Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of Final Fantasy VII or its characters; they belong to Square Enix. However, this story and its lyrics do belong to me.

Author's Note: This is a result of late-night boredom, inspiration, and a short break from The Ancient Turk. I do support the Cloud/Tifa pairing, and this is a bittersweet Cloti. Kind of a songfic, I suppose? I wrote the lyrics, which are all in italics, but they go to the tune of Greensleeves. Beautiful song. I've found that this also goes well with "Solitude" by Evanescence. Well, I hope you all enjoy!

A Cloud So Bittersweet
A Final Fantasy VII fanfiction
By Ducky in Spandex

Tifa stared at the young chocobo-haired man. There he sat, in the Sector 7 train station, his head lolling uselessly. Memories of a boy she thought she knew rushed through her head.

"Cloud!" cried the brunette, kneeling beside the young fellow. He was alive! Oh, thank goodness he was alive!

But he didn't seem very enthusiastic. He gazed at Tifa wiith glazed, glowing Mako-blue eyes, and the only syllables he mumbled were "erh," "ahh," and "erk." He looked only half-conscious, the poor soul…

Mako poisoning! Oh, no, this was terrible… She held Cloud close, gathering the youthfully senile man in her arms.

"Tifa…?" gurgled Cloud, blinking at the bar hostess unconsciously.

"It's me, Cloud…don't worry…"

I cared for you in your darkest days
I held you close and I gave you life
I whispered of our memories

"Cloud, how could you have forgotten the promise?" cried Tifa, throwing up her arms in frustration. She hurled an empty wineglass at the wall, and one of the dim lights flickered. All the customers had left, and only she and the chocobo-haired man were left. AVALANCHE was downstairs. Tifa chewed her lower lip as she gazed at the broken shards of the wine glass glistening forlornly on the wooden floor. She felt so hurt. So…forgotten. Cloud only stood and stared.

"…Sorry."

"So, you did forget." Tifa heaved a defeated sigh, shaking her head at the glass shards on the floor.

But your promise you have forgotten

She watched him smile at her, that Cetra girl in pink. He looked as if he was having the time of his life. So joyous. So…free. Why did he never smile at Tifa like that? Why?

You're smiling at the girl in pink
Her braided locks and her emerald gaze
Her gown and ribbons a softest rose

And the flowers blooming in her basket

She just watched, desolate, as Cloud smiled and laughed along with that girl. Aeris. Yes, she was charming enough, but was that enough? Could he truly love Aeris? Where had Tifa gone…? Was she to be forgotten so quickly by the only one she loved? Was she to be broken, just like that wine glass?

Oh, dearest Cloud. He himself…he was her Phoenix Down…her elixir…her ether…her only love.

You, Cloud brought me no Strife
The sweetest Cloud was my elixir

Oh, bittersweet Cloud. He brought smiles to her lips…

That Cloud was my only love

…and tears to her eyes.

Tifa knew the one she loved all along was Cloud…and oh, did he revive her…but why did he have to make her cry a rain shower?

Yet he rains upon me a thunderstorm.