AN: I started this story, intending it to be a one-shot. It completely ran away with me and wrote itself. Nearly four thousand words in, I realised it was going to be way too long for a one shot. I'm currently at 8600 words, with quite a lot still to write. This is the prologue, and it's prompt 33 from my list - "Expectations."
"I love you. I'll always love you, and always have done. That doesn't matter, though, because at the end of the day, it just isn't enough. If we'd stayed in Nibelheim, or maybe even Midgar, perhaps we could have stayed together, grown old together. I wanted, hoped, expected that to happen. But our lives have never been that simple. You ran away to join SOLDIER, then came back and helped us to save the world. Just when we thought life was getting back to normal, the darkness swamped us and we ended up here, in Traverse Town.
Even that, in itself, wasn't the problem. No, I realised that you and I were never meant to be when I saw you with Leon. You weren't cheating on me - I know you'd never do that. But there was a chemistry between you - it just looked so right. If you've realised it, which you probably haven't. You always were slow when it came to matters of the heart.
I wish you both all the best for the future, and I hope that some day, we'll meet again. Maybe, by that time, I'll have found someone who makes me as happy as you'll make each other.
I'm leaving this letter with Aerith. She's going to give me a week to get clear of the town, then give this to you to read. Please, don't come looking for me. I intend to come back, I promise, but I do need some time to myself.
Love always, Tifa.
PS. Don't be mad at Aerith. She's only doing what I asked."
Silently, Cloud handed the letter to Leon with a trembling hand. Tifa had been the one constant in his life, the one thing he knew he could always rely upon. Now, he'd lost her, and he wasn't certain she'd ever come back, despite what she'd said.
"You've had this letter for a week?"
Aerith nodded. "I didn't know what was in it - Tifa didn't tell me."
"She'll be miles away by now, Cloud." Leon placed one hand on the blond's shoulder, hoping to calm him down before he took out his anger on Aerith.
"What I want to know is how she knew about us before anything even happened," Cloud grumbled.
"Like she said, you're somewhat slow. Besides, she's observant."
Cloud just grunted. He objected to being called slow.
Timidly, Aerith spoke up again. "All we can do now is wait for her to return."
