"AAAAAHHHH!!!!" yuffie screamed her lungs out. All eyes turned to her. "I CAN'T TAKE IT!!! IT'S SO BORING!" she wined, not even minding the sweatdrops on her companions' heads as she stood on top of the table. Cid winced at his seat as well.
"Well, got any idea on how to get the boredom out, girl?" he asked with one eye opened. Yuffie sat down and eyed everyone.
"Well, I was thinking...maybe we could put up a party" she said. She then turned to Tifa. "and since your the best cook here, maybe you would be the one who prepare everything..." she then turned to Aeris "and...maybe you could think of things to do, games or things, since you're pretty good at having fun" then to the others "what do you say?" Everyone looked at her, then to each other, smiled and nodded their heads. Tifa stood up suddenly.
"Alright! I'll start on the food now!" she said excitedly and ran to the kitchen. Aeris took a piece of paper and pen and jotted down the things she planned they would do. Everyone jumped about...well that is...except for the other two guys just sitted down. Barret looked at them.
"Don't tell me, Valentine, you don't like the idea?" he asked. Vincent looked at him and shrugged.
"I didn't say I don't. I'll just be following what you're doing...well, the one's that are decent enough to be done" he said nonchalantly. Barret then turned to Cloud.
"How about you Strife?" he asked him. CLoud just shrugged as well, but didn't say anything. Tifa walked out of the kitchen.
"Don't tell us you'll just be sitted in here doing nothing while all of us have fun" she said with a pout. Aeris butted in too.
"That's right, after all, the things I wrote down here are [retty much easy, you could follow" she said with a smile. Cloud agreed. Everyone celebrated. Tifa went back to the kitchen while Aeris ran after her to help. The others decorated the room. All was set for the party.

