bakerstreet | THE KISSING BOOTH MEME

She still could. Nothing like a friendly competition to see who could raise the most money for a good cause along with bragging rights. Rights that would likely get held over the other's head in a bid to make them jealous.

Either way, she'd end up with exactly what she wanted.

"You could try asking them." There's a hint of amusement contained within his voice, knowing that the answer they would give likely wouldn't be satisfactory.

Tifa let out a soft noise, looked behind her at the waiting line of females. The ones nearest were clearly enjoying the show but the ones further back that couldn't hear anything were looking impatient. Tifa turned back to Cloud.

"I'm sure they would come up with various of reasons, all that would stroke your ego. I just a kiss worth my money, Mr. Strife."

Well, you are sort of holding up the line, Tifa. Wasting value time that could be spent earning for more money for this charitable cause he's chosen.

Making them wait longer to kiss the object of their misplaced affection.

It's a wonder they haven't started complaining.

"You get what you pay for." It was sort of amusing, seeing just how flustered he could possibly make her.

She was becoming flustered and it was showing. She knew she was holding up the line which cause some frustration because she was pretty sure Cloud was enjoying all of this a little to much.

"I didn't get what I paid for. That is the whole issue."

Oh, he's definitely enjoying this. Watching her become flustered, hearing the sounds of frustration coming from those waiting behind her. A line which, at the current moment, contained at least fifty women who were willing to pay a small fee just to receive a kiss on the cheek and the bragging rights that came along with it.

There was quite a bit to be smug about, even without her standing in front of him, arguing that he hadn't satisfied some terms of agreement.

"Then why come back for more?"

"Fine." Tifa spoke softly, picked up her money and moved away from the booth. She could clearly see Cloud enjoying everything way to much for her liking so she wanted a little pay back. Something that wouldn't leave him looking so smug.

She was going to put up another kissing booth.

It didn't take her long to set up another one right besides Cloud's. Not when she asked a couple of gentlemen real nicely to help her. In no time she had her own line up of men that were willing to pay a little bit more than what Cloud was asking for a kiss from Tifa Lockhart.

Look at you, extorting people to try and get the upper hand in some non existent competition.

Or at least it had been non existent. Right up until he realized exactly why she'd decided to set up a booth of her own, and more importantly, that it had absolutely nothing to do with feeling charitable.

What he may miss out on by not charging a higher fee right off the bat, he was hoping to make up in volume. And by people being willing to give up an addition one for a little something extra.

Which was why, soon after her own booth went up, there was a new sign hanging upon his own.

One listing the price for a kiss on the cheek or the forehead, and another for a kiss on the lips.

Operation Let's See How Jealous We Can Make Tifa is a go.

The thing is Cloud men are much bigger pigs than woman and they would just about pay anything if it got them the attention of a beautiful woman. Tifa is a beautiful woman, is she not?

She noticed the new sign right away and for a moment she was very much jealous because Tifa had no doubt a lot of women would pay to kiss Cloud on the lips. It was a good thing though that she had a brilliant idea after her flash of jealousy.

Soon there was an addiction to her own sign. One for a hug. Because what man would not pay to have Tifa press her breasts against his chest?

There was no lie. Tifa was a devastatingly beautiful woman. For as dense and aloof as he may like to act, that was one thing that certainly hadn't slipped his notice. It would have been completely impossible to be around her each and every day and not realize just how attractive she was.

It was also impossible not to feel a little spike of his own, a keen mixture of jealousy and pride. It was pretty resourceful of her, after all, and there was no real way for him to combat it except to offer something even more perverted.

Which he wasn't entirely above doing, if it meant winning and proving his point. But this was one battle in a bigger war, and wouldn't necessarily be the deciding factor in who became the winner.

So he did the next best thing. Placing a small jar, carefully labeled for tips upon the corner of his booth. With each new purchase he put a little extra spin on it, maybe spent a few more seconds with this lips connected, or let his fingers trail over this skin.

It filled up so quickly he had to empty it twice within the first half an hour.

They both were playing dirty and Tifa didn't like it. She didn't like to see all the extra touches or prolong kisses Cloud was giving out because she was watching. She was watching every kiss and touch. She also didn't like how she felt watching him with the woman. She wasn't a mean or jealous woman and Cloud and her were only friends but wanted to hurt everyone that made soft noises of pleasure because Cloud shouldn't be causing them.

