-She was a eccedentesiast, one who hides behind a smile. He was convinced to become the reasons of her daily smiles, but that would cause him to suffer in more ways than one.

Warning: One small suggestive and sexual scene (in paragraph 5).

eccedentesiast

When he first sees the decaying wooden sign that reads 'Seventh Heaven,' he doesn't think much. Just that the owner of the building probably liked to cheat from the false hopes of the slums' captives. Nevertheless, he was looking for a nice drink, a place full of cheerful noise, and a nice group of eye candy.

He strolled in, immediately stopping in his tracks. This was more than he had bargained for.

The colors of the wall were a pale and elegant cream, not too bright to blind the eyes yet not too light to be unnoticed. It was a nice contrast from the lingering dullness of the blacks and grays throughout the outside environment as they seemed to diffuse itself into its buildings. Throughout the room were arranged salvaged pieces of tables and chairs that were of decent condition, and on them were patrons that seemed to slur incoherently with hearty laughs. On a side of the wall was a long bar counter, unsullied and immaculately clean after being wiped down so many times. It was quite unfortunate that the counter did not have its owner behind it though. But, no, he was oh so wrong.

Through a door in the back, a woman walked out with a tray high above her head, dodging the herds of people in the too tiny building and their sneaky hands. He would not comment on whether their focus was on the liquor or on the woman herself. Nope, he refused. Though, he would not lie that she was quite a sight, nor that he watched her short itinerary as he placed himself at the end seat of the counter.

Her hips seemed to tantalize him as it swayed sinfully side to side, and she seemed to tease him as she would stand straight after bending to display her firm rear and her ample amount of cleavage. He hoped that an undergarment was not restraining the latter as he imagined himself running his hands under her tiny white shirt, enveloping soft flesh, her eyes darkening and glazing over as he would softly squeeze it, teasing the tip of her pebble before lifting her shirt up and placing his mouth on top of it to suck. Arms wrapped around his neck to hold him in place, she would moan his name through her too red lips and squirm impatiently in his lap. He would then hastily lay her down on the bar counter and...

Whoa, calm down there, little man. He was fantasizing too soon. Way too soon. He never did that. Fortunately, the leading lady of his short-lived fantasy returned to the wooden expanse and discreetly acknowledged him. Now that he could actually see her face, he thought she had pretty eyes, an interesting mix of red and brown, possibly gold. It was a strange color combination, though he was convinced that it suited her. Rays of artificial light reflected in her eyes, causing an illusion of brightly gleaming stars.

"Welcome to Seventh Heaven. You new here?" She absentmindedly took a dishrag and wiped the counter down after tossing him a well-practiced smile. Ah, so he was certainly right about it being wiped down thousands of times, but he sure wasn't expecting to be the victim of her pearly whites.

"Well, that depends on who's asking." Okay, so he wasn't quite on his game because she was probably the most gorgeous chick he had ever seen in a long time. Scratch that, the most gorgeous chick he had ever seen that seemed to currently make him have inconsistency in his thoughts. Pfft, he simply had been rusty was all. Plus, all he had to do was shoot his killer Zack Fair grin, and she'd be a pile of mush in no time. "But then again, if I'm new, then I guess you'll have to start ingraining my not so familiar face into that pretty head of yours, doll face." A flash of dimple here, a flash of shiny whites there.

"How about I get my bouncer to take you off my grounds. Or would you like the pleasure of being personally thrown out by me yourself?" She smirked. There was no blush or evidence of being swooned and instantly "in love". Ooh, but she had some spice. He liked that.

"Whoa there, sweetheart. I think we're moving a little too fast here. I don't even know your name yet! How about we start all over? Nice to meet ya, I'm Zack Fair." By then, he had been leaning onto the counter closer to her just as she had simultaneously done so to him. The close proximity was sickening in its cruelly tempting way. However, he managed to continue flashing his pearly whites with his one perky dimple. He had heard from many that it was quite a killer weapon.