"Okay, okay people!" Yuffie called everyone. Everyone settled down as Yuffie scanned Aeris' list for things to do. "The first thing to do is to play truth or dare!" she said happily. She went to the back and returned with a bottle. She ordered everyone to form a circle. They spinned the bottle, which stopped, pointing Barret.
"Okay, truth or dare?" Tifa asked. Barret thought for a while.
"Alright, dare!" he replied. The girls looked at each other, gathered around and started giggling.
"Okay, we want you to dress like a woman and model around the room" Aeris told him. BArret yelled hysterically.
"What?! I ain't dressin' like no woman! You'all gotta be kidding'!!!" he shouted. The girls just started giggling. They thought of something for Barret to wear, since none of their clothes would fit. Yuffie then just took a sheet upstairs and they wrapped Barret around with it. They then ordered Barret to walk around like a model. He did.
"Imma tellin' you'all, I'll have my revenge!" he said as he sitted beside Red XIII again, who was trying to hide his laugh all the time. Barret spinned the bottle this time. It landed on Vincent. Vincent winced.
"Truth" he said. Thinking of what Barret had just said, he wouldn't choose dare even if it was the end of the world, or he might be the one he would take revenge on. Barret then spoke up.
"Awright! Who's the lucky girl you are beginning to like this time?" he asked with a grin. Vincent blushed.
"What?!"
"A girl, dammit!"
"Lucrecia still!" Vincent answered. Cid popped in this time.
"Ow, come on, other than her!" he asked.
"There is no other! Even if there was,w hy would I tell you? This is just a game" he told them. Tifa giggled.
"Come on, Vincent, don't be such a kill joy!" she popped in. Eventually, everyone started to give him comments and things to say just to convince him. Vincent started to heat up.
"Alriight! Alright! I'll tell you!" he shouted. Everyone remained silent, waiting for his answer. Vincent blushed again and looked at Yuffie, which made him blush deeper. He mumbled something, but no one heard it. They asked him to shout it out.
"Okay! It's that ninja girl okay?!"
All eyes turned to yuffie who almost have her lower jaw on the floor. Vincent, realizing what he said, just tried to avoid everyone's gaze. Then, Yuffie gained her composure again.
"Me?! Like, how old are you?!" she asked.
"Well...more than you might think if you ask, but if you look at me, I'm just like five years older than you" he answered. "And I didn't say anything that we could be an item, I said that I like you sheesh!" he said and crossed his arms.
"Well, who asked of what you think?!" Yuffie asked again.
"Well, if you listened! Everyone did!" he countered. They both exchanged angry looks at each other, while the others stared at them blankly. Aeris then whispered to Tifa.
"I thought she also liked him?" she asked. Tifa giggled.
"The more you hate the more you love right?" she asked back. Aeris giggled as well. Everyone looked at them.
"What?!" Cid asked. Yuffie glared at them.
"You wouldn't dare!" she yelled. Aeris and Tifa just smiled and shook their heads. They spinned the bottle again. It landed on Cid.
"Dare" he said cooly. Vincent thought for a while, thinking of a "nice" thing for him to do. Hethen snapped his fingers.
"I want you to give Red XIII a horse-back ride" he said.
"What?! Give an animal a horse-back ride?! I'll look like I have a screw falling from my brain!" he yelled. Vincent just grinned and shook his head. Cid snorted and stood on his knees and hands. Red XIII howled happily and jumped on Cid's back. Cid then ran acroos the room as the others laughed at him. He then went back to his seat, mumbling curses to Vincent. He spinned the bottle, and landed on Aeris.
"Truth" she said. Cid pumped his fists.
"Alright! What are you and Lockheart laughing about a while ago?" he asked.
"AAAAAHHHH!!!! NO WAY IS SHE GOING TO SAY IT!!!!" Yuffie screamed, standing up and glaring at Aeris, but Cid glared at her as well. Aeris swallowed hard with all eyes on her. SHe started to open her mouth to say something when Tifa laughed again.
"Say it!" she said.
"Don't!" Yuffie countered.
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Well...we were laughing 'cause..." Yuffie screamed and covered her ears. Aeris continued. "well, Tifa and I find the fact that Yuffie is fighting with Vincent, though she liked him the same way...right Yuf?" she asked, giving her a wink. Yuffie blushed and just turned away. Vincent grinned.
"See?! So you like me too huh?" he asked.
"Well, only a bit, but I hate you too, you bastard!" she answered.
"Bastard?! Who's the thief in this group anyway? You can't even trust her!"
"Well, who's the boring one here who wouldn't even talk?"
"That ain't me, I'm talking here!" "Well, have I stolen something lately?!" "My materia!" "I didn't go to your room! And I didn't know that your materia was just in your tab---oops" "Aha! So you did take it, you thief!" The two exchanged lightning again. Everyone pulled them to settle down. They still glared at each other. Aeris spinned the bottle which landed on Cloud.
"Dare" he said.
"Spin the bottle" Aeris ordered. CLoud gave her a questioning look.
"What? That's too easy!" he said, still confused. Aeris shook her head.
"I'll give your dare later" she said. CLoud shrugged and spinned the bottle, landing on Red.
"Dare" said the red maned lion.
"Uh...this time give Cid the ride" he said with a grin. Cid pumped his fist again. Red mumbled something and took Cid on his back and ran acroos the room, out the door and into the back. He placed Cid on his seat, who lookes like he was about to throw up.
"Damn! What did you do to him?!" Barret asked. Red XIII just snickered and spinned the bottle. It landed on Tifa.
"All right!" Aeris said happily and whispered something to Red XIII. Red XIII seemed to like it. Aeris smiled, thanked him and went back to where she is seated. "Okay, Cloud, here's your dare. I want you to kiss Tifa"
"And Tifa, you let Cloud kiss you" Red XIII ordered as well. Cloud and Tifa exchanged confused looks, with a slight blush.
"But Aeris, I thought you like Cloud?" Tifa whispered. Aeris just shook her head.
"I want to annoy myself at times. And I didn't say I was that desperate for him, go on" she said with a smile.

What the hell are those two thinking? Cloud thought. Not that he doesn't want it. He looked at Tifa who has deep blush on her cheeks. Maybe he could try. After all, this was just a game. But, he couldn't help but think that Tifa might not like it. He hasn't kissed anyone yet. He doesn't even know how. Just a few touch of your lips and that's it. He shook his head mentally and began to walk towards Tifa. Tifa stiffened as he kneeled down on one knee and began to lean closer to her.
"Cloud? Don't say you're taking the dare" she said to him. Cloud shrugged.
"We have to or they won't leave our backs. It's just a kiss, Tifa" he replied. Tifa looked down. Just a kiss? That's all that just took him? Tifa just jerked the thought that Cloud was serious about kissing her. With a sad sigh, she agreed. Everyone watched intently at what Cloud was about to do. He leaned closer and closer to her. He could feel her breath speeding up as he got closer, inch by inch. She held her chin up with his right hand, his left supporting him on the floor. He could smell her sweet scent, filling up his senses. Get a grip Cloud, just kiss her and get on with it! something inside him told him. But something else was speaking. it's like, he's actually serious about the kiss. He wanted this, he just didn't know he does. As he was only three inches from her lips, he closed his eyes. He cupped her cheeks on his palms, his lips parting in welcome.

Tifa's breathing was tensing up. She watched Cloud coming closer and closer, dangerously closer. She felt her heart leap out of her chest, running in circles around her head. She parted her lips as well in welcome to Cloud persistence. She widened her eyes as she felt Cloud's lips on hers. That was it. His lips touched hers and it began moving by itself. Cloud could feel Tifa's hand on her wrists. Tifa closed her eyes at the feeling of ecstacy. She have always dreamed of this. Only, she dreamed of the real, sincere one. With love, not ordered. But for now, she'll settle on this.

