(A/N) Why, yes, it is another Cloud/Tifa oneshot! ;P They're my absolute favorite canon couple, and I just can't seem to stop writing about them lately. Poor things, they're probably tired from all the romance I've put them through. XD

This one is in Cloud's point of view, yet again, because his perspective is just too much fun to write. :3 A bit of a holiday theme here, though it's not quite that time of year yet. O.o Sometime after Advent Children, but the timeline really isn't that important. Hope you like it! :D

Snowball Effect

I trudge down the icy sidewalk, my boots making a crunching sound with each step. I glare up at the sky, cursing it for bringing all this blasted snow to Edge. It's late in the winter, and the snow has been piling up every day, much to my dismay. Denzel and Marlene have been overly excited about it for the past few weeks, and Tifa just loves it, but they're not the ones that have to drive to work through the stuff every day.

Tifa is walking beside me quietly, all bundled up in her jacket to shield herself from the chilly air outside today. She has her arms folded across her chest to keep herself warm, but mine are occupied with the paper grocery bag I'm carrying. She dragged me to the store with her today, something I would normally put up a fuss about, except for the fact that this was a special trip to pick up ingredients for her to make fudge. She's an absolute goddess in the kitchen, and her fudge is perhaps the greatest thing I've ever tasted, so I'm not complaining about the trip.

I shift the bag in my arms, because one of my hands starting to tingle slightly. It's not all that heavy, but I'm not about to let Tifa carry it home while I stand around doing nothing; that would look bad. Just because I used to spend the majority of my time swinging around a sword doesn't mean I can't be a gentleman.

Glancing back at Tifa, I smile to myself at the sight of her. She has her head tilted back slightly and her tongue is sticking out, obviously trying to catch the snowflakes that have just begun falling once again. They're sticking to her hair and melting in small droplets on her face, but I don't think she's having much luck getting any of them to fall into her mouth. Eventually she notices me watching her, and she giggles lightly, looking embarrassed.

I grin at her, averting my gaze to the ground in front of me. She's been walking a couple paces behind me for awhile, probably because of her snowflake distraction, but she decides to start matching my pace now. We walk side by side for a moment in silence, and she loops her arm thorough mine, leaning her head against my shoulder.

"What do you want for Christmas, Cloud?" she asks suddenly.

I groan, she's been at this all day. "I told you that you don't have to get anything for me, Tifa. Really," I say, repeating the same thing I've been telling her every time she asks.

She frowns at my reply, her lower lip jutting out in a cute pout. She takes pulls away from me stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest again. I look away from her, stifling a laugh at her expression. I don't understand why she thinks she needs to by me anything just because of the holidays. She already does so much for me, I couldn't ask for anymore without it feeling criminal.

I look down the street, noticing that we're only a few more blocks away from our house now; I'm starting to really look forward to a warm room and a cup of Tifa's hot chocolate. Everything in the city is covered in a layer of pure white, freshly fallen snow. I guess I can see what everybody means about it being beautiful, but my dislike for it doesn't come from how it looks, but how it feels splintering against you at sixty miles-per-hour on a motorcycle. It's not pleasant, to say the least.

Something freezing cold and hard smacks into the back of my head suddenly, making me jump and almost drop the bag in my hands. I whirl around in surprise, only to find that Tifa hasn't been walking next to me while my attention was averted. She's standing about ten yards down the sidewalk from me, trying to look innocent, but the bits of ice sticking to her gloves and the devious smile she's trying to hide give her away.

I bring my free hand up to brush the melting snow out of my hair, stunned that she was able strike me so easily and directly; she must have pretty good aim if she can hit me with a snowball from that far away. Eying her carefully, I slowly bend over to set the bag on the ground. She watches me curiously for a moment, and then her eyes go wide when I scoop up a handful of snow, forming it into a ball in my palm. I stare her down seriously for a minute, and then bring my arm back quickly to fling it in her direction.

Tifa squeals in surprise, darting out of the way before it can connect with her, and sprinting down the street. My snowball splatters against the ground right where she used to be standing, and I take off after her, completely forgetting about the bag of groceries behind me. She really should have known not to try and get away, because she doesn't have any chance of outrunning me. I catch up to her in a matter of seconds, grabbing her by the elbow.

She yelps in shock, apparently not expecting me to catch her so quickly, and her foot catches a bump in the sidewalk while she's distracted. She stumbles forward, sending us both tumbling to the ground before I have time to react. Luckily the layer of snow covering the concrete makes the fall easier, and we're both laughing on the ground as we try to catch our breath.

I've ended up lying on top of her, and I shift so I'm not putting my weight on her, but I don't move away. I stare down at her, distracted for a moment by how beautiful she is. Her dark hair falls messily around her face, damp with melting snow. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose are flushed a delicate pink from the cold, contrasting perfectly with her creamy skin. She stares up at me with big, deep brown eyes, her laughter finally dissipated but a smile still on her face.

Her hand comes up to brush across my cheek slowly; she's removed her gloves at some point, and I unconsciously lean into the warmth of her touch. My eyelids slide closed as I lean down press my lips against hers gently, and I notice that they're warm despite the weather. She smiles against my mouth, her hands hooking around the back of my neck to keep me close to her. As if I would try to pull away.

Somehow, when I'm with Tifa, the rest of the world seems to melt away, and I'm aware only of just the two of us. We probably look like we're crazy; lying on the sidewalk in the freezing snow, kissing for no reason. But at the moment I honestly can't bring myself to care.

Forget about what I said earlier, I know what I want for Christmas.

The End

(A/N) Do you suppose that if Cloud told her all she had to do was tie a bow to herself, Tifa would stop asking him what he wants for a present? XD

I've come to the realization that I seem to have gotten to where I hardly include dialogue in my stories anymore. It's mostly just description of reactions and wordless responses. Hrm… O.o I know I never really clarified exactly what point they were in their relationship, but I don't think it matters much in this one. ;P On a side note: I wish it snowed where I live. I think it's beautiful, but I never get to see it. ;__; Oh, and I love fudge. O__O

I'm on a roll with these Cloud/Tifa stories… I think this one makes number six. :D More of them will probably be one the way, just check my profile for updates.

As always, faves are appreciated, and reviews are adored. ;P I try to respond to all of my reviewers, because with a oneshot I can't ever tell you all thanks. :3

-punkiemonkie