"You owe me." Sephiroth said as he got into bed with Cloud, and he was surprised that Cloud didn't object or resist at all. He had been furious with himself that he hadn't been able to stay away from the younger man, justifying it by the fact that he had promised Cloud he would never leave him, and Sephiroth could not go back on his word. He had looked after him, unsure why he wanted to give Cloud a reason to trust him again.

"I've been wondering when you would show up." Cloud said as Sephiroth's naked body covered his own.

"You've been expecting me?" Sephiroth paused.

"Hoping." Cloud admitted, and Sephiroth didn't reply as he plunged himself into Cloud's willing body.

He was Cloud's only sexual experience, except for…Cloud shuddered involuntarily as he remembered what he had done to Reno…a part of Cloud had feared he wouldn't be able to enjoy sex unless force was involved, but Sephiroth wasn't forcing him at all, and it felt better than he remembered. His tremendous release wasn't all physical as he lay trembling beneath Sephiroth.

"You're still mine alone, aren't you?" Sephiroth said as more statement than question.

"Yes, lover." Cloud replied as he recovered.

"You remembered." That pleased Sephiroth immensely, and he felt his lust rise up again.

Cloud sighed as he watched Sephiroth get dressed much later. He really didn't want him to leave, but Cloud needed time to adjust to the night's events.

"Leave your window unlocked from now on." Sephiroth ordered him, and once Cloud had nodded, he disappeared out the window.

Cloud laid back in bed, as happy as he had ever been. He had meant it when he told Sephiroth he had been hoping he would visit him, as a test. Cloud needed to know that he and Sephiroth could have enjoyable consensual sex. He loved the man and wanted to be with him, but voluntarily. And it was possible after all…Cloud fell into a contented sleep, still feeling Sephiroth's arms around him, and he had a dream of being back in the Cetra village with Aerith and Ifalna, but he didn't understand any of it.

"Thank you for saving my daughter." Ifalna's spirit said as she stood by Cloud's bed, putting her hand on his head as he slept peacefully, removing his memories of the future timeline he had left behind.

Three years after Nibelheim

Cloud was walking to the park where the reception was being held when he was suddenly grabbed from behind. "I thought you didn't like weddings." he said.

"I don't." Sephiroth said as he led Cloud to a secluded area of the park. "It's something else that interests me."

"What's this?" Cloud asked, surprised to find a blanket laid out with a picnic basket on it.

"It's our anniversary today as well, remember?" Sephiroth emptied the contents of the picnic basked onto the blanket, then looked up at Cloud's embarrassed expression. "You did forget!" A stern expression appeared on his face as he stood up, holding a wine bottle and a glass. "How are you going to make this up to me?" When Cloud got down on his knees in front of him, Sephiroth smiled. "That's a good start."

Cloud hid a smile himself as the bulge appeared in his lover's pants. Sephiroth might seem unaffected as he coolly poured himself a glass of the red wine, but his body told the truth, and it always gave Cloud a little thrill to know how much Sephiroth truly desired him. Opening Sephiroth's pants, Cloud took his lover in his hand first, caressing him like he had been taught to before taking him in his mouth. Once Sephiroth realized how willingly Cloud would submit to him, he started teaching Cloud how to please him best during the past three years.

"Am I forgiven now?" Cloud asked when he had finished, and he took the handkerchief out of the breast pocket in his tuxedo to wipe his mouth.

"Almost." Sephiroth told Cloud.

"They're expecting me at the reception, I'm the best man after all." Cloud reminded him.

"Yes, you are." Sephiroth put his hand on Cloud's cheek. "And it would be a shame to ruin your tuxedo, you look so handsome in it. So you better take it off unless you want me to." Cloud started unfastening his pants first as Sephiroth stood him up and backed him against a tree. "You're still the best I've ever had." Sephiroth said as he entered Cloud, pleased that his lover was soon eagerly begging him for more in between moans. He would never admit it, but Cloud was so intrinsically important to him that it frightened him sometimes. So he tried to keep his visits short and infrequent, even though it was getting harder. Being with Cloud always felt so right…

"Cloud! Cloud! Are you out here? Are you okay?" Tifa's voice in the distance was instantly recognized by the sated lovers as they enjoyed their picnic.

"That's my cue to leave." Sephiroth said, putting his wine glass down. "Bring everything home with you."

"But…" Cloud protested.

