It's already late and dark. Cloud decided to take a walk along the beach shores, trying to reflect everything that has happened. Meteor, Sephiroth, Planet, Ancients... everything was still clear...how the sword quickly thrust against her fragile body. Aeris... her name kept bugging his mind ever since it all happened. How he wished he could bring her back, see her smile again. The thought of it just made him warm all over. He thought of the times they were together. How she would cling to him just like that, the times she used to cheer everyone up, how she used to help him with everything. How he wished he could just have the power to bring memories back...then maybe...she'd still be by his side.
Where is he? she asked herself over and over as she looked everywhere, hoping to see a tiny glimpse of him. It's always like this, him going off somewhere and me, stuck to eternity hoping to find him she told herself. Why was she looking for him anyway? It's not like it's going to do her any good or something. No, of course it will. It makes her feel safe when he's in her sight. She walked on her way and walked and walked and walked as if it would never end. Her eyes are starting close, she's becoming sleepier by the minute. Cloud, where are you?
Cloud was suddenly startled. He sat up from the sands and looked around. Tifa must be looking for me again he marked himself. Why is she always bugging me whenever I want to be alone? he asked, inwardly cursing. He lied down again, just waiting for her to find him, she always does. He closed his eyes as the wind blew forcibly on him.
Damn it, Cloud, where are you? Tifa was about to give up when she spotted him on the shores. She almost slapped herself for always forgetting. He was ALWAYS there where she would ALWAYS find him. She run towards him, hoping that he wasn't asleep, unlike the last time she found him there.
"Cloud?" she called. She took another step closer, then another. Cloud resigned to her and sighed.
"Yeah? What is it?" he asked her, not even taking a glance of her. Tifa sitted herself next to him, the waves simultaneously splashing on her feet. For some reason, she was nervous around him. She clutched the sand below her as she tried to make up an answer. Why was she looking for him again?
"I---uh...I was worried about you..." she began nervously. Cloud just listened to her absently, his mind elsewhere. "And...I...thought you might want to go home" Cloud sighed. This isn't just working out. She's really getting on his nerves.
"Tife...please...you know I'll go home once I decided I want to" he told her. Tifa looked down on the sands, her hands nervously shaking.
"But---" Before she could say anything, Cloud stood up and walked away.
"I want to be alone tifa, please, just go home" he said coldly, not turning back to let her see him. Tifa stood up quickly.
"But--but...it's getting cold, you want me to---?" Suddenly Cloud looked at her, anger in his eyes.
"Tifa, please just go! I don't want you just sticking in my damn life just like that! Mind you own business, just leave!" he yelled at her and ran away. Tifa took a step back as a tear fell from her eyes. Was that Cloud? It wasn't like him. He never yelled at her before. What's going on?
"Cloud..." she whispered softly as another tear fell with Cloud's figure disappearing through the night. Another tear fell, then another. Soon, Tifa's cheeks were filled with them. She shut her eyes closed, and with a heavy heart, went back.
Hmph! Why should she mind me? She doesn't really care for me, no one does. This fuckin' life of mine is a total shit. If only SHE were here... Cloud's thoughts were filled with mists and confusion. He doesn't know what to do, since she...died. Until now, he still couldn't forget the sacrifice she made just to save the planet. Cloud sighed again and lied ont he sand. A picture of Tifa suddenly crossed his mind. Crying? he was startled. Tifa...was she...crying back there? He tried to recall her face when he said those words to her. She was actually crying! But...how come?! Cloud thought for a while. Then, his eyebrows furrowed. She doesn't really care about me, she just want to have someone to depend on. That's what she gets for trusting in someone like me. Though his mind says that, his heart can't help but feel sorry for Tifa. She did help him a lot of times and she did show she cared. He doesn't remember any of those times, but something tells him he shouldn't feel so alone. He sighed as his eyes slowly drifted closed...
Tifa shut her eyes tight, preventing all her tears to fall off her eyes. How could he be so cold? Ever since...she died...Oh, if only there's some way I could bring her back...then Cloud will get back to his old self she told herself. All that was stuck in her mind was that she lost the old Cloud. The young Cloud that she grew up with, the Cloud who fought for her, the Cloud brave enough to face any enemy just to protect her. He missed the old Cloud. It was hard to acccept...but he needed her no more. She was but a burden to him, she was just hurting him even more.
Tifa sat up from her bed and looked at herself int he mirror. Her face was covered with tears, her eyes almost bulging from its redness, a reflection of her sadness. She sniffled before she stood up, wiping her tears away. She went to her closet and took all her clothes as she pulled a bag from the back.
Cloud sat up immediately from where he was. The sun was already up. The waves splashing repeatedly on the sands. He rubbed his eyes from his sleepiness. He stood up and walked his way home. Tifa she's probably on her room. He decided that he would talk to her and apologize for last night. He thought about it, and realized that he does need her. He ran as fast as he could, hoping he would see her as soon as possible. he opened the door to their villa, heading to her room straightly. But alas, what he was looking for wasn't there! Where is she? He looked around the house but no Tifa. He went back to her room, opened her closet...and most of her clothes weren't there, even some of her valuables were gone to. Could it be that....? He looked around some more, and in her table, a note was placed...
