XXXVI.

She tucked her arms between herself and Cloud and sighed.

She must have been up for a while. He suspected that. But after she nudged against his neck a little more he knew she was awake, and she was just pretending to sleep.

He whispered into her ear. "Ready to go?"

She propped open one eye, then shut it again. Her arms came about his chest. "No."

Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn. "Umm...everyone's waiting for us at the hallway..."

She growled and then forced herself to get up off him. They walked hand-in-hand to where the extremely impatient foursome stood either tapping their feet or twiddling their thumbs at the exit of the chamber.

On the way over, Cloud brought up Tifa's left hand that he was holding closer to him. He inspected the ring he bought for her and pointed to it as he spoke. "Can...can I borrow this?"

"Uh...sure."

He slipped it off easily and continued to walk with Tifa toward the grumbling team. Just as Cid and Barret were about to lead everyone out, anxious to get back to Shera and Marlene, Cloud ran in front of them, blocking their progress. He made a loud gulp.

"Guys, can you bear with me a second? I have something I needed to say for a long, long time...and since we're all here now..."

A visible thread of irritation spun through the team.

"$*%, Cloud, let's go the !#$ home.." "Dammit Cloud, we here long enuff! 'Samatter wit you?" were two comments among the grumbling that could be understood.

"No...really..please." His glowing eyes locked on Tifa alone. "I've been waiting honestly about ten years."

"Oh, !#$. Whatever makes ya #$% happy, kid..."

He strided over close to where she stood, nervously fiddling the ring inbetween his fingers. He gazed into her eyes. He had been waiting ten years to say this speech. He'd revised it and revised it on paper over and over until it was perfect. He'd memorized it and tucked it away for that night under the full moon. He wasn't able to say it that terrible night, so for a sense of closure, he needed to say it now, while all his closest comrades were near him. The few people in the world that understood him.

He bended one long leg until the knee touched the ground. He took a light hold of her left hand, his gaze still locked on her eyes. When he did that, Tifa could feel the tears welling up and tried to stifle them.

"All my life I've lived in an oppressive ring of darkness. My own hatred, my own weakness, my own fear and anger. That was what always caused the darkness surrounding me. The darkness was always there ever since I can remember. Always trying to tear me further and further away from any hope of saving my soul. At times I even doubted that I had a soul to save.

"I looked around through my darkened vision and could only see one light burning far in the distance. I didn't understand the light, living in and seeing nothing but pitch black. So I tried to fan it into a larger flame, I tried to will it to glow brighter, I tried everything in my power to make the light mine, including finally leaving the light where it was in hopes that I might return as something greater than what I left with. However, I left with nothing and returned with nothing.

"Because I didn't understand the light, I cursed the darkness over and over. I fought the darkness, avoiding the very light that could have saved my soul from the beginning. I never learned until a few months ago that by being still, the light would come to me.

"You always were my light, Tifa Lockheart. You were the breath of fresh air, the light amidst the darkness, that saved my soul from the pit. And now, I want to ask the light, completely undeserving, to remain with me forever.

"Tifa Lockheart of Nibelheim, my light, my angel, my best friend, will you marry me?" he asked, as breathlessly as if he really didn't know she would say yes.

All knew Cloud would never dare do this in front of everyone had he not been absolutely sure she would accept. But even though she just had the ring on her finger for weeks, he still couldn't help looking terrified, his heart in her hands as he kneeled in front of her.

Tifa wiped away a couple more hot tears with her right hand. She couldn't say anything at first. For all the years she'd known him, she never knew him to be this poetic.

These was a long silence as Tifa was preparing to say yes all over again.

Cloud was gazing into her eyes, waiting for the words that he longed to hear for ten years.

"Hey, Cloud...I thought she already wuz wearin' that thing..." Barret thoughtfully interjected into the tender moment. Tifa chuckled.

Cloud turned his head around towards Barret, who stood in back of him, and shot him a dirty look with icy blue eyes.

"Yeah, kid. !#$, she was wearin' it for weeks already!" the pilot added. Tifa laughed out loud.

Cloud bared his teeth at the dynamic duo. WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP? he mouthed to them over his shoulder.

His eyes returned to Tifa, his face like an angel, she thought, as she giggled.

She wiped another tear from her eyes and looked at each of the men in turn. "So, boys...do you think he's safe?" she said with a lovely playful smile. The words were said in jest, but the tears were very real.

Cloud was stunned. His worried eyes showed that those words weren't what he quite expected.

"Well, I don't know, girl, he's got all that spikey hair 'n all..", "I haven't known him long enough," "It's quite a calculated risk..." "That #$% kid's been worth keepin' a #$%^*% eye on, hun.." were more comments brought forth, accompanied by a lot of head scratching and shoulder shrugging.

Cloud just patiently rolled his eyes to the heavens and awaited Tifa's "answer".

"Well...I think he's safe...so far. I will, Cloud."

His face brightened in that moment so much that Tifa hardly recognized who it was. Only recently had she begun to see him smile occasionally. Usually his brow was drawn in deep thought or anger, but not now. He took hold of her third finger and slid the sparkling ring onto it...right back where it was.

He rose from his knee and Tifa literally attacked him with a deep kiss in front of everyone, throwing him back a little and surrounding his neck with her arms. He encircled her waist with his own arms and just let himself drink it all in until she was finished with him.

One by one each of the men that Tifa wasn't sucking face with looked at his watch and started toward the hallway. Barret heard the little sounds each were making and shook his head. "You two so damn cute. Cute as all #$%^. Cute 'till it makes a man sick." He left for the hallway. Of course, neither of them heard a word.

After a long while, both had to stop and catch their breath.

"So...should we...be on our way up...now?" Cloud asked breathlessly in Tifa's ear, his head buzzing. He lifted his head, expecting everyone to be right there waiting. His eyes opened wide and he looked frantically around as he discovered no one there except for the two of them!

"Uh-oh...I think they...they left us..."

Tifa giggled. "We'll just have to catch up to them, won't we?"

Cloud returned her smile and the two of them began to jet toward the hallway.