"I'll be expecting you to have this all waiting for me tonight." Sephiroth kissed him passionately and then left him so suddenly that Cloud was gasping for breath. Sighing, he hurriedly dressed before he started repacking the picnic basket, and had just closed the lid when Tifa appeared.

"There you are, Cloud! We've been waiting for you!" Tifa exclaimed, then noticed the picnic basket. "What's that? What's going on?"

A Chesire cat grin spread over Cloud's face as he realized that his lover had finally taken him in public, so to speak. Sephiroth had been so resistant to any suggestion that they have any kind of official relationship. Cloud just left his bedroom window unlocked for Sephiroth to come and go as he pleased. He wanted Sephiroth to admit he loved Cloud as well, but he understood that it would take time. After all, Sephiroth was still dealing with his issues over his origins. Cloud had realized that it was when he had a hard time with it that he sought Cloud out the most, and he was touched that Sephiroth did rely on him as a calming influence. Love was patient, Cloud knew, and he was willing to wait for however long it took for Sephiroth to come around, and maybe it wouldn't be that much longer.

"Which way is the reception? Sorry I got…um…busy." Cloud offered as an explanation.

"I'll just bet you did." Tifa tried not to feel jealous, but she had seen enough happy couples recently that she recognized even Cloud had someone special. "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." she muttered under her breath as she led the way, then looked at Cloud more critically. "Fix your pants before we get any closer."

"You really don't remember me, do you?" Tifa was extremely amused by Reno's not-so-subtle attempts to find out who she was at the reception. This might turn out to be an enjoyable party after all. "Oh, look, Aerith is about to toss the bouquet, excuse me."

Reno followed Tifa, wanting to get her to admit who she was. When Aerith threw her bouquet, his training kicked in and he automatically reached out and grabbed the thrown object. When he realized what he had just done, Tifa started laughing.

"Well, how does it feel to have your face be the same color as the flowers?" Tifa couldn't resist needling him.

"Take them!" Reno thrust the bouquet at her, not wanting any part of it.

"If I take them from you now, we have to get married." Tifa teased him.

"You do what?" Reno started at Tifa, almost dropping his beer.

"I teach martial arts." Tifa smiled at his shock.

"But…" Reno shut his mouth on what he was going to say. That was not the profession that came to mind when he looked at her.

"I started when I was five. I've got two third degree black belts." Tifa explained as their food arrived. She had been pleasantly surprised when he had asked her for a date before the wedding reception for Zack and Aerith.

"Okay." Reno concentrated on his food. He knew he was close to figuring out who she was, that was why he wanted to spend more time with her. "Could you give me a demonstration later?" He liked women who could hold their own in a fight.

"Sure, why not?" Tifa looked forward to showing him what she was made of.

"You're a virgin?" Reno asked as he pulled his pants back up.

"Yes." Tifa replied, feeling an odd mix of disappointment and relief as she put her panties back on. Her demonstration of her martial arts skills against him in the alleyway behind the diner had gotten out of hand, and before either of them knew what happened, they were kissing as they started undressing each other. It wasn't until she felt him hard against her that she got a hold of herself. She had been eight years old when her mother died, and the only thing she had left Tifa was a journal, which included her wish that Tifa would not dishonor herself before marriage, and Tifa had swore she wouldn't, but she had never come this close to ignoring it before. "I…my mother died, and I promised…" Tifa stopped, not sure why she felt she had to explain.

"Lucky you." Reno said with a tinge of bitterness, not for his disappointment in not satisfying himself with her, since he could find another woman to finish what Tifa had started, but because he had never known his parents, and what he had learned about them wasn't complimentary.

Five month later

Tifa gasped as she felt Reno's tongue for the first time. She had been surprised that he kept asking her out, not as surprised as Reno had been though. Tifa intrigued him, even after he had remembered her as the girl from Nibelheim. She was an interesting mix of innocence and cynicism, not to mention she was a highly skilled martial artist. Tifa was just tired of being lonely, and she had found herself extremely attracted to the redheaded Turk as well, so she had agreed to let him show her that she could still enjoy herself without breaking her promise to her dead mother.

"Told ya." Reno said as he pulled his head back from between her legs, smiling at Tifa's flushed face. She had her eyes closed, and even though she had stopped moaning, her mouth was still slightly open. That gave him an idea, but he quashed it, his smile widening as another better idea, as he thought of something Tseng had mentioned about his upcoming mission. "By the way, I won't be seeing you for a while after tonight."

