A/N: Thanks to ATK1734 and Lumina for your reviews! I swear they always make me smile. I appreciate you guys! Today's chapter might be a bit OOC but I just wanted it to be funny, fluffy and light. Please forgive me!

Here we go! *(^^)*

CHAPTER VIII.

Ferris Wheel

Cloud

Before we knew it, the last week of October had arrived, and Lightning and I had not made any progress at all.

After our break up party, most of which she spent at Tifa's side, Lightning and I lost nearly every chance to talk. She was swamped with planning work, so we started seeing less and less of her. We only saw her pop in to get her morning coffee alone, or grab coffee with Reno and others who I soon learned were her colleagues from her security job.

Today was one of those rare days Serah had dragged her along and forced her to have coffee with our group.

"The whole gang," Lightning remarked as she saw everyone up bright and early. Books were spread out on the table untouched, as our friends still tried to wake themselves up first.

"Present!" Zack shot his hand up teasingly and Lightning smirked, before playfully punching the back of his shoulder.

I didn't know how Zack had managed to get this close to Lightning, but I was both in awe of and jealous of his ability. I stole a glance towards her and our eyes met briefly. Lightning acknowledged me with a nod, which I returned, before we both awkwardly looked away.

She lowered herself on one of the chairs, looking tired with every movement. Sighing, she removed the lid of her coffee cup and took a long sip of the hot liquid.

"So, how goes the carnival?" Serah asked, propping her elbow on the table and resting her face on top of her hand as she tilted her head slightly to look at the older Farron sister. Had anyone else asked her this question, we would already be met with a grunt and a glare.

"Fine," Lightning frowned, pulling out a list as she took another sip of her coffee. "Actually, there is something you guys can help me with. Just one person, though. I don't want to bother you all."

Tifa elbowed me encouragingly. I coughed awkwardly, trying to declare my intent to help but it was overwritten by the loud pleas of Vanille and Hope. They had now broken into a fight over which one of them was going to help.

I shot a nervous glance at Tifa who rolled her eyes before taking my hand and sticking it up. "Cloud can help!"

Lightning turned to face me reluctantly, "It's, um, testing all the rides out. With just a day left, I need to check that everything's working properly. For safety." She finished and I nodded. Suddenly a wave of nausea hit me as I thought of roller coasters.

"I'll do it," Zack offered after studying my pained expression. "Cloud can't do heights. Or haunted houses." While Zack was right, I wish he hadn't openly announced my weaknesses to the entire group. I grumbled, before crossing my arms across my chest and leaning back in my seat.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Meet you around noon?" Lightning asked and Zack confirmed with a nod of his head and a smile.

"Sure thing!" He replied as Lightning began to get up, resisting Serah's begging as the younger girl clung onto her arm.

"Sorry, I should get going too. Need to meet the staff and operating crew." Lighting told us in a tired voice, ruffling up Serah's pink hair. We chuckled as Serah combed her now messy hair with her fingers.

Lightning was gone and I had missed another chance to talk to her.

Again.

Well done, Cloud, I thought bitterly as we finally opened up our books to study.

Before noon, Zack bid us farewell and left us. The weather was still pleasant, with somewhat warm afternoons, so we all decided to get take out and eat outside in the park. After our break up party, Tifa and I hung out together almost every day and ended up resolving a lot of the problems we had carried with us for so long. While I insisted I didn't feel anything for Lightning - even if I did I couldn't say it to Tifa - she had been generally supportive of us.

The study group had ended at lunch. Tifa and I lay in the grass, watching the clouds roll by.

"I wonder if they're having fun…" Tifa pouted next to me as her eyes followed clouds lazily. I guess I am not the only one who hasn't spent much time with Lightning these days.

"Yeah," I mumbled in response. The warmth of the sun felt good on my skin.

"You guys still haven't made up, huh?" Tifa faced me. I decided to look at her, too. Her deep pools of crimson were thoughtful with a hint of worry.

"Nope," I repeated, unable to control the annoyance in my voice. I wasn't annoyed at Tifa at all, or even Lightning for that matter. Just myself.

"You can just ask her out, you know?" Tifa suggested and I narrowed my eyes. "As friends!" She quickly added. "Show up in front of our room with a bouquet of flowers?"

If only it was that easy.

"Not my style…" I said in a low voice and returned my attention to a strange looking cloud now floating ahead of the others. It looked kind of stupid on its own. I chuckled.

"Thanks, Tifa," I found myself saying. I had confided in Tifa that Lightning had been cold to me and we had stopped hanging out around each other after that. I left our moments in the library and in the tree out on purpose. I still felt guilty about our breakup, although we had mutually agreed that it was both inevitable and long overdue. Tifa was as mature as I had expected in her handling of it. Popular as she was, people poured in over the week after our break up to 'comfort' her. I scared most people off, but Tifa listened to everyone, forced herself to smile even when she didn't have to and even helped with my mood swings amidst all of the madness.

She was one hell of a friend.

As for the pink haired girl, the feelings I had for her had only intensified in her absence. There were times I just wanted to be near her, even if we didn't exchange a single word. Even that was better than not seeing her at all, or only seeing her passing by as swift as a shadow.

Lightning hung out more with her colleagues after my break up with Tifa, but she wasn't the only one. Our other friends also found it awkward and the group only ever got together to study recently. I realized it would take some time for us to start hanging out normally again. Tifa hoped that the carnival would be a good place to start, so she had insisted that we all attend it together.