"Well, Zack Fair, would you like something to drink or are you going to just sit there and stare?" Man, she was quite a feisty one, but feisty was never a problem to this womanizer. Wait, why wasn't she oozing in a pile of goo yet? Well, at least she wasn't all over him like some easy, clingy, and desperate girl.

"Hey, you're cute and all, but is it hard to believe that a man like me would actually come to a bar for a drink instead of seeing some voluptuous bartender? I'll have a beer, thank you very much." He thinks he played that quite nicely; he liked a challenge. Plus, he didn't mind talking and looking at her. Not only did she have the looks, but the perfect body too. Perfect, just perfect.

"A man like you? So, you mean a handsome creep that supposedly wants a beer, am I right?" She grabbed a mug under the counter and turned around to fill its content with a foaming liquid. When she passed him the glass, he made sure to graze her hand upon receiving.

"Oh, so you think I'm handsome, eh? Oh, shucks, you make me blush like a little young school girl. Say, what's your name? I'd like to know the name of such a beautiful girl like you." Though he had to admit that he was coming on quite strong today, he felt that it wouldn't have mattered either way.

She crossed her arms, one finger coming up to tap at her rosy lips as if deep in thought, her eyes looking towards the ceiling. After settling onto something, she stopped. "My name's Tifa, and the image of you as a blushing little girl kind of disturbs me. So, please don't say anything like that ever again." The girl, now identified as Tifa, grabbed a broom and began sweeping throughout the now half empty bar. Hmmm, interesting. When had the hustling and bustling of bar patrons drown out of his ears?

"So, Tifa, you don't deny that you do think I'm handsome. By the way, your name's a first for me, isn't that special?" T-i-f-a, he liked the way it had rolled off his tongue. His mug was now empty, and he was just enjoying his view, waiting for the beauty to return after she merely stuck a tongue out to his question. He couldn't help but stare at her. To be honest, the small chit chat she had with the customers during her sweeping route made him a little jealous. He wanted her by his side as soon as possible, which was quite strange, considering the fact that he had never felt such a feeling after such a short interaction.

"Hey, Fair. It's closing time. Get your newcomer behind out of here." She returned to the bar, no broom in hand. He noticed her trail of sight, the group of customers walking out the door until her attention returned to him. One elegant eyebrow arched.

"I'm sorry, what?" He had long finished his drink, his finger circling the ring of the glass. He put on his most oblivious stare and tried hard to contain his laughter as he saw her blow the bangs out of her face agitatedly, a hand resting on her hip. Ha, she was still pretty cute though, he thought.

She continued to glare at him, hinting at her disapproval. After awhile, she simply gave up and entered a doorway that was hidden to his eyes. Seeing that as his signal to leave, he left a generous amount of money for the leading lady of the night. He would see her again; he knew it, and he was pretty sure that she knew it too.

X

This would be his third visit.

The second visit wasn't very eventful. Instead of getting the front seat at the bar counter, he opted to be an observant in a booth in the back, which was quite uncharacteristic of him. He only wanted to observe and get to know his environment since he was going to appear more frequently.

He noticed that most of the bar patrons were men, some older than others. From those men, he could easily differentiate the low and greasy low-lives compared to the nice and respectful ones. There was a good mix of the two, none overpowering the other. Though, some did make his skin crawl from their appearances to their mannerisms towards a certain curvacious woman.

Besides the men, there were obviously women-women that weren't necessarily his type. They were the lesser classy ones, he liked to say nicely. However, he liked women that held themselves with class and respect, but these women showcased their bodies through their clothes that easily left nothing to the imagination. Though Tifa also wore revealing clothes to a lesser extent, he couldn't blame her for using her assets to gain attention for business, which differed from the girls whose body was their business, but it wasn't as if she voluntarily succumbed to her male customers. She didn't take any offers for a drink or a date; she was strictly business, and he liked that.

