The slums were a dark and destroyed place, it was devoid of life and innocence, or so he thought. As Cloud walked the streets at night, heading back to the AVALANCHE headquarters, against the grey colors of the rotting slums, a beautiful girl was brushing the side of her dress and picking herself up off the ground, a basket of healthy looking flowers in hand. He felt his heart momentarily stop as the vibrant green eyes locked with his, within them he could almost feel life pulsing from their radiance, glowing with an ethereal shine. He regained his thoughts as he noticed she was coming closer to him, "Excuse me, has something happened?" She asked curiously.

"Not really... " He answered shortly and eyed the flowers. "Are you looking at these? You almost never see them in the slums right? Only one gil." She offered the yellow flower, Cloud nodded quickly and fumbled to pull a single gil out of his pocket, taking the offered flower from her outstretched hand. Cloud couldn't help but keep staring into this gorgeous girls enchanting eyes, and his heart skipped a beat when she smiled gently at him. "Thank you so much!" She said blissfully, she almost never had customers these days. Clouds eyes hadn't left hers from the moment they met, as she walked away she looked back at him, the connection finally broken when she turned her head and continued down the streets.

Cloud watched as she left, he couldn't help but think of the beautiful girls image against the monotone colors of the slums as somewhat iconic. As she walked amongst criminals, thugs, and these poverty stricken people, she appeared like a flower breaking through the grey and chipped concrete, jutting out and growing despite it's odds, despite it's placement. The image of the girl's smile was burned into his brain, he held the flower up and smiled softly, if that smile only cost him one gil it was worth it. "Maybe next time I'll buy the whole basket." He muttered thoughtfully to himself, putting the flower away and continuing his way to the AVALANCHE headquarters, or better known as The Seventh Heaven, Tifa's bar.

Most of AVALANCHE was more than likely there by now, and Tifa was there waiting for him, probably worrying over him. He clenched his fist slightly, he didn't want to come off as weak, or a failure, that was the last thing he wanted anyone to think of him, especially Tifa. Cloud snapped out of his thoughts when he realized he never even caught the name of the beautiful girl he'd bought this flower from, not that he expected to ever see her again. He smiled when he ran his finger along the stem of the flower tucked away safety, he certainly wasn't opposed to it though.

The second he entered the bar, Marlene almost mistook him for her father, she shyly ran to the back of the bar when she realized her mistake. Tifa walked over to her then turned to Cloud, "Cloud, it's good to see you're alright." She walked closer to him, she noticed the flower. "Oh, you found a flower? You never see them growing in the slums!" Tifa said somewhat surprised. Cloud wasn't entirely sure what he'd do with a flower, he smiled and held it out to Tifa, "For me? Cloud... You shouldn't have..." Tifa blushed slightly and took the flower, she smiled and laughed, feeling similar to the night Cloud called her out to the well.

"It smells wonderful! I should fill the whole bar with flowers." She said cheerfully, Cloud nodded, and he knew where he'd like to buy the flowers from.