At this point, it would be fine if Lightning and I could just return to being friends. There was still music I wanted to share. There was a place I really wanted to take her to. And I wanted to continue to feel how I felt about her, even if I never told her how I felt.

Because my feelings were slowly becoming impossible to ignore.

"The carnival. It'll be good! For everyone," Tifa spoke and I snapped out of my thoughts, nodding in agreement.

If there were no chances, I'd just have to make one.

In the evening when I returned to my room, a chance actually presented itself. I was surprised to find Lightning there. Zack and Lightning were sitting on the floor, several empty bottles of beer around them, playing a video game.

"Hey broody!" Zack called out to me. "Light's kicking my ass, come help me out."

I chuckled, putting away my jacket and kicking off my boots. I plopped down next to Zack, stealing a quick glance towards the girl.

Lightning seemed stress free as she was choosing the next fighting stage. Her hair was in her usual messy bun and she was wearing her trademark damaged jeans with a form fitting full sleeved shirt that complimented her figure. She wore a relaxed expression, but Zack was sitting too close to her for comfort. My comfort, I mean.

I felt annoyed again, even though I knew they were definitely just friends.

I played a few rounds with Lightning, losing two and winning one. Lightning smiled in triumph, and I was glad that she smiled at all. After we put away the game, she got up to leave. She gave a half hug to Zack, saying her thanks for the day.

"I can wa-" Zack began but I cut in front of him.

"Let me walk you back," I said quickly, throwing an apologetic look at Zack who only smiled. "See you tomorrow at the carnival, my dude." He called over my shoulder.

"See ya, dude," Lightning chuckled as she waved warmly towards Zack before nodding at me.

Hands in our pockets, we both walked awkwardly in the silence. It felt good, like we were doing this after so long.

"How have you been?" I initiated the conversation. Lightning looked straight ahead as she answered, "I should be asking you that, Strife."

I chuckled. "I'm fine. Tifa and I sorted things out if that's what you mean," I told her and she nodded. "Everything go okay today with the testing?"

"Yep, not a single problem." Lightning smiled proudly at her work. "Now if everything goes smoothly tomorrow, I can call it a wrap and focus on other things," she added tiredly, rubbing her eyes.

"You didn't have to come and hang out if you're tired," I said carefully.

The pink haired girl shook her head. "No, I needed it. It was fun, it always is with Zack."

Zack.

The dark feeling I had started harboring when I saw her with Reno felt like it was scratching at me again from the inside. I tried to control my irrational jealousy, steering my eyes away from her and watching passersby until I could calm down again.

"Hey, listen, about…" Lightning began and I snapped my head towards her. My eyes were still narrowed in anger. She looked taken aback, before her own expression returned my hostility.

"What is wrong with you?" She spat in a tone that only emphasized how unfair I was being.

"Nothing," I growled, watching her posture become stiff as well. She let out a 'humph!' and picked up pace. I cursed myself inwardly.

Cloud, you idiot. Don't let it end on this note. Say something!

I opened my mouth to speak but could not formulate the words.

At least do something!

My hand made a grab for her wrist, slowing her down to a stop. I was worried she would be angry at the unwanted touch, but to my surprise, Lightning's cheeks had turned red. She did not shake me off as we both just stood there in the silence.

Okay, now what? I deliberated, taking two steps to close the distance between us.

"Sorry, I know I am being stupid," I admitted. Lightning chuckled, the tense air dissipating almost instantly.

"Yeah, you are. Can I ask to what I owe this pleasure?" She asked sarcastically. I hung my head low, unable to look at her.

"You've been cold." I blurted, earning another look of surprise from her. I had rehearsed this conversation so many times, but none of it was coming back to me right now.

"Sorry about that," she replied honestly. "I know it's probably just me, so I didn't bring it up with you."

"What?" Confusion now replaced hurt as I asked her.

"I felt this… weird tension between us. But you were with Tifa and Tifa is my friend, so." She added reluctantly, the air between us growing heavier as we both looked away from each other. Lightning continued, "I know I probably just imagined it. I know you don't feel that way about me." She said with certainty and I felt annoyed that she had decided that without giving me the chance to correct her.

"Look, I know it was a shitty thing to do but I just cut you off for a while, until I sorted out my feelings."

I took this in, feeling the anger bubbling inside me again, rising to the surface. I didn't want to say something I regretted later, but I was getting awfully close to blowing up.

"And? Are we good now?" The words escaped my mouth and I already hated myself for saying something this dumb.

"Yeah…" Lightning added in a small voice. Her sharp, pale aqua eyes had an expression that I was unable to read. "We're good now, Strife. Whatever it was, it didn't mean anything. We can go back to being friends." She said coolly as her eyes moved down to my hand around her wrist.

I let go quietly.

"I can see myself back from here, thanks." She added with an unmistakable politeness. An unmistakable distance.

I only nodded, turning away even though I wanted to do the opposite.

It felt like it took forever for me to get back. I was so lost in thought that I took several unintended detours. When I finally got back, Zack looked at me with the same worried look that Tifa often did.

"So, how did it go?" He asked as he passed me a bottle of beer.

I sat on my bed defeatedly, said nothing, and downed the whole bottle.

"Okay then…" Zack took out another one from the fridge, popped it open and handed it to me.