"Why not?" Tifa asked, hoping this wasn't his way to break up with her, she'd have to remind him how good she was with her fists if that was the case.

"New mission coming up. I don't know how long I'll be gone." Reno informed her.

"Oh." Tifa said, and Reno was pleased that she didn't sound at all happy about it.

"Well, you could come with me if you wanted, but…" Reno primed her.

"But what?" Tifa asked just as he expected her to.

"We'd have to get married." Reno said with a neutral expression on his face.

"What?! Are you proposing?" Tifa hadn't expected that.

"It doesn't have to be a real marriage, it is just for the mission." Reno told her, leaving out how there didn't need to a ceremony or any of that, Tseng was planning to have him and Cissnei just have all the proper documentation for the 'honeymoon cruise'. But he wanted more of Tifa, and fulfill his mission, and this way he could have it all.

"I'll…I'll have to think about it." Tifa tried to reply nonchalantly, but in her head she was already picking out her wedding dress.

It was a simple wedding, with his only guests being his fellow senior Turks, and her only guests being her father, Cloud, Aerith, and Zack. It took place three weeks after Reno's 'proposal', and the only thing dampening Tifa's happiness at getting married was her father having brought her mother's wedding dress for her to wear. She didn't know he still had it, and she couldn't refuse to wear it. Her spirits lifted again when she noticed how nervous Reno looked. This was a real wedding after all, and it would be a real marriage, she would see to that, missions be damned.

When Cloud came home from Reno and Tifa's wedding, he found a small box on his bed. Opening it, he found a plain wedding ring with a note that simply said Now everyone will know you're mine. A soft smile spread triumphantly over Cloud's face, knowing that this was Sephiroth's way of saying "I love you."

"You're not going anywhere!" Tifa screamed at Reno in between contractions. "This is half your fault, remember?!" She had been so happy when she had found out she was pregnant, and she tried to keep telling herself she was happy as she had to deal with all the physiological changes that occurred to her during all three trimesters, and now with the actual labor. Reno just stood there, torn between wanting to support the wife he had fallen in love with, and wanting to run for his life.

"I see the head, keep pushing!" the obstetrician ordered Tifa, who did her best to comply. "It's a girl!" he announced moments later, handing her to the nurse who immediately took her over to the warm bath waiting for the baby.

Tifa fell back against the bed, so glad it was over, then suddenly cried out as she felt another contraction. "What's happening?" she asked, terrified something was wrong.

"You're having twins it looks like." the obstetrician said, unconcerned as he delivered their second daughter. "Oh, I guess it was triplets." he said as their son came out.

"Is that it?" Tifa asked. She was wondering how on earth they would cope with three babies, especially with Reno frequently away from home. That's probably why she had a multiple birth…the celebrations they always had when he came back home after a mission.

"Yes." The obstetrician told her after giving her a quick exam.

"Triplets?" Reno squeaked before passing out.

"He just earned himself a week of diaper duty." Tifa commented before falling asleep after having held their babies for a few moments. The nurse carefully took them and put them in the incubator.

Cloud was staring at the babies in the nursery. They were so adorably little! Part of him thought that if things had worked out differently for him and Tifa, those would be his.

"You want to adopt Marlene, don't you?" Sephiroth asked as he appeared next to his lover, referring to the little girl that Cloud had been looking after with Reno and Tifa's help, so they could learn how to be parents. Cloud had met Marlene when her father Barret had hired him for a job, but unfortunately Barret had been killed despite Cloud's, and Sephiroth's best efforts, and Cloud had taken Marlene home with him, not wanting her to wind up in an orphanage. He hadn't expected to enjoy being a substitute father so much.

"Yes." Cloud admitted.

"So ask Reno to take care of it. The Turks are good at arranging things." Sephiroth reminded him.

Cloud thought about that, but when he turned to look at Sephiroth, he was gone again. He tried to keep a straight face, remembering how when Marlene had been introduced to Sephiroth one of those rare mornings when he stayed for breakfast, she had blurted out that Sephiroth had such pretty hair and asked if he ever let his mommy style it. Sephiroth had merely grunted in reply at the little girl, but he also never refused Cloud anything he really wanted. Two weeks later, Cloud got a certified letter naming himself as Marlene's adoptive father.