Cloud,
I thought about it, and realized that didn't need me anymore. You don't need anyone to take care of you. You've been like that since...ever since...she left us. Because of that, I figured you would need some time alone. I'll be leaving you. I hope you won't come to me some day, it hurts so much to see you. I'll be hoping that once you've thought about it, you'll think about me. Goodbye...
Your friend,
Tifa Lockheart
Cloud stood frozen, eyes glued on the letter. Goodbye? This...is goodbye? A sudden blast of guilt overcame him. His chest tightening inside. She left...because of me. Did I hurt her that much? tons of questions flooded Cloud's mind. Without another secopnd thought, he got into his chocobo and went on to find Tifa, hoping he would find her.
"You mean...she's not here?" Cloud's voice faded sadly as Barret and Cid shook their heads.
"Nope! Haven't seen her since last month. Why?" Cid ask, gulping his seventh mug. Barret looked at Cloud suspiciously.
"What did you do now?" he asked him. Cloud lowered his head, guilt flooding him over again.
"I---I kind of yelled at her last night...and...she..." words were failing him. What he did was more than words. It was more than he could describe. What he did was the most regretful thing he ever did in his life. Barret winced at him.
"Man, you're an idiot! You know she's sensitive! You fuckin' little---!!!" Cid stood up and held Barret away before he could hit Cloud. "I'm gonna pound you, you little twit!"
"Barret stop it!" Cid ordered. Cloud sighed.
"No Cid, I deserve every pain I'll get once he hit me..." he said sadly, not even trying to get away from Barret. Barret stopped struggling and stared at Cloud. Cid did the same too.
"Kid, go and look for her" Barret said to him. Cloud looked up and saw Barret smiling at him. Cid was too.
"Yeah, go look for her, she's just there somewhere, you'll find her" Cid encouraged. Cloud managed a small smile and walked out the door.
"Hey! We'll just pound you once you get back without her!"
"Not here either?"
"Nope, never saw her after last month" Yuffie said, busily punching on the punching bag in front of her. Cloud sighed and shook his head. "Why?"
"Nothing" he answered and just went back to the villa.
Cloud waited...and waited...and waited. Tifa didn't come. A week passed, another, then another...it was already a month. Cloud was almost giving up. Then a thought struck him. He wanted to kill himself for not thinking about it. He ran outside and rode his chocobo.
He looked around Nibelheim. He looked around the whole town, the well, her old house, his house, the inns, the other people's house, everywhere, but no sign of her. He went back to the well, already starting to give up. He looked everywhere. He needed her. Why isn't she there whenever he needs him? Wait, she was always there all the time! Not until...he sent her away. This was killing him. Where is she? His heart felt like it was going to burst. The flaming part of him, the love inside him, was like it had frozen after all these time. When he thought he loved someone else, he never knew he really loved...her. It was her all along. It was like she melted the frozen part of him, the part where he was supposed to love. A frozen flame she had carefully been melting, bit by bit. This new revelation stabbed a pang of pain inside him, a pain he had never before encountered. The frozen flame, ice trickling out...but slowly fading away...bursting out of his chest as his sadness tried to break him little by little.
She walked around, not knowing where to go. Nibelheim...she stared at her hometown. The hometown she grew up with...him. Tifa walked along the streets, bringing back memories of their time together, touching everything she could get her hands on. Finally, she saw it...the well. She stared at it for a moment, only to realize that something moving is behind it. She looked closer, hair, blond hair...spiky, blond hair.
Cloud felt something that told him to look behind him. he followed his senses, and there she was! After all this time, he'd been looking for her, she was the one who found him.
"Tifa..." he whispered, the wind blowing hardly on them. Cloud stared at her beautiful face, noticing the tears she had shed when she heard him whisper her name. "Tifa...I---"
"Cloud" she called back. Cloud didn't waste any second. He quickly jumped off the well and ran to her, hugging her tightly like he would never want to let her go again. Tifa's tears shed like rain as Cloud buried his face on her hair, hearing his sobs at the same time.
"Tifa, please, don't ever do that again" he told her, his voice being caught by her hair.
"Do what?" she asked him. Cloud shook his head.
"This! Leaving me, making me wait for you! Don't you know how much I suffered just because you left?" he asked her, part angrily and part gladly now that he found her. Tifa had a confused look on her face.
"But...I thought you--"
"No! I was just a bit depressed at that time. But I really needed you, and...I'm sorry I yelled at you. I didn't mean to hurt you and make you feel unwanted" he explained, another tear falling down each eye. "I...I've thought about it...and I realized...that I need you...I...I..." it was more than words. Cloud couldn't say it. He just pulled her again to him and hugged her ever so tightly, he himself couldn't even breathe. He reached for her ear, tucking strands of hair behind it and kissing her cheeks. "I love you, Tifa"
Tifa gasped at what she heard. She was even more surprised to feel Cloud's lips against her, stopping her from what she was about to say. Tifa tried very hard to push him away.
"But Cloud, how about...her? I thought you...I thought she was the one you---" Tifa stopped in her words when Cloud shook his head.
"I thought so too, but when you left, I realized I was even more hurt when you left me more than when she left us" he told her with soft eyes. "And...I don't think I could live without you"
Tifa smiled at what Cloud said. She hugged him against her, happiness flooding through her. This wasn't a dream she usually wished for, it was real! For once in her life she felt complete.
Cloud led her to the well, both sitting themselves down. Cloud placed an arm around her as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Both their flames flashed together, warming each other with warming love.
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