," she said. "Shall we take a lunch?"

"Yes, please."

A thought crossed her mind, and her face fell. "What about Marlene? And Denzel? We can't just leave them."

"Barrett is right behind me. It'll be a while - his transport can't move as fast - but he'll spend the night here, and then watch the kids tomorrow."

She felt her spirits lift. "Truly?"

"He should be here in a couple of hours."

Tifa smiled, and then did something he obviously didn't expect; she threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. It took him a minute to respond - he was still working on not pushing people away, like he had the last two years - but he did, hugging her back.

It was all she needed, really, to keep her spirits up, and to know that this was where she was supposed to be. The rest would work itself out.

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