Aside from the physical bar and its complementary people, he learned something about the little lady today. She had a crush or infatuation or possibly...love. He wasn't overly jealous, just curious as to who the lucky man was. After all, he had only met the woman for two days, and today would make it three. However, he couldn't help but notice her posture and demeanor. In fact, she seemed rather sad and repressed today, her shoulders slumped and the bright glint in her eye tarnished. It was evidence to either a broken or disappointed heart, but he was sure to have Zack Fair, Hero, to save the damsel in distress. He lengthened his strides into the establishment, head held in high esteem. The audible sounds of his footsteps were lost in the bar's own clatter, yet his presence was assuredly recognized by a pair of astute eyes behind the counter.

He settled in the dead center of the wooden counter, a spot where he knew she stored her items under, thereby assuring considerable interaction between the two. He was determined to keep her happy, to see her smile and laugh. He could tell that the girl he met on the first day was just a front, something put up to block herself from the unwanted, but he wasn't going to be a victim to that any longer. Zack Fair was now appointed with a personal mission, and failure was not an option.

"Hey, princess! Can I get a glass of wine?" He smiled at her, anticipating her acknowledgment. Apparently, his choice of beverage amused her to a certain extent as he received a gruff snort.

"Since when did you drink wine?" She stopped her current tasks momentarily, seemingly waiting for an answer.

"It's because I'm a classy man. With a classy taste in beverages. With a classy taste in women." He added a wink at the end for good measure, even if it was a redundant mouthful-but anything to make this bartender happy.

It seemed to work as she tried hard to contain her smile, shaking her head at his silliness. Complying to his order, she handed him a glass of red wine and left him to tend her other paying customers. The first part of his mission was an almost complete success, but he was sure to never leave his eyes off of her, whether his actions would be clear as day or discreet as night.

Additional things he noticed were that she always gave fake smiles. A Lot. Too bad none of the drunks could ever tell. They seemed to think each that smile was dedicated to each and every one of them. Pathetic. He made sure to receive genuine smiles, especially ones unique to him. Only him.

By the time she's back, his glass is done, and he's performing his habit of circling the glass' ring. His ears instantly perked up as she passed by, but he was rejected for the ringing of a phone. Her face instantly lights up, and she talks animatedly into it. It made him wonder if the person on the other phone was a family member, a friend, or that supposed lover. As she continued to talk, her body language proved that it was the latter. No one blushed a dashing rosy color and wore a shy, insecure smile when talking to some family member or friend.

When she came back to collect his drink, her smile seemed permanent, and she looked to have been in a walking daze. Her shoulders were now straight, her smiles less strained, and her eyes less tired. Geez, whoever that was must have been the so-called perfect guy to instantly change a whole girl. The man himself wondered if he had ever made that occur.

"So, what's the good news?" She jumped out of her daydream with a shake of her head at his question, eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"W-what?" Wow, that guy gave her the stutters too.

"What are we excited for? Did you tell one of your girlfriends about the new cutie that appeared a few days ago?" He took one hand, placed it near his mouth, and whispered, "P.S. That cutie would be me."

He heard her laugh. The girliest, airiest, I don't know what you're saying but okay! laugh. She simply avoided his question and left him to lessen her embarrassment. Man, she had it for that guy good. He felt bad for the future Tifa when one of them would split up with the other. He then wondered if he had left a long trail of broken hearts too.

As he let the realization of her transformation sink in, he shook his head, left his money, and left. After all, she wouldn't have noticed with that one man on her mind.

X

This would be his seventh visit.

He had gotten used to her mood swings, well, transformations would be the more correct term. He wouldn't have had a chance, even if the original intent was just to get into her pants. Now, she was just a challenge, something for him to conquer, though not in a dominant way. He never backed down from a challenge, but he didn't want to steal a girl from another guy who rightfully had her first. He just never... had been refused before. It was a strange feeling, but he had to learn to accept it. On the other hand, he had to admit that there was some unique quality about her. Something about her intrigued him, and he couldn't lay his finger onto what.

