• ‘This can’t be right,’ Cloud thought looking back at the pictures in the directions. ‘Something’s missing.’

    Cloud had been sitting on the floor in Aerith’s church all day trying to put his new sword, the First Tsurugi, together and had been having no luck at all.

    ‘Slide the bottom of piece D into the opening at the bottom of piece E.’ Cloud read to himself. ‘Okay, where is the opening? I don’t see an opening. I have piece D and E. Wait. s**t! That’s F, not E! Where’s E?’

    “Here, Cloud. This is the next piece you need.”

    Cloud jumped at the voice and looked up. His eyes ran up the length of metal and then up human flesh unto a face whose deep brown eyes were staring at him patiently.

    “Thank you,” Cloud replied, taking the piece. “How do you know that this is the right one anyway?”

    Tifa chuckled quietly as she sat down next to Cloud. “The letter is engraved on the bottom, so I don’t have to look at the pictures and guess which one is which.”

    Cloud flipped the two pieces in his hands around and looked at the bottoms. Sure enough, he saw the letters D and E clearly visible.

    “Well that would have made things a lot easier,” Cloud mumbled his thoughts aloud. This drew a cheerful laugh from Tifa.

    “I’ll give you a few points for being a guy and even looking at the directions,” Tifa said teasingly, and then laughed upon seeing the indignant look on Cloud’s face. “But you didn’t read all of the directions. The second sentence states that the letters are on the bottom of each piece.”

    Cloud’s head snapped back down to the book and to read the first paragraph, the one that everyone always skips over because it just tells you what you will be putting together and what you need. All of the information that is usually on the box it comes in.

    Once again, Tifa was right. In black and white, the book said that the letters were on the bottom of the parts.

    ‘Damn you.' Cloud thought as he glared down at the booklet.

    Seeing Cloud glare at the inanimate object for tricking him, Tifa let out a small laugh. The noise caused Cloud to finally let up his relentless staring and look at her.

    Seeing the smile on her face, Cloud looked away blushing slightly. “Thank you, again”

    “Not a problem,” Tifa responded happily. “But you owe me now.”

    Cloud froze and slowly turned to look at Tifa, who smiled mischievously.

    “You owe me for helping you, and you owe me if you want me to keep quiet and not tell, say Yuffie, that you were having troubles. You know how she likes to tease you about being a blonde.”

    Cloud grimaced. Yuffie did get this insurmountable amount of glee for teasing him, especially about his bright blonde hair.

    Letting out a large breath, Cloud finally responded. “What do you want me to do?”

    Tifa’s smile grew and her eyes lit up. This caused Cloud to blush again.

    “I want you to put your new toy away and come eat dinner with us at the Seventh Heaven. Okay?”

    Cloud blinked. “That’s it?”

    “That’s it.” Tifa said, and then continued. “Well, are you going to take it, or do I have to call Yuffie?”

    Without a second of hesitation, Cloud placed the sword and all of its components back into the case. “Done.”

    Tifa smiled, stood up, and started walking away. “Good. Now let’s go. I made stew and you know how Barret and Cid fight over the seasonings for it.”

    Cloud nodded and stood, picking the case with the sword up with him, and followed after.

    “And Tifa?”

    “Yes?”

    “Thanks again.”

    “For what?”

    “Everything.”

    Tifa looked back over her shoulder and saw Cloud standing there awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Sighing, she walked over to him and grabbed his free hand.

    “We’re friends, Cloud. It’s what we’re supposed to do.”

    Tifa didn’t even give Cloud a chance to reply. She just started to drag him out of the church and back to the Seventh Heaven.