Part 2

His room was small but comfortable, a little bed beside the right dark wall, beside it was a nightstand with a horrific orange lamp; Cloud always hated Barret's decoration style; a huge closet that occupied half of the space in his room beside the left wall, it contained mostly his swords and other battle things, and finally the thing he liked the most: The window. Despite his room being small the window was rather large. Facing the window there was a dark armchair; Cloud would always sit on the chair and look out of the window but just on specific days: when it was raining. It remembered him of certain memories he held dear.

Even though Cloud was tired, he wasn't sleepy at all. He turned and tossed himself about ten times. He stood up and went to the chair. Tonight was a full moon and it was… raining. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the sound of the rain drops falling. It just felt like a melody. Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked down to his right arm. The rose ribbon was still attached to his wrist. When he assured himself that the ribbon was still there he relaxed into the chair and put his left hand on it.

He remembered the day Aerith gave it to him. It was their 3rd meeting. He counted every meeting since then, starting on their first one. He asked about the ribbon and she told him that Zack had bought it for her. That time he felt jealous and disappointed. Why didn't he gave her something back then, she could have worn it and Cloud would feel happy seeing how she wore something that he bought her. Aerith noticed disappointment look on his face and let the ribbon fly to him. She gave it to him saying that if he had the ribbon always with him, he could feel her presence where ever he might be.

Since then he didn't even once take it off, he would be too scared to lose it. There was something else that was bothering him. The gap of time between the meetings was getting longer as time went by. First, they would meet every two days, then every three days and so on. Now they would meet one time or another and Cloud immediately knew that something was wrong. Why were they meeting so rarely now? Was there any meaning? Cloud never had the courage to ask Aerith about it, he was too scared she would say that one day they won't be able to see each other. But, what could he do? As he began thinking intensively about a solution, he quickly fell asleep on his chair, embraced by a flower perfume, coming from his everyday clothes, which filled the air gracefully. It's just like she was here.

Days passed and Cloud was staring out the window. Today is the day. The day of the meeting. It was still early morning and the streets were filled with a thin layer of fog. These past few days had been difficult for Cloud. He was still happy about being able to see Aerith but his mind was overwhelmed with all the thinking he had been doing. He's been thinking for so long and he still didn't know what he could do to keep meeting with Aerith. What if she says that today's the last day that they would meet? What would he do or what could he do to prevent it?

After a long thinking he went downstairs to have breakfast at the bar. Yes, the bar wasn't just an ordinary bar anymore it was more like a snack-bar. Again, one of Barret's new ideas but no one ever rejected the idea because it became a great success. So, why not? Cloud sat at a table near the window. As he was ready to look at today's menu a familiar shadow of a woman appeared on the table. He looked up and saw Tifa.

"Can I sit with you? I have something I need to tell you." Cloud began opening his mouth to answer but he stopped when he realized she was already going to sit without waiting for him to respond.

"Sorry, you're breakfast has to wait, It's important." "So, what do you need? Cloud asked still staring at the menu. Today's special was pancakes with strawberry syrup. Just thinking about it made him want to drool.

"Cloud, I'm serious. Can you please put that menu down?" Cloud saw that Tifa's face became serious and put down the menu.

"I'm listening, go on." "I've been thinking." "Me too, so what?" "Well, I bet you haven't been thinking the same thing as me" Cloud sighed. This wasn't getting anywhere. What was so important that he had to skip breakfast?

"Tifa get to the point, I need to go somewhere after this" "Can you at least spend just a few minutes with me?" Cloud nearly jumped of his seat. Tifa practically shouted and now the whole place was looking at them. She bowed and excused herself after sitting back again.

"Sorry, it just skipped" "No, I'm sorry, today's just not my day, now what do you want to tell me? "

"I love you."

Cloud widened his half-asleep eyes as he heard the three words he never wanted to hear from Tifa. At first he thought about it as a joke but he knew all too well that it wasn't. In fact he always knew that Tifa was in love with him, he ignored it and tried to pretend he didn't know because it was the way to spare unnecessary problems. The first time he realized about it? Well her eyes were always looking for him; her words became softer when she talked with him, the moves she made when walking that tries to seduce him and the last thing the promise. A hero to save her? A fairytale, his mother used to tell him about heroes who save princesses from danger and so on. She has always wanted a girl.

The problem is: Tifa wasn't Cloud's princess nor was he a hero. He couldn't save her so he didn't and would never deserve this title. There were times where he asked himself if it wasn't easier to love Tifa instead of pursuing a person he couldn't touch anymore. But he always shook his head and continued in pursuing her, that person, because…

"You know, I thought that maybe you haven't realized-". "I always knew." "So why? Why didn't you say anything until now? You could have rejected me or I don't know but you could of have said something." "I never wanted to hear it from you. You are like a sister to me, someone I need to protect and have by my side when I'm feeling down but that's it. You are an important person for me even if I don't show it but you're not the person I love or will ever love."

Cloud expected Tifa to start crying but she didn't. She was…smiling. Well she's always been proud of herself. "Hmm, I know. Somewhere deep down I knew you would answer this but I just needed to tell you. I had to get it off my chest and now I feel better knowing that I'm still an important person to you. Thank you."

She ran off leaving a speechless Cloud behind. She's strong. Even though she knew that he would reject her she still told him. Even though she knows that he will never love her, she still told him. Cloud realized now. If you don't tell your feelings to the person you love, someday they'll be gone without even knowing you loved them. That would be such a waste. So what if they reject you? So what if they will never love you? So what, if they will never ever become the person you want them to be? At least you told them how you felt and you would never regret it.

Suddenly Cloud felt that he had to do something important. Something that was about to change his life completely. He ran outside the bar with just one idea in mind. He was going to see her and tell her what he's has been holding on for such a long time.

You could see a woman standing on a dark corner wearing a smile and looking at the man she loved, running out the bar. A little girl with brown hair was watching this woman. She saw how this woman tried to be strong when she was actually falling apart. This woman built a huge wall around her heart once upon a time. She built it because she didn't want to be hurt. Now it fell all into the ground, waiting to be build again. A single tear flow down her right cheek but she kept smiling. The little girl was sobbing silently for the woman. She knew too that this would happen one time or another.