Was it her hair, her eyes, her smile? Or was it her feisty front that made him come back for more? Or... was it that he wanted to know the real her-the her with the real smiles, thoughts, actions, and personality? He knew she had brains behind all that beauty, and this may be his first real attempt to befriend someone for a true, genuine reason.

This was not like Zack. At all.

Today, he was at his regular seat, the dead center. He was pretty sure that she knew what his usual seat and drink was too. As an unspoken conversation passed, he was wondering who had given her the ivory flower as he proceeded to sip his drink. She had received plenty of gifts before as he had seen during his increasing visits, but her supposed boyfriend must have given it to her. She never proudly showcased one of her gifts, so his mind wandered as he continued to observe it.

It was a lone flower in a simple vase, sitting on a corner of counter. There was nothing special about it. It was just simple and less and yet great and more. There was something about the idea that made itself alluring. As usual, he couldn't help but notice everything about her.

Every time she would look at the flower, she would smile. Every time she had a destination, she would work her route around it. Every time she would pass by it, she would take her sweet time to smell it.

He was long done with one drink as expected, and so he would use the television implanted near the ceiling as a cover up as he organized his thoughts. She seemed like a simple girl that enjoyed simple things, yet obviously needed to be spoiled and treated as a princess for a day. She seemed like one of those girls that only needed the necessities, never making time for herself but only for others.

If he was her man, he'd treat her right.

Random thoughts spiraled into dangerous possibilities. That's why he rarely thought before he did. His thoughts always were more dangerous than his actions. He was spontaneous and never planned out, and that's what he thought she needed in her life right now. But, he couldn't continue to think this way-the what if's, could have's, maybe's. He shouldn't start to fall in love into the idea of them in a relationship because that was just pathetic. It was just unfortunate that she was already in love, hopefully with someone that was good enough for her. And, if that guy wasn't, he would make sure to be the princess' knight in shining armor.

Oh, what was he thinking... He was thinking too much, getting too involved into this. He probably only wanted her because he wanted what he couldn't have. He should stop thinking and start doing and talking again. It would shake him off of this topic.

"Hey, Teef!" He yelled it across the room, blinding her with his pearly whites. He even waved at her energetically. Being a splash of sunshine was just one of his things.

She leaned her tray onto one of her shapely hips and simply arched an eyebrow at him, a hand resting on the other. He simply chuckled and motioned for her to come over. Surprisingly, she complied.

"What do you want, Zack Fair?" She sat on the bar stool next to him, crossing one leg over the other. Oh, if only she knew how delectable her legs looked.

"Ouch, I thought we were friendly enough to be on first name basis, Teef." He gave her his best puppy dog eyed look, hoping that she would drown into his blue eyes. He didn't like it when people called him by his first and last name.

"First of all, don't call me Teef. Second of all, do you seriously even need me?" She uncrossed her legs and crossed them again, her skirt riding up with each slight movement. Damn.

"So, what would you like, Teef? And actually, I do need you. In more ways than one." His words lacked the innocence of his smile. She rolled her eyes and quickly stood up.

"Well, I think you should only holler my name across the bar if it's necessary." She walked away, and he couldn't help but notice the natural sashay of her hips. He silently thought that she would be the one hollering his name instead as his mind played pleasant scenarios.

"Yoohoo, Tifa!" He wanted to annoy her more, just a little bit. Her reactions were so cute and amusing. Plus, a lot of interaction never hurt. She turned around and gave him a displeasing glare. However, she walked back towards him anyway.

"Aw, what a good doggie woggie! You actually obeyed my command." She then proceeded lean over to ruffle his already unruly mane. Ha, she was still rather short even when he was sitting down. He thought this while he stuck out his tongue and panted just to make her giggle.

"Ruff ruff! Well, actually, I heard I make a pretty adorable puppy." He flashed her a bright smile, showcasing his exuberance.

"Yeah, uh huh. Next thing I know, you're gonna start biting on anything you see," she said as she smiled knowingly. Ooh, if only she knew want he wanted to taste right now.

