Author's Notes: This one-shot is based on Cassandra's Destiny's Inamorata, a Mimato- any fans out there?? Read it! Anyway, this one-shot is also for the Official CloudxAerith Theme Challenge. This is #36 Proposal. Enjoy!!!

Kanashii no Hibi

Finally. He was going to ask her to marry him.

Spend her whole life with him.

Today held a promise.

He wasn't sure how he was ever going to propose, too driven away with love, he sought out help. A romantic dinner under the winter sky indeed. The air was cold and humid, but soon, it would be spring again. Spring, warmth and beginnings.

Being romantic wasn't on Cloud's dictionary, but now he's going to ask the love of his life and he made sure that everything was perfect as the night.

His fingers were trembling as he looked back and forth to the ring and to Aerith. If he won't do it soon he may never get another chance. With his willpower, he breathed in a stammering voice, "Will you marry me?" He held out the ring, Cloud&Aerith 07/07/07 etched out of the jewelry underneath.

She didn't say anything. She stared at the ring wide-eyed with her body stiff. With a trembling hand, she took the ring and held a long gaze at it. The silence wasn't helping Cloud at all. Aerith looked back and forth to the ring and to Cloud. He was worried, she thought. Worried that she would reject him. Of course not, not Cloud Strife who had unusually gleaming blue eyes. His eyes were once frozen blue and held nothing, now his eyes were still empty, but they held one thing she saw everyday: Love.

"Cloud," Aerith finally spoke up. "I love you and you know that, right?"

His deafening heartbeat was exploding. Does this mean she doesn't want to be with him?

"Yes. And I love you too." If she was going to break it off, he would remind her how much she means to him.

A smile danced on her lips. "I want to challenge you, Cloud," said Aerith as she held his hands with an assuring grip that she wouldn't live his side. But now he was just confused. What was she playing at? Was his love not enough?

She saw the fear and panic of his eyes. "I'm not going to reject you, Cloud. I love you and I didn't even think about that either."

Cloud started to blink constantly. His emotions were in a blender. So, what was Aerith at?

"Cloud, the challenge is, we will have no communications to each other in a single day. If you fulfill that to me, I'll accept your proposal." Said Aerith with a smile.

A lopsided grin appeared on Cloud's face. He didn't know what to say. Maybe this was one of Aerith and Cid's bet. Maybe Yuffie's working for Barret, under the table taping the whole thing. Maybe Tifa had a hidden camera installed for future use. Maybe Aerith was being serious. Whatever it was, he didn't care. Denying her was something he would do for never.

"Okay then," he agreed, pleasing the woman.

He loved her too much.

This was going to be easy, after all, it was just for one day.

The following morning, Cloud woke up twelve noon with bloodshot eyes. He thought of things he could do. He decided to help Tifa with the bar, in that way, his thoughts maybe drawn out from Aerith for a while. But there were still moments he wished she was with his side. Then he couldn't help but wonder what Aerith could have been doing. But he would resist, he wouldn't want her to be disappointed, no matter how he thinks the deal was playful and how childish it was.

For the twenty-four hours Cloud didn't waited for a second. In twenty-three hours and fifty-seven minutes he was already at her doorstep as he stared at his wristwatch. When the minute hand stroke at twelve, Cloud immediately knocked on the door, excited to see the love of his life proud on his patience. He would propose to her for the second time, but this time he wasn't panicky or afraid, for he knew she would say yes.

Elmyra opened the door with a sad smile. He didn't seem to notice for he was too excited to see Aerith again. Elmyra led Cloud onto her room, and left him, hoping she won't bother him.

Cloud eagerly opened the door, hoping to see a happy smile of hers. But as his eyes wandered the room, he noticed she wasn't there, but a lot of papers scattered around. He saw medicines and receipts on her bed table and he started to worry.

He picked up a folder and figured out that Aerith was suffering from a deadly illness, and her last meeting with her doctor was the morning after their date. He felt his eyes sting.

He stiffly walked around the room until he found a note sticking out of the mirror, as he took it and sat on the corner of the bed. His color was drained, body frozen. Cloud unconsciously let his tears fall down as he read, he knew he was about to break down soon.

He loved her too much.

'Cloud! You did it! Can you do it everyday?'

Please review. :D

Achii