Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor do I own any of its characters, ideas, accessories, or action figures. If I did own FFVII, all of my OTPs would be canon by Dirge of Cerberus (time-skips and all make that feasible). I do own the plot for this story. I think it's a very neat plot and I hope you do, too. Thank the plot-bunnies for this one.

Disclaimer #2: This will be a multi-chapter fic, with past-centric chapters thrown in with what's going on in the present. It should be on the shorter side, with fifteen or so chapters. It will contain action, romance, and some adventure.

A/N: Not much for now. I had this idea while driving back home from college for a weekly visit. A couple of nights ago, I watched a TV show with fighting, and it reminded me of Fight Club, which made me think how they are always fighting in FFVII. Blah blah blah, something like that.

Summary: Welcome to Edge's Seventh Heaven. It has happy hour from 2 to 5PM, live music on Thursdays, and some sort of new, underground fighting organization starting at 3AM. Cloud has an itch for some action and Tifa has the space for it. CT, YV, and more to come.

Love Punch

Chapter One: It Takes a Little Knock for Luck

She thought they already had it good. Quiet was good, normal, and what she thought as completely reasonable. She wanted some peace after all the destruction in her life. Wasn't that fair? Not for him, evidentially. After Meteor, Sephiroth: Part Two, and Deepground's massive sweep and quick decent, the once stoic blond was looking for some lively action. It was strange, to say the least. Now living as a simple delivery man (though, there is nothing simple or normal about the once hero of all heroes, co-leader of AVALANCHE stopping by your door with the Chocobo figurines and cups you ordered), he actually longed for the days of adventure and action. A good spar here and there, he mumbled to her over his breakfast. Tifa always beat him in one-on-ones, no weapons allowed. He didn't dare attempt a safe fist match with Barret Wallace, but he always pretended a swift bop to his shoulder from the growing Denzel was enough to put him down for the count. He was starting to get too old for that, though.

"You're joking, right?" Tifa said over breakfast. When his blond locks shook back in forth with the force of his disagreement, the bartender rolled her eyes in disbelief. "We FINALLY have a moment of peace and you're already waiting for something bad to happen again?"

Cloud put down his fork and knocked on the wood bar for good measure against the possible jinx. "Not bad…" He started carefully, knowing his next few words could be dangerous. "Just… This is not as eventful as I hoped." He was right to think his explanation would be deemed as arguable. And arguments always ended with Tifa winning, no matter how lengthy. This one went by in a matter of seconds.

"I think we have a pretty good thing going here, mister!" She scoffed, taking his plate and juice away before he was actually finished with his eggs. She piled the dishes into the sink and strolled out of the kitchen before Cloud could even voice a plea. He really liked those eggs…

It was then the delivery hero realized that convincing his lovely companion would take more than wishful announcements over eggs and bacon. He'd have to call a specialist.

"How'd you like to beat someone up for some gil?"

"Oh, Cloudy, you know me. I need my money upfront. How much are we talkin' about?"

He grinned into the mouth piece, taking a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Tifa wasn't coming back down the stairs. He was wedged in the corner by the silent jukebox. "Enough to trade in for high-end, mastered materia." This was the catcher, of course. The once brash thief didn't need it as much as she did as a kid, but as the now young woman on the other end hummed in thought, he knew he had her caught.

"Okay, okay, fine. I'm listening. Who am I slicin' and dicin'? Did someone take your paper route money?"

Cloud breathed a quiet breath of relief. He knew she'd be on his side with only the simplest of questions. "No one yet, Yuffie. This isn't a bounty, but more of a game… Or, sport, I guess you can call it."

"A sport? Like, with balls and buckets, or poles and lines?"

"Neither. I told Tifa I needed a good spar without her dislocating my shoulder again. I was thinking more of a fighting… club?"

The ninja was silent for a moment and Cloud swore it was because of the connection on his phone. There was light buzzing, so she was definitely still on the other line. In the moment he had of silence, he realized he had no idea where she was at the moment. The girl was all over the Planet these days. Taking care of political things in Wutai, bugging the hell out of Cid in Rocket, volunteering a good research day with Nanaki in Cosmo Canyon… It is safe to say the list in definitely endless for the ninja. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard another voice in the background, but it was too far away to make out. When Cloud strained to hear it, Yuffie finally let out a hearty laugh, loud enough to cause the man to nearly drop his phone.

"Wow, Spikes! The Choco-Strife Express not as exciting as you first thought?"

"Ah, well…" He was honestly too embarrassed to answer that one. He thought he wanted a life of peace, but something demanding some action still boiled in his blood. But, what of her reaction? Was it good? Or was his idea just the result of being hit on the head too many times?