"Whoa there, sweetheart. I don't like where this conversation is heading. I'm a good puppy, remember? Anyway, I want a..." He made sure to take his time when reading the Seventh Heaven's menu, held high on the main wall. This was his first time actually reading it, and he was sure he wasn't going to have more than one glass to drink. However, the sound of a foot repeatedly tapping the ground made him lose his concentration. So, he asked her, "Do you mind?"

"Mind what?" That innocent look on her face wouldn't have fooled anyone.

"Would-you-mind-if-I-took-your-flower?" He made sure to say that last line really fast, but that surely made her foot tapping stop.

"What did you say?" Her arms were crossed, and if looks could kill, he would've been dead in a heartbeat.

"Ahem. I said, 'Would you mind if I took your TV?' Because it's way bigger than the one at my place." He gave her a deadpanned look to add on to his serious voice. He knew she wouldn't believe him, but it was worth a shot. He could see her fingers moving, itching to smack him across the back of his head or face.

She sat on the bar stool next to him, staring at him for a full three seconds and said, "Yes. And uh, yes." She smirked and walked away.

Well, that sure went well he thought, though he admitted that it could have gone a lot better than expected. Plus, he now knew how important that gift was, thereby knowing how important that man was. So, he did what he usually did when he would leave. He left a stash of bills under his glass and simply left through the door. After all, it was now normal to be left unnoticed by her.

X

This would be his...

Actually, he didn't know what number visit this was. He stopped taking count awhile ago because it was unnecessary to calculate his art of seduction. Stopping by was never about that anymore. It was for his own needs, needs that he was so unsure about himself. He just knew that he needed to stop by. Because... it just felt strangely, unreasonably right.

The conflicted man revved down the unpaved streets on his motorcycle and parked it in a back alley, a place that he had already made sure was secure for his bike. As he was a mere few feet from the door, a pair of cerulean eyes shot right at him as the owner hastily passed by. The glare continued to confuse the man as he opened the door.

It was quiet. Too quiet. The hustling and bustling of the workers and the customers were absent, explaining the nonexistence of said people, which made the predicament even more strange. There was no apparent closed sign place on the windows or doors, nor was there any mishaps to explain a quick flee or getaway. Nothing seemed out of place-well, besides the lack of- and looked as if the bar was simply closed and secured for the next work day.

The image of the stranger suddenly implanted itself into his brain. That stranger with the piercing glare didn't seem to be a burglar from his lack of packages. Maybe he had raped or assassinated someone, but the worried man did not want to imagine a certain bartender in either situation. His brain started to ache at the gruesome possibilities.

There was a peculiar sound, a quiet sound nearly inaudible to the human ear. He strained his hearing instruments and finally heard something. It sounded like...crying? He scanned the room for anybody in the immaculate room but was left with no answers. As he walked closer and closer towards the counter, the sound became louder and louder. For the first time ever, he walked onto the other side, and there he saw a woman sitting on the ground, hugging her legs close to her chest. It was Tifa.

Tifa?

He felt a sharp pang in his chest as he sat next to her. Deciding to accommodate himself, he bent one of his legs at the knee and rested his hand on top of it, leaving his other leg flat on the ground. The blue-eyed man didn't know what to do. He never did like seeing people cry. He never knew what to do, to either leave a person alone or comfort them. That was why he never voluntarily put himself into these kind of situations, but he couldn't let the brunette beauty drown in her own misery right beside him. Well, there was a first for everything, and that concept attached to her.

She didn't look as if anything had happened to her. She just looked...sad. Depressed, grievous, doleful- any synonym that a person could think of. It was the kind of emotion you would become when your heart was shattered, when something you desperately didn't want had happened. It was worse than any of the days when there was no presence of him.