"She told me she liked me, or she thought she liked me, or she thought I liked her so she thought she liked me…." I wasn't making any sense. Zack scratched the back of his head.

"Um.. what?" He asked, treading with care.

"I also don't know what she exactly meant," I scowled at him, drinking quietly for some time. "She said we're cool now, and 'it didn't mean anything.'" I added with extra emphasis the last two words.

Zack's mouth fell open.

"And? It doesn't mean anything to you either?" The sarcasm in his voice was hard to miss.

"It doesn't," I lied in anger. There had been no point to my feelings. Lightning ended us before we even had a chance to begin.

"Yeah, sure," Zack raised his voice slightly. I could tell that he was getting annoyed with me too. "That's why you're sitting here angry-brooding, turning to alcohol."

I hated how pathetic he made me sound.

"It's fine. My feelings don't matter!" I found myself getting more and more worked up. "Farron… if she doesn't feel anything then I don't want to burden her with how I feel." I had stood up now for some reason.

Zack also stood up, towering over me. He gave me two hearty pats on the back.

"If I tell you something, will you promise me to be honest with Light? You can't back off. Or I swear to god you'll have to stop calling me your best friend."

All the anger and bitterness I was feeling was now replaced with panic. If I promised something this big to Zack, there was no chickening out of it. Clear or not, new or mature, I would have to confess to Lightning. But what did he know? I fought the curiosity back but it got the better of me. "Fine, I'll tell her at the carnival. Now tell me." I said quickly.

Zack nodded, "Sit down, Cloud." I sank slowly on my bed. We both finished our drinks and Zack pulled the last bottle out. "I am taking this. Trust me, you won't need it after you hear this."

Zack told me how he and Lightning had 'caught' Tifa and I in the elevator on the evening of our date and he was shocked beyond belief when he saw Lightning cry. "That tough as nails girl who looks like she can demolish a tank... shed actual tears over you. You both are just good at denying your feelings. It doesn't mean anything….hah," Zack scoffed, taking a swig of his beer. "Ultimately, you're both cowards. You think you're doing it for the other person, but," with a serious tone he looked into my eyes, "...but in the end, it's only because you two are too scared to let anyone in."

When I remained silent, Zack continued. "You and Tifa broke up suddenly, but the damage was already done before that. In her mind, she's still trying to do the right thing - keep her distance." Zack placed his hand on my shoulder, his gaze cut through mine as he asked, "The question is...what are you going to do from now on? Are you going to miss the train again?"

Lightning

When I woke up the next day, I was already feeling better.

Sure, my talk with Cloud last night had been emotional, but once I slept on it I realized it was probably for the best. Cloud and I could go back to being friends, and over time my feelings would just fade away.

I had finally found a good support system. Zack and Tifa were the crux of it, and of course so was Serah. The others too, and even the people at work, all created this safe and inclusive space for me. I know I am not the easiest person to get along with but... everyone tried.

This place had started feeling a little like home and I just needed to work things out with Cloud like an adult. Because he was a part of my world, too.

I guess some part of me had wanted him to contradict me, to prove me wrong. But it didn't happen. I was upset because I was disappointed. I had...unconsciously expected it to be more than a misunderstanding.

But the truth was… Cloud didn't feel that way about me.

I went for my morning run, trying to run past everything. The doubts, the insecurities. Today was a day to focus, and there was no room for anything else.

I was early, just when the cafe was about to open. Thankfully there was only one other group here. I recognized the bald head of Rude and next to him was Reno's messy redhead.

"Hi Farron," Rude waved as I jogged over. "Good run?" He asked, leaning against the wall.

"The best," I replied mechanically as I looked over to an incredibly sleepy Reno. He could barely keep his eyes open. "Er, what's up with him?"

Rude shrugged, shaking Reno slightly. "Too early to function without coffee." He said casually. The doors flung open and we made our way inside. Rude paid for all of us.

"Put it on the company card," Reno had sniffed coffee and jolted awake. He still looked grumpy. I chuckled.

"It's fine, I already got it," Rude insisted and straightened Reno up who kept leaning against him and dozing off. "Get a grip," He scolded, in response to which Reno only mumbled complaints under his breath. Finally, the red haired male yawned, stretching.

"Farron, I see you went for a run without me?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink as I did the same of my own.

"Um, considering that you can't even walk right now, yes." I teased and Reno smiled, rubbing his eyes. He looked almost childlike and vulnerable in this state, even though he acted incredibly mature when duty called. "I'll see you boys later for the carnival security meeting, yeah?" I asked as I put my headphones on again.

Rude and Reno both nodded, with the latter smiling playfully at me as always.

"See ya," I found myself saying as I finished my coffee and tossed the paper cup in the trash can, sprinting back to the dormitory.

'See ya.' His boyish voice echoed in my ears. Cloud's cerulean blue eyes came to mind and I shook my head, tossing both the image and sound out.

I got home and showered, changing into loose track pants and a baggy hoodie. I put my hair up in a rare ponytail, using a headband to push my hair back from my forehead.

"Hey roomie," Tifa had just woken up. She was the only person I knew who could smile right after opening her eyes.

"Hey," I nodded at her, tightening my shoelaces.

"Coming in? Going out?" She asked in a cute voice that was also confused.

I smirked before answering, "Came in, going out again."