So even though she had a longer line than Cloud, Tifa closed up shop. She didn't like how there little battle of wills was causing her to feel. With her money in hand she moved to Cloud's booth and placed it in front of him.

"You win."

There was a certain undeniable hint of smug pride that flared up at her resignation. Hearing the sound of those who had been wrongfully slighted by her cutting in line only sparked it further. Sighs of frustration and annoyance at having waited, only to be thwarted at the last moment. Especially since they had spent the previous moments watching each women before them getting special treatment.

Honestly, it wasn't even entirely about who could earn the most money, even if it was eventually going to aid a rather good cause. It wasn't even entirely about who could make the other the most jealous.

It was almost who was going to crack first.

"Do I get to claim my prize now?"

"Prize? Do you mean the money?" Tifa asked looking at Cloud with a raised eyebrow. She pushed the cash box that was full of donations towards Cloud. "Sure. Here is your prize. I should go now so you can continued on with... this." Tifa really wasn't a jealous person but in that moment she was and if Cloud continued on with the kissing booth then she would have to be somewhere else.

"You know, you're pretty cute when you're pretty cute when you're jealous." And while that definitely wasn't the original reason he'd agreed to any of this - or even the original reason for why he'd refused her - it was definitely an amusing and welcome side effect.

"I'm not jealous," Tifa said lying even as her cheeks flared up in a blush. She wanted to scowl and turn away but she stayed where she was looking at Cloud because she didn't want to prove him right.

"You have people waiting for you."

"So did you." Yet here she was, standing in front of him, trying not to blush or act like any of this actually bothered her.

And doing a pretty terrible job, given just how well they knew each other.

"Just say thank you for the money I helped raise," Tifa said, cheeks red, but she wasn't angry. Jealous? Yes. Angry? No. "You won't get as many tips if you leave them waiting, Cloud. Think of the cause. I'll see you at home, okay?" Tifa then gave him a bright smile and turned to move away.

"Thank you." Perhaps he was being a bit self serving - okay, entirely self serving in the way he was egging her on, as if trying to see exactly what it would take.

And apparently, the final straw was seeing him kiss someone else with any amount of feeling behind it. Especially when the kiss she'd been given had been purposefully less than stellar.

"What happened to that kiss you wanted?"

"The 'you get what you'd pay for' kiss?" Tifa asked pausing in her movement to look back at Cloud. A lot of time it was fairly easy for Tifa to read Cloud even when others couldn't because she knew him so well but with jealousy clouding her vision and thoughts she couldn't read him at all.

"I already got it and your prices are just to high for me now." Or she didn't want to make a bigger fool of herself. Her kiss had barely been a peck and she had seen wha he had given the women standing in his line.

"Maybe I want one from you." Sure, there were a number of people who's time he was essentially wasting by drawing out this exchange. Money that he was losing out on by continuing this conversation.

But he'd already brought in nearly triple what he'd set out to raise, not counting the contribution that Tifa had made. Whatever was lost wouldn't be missed, and if it was, he would gladly make it up himself.

"You want a kiss from me," Tifa repeated what she had just heard as she looked at Cloud. She could hear the women in Cloud's line start to become restless, well the ones that were further back at least. The ones that could see and hear what was going on wouldn't stop the show for anything.

"I guess I could give you one," Tifa said before she moved Cloud's tip jar closer to him. "If you pay."

Bright eyes glance downwards, taking in the sight of the tip jar and it's sudden proximity. It wasn't as if he could blame her for making some sort of stipulation, especially with everything he'd so far to push her to that point.

"Name your price."

Tifa raised an eyebrow at Cloud and his words. She was silent for a long moment, taking him in before speaking. "What's a kiss from me worth?" she asked forming multiple plans in her head depending on Cloud answered. It was almost a trick question that she had asked.

THE KISSING BOOTH MEME

Okay, maybe the tiara. But please for the love of god do something better with his hair

We could backcomb and tease his hair into a big blonde afro?

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Wow self good job typing the same thing twice A+ proof reading

No worries! I understood what you were trying to say

Thank goodness someone did, honestly

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