Hey guys. New writer here. I've never been fond of fanfics before, well that was until I accidentally stumbled into some LighTis fanfic 3 years ago which made me soooo hooked to FF fics that I always read a chap before I go to bed.

Well, enough of me now. This is my very first fanfic so please rate and review as much as you can. English is not my native language so you'd also have to forgive me for any errors and mistakes. This story just came to me when I was watching an FF VII amv so yeah, I still don't know how far this story will go. This story is slightly AU so please don't go complaining why this is not right, how that happened or that has never been in the game or movie. Anyway, I'll just do my best then. Sankyuu minna-san.^^

Disclaimer: I don't own FF or the characters.

Scanning her surroundings, Tifa felt a bitter sweet memory coming back to her. Standing in the middle of a thunderstorm is something not new to her except for the fact that she always had someone standing beside her, may it be Yuffie, Cid, Vincent or Cl-. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden gust of pain piercing her wounded heart. Tifa massaged her temple. Speaking, or just even thinking about him or his name made her heart bleed. Cloud Strife... The boy who bears that name was the very boy she had loved since childhood but ironically was also the very reason why she silently wept.

"Maybe he just got stuck with something important...maybe Vincent or Cid called him to do something important...maybe he took care of something important...maybe he happened to met someone along the way and got stranded because of something important...Maybe he did something much more important than coming here..."

Holding her face in her hands, Tifa let out a cry she was bravely holding back minutes ago. She can't believe herself. She knew that she is now nothing more than "friend" for Cloud yet she still believed that every thing was still like back then. Back then...before he had not met Aerith that is.

Tifa let herself drop in a small pool of muddy puddle that had formed around her. She was soaking wet from the rain but she did not care. She would still wait.

Cloud and Tifa were childhood friends. Being neighbors and all, they were inseparable when they were younger and full of mischief. It was also thought or predicted by their neighbors, as well as their parents that they'll grow to be lovers and sweethearts. Cloud's dad even gave an act of asking for Tifa to be his daughter-in-law during her birthday which caused her to blush so much that she was teased by everyone who attended. May it be a mere act or an an act of hope by his dad, one thing was for sure, and it was the fact that Cloud valued and loved Tifa more than a friend. He would secretly watch over her as she traveled her way from school or just going to the supermarket for supplies. And it would always piss him every time a guy would approach Tifa and ask her out. Nevertheless, he can't deny that he was slowly falling for his childhood friend. Tifa was even the main reason why he joined the SOLDIER. First, was to impress her and second was to develop the strength and skill to protect her. His words that night were etched in Tifa's heart until now.

"I will always be here for your Tifa. I will always be by your side and will always protect you from the harmful and painful heat given off by the rays of the corrupted sun. I'm your Cloud, see?"

Little did he also know that Tifa was feeling the same way as well.

Now, that could have been a very perfect scene or start for a perfect and everlasting love story, if not for that day. The day that completely changed their lives and turned it upside down.

Cloud was running late from school and was rushing his way towards the crowd in the busy streets of Midgar. As he was passing by an abandoned church, he was halted by a loud yet gentle scream, if gentle could be used to describe a scream, but that was what it was for him during that time.

"C'mon young sister, gimme your money. I'm sure you have collected a lot from selling those fetid flowers all the while showing them the twinkle of your oh-so-innocent eyes. Quite lady-like if ya ask me, right Kadaj?", a tall, muscular man asked the slim guy who, in the way he talked to him seemed to be the boss of the group.

"There there now Yazoo. Don't be so rude to this little angel okay? C'mon missy, give us all you have in that basket of yours and maybe we would let you off without harm this time."

The girl whose hands were obviously shaking with fear, slowly raised her head to the two males and said in a soft whisper. "B-b-but, the money I have collected is for the children. The children who were orphaned at such a young age because of the war. Th-they have nowhere left to go. And they only depend on the money I get from selling this flowers."

"Children my ass!". Yazoo shouted as he grabbed the girl by the neck. "You're a freakin' slut and you care about children? Think you can fool us by those eyes and sweet words of yours missy?

But the girl answered back. "I AM NOT A SLUT!". And a sound of what seemed like a very hard and forced slap was heard all over the place. Apparently, the girl has slapped the big man called Yazzo who was now burning with anger.

"You damned asshole!", Yazzoo shouted.

He was about to punch the girl right in the face if not for Cloud interrupting the act and let the well driven fist slam into his own face.

"OUCH-!", Cloud shouted, all the while covering his bleeding nose.

Yazzo was about to beat him up again for interrupting if not for the sound of the police sirens which made him and Kadaj run like kids running away from a deadly pumpkin mascot during Halloween.

But Yazzo left him a message as he was retreating.

"We will meet again Spikey and next time we'll be sure to get the girl."

And that was it. The next morning, when Cloud woke up, he was lying in a hospital bed with the sleeping girl beside him, like an angel gracing a ravaging storm.

That's how they met. And that's how their friendship started. As days became weeks and weeks became months, Aerith slowly replaced Tifa in Cloud's heart. It was not Cloud and Tifa anymore, it became Cloud and Aerith now. At first, Tifa didn't seem to mind. But then, after quite sometime she realized that she is now slowly becoming a blur in Cloud's life. But she still didn't mind. She loved Cloud too much to mind. And she knew that it would really hurt Cloud a lot if he would be separated from Aerith.

Cloud and Aerith's friendship could have developed deeper, except that maybe it was just not just meant to be. For Aerith died a year after that. An incident which Cloud blamed entirely on himself which made him quite desolate and detached from the world. But even so, Tifa stood by him, supported him and gave him strength, despite the fact that he ignored her like she was nobody.

She was willing to endure. She was willing to endure it all. But today, it seemed too much already. Especially that today was her birthday...

Tifa's silents sobs become louder now as she remembered everything that had happened between her and Cloud.

"It hurst, it hurts so much! God! I can't take it anymore! It's just so painful for me to bear!". She punched the mud puddle around her while shouting those words.

"He promised to come here. In this mountain behind the city of Midgar. Where we've met for the first time. He promised to come here at our special place today. Today, which happens to be my birthday.

Tifa no longer cared if anyone might hear her or see her in that shameful state of despair. She just wants to let it all out.

"When did this started? When did he started to ignore me? When has all this started? How did this happened to us?"

She was desperate and in pain but she did not blame Aerith for it. In fact, they have been good friends, and she was also very saddened by her death. She did not hate Aerith but she hated herself.

"WHY WON'T I JUST DIE?"

She shouted and looked at the vast space in front of her. Her consciousness debating on whether she would really do what she had just said.

When suddenly she noticed that she cannot feel the drops of rain anymore.

"Great, maybe I'm really going carzy." She thought to herself.

But when she looked up, she realized that it wasn't because that.

An umbrella sheltered her from the rain which was being held by quite a young and handsome man.

"...as handsome as my Cloud."

And she mentally slap herself for thinking that way. Then the man smiled a very sincere and comforting smile and said:

"Cause you know... you're just too beautiful too die like this."

And there it is. *drum rolls* Please do forgive me if the adjectives I used are not quite appropriate to what they are describing. Rate and Review please. I would really appreciate that.^^

So, who could the man be? Any suggestions? *evil smirk*

Jah~ till next time then.