"Right, well I'll come over to help-" her words were overtaken by a yawn, "-as soon as I'm up!" She waved, trying to force herself up.

"Take your time, I am going to get the boys." I closed the door behind me, only to be tackled collectively by Serah and Vanille.

"You're up early," I raised an eyebrow in their direction as I petted the girls.

"We're gonna go to the venue first with Vincent and Fang. Are you coming?"

"I am going to get Zack and Strife." I answered, nodding in thanks.

"Roger that!" Vanille did a mock salute and I returned it with one of my own before making my way north of the campus to the basketball courts.

Zack and Cloud were just wrapping up their game. I waved and the taller of the two waved back enthusiastically. The blonde just threw a nod at me, which I returned with one of my own. Zack and Cloud returned to their game and I noticed Reno sitting down next to me.

I gave him a 'what-are-you-doing-here' look which he interpreted correctly as he answered, "I live here, remember? You're on my turf, yo."

The basketball courts were close to the seniors' dorm. I nodded as I remembered where we were and Reno passed me an energy drink can.

"Thought you mind need it," he said casually, leaning back on his palms. "So you're here for eye candy or what?" Reno drank from his can, not looking at me. I could see a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

I rolled my eyes. "I am just waiting for them to finish. Need to set up."

Reno checked the time on his smart watch. "Yeah, we're about to head out soon, too. So Cloud Strife, huh?"

He added the second part so randomly that I didn't even realize what he had said. My cheeks began to heat up and I cleared my throat awkwardly. "I don't know what you're talking about." I said flatly.

"Come on, you introduced me to them, remember? The friend and the boyfriend of the friend?" He grinned at me, finding this situation clearly amusing.

"Shut up," I gritted my teeth. It felt like I had let him win by being unable to come up with anything better than 'shut up'. He just shrugged.

"Hey, I told ya. No judging. Just a little surprised that blondie was your type all along," he feigned disappointment and I gave him a glare.

"What's wrong with him?" I defended.

"Well, ya know. He's all broody and unfriendly. Not too different from yourself in some ways," Reno mused, his eyes wandering away from mine. "Fair bit of drama too, that family."

This piqued my interest but I didn't want to pry, so I tried not to fish out any information that Cloud wouldn't want me to know. "So you know his family." I remarked and he nodded in confirmation.

Reno's turquoise eyes stared into mine with an odd expression, almost one of concern. "We have done security for them for years. I have to say Farron, I am kinda worried. They're all pretty messed up. Almost makes me feel sorry for the dude."

As if on cue, Cloud and Zack had finished their game and started walking our way. There were so many questions I wanted to ask Reno, but I knew it wouldn't be fair to Cloud. If it had been me in his place, I'd hate for someone I called my friend to snoop around, too.

"Anyway, I'll see you there." Reno finished his can, crushed it and aimed for the trash can a few yards away. He flicked his wrist and it landed on top of the other scraps of metal with a loud clunk. He didn't stay around to say hi. I had gotten used to this. The Turks were extremely exclusive and weren't very welcoming to outsiders. I was surprised that they were that accommodating of me, even though I was just a part-timer.

Zack gave me a high five, apologizing as he panted. "Sorry Light, kept you for a while, huh?"

"No problem," my eyes followed Cloud as he was busy inserting quarters in a vending machine. He soon returned to us with two bottles of water, passing one to Zack. Both boys emptied the contents of the bottles soon after. "Ready?" I asked once they had finished rehydrating. "There's gonna be a lot more sweating." I chuckled as Zack grinned in my direction.

Zack drove us to the amusement park. I was glad for the mostly quiet ride, save some small talk. He dropped us off at the entrance, driving off to park the car. We both waved at him and I hesitated - now with just the two of us - before reaching in my bag and pulling out a CD.

"Hey," I said, my hand on the CD still. Cloud was already looking at me with a curious expression. I figured now that we were going back to being friends, I might as well make an effort first. After all, I was the one who had been cold to him this whole time.

"It's something I found when I was going through my old stuff. There is a track on this that makes me think of you." I passed the CD quickly to Cloud, feeling my chest tightening.

Stupid Lightning, didn't have to add that last part. It almost came off as flirting.

Cloud looked it over, flipping it to see the back of the album. "Track number 7," he said in a low voice. "Track number 7 makes me think of you too…"

Our eyes met and I could see how embarrassed we both were. I hated how he read my mind. It felt unreal to have so much in common with another human being. I could see the tender expression in Cloud's eyes, so different from yesterday's angst.

"Why are you guys still standing around here?" I heard Zack's voice and immediately looked away, gripping my elbow with my other hand. Cloud looked down, quietly slipping the CD into his bag.

"Let's go," I led the way, walking ahead of the others on purpose.

Distance, Lightning. Distance.

We just had it again. A moment. The same moment of tension that I had felt between us before. And I was probably misinterpreting Cloud's feelings again. So what if the seventh track on this album was the most romantic one? It was also the saddest. Maybe I remind Cloud of something miserable… I flinched at the thought.

Ah, this was hopeless.

No, we are friends. This is friendly behavior. Maybe he was trying to tell me he knows the album already? That's why he mentioned track number seven? Should I take the album back because he's already listened to it?

My thoughts spiraled out of control. I walked straight into Hope, clutching my head as I collided against him. He also stumbled a few steps back.