He put one arm around her trembling shoulders, allowing her head to lean onto his shoulder. The raven-haired man leaned his head slightly onto hers and whispered sweet nothings, soothing her sniffles to quiet aches. She squirmed her way onto his lap and rested her ear against his heartbeat, her hands clenching onto the front of his sleeveless turtleneck. He simply wrapped his arms around her middle, offering her physical comfort. He didn't know what was wrong, but he wasn't going to disrupt this. This was the first time they were physically intimate in any way, so she must have trusted him to some extent to allow this to happen.

He felt her try to stand up, but he forcibly kept her within the restraint of his arms. She wasn't going anywhere. He knew she was going to overwork herself or do something even more ridiculous.

"Z-Zack. Let me go." She was tugging at his arms weakly. He knew she was much stronger than this. He had seen her throw out and injure men more than twice his size. This encouraged him to make her remain in his arms.

"No," he whispered softly yet firmly. He wanted to make sure that she was okay, that she would be emotionally strong on her own. So, as of right now, she was his number one concern.

Suddenly, she positioned herself to straddle his hips, and the appearance of her tear-streaked face made him wary with concern. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and her face was suddenly too close. Her position made him lick his upper lip, and he noticed her eyes glancing at his movement.

"I need to go clean up." That was such a lie. The place was fine. It looked as if it never opened. Now, she was just looking for an excuse.

"Stop lying. Nothing looks out of place except for you." She tried to hide herself in the fall of her hair, but she seemed to have forgotten that it was restrained by a ribbon. Seeing that, he loosened it and felt her hair fall free onto his arms. He was lucky that his gloves were removed as he tangled his fingers into her dark waterfall.

As he focused his eyes onto anything but her face, he could feel her eyes boring onto his. There was something about this moment that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was different, but it was a good different. If he was old Zack, he would have done things differently. If this was any other girl, he would have done things differently.

He didn't know how long they stayed like that, the pair physically close yet emotionally far. He enjoyed being in her presence- the smell of her hair, the press of her body, the feel of intimacy. The newly discovered man didn't realize when their foreheads touched and when their breaths mingled. All he knew was that he wanted to just stay like this. It was nice, but that niceness was short-lived.

Her arms fell slack around his shoulders, and her body suddenly felt like lead. She was asleep, and he could feel the even pace of her breathing as the grip of her body loosened. Of course, she would be the one to fall asleep. He carefully disentangled their limbs and carried her bridal style up a flight of stairs hidden in the back corner.

He never realized the other possible parts of the building and found it fascinating that she lived here too. The small hallway that the stairs lead to had three doors, and he walked into the room closest to him. He had luckily guessed on the first try and found a modest bedroom. It was considerably small compared to his, but it seemed to accommodate the needs of a gal like her. He gently laid her onto the bed and took off her socks and shoes in consideration, then he covered her with a blanket. He stepped back into the doorway and observed the room now pronounced as hers more closely.

She was lain on a queen bed against a wall closest to him, the sheets old and worn. On the farthest left corner was a small wooden desk that contained one framed picture faced down, and on the far right corner was a similar styled dresser. Overall, the room was small and filled with the best items someone in the slums could afford.

But, curiosity took over as he wondered why the framed picture was faced down. It didn't look accidental; it was implanted flatly onto the surface of the desk, as if someone had done it him or herself. As temptation empowered him, the stride of his long legs quickly brought him to the desk. When he slightly lifted the frame, he saw something that he couldn't say he didn't expect.

It was the picture of an embrace of a happy couple at the Gold Saucer- Tifa, shooting a bright smile at the aforementioned stranger, whose eyes were smiling right back at her.

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x

Originally supposed to be a super long oneshot, but I took pity on you fellow readers/reviewers. If there is enough feedback (reviews, etc.), I may add the second part to make this a twoshot. & Yes, I actually wrote Zack with a brain and not his penis. Also, I'm excited to say that I finally have a beta reader, so this is the first beta-read piece.

I enjoy and appreciate every single one of you, and I'm sorry if I haven't sent you a personal thank you message yet. Anyway, please review, follow, and favorite for more!