"I think you've been hit on the head too many times, bird brain," ding ding ding, she hit that one on the nail quicker than he inticipated. "Buuuuut, you've got me interested. Being princess and head of intelligence just don't pay like they used to! Let me pack up here and I'll be in Edge by sunset." In the background, he heard the faint voice of someone speaking again. "Yeah, yeah, you can come, too," she said aside, definitely to whoever she was with. She turned the attention right back to Cloud without missing a beat. "I mean, Vince and I'll be in Edge by sunset, but I can't make any promises. He always says, 'We're leaving at noon,'" her voice strained in a mocking, deep one and then quickly bounced back "but we alllwaaaays end up getting on the road by two. What's up with that, right?" She laughed again, this time saving Cloud's ears from a burst of ringing. "Bye-bye, Cloudy! Let Tifa know we'll see you soon!" –click–

Ah, good ol' Yuffie Kisaragi. He knew she was the perfect person to call about his little idea. He just wondered how long she had been spending time with their old gunslinger…

Right on cue, Yuffie and Vincent popped through Seventh Heaven's door just as the sun kissed the horizon. Tifa was more than surprised to see her two friends, since Cloud failed to mention that the two would be coming by. With wide burgundy eyes filling with unexpected tears of joy, the bartender wrapped her arms around the two, easily pushing them together in one of her famous 'I can hug you, too!' hugs. Both made a gasping noise as the air was swiftly squeezed out of them. The gentle woman never knew her own strength. "You, guys!" She beamed, pulling away from Yuffie rubbing her now sore arms and Vincent who stood straighter than the coat rack next to him. Still not used to the personal contact, she mused to herself. "Why didn't you tell me you would be in town? I could have had dinner made for you two!" She was talking to both of them, but looking at Yuffie. Vincent had wordlessly walked past Tifa and quickly went up the stairs to make himself at home. They were close enough now that every member of AVALANCHE had their own bed in the spare rooms… And, besides, a road trip consisting of one talkative companion was more than enough for the night. He'd be back down to say his hellos and thank-yous before retiring for the night.

As Vincent silently floated past them, the ninja quickly folded her arms and leaned over to catch a glimpse Cloud behind the bar. Vincent crossed her line of vision, but she wasn't going to lose sight of the blond hero about to drop the mug he was wiping down. "I told that yellow-haired oaf to tell you we were coming! It's his idea we're here in the first place." Cloud instantly froze.

So much for going as smoothly as possible. At first, Tifa spun around with an excited look upon her face. It was almost Summer and her birthday was coming up… Maybe this was for a surprise party? Or maybe for their third anniversary?

"Something about a fighting club." Yuffie blurted, walking past the bartender to take a seat at the empty bar. Tifa's happy expression melted and Cloud wished he had something more than a glass mug to protect himself with. Yuffie merely shrugged. "I told Cloud I was interested and dragged Vincent out of the dark, gloomy mansion." She leaned up against her hands, elbows to the wood, with an eager expression on her face. "When are we starting?"

At the same time, Cloud shouted Yuffie's name and Tifa shouted Cloud's. Yuffie took this as her cue to get Hell out of there. She slipped off the barstool and up the stairs to the right faster than a predator after prey. Well, in this case, Yuffie was the prey, Cloud was the predator, and Tifa was the bigger predator. Tifa caught Cloud's shoulder before he could get his hands on the ninja fleeing up the staircase. Above, Yuffie took the first door to her right and locked it immediately behind her.

Emotions finally lowered after Tifa told him to sit down. She made herself a drink and took the barstool next to him. She shared the drink with him, unable to keep things from him as he does so often to her – even if it's in the form of something tangible.

"Why can't you be happy with the luck we've had, Cloud?" She mumbled into the glass, unable to look at him. He watched her face with worry in his luminescent blue eyes. This was not how he wanted to end his night. "The last five years have been so chaotic, and when we finally have some peace and quiet, you want to go and get yourself hurt… again. It… It hurts me, too, you know." She took a light sip of the drink before pushing it toward Cloud. He ignored it, putting his hand against her back and rubbing it softly.

"I don't want to get hurt. I don't want it to ruin any peace we have," he said with severity in his voice. "And there's no way in Hell I would want to hurt you." Tifa finally pulled her gaze from the wooden bar to look at him. She saw how serious he was being in this moment. It was refreshing, but worry still crossed her brow. He continued, his voice low and blue eyes staring directly into hers, "but, fighting all those battles kept me clear and focused and now, I just feel out of practice with some natural instinct building. Experiments or… mutations… I don't know." His piercing eyes looked away from hers as he took the drink. He stared into the liquid. "All I know is that I want to fight around, shake this feeling off my chest, and stop acting like I can't see what I used to catch before it caught me." He took a drink of the dark liquid, feeling Tifa's eyes burn into his cheek.

"Okay," she whispered, "if you believe this will help clear your mind, I can't argue with that." When he set the glass down and turned to look at her, she was already looking away, down at her hands with light glistening on her lashes. Cloud reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Think of it like this. I can work on skills, become a better fighter, and be the hero this Planet needs if it needs me again. I can't let the Planet throw something our way and only half of us being ready for it. Besides, maybe this can be good for the both of us. You can get some practice in, too." His hand slipped down her arm and he pulled her hands into his. She looked up at his face with tears against her eyelashes, but she was smiling with skepticism. He blinked, confused. "What?"

"I don't need practice to be ready for that," with growing pride, a soft chuckle escaped her lips, but she knocked on the wood bar for good measure against the possible jinx.

There, you have it. Do stuff with it. Read and share it with other friends. Just don't copy my stuff.

And, please, do me a favor and review this. I would like feedback, ideas, possible speculations on how well Cloud can hold his own against the thugs down the road. I'm curious. But, the important thing is you reviewing for me. Thank you!