A/N: It feels like I haven't posted anything in forever. Inspiration happened to strike so here I am once again. I hope you all enjoy and please review to let me know if I've still got it or if it's been too long and my writing style has changed or anything like that.

Standard disclaimers apply: all FFVII characters belong to Square Enix.

Musical inspiration: Linger by the Cranberries, Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night) by Neon Trees featuring Kaskade

Lessons in Love

By MakoRain

Chapter 1

It was the first day of my second spring semester when I met Cloud Strife. Well, that's not really true since I knew him all of my life up until he dropped off the radar after high school. So it was more like that first day was when I was reacquainted with Cloud Strife; the typical boy next door, better with his hands than with his words. His hands in combat that is, sparring invisible partners while shirtless in his backyard for as long as I can remember.

I could tell the years we were growing up by how defined his upper body became and he didn't disappoint from where I was standing across the walkway from him. With his unruly spiky blond head of hair that would make you laugh if he wasn't so serious about it, I'd recognize him anywhere. I wasn't sure if he'd recognized me yet but seeing him had me rooted to the spot with nowhere to run. And then he turned around and smiled that shy half-smile that had me easily smiling back. No one forgets their true best friend.

He was walking towards me before I realized it and subconsciously took a step back as he was suddenly right there. It must have been the wrong thing to do as it made Cloud's smile falter and his steps hesitant.

"I'm sorry, I thought..."

"No, I mean-" I was stumbling over my words, caught up in his blue eyes before I figured it out.

"I guess I was mistaken, sorry again."

He was turning around before I could think of anything witty to let him know it was me so I did what the moment called for. I grabbed his arm to stop him then let go quickly to give a half wave.

"No, no, Cloud it's me. Tifa." It came out way too loudly and I slapped a hand over my loud mouth so fast it stung a little bit.

Cloud just chuckled and I let my hand slide back to my side as he looked me over up and down in what could be considered appraisal, making my knees shake. Did I mention that I might have had a thing for Cloud back in the day?

"Tifa Lockhart. It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Longer than I ever expected."

We were standing in the middle of the sidewalk and I was fighting not to shuffle from foot to foot like he was doing in front of me, running a hand through his hair in a tell tale nervous habit of his. It made me smile to see that he could still be so grown up and yet so nervous, even as my fingers were busy playing with the hem of my tank top which he noticed as well, taking my hand in his to make me stop. I didn't put up any kind of a fight.

"I had to go for a while but I'm back."

Cloud started walking and I had no choice but to follow, he was still holding my hand. I'm not usually the following type but with Cloud, it always felt natural to just let him take the lead and when he was unsure, I had always been there to give him a helping hand. This time however, I just went with it, not even caring if we were headed to my first afternoon class of the semester or not.

Okay so I had been lying when I said I'd had a thing for Cloud. It was much more than a thing, he was my first love...my first unrequited love and no one ever forgets that.

"Where have you been, Cloud?"

Instead of answering, he just looked ahead into the distance which seemed past the campus and out somewhere I couldn't see, somewhere only he had been. It sent a shadow over his eyes but then he looked at me, really looked me in the eyes and the shadow lifted, bringing the Cloud that I had grown up with back...except with more evasive maneuvers than I recalled.

"Maybe later. Right now I want to hear about you. What have you been up to, Teef?"

With his undivided attention completely focused on me paired with my childhood nickname, I felt my face heat up in the afternoon sunlight. Which was completely ridiculous. Cloud Strife had walked back into my life for maybe fifteen minutes now but it felt like we were right back in high school, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer in his basement while his mother hovered at the top of the stairs, making sure we weren't doing anything "inappropriate." Not that he'd ever thought of being anything but a gentleman, even when certain assets started to develop and got in the way of our sparring.

Pull yourself together, Tifa. You're an adult now! Then why did my stomach feel as if there were a million butterflies flying around trapped in there? What I needed was momentum and so taking a step forward, we were moving again towards the correct building this time.

"You haven't missed much. I'm at the bar still..."

"No way, you're still at Seventh Heaven? I always did like that place."

"Gotta work through college." I gave a nervous laugh until I realized he wasn't making fun but was actually serious. "I'm trying for an English major."

"You always did love to read. I'm sure you'll achieve whatever you want, Teef."

