Tears of Loss, Tears of Joy
By: WhiteRosePetals
A/N: This is the first fanfic I've written that isn't a Cleris. It's a CloTi, and even though in my own way I hate it, I want it at the same time. So this is for all you Tifa fans out there.
(P.S. I listen to Aeris's Theme and cried while writing this)
It had seemed like a dream at first but everyone soon realized it wasn't. Meteor was gone and the world was safe again. A great group of people flocked to the Highwind when it landed. Cheers were heard for miles around. The former terrorist group AVALANCHE had saved them all. But that was not what one of them noticed. It was the tears that were in their leader's eyes that Tifa Lockheart had noticed. Cloud was crying, after all they'd been through, they had succeeded, but it only took her a moment to realize what was wrong.
"Aeris." She whispered the same tears falling from her own eyes. The flower girl was the true savior. When everything had seemed hopeless, she gave them one last chance. But she had been taken from them forever because of her kindness. She hated it but she was happy for it at the same time. She loved Aeris everyone did, even Yuffie the cheeky, selfish materia hunter had been sobbing when they laid her to rest that long time ago. Vincent was more quiet than usual when she died. Everyone had wept and mourned for their fallen companion. But they had healed, at least most of them had. Cloud had something more than a friendship with her. He loved her, but she never knew. And Tifa knew Aeris had loved him too. She did, she had loved him for a long time now, but was too sad to say anything. She approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder, she said
"It'll be alright Cloud." He turned to her and a smile cross his face. She nearly gasped, it was the first time she'd seen him smile in a long time. Nodding he said
"Yeah, it'll be alright, just like she wanted. One day I'll see her again." She nodded, smiling at him. He took her hand and said
"Tifa though I never will feel the same as I did about Aeris, I care deeply for you as well." The tears fell freely now, and she realized how much her love for him was.
"I do too. I love you Cloud Strife." She couldn't stop. This was a dream come true. Falling on his knees, her hand still in his he whispered, those tears still falling.
"Tifa Lockheart, though I can never love you in the same way I will do my best to make you the happiest woman alive. So I want to know, if you will be my wife?" She let out a cry of sheer joy, her face wet from crying.
"Yes you stupid jerk, of course I'll be your wife!" He stood taking her into his arms, and letting his tears fall through her hair, as she sobbed into his shoulder.
And in the Lifestream, a beautiful flower girl smiled.
"Good luck you two." A tear fell from her face.
The End
A/N: Sappy? Yes! But it's one of my prettier stories. I hope everyone, including Cleris fans enjoy this. Because even though I like a lot of a other people think Cloud should be with Aeris, sad as it is, she won't come back, so he needs to have someone who loves him unconditionally, to make him happy. And someone he'll do everything to make them happy. So that's pretty much what this fanfic is about. Life and love after pain. So that's all I want to say. :(