Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII with the characters, items, places, etc. are the property of Square Enix, Inc. No infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is the first story I have written in almost 8 years. I've developed the story concept and outline for months, and with the help of Denebola Leo as my beta reader, I'm finally publishing. This is a Cloud and Tifa story, just with a dramatic twist due to his absence.

Updated Chapter Changes: 4/6/19

-. Don't Think Twice .-

Chapter I

After the past year, Tifa could not have imagined having spent the day with the children and Cloud. Their family had seemed incomplete while he was absent but sparsely managed without as much of a father figurearound. At the time the children had stopped mentioning him around Tifa and had done their best to distract her by making the daily routines in their makeshift home as simple as possible.

She had only gotten quiet after business inquiries for deliveries were made, and she would have to relay the information to his dreaded voicemail system. The only indication he had received it was when the customer paid their bill. Tifa could've easily given up her part of his business, but she bypassed her personal reasons for the kids. Seventh Heaven had slowed down with clientele once word got out that Denzel had Geostigma, but she still had loyal customers that understood. It was a risk Cloud and her were both aware of in the beginning when they decided to take the young boy in.

She had hoped the children wouldn't notice her sadness with Cloud being gone, but with how keen Marlene was of her surroundings, nothing got passed her, which didn't get past Denzel either. Acting normal for the children's sake was a full time job outside of her motherly duties and bartending. Tifa had found her own distraction, one she tried to push away, but the handsome sandy brown-haired suitor was too charming to keep turning down.

The brunette drank her orange tea while gazing at her family in the living room on the back half of their home in Edge. Marlene was sitting in Cloud's lap as Denzel retrieved a book for the man to read to them. It had been a perfect day for them, visiting the hillside that overlooked Midgar. Earlier they had planted Aerith's famous yellow flowers where Zack made his final rest before passing away, then stopped at the church to place the Buster Sword in the new garden that sprung up yesterday after the healing rain. The world now had a cure to Geostigma, and Sephiroth had been defeated and was prevented from further corrupting the Lifestream.

He was finally home, finally healed, finally moving forward to live his life. Tifa smiled at the sight of their children but it quickly dissipated when she knew this short-lived happiness at her home was going to be turned upside down by her own hand. Cloud's final night with them had been sometime early last winter; spring had come and gone and they were now approaching the end of summer. Seasons changed, and so had her life without him.

She was going to have to tell him about the other himbut had no idea how. The family dynamic was complicated enough, but a woman with two adopted children that adored their father was seeing another man that wasn't her husband.

She noticed her cup started to rattle in her hands, which prompted her to place it back on the table. Being nervous was an understatement...Cloud had left her for the better part of a year with barely a word. There had been quite a few voicemails she had left him before finally giving up hope that they would live happily ever after together. His persistent silence during that time was torture in the beginning. A stab towards her that she meant nothing to him after everything they had shared together.

And now he was back home, back with the kids, but...not back with her. Her chest tightened with anxiety with the state of their so-calledmarriage, which she had eventually convinced herself overtime that Cloud had regretted, making him leave. They had married during Meteor after all, the world was possibly ending! It must have been a rash decision for a last minute wedding in Wutai, she told herself. She was most certainly wrong.

Til death do us part, he was sick and looking for a cure for their son. He still ran but had other reasons for doing so. He left her, his wife, in the dark with two kids to raise and a household to run, while working on their combined businesses. For months her life was exhausting, day in and day out.

But she never imagined herself dealing with this...situation.

She kept staring at her cup while swirling the chilling liquid with a spoon. She had so many racing thoughts on her unforeseen predicament. She was married and had a boyfriend. A secret marriage from their friends, with the secret wife having a secret new man. Shit.

"Tifa, can you tuck us in with Cloud?" Marlene asked through a yawn. She looked up and saw the little girl was contently cradled in Cloud's arms, while Denzel was making his way up the stairs in the back room. How long had she been stewing in her own drama? Her mind had become drained from her frenzied thoughts.

"Of course," she smiled back and began to follow her husband up the stairs with the kids. It had been forever since they had this routine. Kissing the kids goodnight, with the blond just patting their heads, as usual, but he gave them a goodnight kiss too. Something new.

"Goodnight," they said together in sync as Tifa gently closed the bedroom door.

Together in the hallway, finally alone, she couldn't bear to look at him. His brilliant blue eyes, his spiky blond hair. She was avoiding all of him. Tifa rubbed her arm cautiously, staring at the floor by his feet as she fidgeted. "I'm going–"

Gently, he cut her off. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I know you are. I know why you left now," she replied softly. Images of the blackened, pus soaked bandages in the church crossed her mind. Her lecture to Cloud to "stop running" played out too. They fought off Geostigma and Sephiroth together. But now...they weren't together.

His eyes were that sweet shade of cobalt she was always fond of, but she became conflicted when she looked into them. Her husband had obviously read the hesitation she held. Concerned, he placed a hand over hers as it still rested on her arm. Thumb grazing over her hand softly, she shivered slightly and adjusted her fixation to his chest instead.

Dilly-dally, shilly-shally. Her words rang so true right now.

"I didn't run from us. From our family," he confessed the obvious, his voice so sincere. "I wasn't fit for any of you."

"...Cloud, please stop." She shimmied her hand free from his embrace.

"Tifa, I want to try. Start over as husband and wife. I married you because I love you. Please...give me some time to—"

"There is no more time. I can't anymore." Her eyes were welling up, but she kept her head down to shield it off.

He sighed, lifting her chin to face him. "I'm not going anywhere."

His mako eyes that she loved so much were serious and glowing softly, acting as a beacon she couldn't turn away from in the darkened hallway. What she needed to say might make him run away again. What she needed to say could possibly destroy her family.

"I know, and I want you to stay. But..." She bit her lip while gathering her thoughts. A task that was hard for her as he kept looking at her like he wanted to kiss her. However, the courier remained where he was like a patient gentleman. Cloud moved some loose strands of her silky hair behind her ear, still intently looking back into her maroon irises.

"I've been seeing someone." A small part of her shattered when she spoke the truth.

Cloud let her go, but not before his cerulean eyes widened and his lips parted slightly as the shock took over. "You're...you're seeing someone?"

"You weren't here Cloud, and…I never heard from you. All my messages went unanswered...I thought you left us for good. Can you blame me?" Tifa countered. It was hard for her, but even more so for him.

She could see the anguish taking over those blue eyes of his, the pain she had unintentionally inflicted taking over inside. The actions of her own heartache was now hurting him. She never fathomed this would play out in front of her, let alone see him again. He looked down towards the floor and shook his head as he put his hands on his hips. "...No," he barely whispered.

Tifa crossed her arms to fend for herself. "I was trying to move on. The pain after you left..." She couldn't finish, her voice becoming uneven. The barmaid blinked a few times to prevent the inevitable tears from falling.

"I see," Cloud replied, sounding defeated.

Carefully moving around him to not disturb him, she made her way to her bedroom and sealed the door behind her. Leaning back on the divider between her and her husband, she cried silently. Despite his intentions, Cloud didn't give her a chance to be there during his illness, and she was his wife. Tifa clutched the hem of her shorts while reliving the personal hell she endured in the beginning. Her heart riddled with guilt and a tinge of bitterness he would come home expecting them to be together so easily. Tifa had been moving on from him, was happy, but tonight was still painful.

Author's Note Continued: Chapter updated on 4/6/19; additional thoughts and feelings from Tifa's POV.