Title: Promise to Tell
Words:
385
Summary:
Cloud promises Tifa one more thing.
A/N: Glad to see everyone liked the last one. Hee! For this one...a stab like the one Cloud suffered, not to mention the bullet wound, will probably remain for all his days. So, I wanted to write about that somehow. The result was this.


Cloud sat in his room, sitting on his bed after getting into pajama pants. His nightshirt lay over his chair back, ready to be put on in a minute. He just had to get his hair dry first after his warm shower.

The terrycloth towel brushed against his shoulder and it twitched at the meeting.

He slowly placed the towel on the bed beside him, one hand gingerly touching the scar that Masamune had left in its wake.

It had healed soon enough after that battle along with the other aches and wounds he had garnered in his fights. But perhaps it was because Sephiroth had been the one to inflict the wound, did this particular scar matter. More so than the near fatal wound he had gotten from Yazoo's last shot. Both scars would be there for the rest of his life. It was only thanks to his clothing that few others saw them.

To him, the sword scar was a reminder of a battle he had won not only with his own strength, but with strength given from others he was able to call family. It reminded him of his answer to his opponent: that everything was important to him.

Even longer than his fingers, it also evoked memories of the past that felt so ancient. Memories that he would always possess a tinge of sadness for… recollections that would never go away. Aerith's death, Zack's death… his past doubts of who he truly was.

He jolted slightly when he realized someone else was brushing their fingers over his scar.

Cloud looked up.

And saw the way Tifa's eyes softened as she took her hand away. She had knelt by the bed, having noticed his strange reaction to the scar when she passed by his open door.

She met his eyes, concern in hers.

"…does it hurt?"

He shook his head. "…no. It… just makes me remember… but it doesn't hurt any more."

There was a short lull of silence filled with a kind of peace that washed over the both of them.

Then Tifa spoke, very softly.

"…just in case it hurts… tell me. I'll try to help… any way I can."

She smiled slightly at him.

"Promise?"

He blinked in surprise. And a small smile took over his lips.

"I promise."

.

End.