It wasn't the fact that he had saved the world again, or that the cure for Geostigma had been found. It wasn't the fact that he had spoken to her or watched her wave at him one final time. It was the fact that he sat beside his best friend, a friend he hadn't talked to in a long time. It was the fact that he had spent half of his life worrying about forgiveness, when all he should have been worrying about was her.
There were many times they sat together, and stood beside each other. In every battle her place was at his side and his place at her side. No matter what they did or what they were involved in, she always had a place at his side, just like he had a place for her at his side. Even when he ran away, even when he wasn't with them, they always somehow ended up standing next to each other.
She remembered the way he was so gentle, the way he held the child and carried him into the water. The way he walked into the middle of the little lake that had formed from the rain and stood in front of the child. They had just defeated Kadaj, or rather, he did. He was said to have died in the explosion, but when they returned to the chapel of Aerith, he appeared floating in the middle of the circle the children had formed. He appeared, like an angel floating down from the sky.
She sat beside him, their legs dangling over the edge of the wood. The children had all ran out in joy and were celebrating with others outside. Their friends were out there shouting and screaming with joy, celebrating with the children. But they stayed inside sitting together staring at the water. Enjoying the peace again, the aftermath, and the calmness that radiated throughout the city. She was so overjoyed with the fact that Cloud, her Cloud was cured from Geostigma. She felt happy knowing that she didn't have to worry about him dying anymore. He was okay now, and so was Denzel.
They sat close to each other, similar to how they sat when they were in Nibelheim. Similar to how close they once were a long time ago. His hands were on his lap, and her hands on her lap, their eyes fixed together upon the water in front of them.
"I think," he began but didn't look at her, "That even though I didn't save her in time, I think she had forgiven me all along."
A smile grew upon her lips as she turned to look at him. She watched the way his blue eyes stared nervously into hers. Maybe he did feel the same way. She looked back at the water and remembered the way he had stood in front of the child, and poured the water over child's face, he was very much like a father. She wondered if he ever knew that.
"But," he added, "She helped me realize that all along I…" he trailed off.
She turned to him, wanting to know what he was going to say. But he looked into the water and left it hanging at that. She took his hand in hers and cradled it at her lap, gently telling him that it was alright, that he could say anything to her. She would always listen to him, always be there for him, even if he didn't love her the way she loved him.
His eyes turned toward where the small hand clasped his, he couldn't help but smile after seeing the ring that sat on her finger. He had given it to her that night, before he left. It was merely as a memory, the last piece of gift he thought he would ever give her before he died. He thought this was his last battle, that he would never see her again. But here he was, sitting beside her after the battle with a life in front of him. A life in which he can change and become what he was suppose to be, which is to be a better friend to her.
"What were you going to say?" she sprawled his hand open, letting the back of his hand sit on her lap, and his fingers open as she intertwined her fingers through his.
She had never done this before, never held his hand so delicately in her hands and intertwined their fingers. Then again, she had never had the courage to do so, but today, it was like her hands were doing it and she was merely watching. But she couldn't help but enjoy his touch at her hands.
He looked at her eyes, her beautiful eyes that always calmed him. "She helped me realize," he looked at the water again, "that all along, when I was searching for forgiveness…" he paused for several moments, "I wasn't searching for her forgiveness," he turned his eyes to hers, "I was searching for yours."
She tilted her head to the side, wondering what he was seeking forgiveness from her for. "Forgiveness…" she asked.
He looked down at their hands, and turned her hand around so that the back of her hand now cradled on her lap, and his on top. "I wanted you to forgive me," he said, he removed his hand from hers and took his glove off before returning back to intertwining their hands.
"I wanted you to forgive me for running away," he finished.
She watched the way he held her hand in his, the way he brushed his thumb at the back of her knuckles. He had such pure skin, such warm and delicate hands. After touching his hand like this she wondered just how he had the strength to use his sword against his enemies. She would think that someone with such delicate hands as his could never hold such a sword and wipe out his enemies in a simple flick of his hand. She had never held his hand like this before, never skin to skin. He always wore his gloves and always kept them on. She had never actually seen his bare hand like this before. She looked at him, but his eyes were at their hands. She squeezed his hand slightly and waited till she found his blue eyes.
"I forgive you," she said simply to him with a smile on her lips.
He looked at her for a moment, taking in her beauty, and her gentleness. He always loved the way she would stare at him. The way she would look at him and smile like that. The way her eyes were gentle yet fierce at the same time. The way she would hold his hand in hers and gently give his hand a squeeze as she talked to him. He couldn't help but smile at her, knowing that even though he had caused her so much pain and worry, by some miracle she had stayed by his side and she always has. His heart smiled for the first time, to know that even though he was confused and lost before, she stayed beside him waiting for him to finally realize.
"Thank you," he replied softly.
He watched her for a moment, watched as she looked down at their hands and brushed the back of his hand with her thumb. He liked the way she sat calmly next to him as though as if they had always done this, but in fact this was their first time sitting together and holding hands. He wondered how she put up with him, how she stayed at his side and waited till he finally realized. He wondered why she didn't go, didn't leave and run away like he did.
"Tifa," he squeezed her hand gently till she looked at him, "I won't run away anymore."
She smiled at him and said, "I'm glad, Cloud."
He settled back again and watched the water, memorizing his eyes over the shining water. Then he realized, he had no place to stay now. He couldn't stay in the chapel, it was know known for its healing water, there will be a lot of people coming here. He couldn't sleep here anymore.
"Will you let me stay in Seventh Heaven with you?" he asked softly, like a child asking for cookies. His voice was soft, almost like a child's voice.
She nodded and shifted closer to him, knowing that her silence would only cause him to be more nervous.
"Yes, you can."