So … light …

He'd mentioned it before, in the midst of the battle. That he felt lighter after all that dilly-dallying. That moment felt like a lifetime ago, though in reality it had only been a few hours earlier. And now, as he floated quietly through this pool of healing water with his arms outstretched, the sun warming his cheeks as it fell over him in a curtain of light … he felt absolutely weightless. It was as if that heaviness he'd once felt within every cell of his being had suddenly disintegrated, the fragments slipping away into the water never to burden him again.

His comrades and the dozen or so children who were healed of their Geostigma had long since departed from the church to celebrate, leaving him to bask in his newfound peace alone. All around him the flowers swayed upon their stems, encircling the pool like a crowd of witnesses to his baptism into life. Everything in the room seemed bright and glorious, the lights and colors all blending together … the stained glass windows sparkling overhead … the indestructible walls of stone rising up around him … the endless blue sky floating above …

He closed his eyes and smiled. It was over. He was free.

"Hey."

His eyes flew open. That voice. It sparkled with life and echoed through the space like a bell chime. His feet met the bottom of the pool and he righted himself, feeling the water slide off of his body as he stared up into a shining pair of ruby eyes.

Tifa. She was smiling. It was an extraordinary smile only she could possess, at once whimsical and shy, at once playful and reserved. She tilted her head coyly to the side so that her long, raven tresses fell in a cascade over her shoulder. The sunlight seemed to wrap itself around her, shining through every strand of her hair and every dimple on her cheeks and every twinkle of her irises.

She's so beautiful.

She spoke again. "You said you'd only take a minute, Cloud. It's been almost an hour already."

He chuckled and ducked his head sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I lost track of time."

She laughed. Such a beautiful sound. It sent heat sweeping up from his chest into his cheeks. And then she leaned forward and stretched out a hand towards him.

"Come on, Cloud. Everyone's waiting."

With a smile, he grasped her hand and allowed her to lift him out of the water. He marveled for a moment at the feel of her grip, of the strength and gentleness emanating from it all at once. The water dripped off from his hair, raining in a soft patter onto the floorboards below as he stepped up out of the pool.

And then time froze in place as they stood, mere inches apart with their hands still clasped … and every unspoken word seemed to pulse through the space between them.

Cloud swallowed painfully. Tifa …

A million things he wanted to say to her suddenly coursed through his mind. All painful. All anguished. All regretful.

He could see it in her eyes … those wounds lying beneath the ruby surface. Those fractured places deep within her that had not yet fully healed. It killed him to know he was the cause of that pain. To know that she was the one he had hurt the most by his absence. She who was by far the most important person in his life …

He wanted to fall to his knees and let the apologies pour out over her feet. He wanted to beg for her forgiveness until his lungs gave out. Instead, the words sank back down like a dead weight upon his chest. He didn't even know where to start.

"Tifa …" His voice hitched, choked within his throat. "Tifa, I …"

And then there were no more words as she suddenly threw her arms around him.

He froze in shock, staggering as she buried her face deep within his chest. He could feel her trembling against his frame and he gasped as he felt something wet and warm seep in through his jacket.

Tears.

"Teef …" He encircled his arms about her, pulling her closer to him as she let out something between a sob and a gasp. He rubbed his palms gently along her back, aching to comfort her. As he felt her quivering gradually grow still, he let out a shaky breath and laid his cheek against the crown of her head, relishing in their closeness.

This. He missed this. He missed her. So much.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. And then he winced, knowing those two words were not nearly enough. He questioned whether adequate words even existed.

Her voice came out as the softest of whispers.

"Cloud … Cloud, I'm glad you're back."

All breath left his body in an instant as he clutched her to him like an anchor. The emotions swept through him so suddenly he nearly collapsed to his knees. Wholeness … healing … relief …

It was all real. He was back. He was home. He didn't deserve any of it, not by long shot. But he was home … and he would never leave again. He couldn't ever bear to.

"Thank you …" he whispered. Two more inadequate words that barely expressed all he felt for her. He stroked her hair gently and hoped that she would understand the rest.

After a few moments he felt her pull away, and when he looked down he cringed to see that her eyes were moist. But she was smiling. Her smile glowed with such gentle warmth and assured him everything was alright.

"We should go," she said, taking ahold of his hand. "They're waiting for us."

He nodded and felt the most incredible sense of relief as the corners of his mouth turned upwards to smile back at her once more.

XXXXXXXXX

Yay! Cloti semi-fluff! This may also serve as a tentative prologue for a post-AC Cloti multi-chapter fic I want to write someday. The idea for that one is still totally at the drawing board stage, but hopefully I can get it out within the near future. Other fics I'm working on will probably take precedence right now, though.

Please review! Thanks! ^_^