Those gull cries are offensive, and those children are too loud. Thank heavens for curtains. Why am I awake?

She felt heavy, her body sluggish and weary as she sat up; squinting away from the crack in the closed drapes, to the clock. To Tifa, laying on her back next to her and breathing lightly - may or may not be asleep, she couldn't focus enough to tell. Aerith licked her lips, her mouth feeling dry and sticky with thick saliva and pressure mounting, swelling like an inflating balloon under her cranium. As seconds spent slumped into her drawn knees passed, the sensation that the room was swaying like the ocean - pulsing like the heart of the sea quickly convinced her that she should retreat under the blanket. Not drunk anymore. Definitely hungover.

Tifa snapped her eyes open, reacting to Aerith's heavy handed movement of setting the water glass down and shoving her pillow comfortably underneath her as she tossed herself lazily over it, flopping her arm down and her hand coming to a rest inches from her friend. Tifa flinched slightly, and masked it by straightening out the tacky tourist tee shirt she has pulled on. Odd. The ceiling isn't that interesting.

Her throat felt raw, and her voice hoarse when she finally spoke up – albeit into the pillow, "Must not've gotten too wild last night. M'still dressed. No stranger in my bed."

She watched as Tifa pursed her lips, noticing that she didn't roll to face her, like she usually did. "Can't be a bad thing, though. Waking next to me-" Tifa's cheek twitched, the corner of her mouth lifting and a sliver of a smile replaced the expressionless expression when Tifa turned her head slightly, to look her in the eye. Her chest fluttered, finding herself unable to discern whether or not Tifa was playing a little coy. "-Drunk you seemed pretty insistent on the idea..."

There. The smile grew into a grin. The type that Aerith secretly wished to see at the start of every day, fair skin bathed in the late morning sunlight. Aerith smacked her bicep, hiding her own bashful smile in the pillow. She supposed she should try to get a sense of last night, embarrassing truths and all.

"Did you have to kiss me?-" Aerith asked quietly into the pillow, "...-to rescue me. I mean." Unusual for me to feel like this. I feel flustered. Wow, okay. Face feels like I'm blushing. What must I have said last night? Don't remember much after the third tequila...Why hasn't Tifa answered yet?

Tifa inhaled a little deeper, and broke the weighted silence speaking softly, "No...no. You seemed like you were enjoying his company - though I wasn't far off- " Tifa had to be teasing her.Right? She won't look at me but she's smiling!

Aerith's jaw slacked, hung open while she berated her brain for being unable to make sense of the few words that Tifa was speaking. She pulled her head up from the pillow, willing the woman to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"You're an unfiltered drunk," Tifa said, laughing awkwardly into the back of her hand as she scratched her nose, "

"Piss off, Tifa." Aerith groaned, rolling her eyes as she reached behind her for a spare pillow, "-What happened last night? Obviously you know better than I do-"

"I wish I could've recorded it on video, honestly...-"

WHACK.

Her body protested her resolve to hit Tifa with the pillow, and a sharp ache spanned between her temples. Though Tifa threw up her elbows to block the plush assault, it was worth it. For the uncertainty and frustration; and the feeling like she is being played like a violin. Except, Tifa is a piano player. Or so she says.

Tifa let out a shrill laugh, "Ah-! Hey! Stop! Aerith you-" she giggled, blowing her hair out of her face, "-You had fun! ...Stop! That's all I care about!-"

Aerith huffed, shakily resting the side of her head into her palm. "Good 'cause I don't remember shit. Sorry if I said anything to upset you." She offered another smile. Perhaps she was overcompensating.

Tifa looked at her again. Her brows were knitting, she inhaled one breath as she looked momentarily confused before she straightened herself, rolling over onto her side. Like she was opening herself up to a more fluid conversation. "No, no...you didn't." She smiled, shuffling in closer from the edge of the bed. She reached for Aerith's hand, stroking a nail lightly over the back of it. "I brought you back here after your fifth or sixth round. You wanted to stay out, of course."

Flashbacks of the previous night crossed her mind, of early in the night before Cloud had joined them and before she lost count of how many drinks she had drank. "You're my best friend too." She replied, waiting for Tifa's gaze to find her own. "-Thanks for coming out. You're really great." She felt bad. Not because of the hangover – no. Self inflicted behavior deserves no pity. But sorry for having presumably left Tifa at the bar, alone. Knowing full well that Tifa doesn't like crowded spaces. She felt much like she had taken advantage of Tifa's kindness and acted selfishly. They didn't have a night out. She did.

