A.N : The real reason that I begin working on FFVII fics these days is that I have countless fluffy ideas of CloTi came running through my mind. I have even dreamt of some. And if someone had noticed, I have posted like three stories in three days.

Nevertheless, enjoy my current fic and R&R!

Disclaimers : I haye writing this but I do not own anything related to FF!

Old Melody, New Memories

Cloud stares outside the window in the living room. It is dusk, the golden sun is beginning to set behind the mountains. He remembers when he was still very young in Nibelheim, it was this times in dusk, he would hear the same sweet melody through his window. The rhytimic conflict between keys and keys flows like water and they will never end until night truly falls. Sometimes, his finger would tap his own lap as he tried to hear the melody more intentively, trying to imitate the movement that produces the melody. Yeah, he misses the melody. Especially in Edge, as if nobody ever learn what is music.

He misses the sound when Tifa plays her piano.

He sighs in frustration and this earn a hard tap on his shoulder, he don't really mind though, not when he realises who is it, "Something wrong, Cloud?" Tifa asks in concern. Cloud shakes his head in assurance, "Just missing something..."

"It's not like you to daydream, you know..." And Tifa walks away, resuming her work at the kitchen.

Again, Cloud sighs in the same manner as before. He climbs the stairs and goes to his office. He opens the drawer with multiple files and document, takes out some about his deliveries and begin researching one by one. He pays more attention to those with a rather more abundance rewards and gils.

'Hmm... If I rushes all of them, perhaps I can make it before her birthday.'

He sorts out some location he can reach as well with a high rewards and signs them off to accept the delivery.

At night after dinner, the whole 'family' will usually spend time on movies together. Cloud sits speechless at the couch and blankly stares at the screen deep in thought. Even when Tifa, Marlene and Denzel laugh at certain cutscene, he remains quiet. Finally, after the movie ends and before Tifa sends the kids to bed, Cloud tells them earlier first, "Alright, Teef, Marlene, Denzel, listen up. I'll be away from Edge for a few weeks and I won't be around. I got some deliveries to run."

"What's wrong, Cloud? Not that we are short in gil or something..." Denzel questions in a low voice, reluctant for Cloud to leave home.

"I got my reasons. Now, go to bed and I'll see you next morning." Cloud strokes Denzel's hair gently, before Marlene's turn.

After Tifa gives Marlene and Denzel a goodnight kiss on the forehead, she heads to Cloud's room next. She gently knocks on the door to Cloud's room but she doesn't get any reply so she assumes that Cloud is already fast asleep. She goes back to her room at the end of the corridor, but she stops abruptly when she sees light on Cloud's office. She knocks on that door and she gets her reply. Apparently, Cloud is still working on some documents.

"You are not going to bed soon? You have work tomorrow, Cloud." Tifa says as she approaches Cloud's desk.

"Mmm... I am almost done. I just need to sort out these papers." Cloud looks up to her a moment.

"I see... Okay, then. Remember to sleep early, and good night." She tries to hide it, but a slight hint if sadness is still heard in her voice.

"Goodnight, Teef. I'll see you next morning." Cloud pauses his work and goes over to Tifa, wraps her up in a short embrace that they usually do before every goodnights.

"I hate seeing you leave, you know?" Tifa mumurs in his arms.

"I know, but I got something in my mind. But I still love this family, and my 'home'."

At the next morning, the children wake up unusually early to send Cloud off. They have their breakfast.
As Cloud prepares his Fenrir to go, he hugs the children first, promises silently, "I'll be back, okay? Be good to Teef."

"We will." They say simultaneuosly.

Next, he goes to Tifa and hugs even tighter, "Be safe." she whispers in his neck.

"I will. Take care of yourself and the kids."

Then, Fenrir goes to life and speeds away in an instant as the trio watch as far as their eyes can carry them.

It's hard for both sides after Cloud left for intense delivery, rushing from north to east, east to south, south to west, west back to north and the cycles goes on and on. On Tifa's side, the whole family miss Cloud and Tifa has some problem handling the household and bar herself too. And time flies, it's been a whole month.

Three days before Tifa's birthday, Cloud is still in Eastern Continent, miles away from home. But of course, he doesn't goes there for no reason, he's been riding back and forth around the street to find the best musical instrument store. He did found one, rather the largest one in town.
The moment he steps in, the store clerk greets him, "How may I help you, sir?"

"Can you show me the best piano you can get for me?"

"Certainly, please follow me." And he leads him to a grand piano. Of course, being the best piano in the store, it does looks the best compared to the others as well. It's a giant, oak coloured piano, shines with the delicate work of shellac.

"How much is it?"

"It's 5000 gil, sir. But since that you're the first ever person to ask for it at the first visit, I'll give you a discount. How's 4500 gil sound to you?"

4500 gil... Cloud did save up some gil in his work. Yeah, he certainly did. He takes out his wallet and hands the clerk his hard-earned money. After travelling days and night, starves himself for a couple of days and will only eat unless he is REALLY dying for it, encountering multiple monsters on the way, camping outdoors on the cold nights, he finally makes it to buy Tifa something both him and her really wants.

"Is it possible to deliver it to this adress in three days? I'll pay extra for it." He asks, while handling a piece of note to the clerk. The clerk examines it for a while, befor looking back up and smiles, "Certainly."

He begin to work out his plans, then. Cloud first calls home and ask Denzel to make sure that Tifa is not around on her birthday, to which Cloud is pleased when Yuffie and Vincent has planned a birthday party for her at their house.

"Sorry, can you please tell Tifa I can't make it back in time?" Cloud pleads and Denzel agrees to do so.

Then, the gift is moved to their house in Edge. When Cloud and his gift arrives at the front door, it is empty, he moves it into the house and bids his helpers goodbye, not without tipping them.

The party goes far into the night, as Cloud has expected. He sits there and waits. Cloud did tries to touch some keys here and there. But when he heard Tifa's footsteps is nearing the house, he takes a deep breath and begins his song.

On Tifa's side, she is indeed surprised to hear the song outside the house. She freezes right before the door and her memories flashes through.

Flashback

"You are good at your piano, Tifa." Young Cloud compliments.

"Thank you." Tifa blushes.

"What's the song that you played last night?"

"Oh, that? It doesn't really have a name. I made that song myself."

"I like it! You know, that's by far the best I have heard! It sounds more... relaxing than the others!"

"Really? Since both you and I like it, how about we make the song ours?"

Flashback ends

It is the very same song that day. The very same, except that the keys are scattered a bit as Cloud is never a good pianist. She opens the door and nearly faints when she sees the piano and even more surprising, Cloud.

Over-powered by nervousness, Cloud press the wrong key at a point to which Tifa corrects him, "That's a C# key for that part."

"Sorry, Teef, never really play one myself. Took me long enough for that part."

Tifa then sits at the bench beside him, and again plays the song from beginning, but with more skills and the rythym is far more better than Cloud's.

"It's like old times ,Teef, the evening, when I look through at my small little window."

Tifa doesn't say anything, but a single droplet of tear did fell down from her perfect face.

And then the song ends in a smooth manner, and Cloud blushes red, "Hearing you playing like that, I do really sucked at piano."

"Hmm... I'll have to agree with that, you do suck."

Then, Tifa pecks his cheek and earns an even redder blush from Cloud, "But you never suck when it comes of making me to love you more."

Without anymore speeches, Cloud captures her lips in an passionate kiss, and when they parted for some air, Cloud finally murmurs, "Happy birthday, Teef."

"Thanks."

"Where's the kids?"

"At Yuffie's place."

"Perfect."

And with that, Cloud again seizes Tifa's lips on his own and continue on where they have left off.