Title: A Set Table
Fandom: Final Fantasy: Advent Children
Characters: Tifa, Denzel, Marlene, Cloud
Prompt: 058 - Dinner
Word Count: 459
Date finished: 07/26/2006
Rating: G
Summary: Two instances of a mis-set table.
Author's Notes: I was in the middle of cooking dinner, and this came to me. As if I had time to stop and write it! Grrr... at least it wasn't in the shower this time!
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Square Enix and Sony Pictures as far as I know.

"Are we having a guest, or is…" Marlene started.

"Is Cloud coming?" Denzel asked.

Tifa stared at them, then looked over the dinner table. She had actually set four places. She swallowed hard, trying to control the tears that welled up in her eyes. "No," she said in a soft voice. "No, I'm sorry, you two. I didn't mean…." She spun and fled for her room so they wouldn't see her cry.

She'd determined, when Cloud had vanished a month ago, that she wouldn't let them see how much it had hurt. She'd tried so hard to carry on like it was normal to have him just… vanish.

It didn't take her too long to get herself back under control; after all, she didn't want dinner to get cold. She paused in the bathroom long enough to dab at her eyes, but they didn't look too bad - she hoped.

When she came back out, the table was set for three again, and Denzel and Marlene were sitting there, waiting for her, and they smiled as she sat down.

Cloud made the kitchen seem small. Tifa knew he was just trying to help, and so she gave him food to carry to the table she'd set before he'd gotten there. She took another dish, turned around, and nearly ran into him. He's stopped dead in the doorway, and she nudged him gently to get him moving.

"I realize this is a surprise," he said in a low voice as he set down the dish he was carrying, "but I was sure you'd planned on me being here tonight."

She stared at him, then looked at the table.

Three place settings.

It hit nearly as hard as it had when she'd set him a place after he'd been gone a month. She shoved the dish she was carrying into his hands and fled, mortified and in tears again.

There was a knock at her bedroom door moments later, and he let himself in to sit next to her. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Tifa gulped for air. "I… I should have expected it," she said, and told him about the last time she set the table wrong. He smiled at her, brushing her hair from her face.

"I'm sorry," he said, and she leaned against him, reveling in the solidness of him.

"So am I," she said, and wiped her eyes. "Okay. Let's go face the children."

He chuckled. They went back into the dining room to find the table set for four, and a happily smiling Denzel and Marlene.

Advent Children Table | Challenge Main

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