The brawler cocked another smile, "You...you might have said a few things." And then it faltered a little, again. Her eyes zoned in on some loose thread on the seam of her pillowcase, "I mean- it's not anything you would've meant much by. I think. Doesn't matter."

"Yeah... I was just trying having fun last night," Aerith trailed off. She can't tell if she outed herself to her friend based off of Tifa's body language; the pit in her stomach suggests that way by judging Tifa's behaviour... though that could also be her brain protesting about dehydration in tandem with an irritated and queasy stomach. Not like it matters either way, given Tifa's display of indifference. She's in the room with her – yet she could be on the beach or swimming. "I don't look forward to seeing him, ever."

Tifa reached over, and rubbed her arm. Calloused, her hands brought a comforting touch and a calm. Safety. The lay in silence side by side; the noise from the streets below echoing in their room. The gentle breeze causing the curtains to flutter open. Beyond them, Titan's fiery wheel buckled into the immensity of the sky shining onto yatches lolling rhythmically in a cerulean distance.

Tifa looked up, smirking when she raised a brow to question what she found amusing. She screwed her nose up, "Brush your teeth." She said, mocking her gag reflex, "It smells worse than it did last night. Not sure how that's possible..."

"Rude!" This time she was quicker with the pillow and somehow caught Tifa unaware, hitting her three times as weariness returned, "Tell me I managed to get you a little drunk... so it wasn't a completely wasted night?-" Aerith called to her, slightly winded and slumping back onto the bed. The bed croaked as it redistributed the absence of Tifa's weight when she padded across the floor, into the bathroom. She returned a moment later with a toothbrush and paste.

Tifa fumbled with the cap on the tube, squirting a small amount on the bed of bristles, "'Fraid not," She replied loftily as Aerith took the toothbrush.

Mumbling, she stuck the brush in her mouth and worked the paste into a lather. "Have we decided when we're gonna leave?"

Tifa paused, standing in the bathroom door, "Barret suggested we stay another night." She disappeared again, returning this time with a mirror and a hairbrush and then sat on the edge of the bed.

She took the mirror, cringing at the messy reflection peering back at her. Her hair resembled more of a crow's nest than an actual do; strands of tangled brunette pulled out of the tie and matted at the back of her head. "It's going to take at least that long to fix my hair."

And Tifa was gone again, taken hostage by the thoughts hidden behind the veil of her eyelashes – staring at the floor.

"Tifa," She cleared her throat. "Tifa, What's wrong?"

She seemed startled by the question, and her eyes narrowed when she looked up. She hesitated, chewing on her lip before answering, "Just thinking...worried, mainly. About leaving here."

"I get that," Aerith replied, crossing her arms around her knees, leaning toward her. "I should get up. Shouldn't waste the day away in bed."

"No-" Tifa regarded her, "Take the time you need. We all need our rest."

"Yeah. Still though, its a shame we can't stay longer..."

"Yes, but – We can't afford that."

Aerith considered her, "We'll afford it next time."

Tifa looked up, "Next time?"

"Sure. When we're done with... this. After we're finished with Sephiroth. You're not getting rid of me." Aerith said quietly.

"I-, I mean, We wouldn't dream of it!" She smiled softly, squeezing Aerith's shoulder and her voice just as faint. "Yeah. Let's come back here."

"We could do something crazy-"

"-Can we stay away from the bars please-"

Thud.

"-Ow."

Aerith shoved her from the bed, "-I was going to suggest that we start a business together."

"Flowers seemed like a good niche in Midgar. But not here. Not really..." Tifa said, rolling onto her side - taking residence on the shag rug. "I guess we could try beach side sports. Souvenirs."

"Oh! Beach side sports! We could rent out jet skis, boats. You could probably sell surfing lessons..."

Tifa snorted, "You have entirely too much confidence in me." Tifa. You and your self conscious smile...

"I'm being serious. Let's do it. We could make vacations affordable for normal folk."

"What do you mean?"