"Er, you okay Light?" He asked worriedly as I shook my head quietly. "I am good, what's the update?" I looked at him and he glanced down apologetically.

"W-well, I tried to follow your notes but we're really unorganized and the whole thing is a mess…." He bit his lower lip, hunching in shame.

I chuckled at his reaction. Hope was taking this way too seriously.

"Thanks for waking up early and watching things over. Wanna see how to get things done?" I asked and Hope nodded, observing me keenly.

I climbed on one of the stalls and stood above everyone, clapping my hands loudly before inhaling, letting a deep breath fill up my lungs. I then shouted only one word which seemed to pause all the chaos. "STOP!"

Now that people had stopped running around like headless chickens, it made it easier to see which parts were a mess.

"Group A! Report!" I barked, identifying the furthest problem I could see.

"The wire doesn't reach for the cotton candy machine, so we switched with another stand but now we can't arrange the queues neatly!" A girl from one of my classes screamed back at me.

"Grab an extension cord from the security office!" I thundered. "Nobody exchange stalls, it'll mess up security plans!" I warned as Hope passed me the arrangement chart and I checked off everyone.

"Alright, next. Group E! What's going on over there?"

"One wall of the haunted house f-fell down and we're short on people to fix it in time…" A blue haired girl I hadn't seen before squeaked.

"Group B, C," I called out, alerting the two groups. "Are you done with your set up?"

The group leaders nodded at me quickly. "Please go over and help with the haunted house. Next!"

It took a few minutes of shouting and giving instructions, but everyone seemed to pick up the slack. Things were finally getting done. I jumped off the stall and landed on the ground, watching Hope look at me in reverence.

I smirked. "You know, it's not that hard. You just need to listen to the problem, then tell people exactly how to solve it."

Hope nodded passionately, like he was memorizing everything I was saying. I patted him on the back.

"Villiers, Serah, Kreiss," I handed them some papers and tape. "These are the estimated wait times, can you guys stick these on the little bulletin boards in front of the rides? I want people to know realistically how long they have to wait to get on so they can do other things."

"Yes sis!" Serah smiled at me and I smiled back at her as they hurried off to do what I had told.

"Damn Farron, didn't know you can scream like that." Reno strolled over, passing me a cold drink which I took gratefully.

"Only when I must," I replied bleakly. I finished the drink in one go, sighing happily. "Anyway, security is all good?"

"You don't have to worry your pretty head about that at all," Reno smirked and I just frowned in response. "Seriously, though. Elena, Rude and I got it covered."

"You guys are all personally working? What about the part-timers?" I asked.

"The whole university is gathering so where are gonna be a bit tight on the security, yo." He answered as he glanced around. "Lots of areas that can be compromised. But hey," his hand reached out to touch my cheek.

"Save me a ride on the ferris wheel." I grunted as I jerked my face away from his touch.

This jerk, always using any opportunity to hit on me.

"Light! I am here! Can I help?" I heard my roommate's warm voice behind me.

"Thank god," I muttered to which Tifa smiled sheepishly.

"That bad…?" She asked.

"Nightmare," I replied, quickly running through the final list. "Can you go check in with the haunted house? Kids said they need some help with their makeup."

"Sure! I'll take Fang too." She nodded and I turned around to collide into someone again.

Cloud.

We both looked away awkwardly, saying 'sorry' in a soft voice. Zack's pat on my back almost sent me tumbling forwards. This guy really needed to reel back his strength sometimes.

"Hey dude. How's it going? Any heavy lifting?"

"Actually no, but I kind of have a favor to ask." I looked at him, unsure of how to ask. Zack's dark blue eyes were sparkling in anticipation. I chuckled at his enthusiasm to help. "Well, the girls said they wanted flowers at the carnival but I can't get a florist on such short notice. And since Aerith hates my guts, I was wondering if you could ask her for me."

Zack's expression calmed down into a rare mature one, as he smiled. "Consider it done. And Aerith doesn't hate you. She just doesn't know you yet." He tried to comfort me and I wondered if that was true.

Still, I guess with what an amazing friend Zack was, I could never write off the possibility of someday being friends with his girlfriend. "Yeah, you're probably right. Anyway, I'll leave it to you." I said as I left to solve the next crisis.

A lot of ground was covered and we had to close before 3 pm.

"Alright people! Go back, take a break, a nap, change, whatever!" I shouted as the rather large group of people listened. "We reconvene at 5 pm sharp! Let's make this happen!"

I clapped twice and people started dispersing. Tifa and the girls walked over to me, devilish grins on their faces. I gulped, feeling threatened by the sudden approach.

"W-what?" I asked nervously as Serah's eyes glinted with an evil I was noticing for the first time. "You need to dress up Light!"

After I had finished showering, I looked in pure horror at the outfit that was laid out in front of me. This was definitely not what I bought!

I wrapped a towel around myself, stepping out into my room where the girls were getting ready.

"Oooh la la!" Vanille eyed me, earning a simultaneous smack from Fang and Serah.

"Where's my costume?!" I screamed and Tifa dropped the hair brush with a small yelp of surprise.

"I left it outside the shower… didn't you see?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Please," I scoffed, folding my arms. "There's no way I am wearing that," I insisted.

Yet, ten minutes later, here I am.

I glanced in the full length mirror. The 'costume' was black, skinny fit jeans and a tube top that bared both my shoulders and mid-section. The tube top was also black, with a lining of brown fur at the top. It was paired with my usual boots and leather jacket and a… a… a….pair of…. ugh!