It was in that moment, in the way he knew everything about me and believed in me even when I wasn't so sure of it myself that made me realize how much I'd missed him when he had been gone.

"Cloud, I've missed you." I hadn't planned on saying so out loud though.

He stopped and I had a sheer instant of panic. Why had I said that? Did he know how much I liked him in high school? How much I still like him now? Then I heard a door open nearby and noticed we were standing in front of Hawkes Hall where my first class of the day was. That didn't stop the flush that flared through my cheeks at how stupid I had been to say anything at all when Cloud turned to me, about to say something before he noticed my scarlet face.

"I don't remember you being so quick to embarrass."

I just shrugged, looking down at my shoes and waiting for my opening at a chance to escape. All thoughts of running vanished as his thumb grazed my warm cheeks before traveling to my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his own.

"It's cute."

Before I was able to do more than flutter my eyelashes with blinking in confusion and not in the come-hither way that would have been more appropriate, the door opened behind us again and a light bubbly voice interrupted the moment. Jumping about a foot in the air, I stepped back from Cloud, turning around to face the said interruption.

"Aerith, perfect timing as always." I glared at her and she just shrugged, not understanding the sarcasm.

"What? I just wanted to make sure you weren't late. First day of classes and all." She was already looking over my shoulder, her concern clearly a veiled excuse to see what was taking me so long in the form of the guy behind me. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend here?"

I glanced at Cloud out of the corner of my eye, thinking run while you still can save yourself, but of course he didn't get the message like he would have before. Instead he was eyeing me oddly before turning to acknowledge Aerith, not warmly but not rudely; like anyone would treat a stranger.

The way she smiled at him made me grateful that I'm in not a cat or my hair would have been standing up on the back of my neck and my claws would be out to strike.

"Hi, I'm Cloud Strife."

As they shook, recollection flitted through Aerith's eyes and I begged her not to do what she was about to do.

"The Cloud Strife?" She gave me a look that said clearly very nice before actually elbowing me in the ribs and saying aloud albeit in hushed tones, "You weren't kidding, he's super cute. Look at those arms!"

I put my hand over my eyes, trying to look away from the train wreck her words were in the process of causing.

"You've heard of me?" Cloud looked clearly puzzled as I dared a peek at him through my hands still shading my eyes. So much for hiding. I let my hand drop back to my side and faced the situation like the adult I was.

"I told Aerith all about my best friend from high school." I looked at her long and hard to make sure she'd keep her mouth shut on the subject, which she did only because there was an even better topic to talk about: her.

"I'm Aerith Gainsborough, Tifa's college best friend. I've heard so much about you but I'd love to hear more right from the source, over dinner maybe?" She flashed that grin again that said 'I've got you in my sights, just try to escape if you dare' and I needed to do something fast.

"That's Aerith, always looking for the story. She's a journalist major, you know." I said with a flick of my wrist, emphasizing just how off-handed that comment of hers had been.

"Oh, I see." Cloud said politely extracting his hand still clutched in Aerith's which she had so thoughtfully written her phone number on. "I gotta get to class. I'll catch up with you later, Teef."

There was a pause as his eyes lingered on me for a moment before noticing Aerith was still hovering just in his peripheral. "Nice to meet you." He waved as he jogged in the opposite direction, sprinting across what was left of the green grass.

"Why'd he walk with you all the way over here if his class is over there?" Aerith asked, leading the way back into the building and up the stairs to class.

"I'm not sure. I just ran into him on the walkway." Because he was being nice. I seethed on the inside, seeing her phone number smudged in his palm like that. He didn't even have my number yet.

Aerith put her hand on my arm to stop me in the doorway and I jerked away, a foul mood setting in. "Hey, Tifa. Are you okay with this?"

"With what?" I feigned ignorance which she was better at and I usually avoiding playing her games but I couldn't help it, I was angry. I was annoyed with how she always got what she wanted when I had to work for everything I had. And now she wanted Cloud. It wasn't fair.

"I know how you talked about him in high school...do you still think of him that way?"

Her green eyes looked so sincere I wanted to tell her the truth just to hurt her but that wasn't me, that was her and so this honesty threw me off. When in doubt, best to stay with a vague truth instead of an outright lie.

"I just ran into him Aerith, seriously. I haven't seen him in years." Not exactly an answer to her question but she stepped back enough to let me through. We both did our bets to not hear her mutter, "If you say so."