"You said it yourself, we can barely afford to stay here. Everyone else here is probably marking up their services seven-fold from what they actually cost...greedy." Aerith shook her head in contempt, "We can change that! Everyone deserves a break – not just the elite."

"I'd like that. Yeah..." Tifa trailed off.

"But?"

She sighed, "...We're winging it on a hope and a prayer."

"-Can't do much to change that." She offered.

"I'm terrified, Aerith. We used to plan for weeks, in Avalanche-"

She didn't normally make promises to others as a rule, especially not ones that she knows she can't guarantee. They only seem to serve as fuel for heartache but... "-I promise you, things will get better." She slid out of the bed, crawling onto the floor behind her; curling her arm under Tifa's and around her waist. She squeezed and Tifa shimmied closer, her back flush against Aerith.

"Beach, later?" She hummed.

Aerith nuzzled into Tifa's shoulder, "You want a rematch against Yuffie."

"Naturally."

Tifa heaved herself from the floor and peeled from Aerith's arms a little later, following the Ancient's claims that she was ready to clean herself up. Unsure of how long Aerith intended on taking, and bored of the room's décor, she jogged down the staircase.

She thinks she's thankful for the amount that Aerith drank last night – she still doesn't know if she should approach her about some of the things that slipped free and into the world from her lips. Specifically, she wanted to know if what was said during the arduous walk back from the club had any roots in fact. Awkward. There should be some truth hidden among it all; Oh the things that Tifa has heard let slip from her patrons while she was bar-tending – and certain without a shadow of doubt that those tongues were truthful, too. Odin.

"Tifaaa!" A familiar shriek.

Tifa jolted, and the owner of the voice barely stopped herself from crashing into her.

"Ya deaf? Wus hollarin' at you since you stepped outside."

"Sorry. Lot on my mind." Tifa replied vacantly.

Yuffie snickered, "Yeah I heard."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tifa's face reddened. Thank gods for sunburn.

The girl backed away, holding her hands up in truce. "N-nuthin'! Barret said you an' Pixie Dust looked like you had...fun? Yas! You had f-u-n last night."

"Yep. We did-" Tifa frowned, scouring the beach for Cloud and the others.

"Uh huh uh huh and?!" Yuffie responded eagerly, standing on her tip toes and prancing in circles around her as Tifa walked into the sand, "Please tell me ya kissed her?!"

Tifa stopped mid stride, "No."

Yuffie leered closer, nudging Tifa's side. "But you want to..."

"..." She couldn't for the life of her, find any words.

"I knew it, I knew it!" The ninja sang, dancing jubilantly now and attracting the attention of those lying on their towels, "Tifa and Aerith sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I... -!"

"-Sssssh! Yuffie, shut up. Please." Tifa said, grabbing the girl by the elbow and steering her away from the crowd, away from the volleyball crowd, "We're good friends. Please, be quiet."

Yuffie yanked her arm free of her grip, "Pssssh. Thas a load tripe. Coward."

Act normal. Be cool. Tifa forced herself to look in Yuffie's direction, "No. You're wrong. If I wanted to, I would. Nothing to be scared of."

"You so full of shit your eyes 're almost brown, boobs."

"What kinda shit you talkin' girl?" A deep voice to her rescue. Barret.

"Askin' Tifa if she laid out Aerith yet."

Barret threw his arm in front of Tifa. She deserved a glare, at the very least for that.

Barret coughed, glances darting between Tifa, the inn and Yuffie, "'Right well. Hate to drag it back to reality but we gotta lead. The ice cream vendor swears on his old lady's life that he seen Sephiroth here yesterday. Came up from the ocean dressed in black. Sword longer than his hair. That's our boy."

"Did they get eyes on where he went?" Tifa quizzed.

"Not 'xactly." He replied, pausing to run a hand through his short dreads and wiping the sweat from nape of his neck, "Geezer said he had tickets for the Golden Saucer. Bit late now to head that way now. We leave for Corel tomorrow."

"Ya know what that means!" Yuffie herded Tifa, "C'mon ya lunk, get in line for that court over there. We got a score to settle."

"You're going down, girl." Tifa muttered.

"I thought you were...-" Yuffie wailed, shoved hard into the hot sand. "Wah! Tifa you SALTY as hell today."

Barret chortled, "Dun hurt her Teef. She means no harm."