A/N: This is a nice little fic that came about after my friend and fellow writer, IronicEnding, asked me one time in a review. And so, here is the answer to the moment that Tifa knew she loved Cloud. Enjoy and R&R please

"Maple Trees and Breezy Leaves"

By MakoRain

A breeze rustled the few leaves left overhead and took a stray lock of Tifa's hair, whipping it in her face. She pushed the mahogany strands back and stopped her movement to observe her handy work. A pile of leaves stood before her and just then the wind blew as it to mock her, strewing the leaves about.

Tifa sighed and moved on throughout the yard, trying her best to gather the leaves before the wind could continue its sick game but alas, it had the upper hand on her. Just when she felt she had control of the situation, the drifting yellow and gold pests moved with more determination, trying to avoid her capture tactics.

"Oh no you don't," Tifa muttered to herself and was soon met with a whirlwind of reds and yellows swirling around her. An uprising? She thought incredulously but was soon met with Cloud's smiling face through what was left of her leaf pile.

The anger she felt was slowly slipping away at the child like gleam in his eyes and smiling face, a sight that was becoming more and more frequent. She planned on keeping it that way…not that she would let him know that.

So with her hands on her hips she looked down to where she sat on the ground and placed the most menacing face she could muster.

"Cloud," she sighed exasperatedly, "I just spent the last hour raking those into a nice neat pile."

"I know. I've been watching you from the window."

Tifa felt her face heat up with shocked embarrassment before retorting. "And you didn't think you could come out and help me?"

"That's what I'm doing now."

He looked at her with such confidence in this statement but she had no understanding of why.

"And how, may I ask, are you helping?"

Cloud looked all too smug for his own good and while Tifa waited for her answer, he simply stared back before suddenly taking her hand and pulling her into the leaf pile with a startled squeak.

"Cloud!" she scolded half heartedly, already laughing with him in the very small pile of leaves that was left. He responded by sprinkling more leaves in her hair and pulling her down to lay with him on the ground. The sky was clear above and Tifa watched the wind rustle the branches, enjoying the feel of Cloud lying next to her in the leaves; just like she imagined when they were younger.

Her mind kept wondering about that one thing she never had the courage to do…regret wouldn't let her.

Flashback

The autumn day looked chilly from behind Tifa's living room window but she could still see her neighbor walk outside and sit in his yard. The wind blew his spikes around as he played by himself, watching the falling helicopters from below his maple tree. The falling plants made Cloud look caught in a dazzling whirlwind…that's what Tifa thought, anyway.

So many times lately she would sit and watch Cloud sit all alone and she felt…sad for him. He didn't have any friends really and there were so many times that she had thought about going out there to him. Every time she got her scarf and headed to the door, she'd pause, frozen at the door.

What would her friends think? Would they still play with her if she played with the outcast? Her doubt always won; she could not be as strong as Cloud and face the world alone with no one and so she watched him safely behind glass.

End Flashback

Tifa always wondered what it would've been like to make that first move, so many years ago; to show some effort at becoming Cloud's friend. That's when she knew in her younger heart of hearts. That's when she knew, watching that young boy playing so calmly by himself with helicopters in the fall; all it took was his strength and will to carry on through the cold and lonely world. She wanted to help him and that's all it took.

Tifa found Cloud's hand in hers naturally and enjoyed his touch, focusing on his warmth seeping through her fingers instead of his intense eyes that let him know she had said some of that out loud but it was alright. She could tell he remembered it all as clearly as if it were today and not years ago. The day had a calming echo of déjà vu to it.

"That's it," she whispered, not looking at Cloud but looking at the little clouds in the sky instead.

"Hmm?" he asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye; she could feel it.

"That's when I fell in love with you."

Tifa turned to face him then and found his features calmly looking back. Why couldn't it have always been this easy? He simply lifted her hands to his lips and kissed the top of it, causing warmth to stay there till his mouth drew back. The wind blew above and the helicopters flew from their maple trees around them and they smiled, amazed with how perfect an autumn day could be.

The End