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[powersouls]

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[powersouls]

[Tifa is playing with her tablet for once. She's never glued to it the same way Kunsel is, but tonight, she can't resist the urge to reread all those messages that were on the network. They're so innocuous now, if completely confusing. It's an odd relief and disturbing all at once, so when Cloud enters, she's quick to push her tablet off to the side, her expression softening immediately as she relaxes.]

Sure.

[She should really just put it out of her mind, and he's always good at distracting her.]

[meteorrains]

[It's difficult, so painfully, heart breakingly difficult not to go back over each message. Not to play each one again and again, as if it'll suddenly change somehow and begin to make sense. But they don't, even after the twentieth time. Even after the hundredth.

He knows. He's probably watched them all at least that many. And perhaps that's why he's found her, come to her on this night in particular instead of letting them have their own time and space for a while.

She'll understand. Without him even having to speak, she'll understand and know, and they can help each other.

Taking the seat next to her, he places his tablet face up, allowing the harsh glow to illuminate the space around them.]

You doing okay?

[powersouls]

[She nods, smiling at him. She's not completely fine, but she's better, and she's getting there. That's all that matters. And, of course, having him here does help, like it always does. She can let her guard down and relax in a way that she can't with anyone else, and it's easier to push away the awful images that still don't seem to want to leave.]

I'm alright. How are you doing?

[meteorrains]

Better.

[Even if it's a lie, even if he can't quite manage to get those thoughts and images out of his mind he's still going to pretend. Still going to put her reassurance and comfort above his own.]

Your friends doing okay?

[It's not much, but it's a small opening, an invitation to talk about it if she wishes. He may not be the best at talking, but he likes to think he's a pretty okay listener.]

[powersouls]

[He is a good listener. At least, Tifa thinks so. He gets another nod as she traces the grain of the wooden table.]

They're okay. They're shaken up, and sometimes Rhys gets...

[Pick a word that doesn't sound mean, Tifa.]

Overwhelmed. Angel is good at calming him down, though. At least none of it was real.

[meteorrains]

[He gets what she means, even without her having to say it fully.]

Yeah. He's lucky to have her.

[powersouls]

He is. They're both really amazing.

[Even if... She's started to agree with Angel on the fact that Rhys is kind of a dork. She glances up at him again, tilting her head slightly to one side.]

What have you been up to?

[meteorrains]

[And everyone knows how fond you are of dorks. Might as well just admit it now, Tifa.]

Checking on Zack.

[Like he'd been doing almost every hour since everything had gone back to normal.]

[powersouls]

[She's not shocked, but that response gets another smile out of her. She already knows Zack and the others are fine, but she doesn't blame him for compulsively checking up on them.]

I bet he's been worried about you, too.

[meteorrains]

[If he didn't, he's pretty sure Zack would literally blow up his tablet trying to get a hold of him. And he really doesn't feel like having to go through hundreds of frantic messages at a time.]

Guess this is why he didn't want us to split up.

[powersouls]

I guess so. We'll meet back up with them soon. It'll be okay.

[She's doing her best, as always, to ignore her own anxiety in favor of possibly calming his.]

[meteorrains]

Yeah.

[He'd still probably be checking in with Zell, just to make sure.]

Until then, we'll just have to make enough noise for everyone.

[powersouls]

[That gets a laugh out of her.]

Do you think we can? Zack and Zell are pretty loud.

[meteorrains]

Yeah. I'll be loud enough for Zack, and you can be loud enough for Zell.

[Which means they still wouldn't come close to matching either of them. But hey, it had gotten her to laugh, and that was the main thing.]

[powersouls]

I'll do my best. It might be tricky.

[Zell can be loud, and ridiculous.]

[meteorrains]

I believe in you.

[If nothing else, seeing her impression would be pretty funny.]

Ever gonna tell me that secret?

[powersouls]

[That wipes the smile right off of her face. Good job, Cloud. She knew he would expect her to make good on that bet at some point. There's only one "secret" she wants to tell him, and she's thought about it, but there a billion reasons why she thinks she shouldn't. He's only just gotten back. There's a two year gap between them now, and she's still not fully sure what that means. And, of course, every way of saying it she comes up with sounds so stupid in her head.]

Um... Do you want me to tell you now?

[She's stalling, and it's blatant.]

[meteorrains]

Kind of why I asked.

[In other words: stop stalling and get to telling.]

[powersouls]

[Rude.

Tifa shifts in her chair, suddenly very fascinated by the tabletop.]

What kind of secret do you want?

[STALLING.]

[meteorrains]

[Stalling is rude.]

One no one else knows.

[powersouls]

[Well, technically Angel knows. Still, it's the perfect excuse to tell him, and she shouldn't be a coward, and she should just take the chance and do it! Angel would definitely be screaming at her to.

But she is a coward, and she can't.]

I, um...

[Now she has to make something up.]

I think Vincent's cape is stupid.

KEYWORDS

[meteorrains]

[What did you...?

Did you really just...?

Have you learned nothing from all of his dodging? I mean, really Tifa, that's all you can come up with?]

So does everyone else. [Nice try though.] One more chance.

WOW CLOUD WHATEVER!!!!

[powersouls]

[Tifa feels her cheeks heating up, and she's hoping against hope that he can't see her blush in the light of the tablets.]

Can I just... think about it for a second?

THAT'S WHAT SHE GETS FOR STALLING TBH

[meteorrains]

[Too late. He already see's it. And it's enough to get him to back off, just a little bit, to allow her to have that moment to think.]

What if I tell you one first?

MAYBE HE SHOULD STOP PUSHING HER???

[powersouls]

[Oh. Unexpected, but it's a break, and she's taking it. She glances up at him again, finally.]

Okay.