"Perfect!" Serah smirked evilly as she pinned two "ears" on my head.

"What a cute wolf!" Tifa pulled out fingerless gloves from her drawer. "Here, wear these."

"Wolves don't wear gloves. And they're all fur. Why am I half naked?!" I protested, earning a round of giggles.

"The gloves are just a little addition from me." Fang leaned back as she checked me out. "Kind of goes with your badass vibe."

This was the most embarrassing day of my life. I wanted the freakin' ground to open up and swallow me whole, right now.

Okay, it's okay Lightning. Just avoid everyone. It's a carnival with hundreds of people, how hard can it be?

"Alright, everyone's waiting so let's go!" Tifa finished the final touches of her make up.

"Right… everyone," I grunted as the girls literally forced me into my boots. They had to physically drag me out of the building.

Zack was in a weird...exotic get up of some sort. He was trying to fix a feather in his hat, but it kept falling off.

"Um, what are you?" I couldn't help asking.

"I am Aladdin, duh. What are you?" He asked and I felt myself dying several times over.

"I am a wo-wo-"

That's it!

"I am sorry, I am going back!" I shouted and turned, only to be grabbed again by the girls.

"Zack! Open the door! Quick! Lightning's running away again!" I heard Serah call as she wrapped her arms tightly around my waist, not letting me go.

This was going to be the worst….

When we arrived at the carnival, the gates had already been opened to let in regular visitors. We were an entire hour late because of my panic attack. People flocked in, dressed in all sorts of interesting costumes. I saw Salt and Pepper brothers, and a… traffic light. A half naked female wolf was much better off, in comparison with the bizzaros at least.

"Please kill me," I said in a low voice as Zack let out a little 'tch tch' and patted my head affectionately.

"There there, it's fine. Look, there's a toast right there," he pointed to a guy in a literal toast costume. I chuckled. Maybe he was in the same group as the Salt and Pepper bros.

Tifa had decided to go with a Bloody-Mary inspired zombie bride. She wore a sleeveless, low neck, frilly white mini dress, with thigh high white stockings and matching heels. Red paint was splashed over her clothes (which we had fun doing the day before). She also wore red lipstick that was rubbed off in the corner. Even in the so-called scary outfit, she was a beauty queen by every standard.

Serah had decided to go for a gothic look, with a black tutu and knee high boots, a spaghetti strap top, fishnet stockings and gloves, ending with chains around her waist. She also did the dark eyes, multiple piercings and crosses. It was almost hard to recognize her, but I admired her dedication. I guess it was her first full fledged Halloween with her friends.

Come to think of it, it was the same for me.

Fang and Vanille were twin 'nurses', with makeup so truly frightening that Hope dropped his iced tea when he saw them for the first time. Hope had dressed as a pirate, which was a little too dramatic for his nice image. He even attached a fake 'hook' to his hand.

I noticed Aerith in a matching Jasmine costume at one of the booths, selling flowers. I looked up gratefully to smile at Zack and he flashed me a big toothy smile.

Everything seemed like it was going well, until we noticed Snow was dressed as…

Santa Claus.

I burst out laughing as did the rest of the group. "Excuse me, Santa?!" I was about to collapse as I held onto Zack's arm for support, who already had tears in his eyes.

"I am a zombie Santa!" He corrected angrily, pointing to his zombie makeup but that big guy parading around in a Santa costume was comic as hell. "And what, you're a dog?" He shot back.

"I am a wolf," I growled, suddenly remembering what I was wearing and feeling like I wanted to shrink into miniature form and disappear somewhere.

Noel and Yuel were wrapped in bandages, so it took a while to recognize them. Noel pushed some of the bandages aside, showing us his usual smile. "Hi guys, wow, everyone went all out!"

I chuckled and Serah snapped a photo of them. "Mummies! I should have known!"

"Where's Vincent?" Fang asked and as if answering a summon, Vincent jumped out from a coffin behind us, actually making most of us jump. Fang smacked his shoulder hard, looking flushed as she clutched her chest.

"You scared the hell out of me! What are you even?"

"Count Dracula, ha...ha." He literally said the words 'ha ha' out loud, without even trying to fake a laugh. I couldn't help but laugh along with the others.

"Is everyone here? We need to start lining up before it gets any more crowded." Tifa pointed out before pausing. "Where's Cloud?"

Oh no, not Strife. Anyone but Strife. I didn't want him to see me like this.

"He was right around here somewhere…" Hope looked around before raising his arm in the air. "Cloud, over here."

And there it was, spotted in the sea of people, Cloud's spiky blonde head.

He was wearing black trousers and a shirt, with a cowl around his neck that also acted as a hood, partially covering his spiky head. He lowered the hood to uncover his hair, walking over to us in his usual boots, nunchucks secured on his belt.

"Aw, you're a ninja!" Tifa smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "Cute!"

Cloud only groaned in response. I was glad that I wasn't the only one who had to be forced into a costume.

Our eyes met and I saw him check me out from head to toe, quite boldly at that, too. I cleared my throat loudly, forcing him to look away. I could see the faint traces of red on his cheeks, and I felt I could explode on the spot.

"Roller coaster!" Vanille screamed, dragging Serah and I to the front of the ride. The others followed as we started lining up.