Cloud shut his eyes closed and deepened the kiss. He couldn't stop himself from being rough. Tifa was arousing him too much. His hands moved to carress her shoulders. He didn't even mind the eyes watching him.
"Oy, that's enough!" Barret shouted. Cloud pulled away, his breathing fast and labored. He went back to his seat, leaving Tifa burning with a deep shade of red. Everyone whooed and laughed.

"Okay, since all of us were called, we'll do the next thing on the list" Yuffie said. "A dance" she announced. She jumped up and started playing a fast music as she started to dance. Everyone joined her as well, except for Cloud, Vincent and Tifa. The two's reasons was just they don't like that kind of dance, and Tifa...she just doesn't feel like it. She licked her lips. His taste was still there. The sweetness of his lips, she couldn't forget it. She just sighed and leaned against the chair and watched everyone. Yufiie then turned it on a slow dance, wherein you're supposed to have a partner. They pulled the three off their chairs. Yuffie took Vincent as her partner while the others pushed Cloud and Tifa together. Cloud took her hand as he led her on the floor. Aeris giggled and took Barret as her partner. Cid and Red XIII started goffing up and dance with each other, laughing their hearts out.
"Careful!" Yuffie's childish voice sounded again. Vincent's annoyed tone sounded next.
"Dummy! You don't know how to dance!" Vincent complained.
"Moron! I do too, but you can't! You've got two left feet!" she said back. Vincent fumed up.
"As if I'm the only one!" he said. Yuffie gave him a chellenging look.
"Okay,a s long as you don't step on me, just follow my lead" she said proudly and led Vincent to the steps. Being a fast learner, Vincent followed her perfectly. Aeris and Barret were doing well too, with Aeris laughing with no apparent reason (^_^). Cid and Red XIII were doing nice as well, being the most playful dancers on the dance floor. They jumped up and about, carrying each other up and dropping their partner to the floor. The only ones who taking the dance seriously were the two silent one's on the other side.

"Tifa?" Cloud called. Tifa looked at him at the corner of her eyes.
"Yeah?" she asked. She still have her head cocked on one side, avoiding to meet Cloud's gaze on her.
"If it's the kiss, I'm sorry" he said. "I don't know how and---"
"No, it's not that" Tifa said. She started blushing again. "It's just that...nevermind, it's nothing" she said with a smile. Cloud didn't get too convinced but he just let her be, as long as he knows she's not angry at him.

The party ended as everyone started to hit the hay. They all went upstairs to their rooms. As Cloud was about to go up last, he saw a figure outside. He went out to see who it was and aw Tifa sitted on the porch. She has her fingers on her lips, her eyes closed, letting the cold wind brush a few strands of her hair. Cloud convered her with the blanket he was holding, making her turned around suddenly.
"Cloud?! How long have you been there?" she asked him.
"Just a little while ago, it's cold out here. What are you doing?" he asked her. Tifa just shook her head.
"Nothing. Just thinking" she replied.
"About?"
"Things"
"Like?"
"Why do you ask anyway?" she asked him this time. Cloud just shook his head this time.
"Nothing"

they sat there in silence, the cold air blowing on them. Tifa put the blanket on Cloud as well and leaned on him to take up as much heat as she could. Cloud just held her on his chest.
"What did you feel a while ago, when I...when I kissed you?" he asked. tifa began to blush again.
"I don't know. I can't understand it" she answered, not even looking at him. Silence again. "Clous?" before she could say something else, Cloud kissed her a second time. Not trying to struggle and not trying to welcome him, Tifa just lay still. Feelings and emotions are circling up on her head. What was the feeling stirring up? Cloud parted from her and stared at her with the sweetest eyes she has ever seen him wear.
"Well? How was it?" he asked again. Tifa looked away.
"I don't know. A feeling I couldn't pin-point" she said. Was it...love? She has fallen for him, but she didn't imagine that the feeling would be that wonderful. Cloud smiled at her and held her closer.
"I'm feeling the same way, so don't be afraid to tell me" he told her reassuringly. Tifa suddenly flew her head to meet his.
"What did you say?" she asked. Cloud shook his head and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"I said, whatever you're feeling, I'm feeling the same way" he ttold her again.
"Cloud---"
"To make it clearer, I love you" he said coolly. Even at a time like this? Tifa thought and laughed mentally. She smiled and snuggled up closer to Cloud. Cloud brished his nose on hers, feeling her breath against him. Tifa lifted herself closer to him, this time, starting the kiss.

~owari~

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