To my amusement, Cloud looked positively mortified.

"Why…" he whispered but Zack only laughed, draping his arm around Cloud's shoulders. "It's gonna be fun!"

Hope and I sat in the very front, with Serah and Vanille behind us. They were followed by Cloud and Tifa, Fang and Vincent, Yuel and Noel, finally ending with Zack and Aerith. Snow was the tallest so he was forced in the back.

The pure rush I felt when the roller coaster began speeding. Ah… when was the last time I even went to an amusement park… maybe when I was a child? I couldn't remember.

Hope's blood curdling screams didn't allow me to think much and I only laughed as the male shut his eyes tightly.

"Don't do that! Open your eyes idiot!" Vanille smacked the back of his head as the roller coaster slowed down, climbing the peak slowly, letting the anticipation build.

I turned around to see everyone was okay. Cloud was barely holding on, his hands tightly gripping the rail in front of him as Tifa gave him comforting pats on the back.

"Light, look!" Hope steered my attention away from them and we looked at a vast sea to our right. Stars graced the sky, their abundance trying to take a stand against the city's lights.

"Light," I turned to face Hope, who was trying to tell me something. "I just want to...say… I- aaaaaaaah!" He broke into another scream as he grabbed the railing, the roller coaster had tipped over and was descending at its fastest speed yet.

I never got to ask Hope what he wanted to say to me, because Vanille had dragged him back for round two on the roller coaster, followed by zombie Santa and Serah. I waved them off as Zack challenged me to a shooting game.

"I've shot with real guns, you know that right?" I challenged but Zack was not one to back down.

"Well, don't underestimate me." He smirked and I nodded, shaking his hand seriously.

"May the best woman win," I joked and Zack laughed, aiming at the balloons with an exaggerated look of concentration. After three rounds of beating Zack, I finally decided to give up.

"One more rematch!" He whined but I shook my head.

"It's literally 3-0 Zack!" I groaned as he tried dragging me back. "Go hang out with Aerith, it's a carnival after all." I nudged him. He hesitated, seeing that everyone had split into 'couples.' I knew he felt bad about leaving me on my own, but I was happy enough being with all of them here.

"It's fine," I gave him a little push in the direction of Aerith's flower stall. 'Go!' I mouthed, smiling before deciding to take a walk around.

I came across Rude and Elena at two different entry checkpoints and waved at them. Finally spotting Reno, who was surrounded by girls as always, I greeted him with a nod. "You're not dressed up," I realized, noticing his usual suit.

He excused himself, turning his full attention to me. "But hot damn, you are," He eyed me shamelessly as well and I felt the same embarrassment I had felt when Cloud had looked at me the same way earlier.

"Okay, I am gonna go," I sighed in frustration but he pointed to a stall nearby with a jerk of his neck, "Come on, let me at least buy you a drink. You're off duty, Farron."

I hesitantly followed him, nodding in thanks as he bought me a beer. The cool liquid felt good, even though the weather was also cold. I felt myself relaxing as we sat on one of the benches, watching people pass by, excitement in the air.

"You did a good job," he remarked and I took a sip of my beer, relieved.

"I am glad." I gratefully accepted the compliment.

I noticed Cloud and Tifa coming out of the haunted house. Cloud looked as pale as a ghost, but Tifa's arms were wrapped around his arm as he wobbled out, probably to support him. She was laughing, no trace of the stress I had seen in her eyes a week ago. Cloud looked down at her, said something and nodded twice. She patted his cheek, soft crimson eyes endearingly gazing into his.

Cloud Strife… since the first time I met him he had been… Tifa's Cloud.

Maybe that's the way it was supposed to be.

An immense loneliness overpowered me, now in this moment being reminded of their perfection together. I looked away painfully, feeling Reno's hand over mine. It was bigger than it looked as it covered mine, squeezing it gently.

I heard a sound on the radio which alarmed both of us. Reno removed his hand from mine, using it to adjust his earpiece.

"Reno here," he replied with a tinge of resentment in his voice. "Location confirmed?" He asked as I looked curiously at him. "Hn," he grunted, "Copy that, I am heading over."

"Sorry Farron, I'll be quick, I promise."

I only nodded as he was on his feet, giving me a final glance before disappearing into the crowd…

It was a lot harder than I thought. Being Cloud's friend. I thought of our conversation earlier. His voice echoed in my head, the mental repetition of his words sending a spark of electricity traveling through my body.

"Track number 7 makes me think of you too…"

With a final glance at Cloud and Tifa, I made a round to check if Serah and the others were alright. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I went over to the Ferris wheel, craving to isolate myself from everyone.

Even for a few minutes, to run away.

"For one, please." I took out my wallet to see the ticketing officer give me a look of pity.

"There's a rumor that if you ride it alone, you'll be single for life." He felt like it was his duty to warn me as I received the ticket.

"Perfect, I look forward to it," I said sarcastically as I lined up among the loving couples.

It's fine. It's fine. I repeated to myself in my head.

It was time to let my first love go.

Cloud

Pink hair with wolf ears. Why was it so difficult to find her?

After Tifa and I had finished going on several rides and even went through the haunted house, we collapsed on one of the benches. Tifa stretched her arms above her head, before setting her palms in her lap.

"I wonder why we never did this when we were dating," Tifa said out loud, tilting her head to look at me. "It was pretty fun, huh?"

"It was," I nodded, returning my full attention to her.

"Looking for her?" She caught on. Nothing ever slipped past Tifa.

"Yeah…" our eyes met in silent understanding. She grinned, touching my arm gently. I forced myself to continue. Better she heard this from me than someone else.

"There's something I need to tell her tonight," I said carefully.

Tifa hummed, nodding as she looked away. She thought about it, turning back to face me as she removed her hand from my shoulder. Her eyes were tender and loving as always.

"Then why are you still here?"

In that moment, I felt all the hesitation melt away.

Cutting through the crowd, my eyes hopelessly searched for pink hair everywhere. I jogged past Zack, who shouted after me, "Hey, where are you going?"

"I am going to catch that train!" I shouted in response, panting as I took a moment to catch my breath. I saw Zack smile at me encouragingly before facing ahead and continuing my search.

Come on.

I finally spotted her boarding the Ferris wheel by herself.

There you are.

I pushed through the couples lined up, watching a staff member close off the boarding area.

Wait.

The staff member gave a thumbs up to the guy in the booth, signaling him to start the ride.

Not yet...

Finally making it to the platform, ignoring the complaints of annoyed couples, I jumped over the chains. Just then the wheel started to turn, and I ran in a frenzy, barely grabbing onto Lightning's car. Thankfully she was still on the platform and hadn't taken off.

She quickly undid the chain so I could get in and I managed to somehow climb into it, out of breath. I put the seat belt on, before securing the door with the chain once again.

Made it.

"Are you suicidal?!" Lightning shouted in my ear and I winced at her volume.

"Sorry…" I stared into her aqua eyes, trying to find forgiveness there.

Lightning's eyes were narrowed as she glared at me, but it was worry, not anger that I saw there.

"What the hell Strife!" She smacked my arm as the car moved further up. This car was not a fully covered pod like the one I had been on before, but rather just a seat for two people. I looked down, realizing we were dangling well above the ground. Our feet just hung into empty space, the same above and around us. I gulped as I shifted with extreme care, dismissing the uncomfortable feeling beneath me.

I lifted my arm carefully and draped it around the seat behind Lightning.

"Sorry, there was something I needed to tell you, no matter what," I spoke.

Lightning sighed in defeat. "Well, you are stuck with me for the next ten minutes now, so, shoot." She said coolly, with her fierce trademark look.

I was really trying to focus but the empty space all around me was not helping.

Oh god, don't look down. Just don't look down.

"Why….why are you torturing yourself? I thought you weren't a fan of heights?" Lighting asked the obvious as I took a deep breath to calm myself. I shut my eyes tightly and focused on the words I wanted to say.

My eyes flew open. As long as she was in front of me and I could focus on her, nothing else mattered.

My hand moved on its own accord. Before I knew it, I was stroking her cheek with my thumb as I gazed into pale aqua eyes. Unlike the sharp, cool color of her icy eyes, her cheeks had taken on a warm tone.

"Why do you think?" I found the words escaping me as my thumb traveled down to her chin, tilting it up slightly as she tried to shy away.

No, I wasn't going to allow her to look away now.

My other hand had wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her closer. I leaned close to her lips, watching her turn furiously red in response.

"S-Strife. Don't even think about it." She warned me in the softest tone I had ever heard from her. Both her hands were now placed firmly on my chest as she guarded her last line of defense ferociously.

"If you don't want to…" I breathed against her lips, "Then just push me away," I whispered as I finally claimed her lips. I could feel her stiffen, before relaxing and moving into the kiss. Her fingers tightened around my shirt, gripping it tightly as our lips moved against each other's. She pulled away, pausing to catch her breath, but my hand moved from her shoulder to her pink locks. My fingers tangled in her hair and I found myself wanting more.

I pulled her in again, absolutely mesmerized by the girl in front of me. Lightning moaned in what was either pleasure or protest. But I did not stop. I could not stop. One of her hands moved from my shirt to my hair and she gripped it gently. As she tilted her head, my hand cupped her cheek, sliding down to her slender neck and staying there, pushing further into the sweet kiss.

The night sky stretched into infinity above us, the cold wind blowing through her long pink locks gently as a few strands danced in the air. I finally managed to control myself, separating from her lips.

Her hands moved down to her lap. One of my hands returned to grip the seat cushion behind her, the other leaving her neck as I set it on my knee. We both looked away awkwardly, out of breath and a little dazed.

"Hey," I heard her say and I turned to observe her long eyelashes as she stared at her hands. Then, aqua eyes fluttered over to mine and Lightning's lips parted to say, "What were you going to tell me?"

My hand moved from my knee to her hand, holding it tightly as my other hand occupied its former position in her hair, pulling her gently towards me.

"I like wolves." I teased as I gave one of her fake ears a squeeze, before losing myself against her lips again.

A/N: Wow this is a long ass chapter... I am sorry that this update took so long. I had to write a lot to build up to the kiss. Plus I really wanted that rollercoaster scene in there with the whole ensemble. Poor Hope's confession left 'hanging in the air.' (Okay bad pun sorry.) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Their feelings are out now, but it'll be some time before they can actually date and stuff. You know how awkward these two are. XD I love reading your reviews, so feel free to throw anything at me. Sorry that I couldn't keep the kiss PG13. *cries dejectedly in a corner*

But bless my poor fangirl heart XD Anyway, until the next update.