"Always"

Note: This is an FF7 fanfic so if you didn't play the game, you might not get the story. Also, even though I tried to format it evenly, it leans a little (Actually a lot) to the girl side, even though I tried to add stuff for the guys (really, I tried.). In other words, most of the lines in the first part are for girls, but guys, I swear it gets better (In the story, anyway.); P.(Oh, yeah, all characters and setting are legally owned by Squaresoft.)

Chapter 1: A New Crisis, a New Beginning

It was a warm, sunny afternoon in the little town of Nibelheim, nestled in the foothills of Mt.Nibel. Cloud Strife was sitting in a hammock between two trees, deep in thought while reading a large book titled, "The Ancients". Tifa, his childhood friend, but to her, he was her first and only love, although kept unknown to Cloud, was gazing intently upon him from her kitchen window, since they were neighbors.
"He must've truly loved her." she thought, "to be thinking about Aeris all this time." It had been 6 months since the defeat of Sephiroth and seven months after Aeris' death. Since then, Cloud has been seen to be deeper in thought and has talked less, often being very emotional.
"I've never seen him happier than when he was with her. He even snuck out with her on a date. Maybe Cloud never loved me. At least not the way he loved Aeris." She thought desperately, "What kind of punishment is it to be in love and dare not tell." As Tifa was thinking about Aeris, so was Cloud.

"Aeris, why did you have to die?" he thought as though in a state of depression. "We were to share a great future. Even the stars showed that. What kind of future is this?"
"Hey Cloud." interrupted Tifa as she walked up to the hammock, after she shut the back door. "When I said you should get out of the Shinra mansion, I also meant that you should take a break from reading. Besides, you and Vincent have probably already read all the books there."
"Vincent is actually just beginning to read about Lucrecia and the Jenova project." contradicted Cloud. "There are parts of it here and there, so he has to look everywhere."
"Well you've probably cleaned out the place." she added.
"Nah, two more volumes." finished Cloud. Tifa walks closer and leans against the tree with her arms loosely folded across her stomach and looks into the branches and leaves that are shading her from the hot summer sun.
"Tifa, it looks like something's wrong."
"Me?", says Tifa "No, I'm fine. Really."
"Well, whatever you say." said Cloud, leaning back down.
"Cloud? How close were you to Aeris? She was always kind of like a sister to me and she always loved you. I guess what I want to say is that.that-" RING! Cloud's PHS had suddenly went off.
"Hello?", answered Cloud.
"Hey.", said Barret. "It's Barret and Reeve here. Yo Cloud, we have news here that strange tremors have been detected around Mideel. We're not entirely sure what it means, only that something's disturbin' the Planet. And that means only one thing."
"What's that?" Cloud wonders.
"If something is disturbing the Planet, a new Weapon might reawaken. Even more powerful than Emerald."
"How's that possible? I thought Emerald was the last one?"
"Well I believe the Planet keeps makin' em'. Anyway, me, Cid, Reeve, and maybe some others will come and meet. Red 13's a guardian and Yuffie has to stay at the pagoda so I'm not sure about them. And of course Vincent is locked up in that God forsaken mansion. Are you and Tifa free?"
"Hey Tifa, it's Barret on the PHS. You free tonight? We're meeting about something's that's just come up."
"I can't. Choco's been feeling a bit sick after eating that bad sylkis green. Stupid Chocobo Sage, selling me rotten greens. Anyway, I have to keep an eye on him"
"Well Barret, I'm free but Tifa's not so I'll just fill her in on the situation."
"Okay Cloud. We're meeting at the new bar in Rocket Town. See ya' there.", ends Barret.
"What were you saying Tifa?" asks Cloud after he hangs up.
"Oh uh, nothing really.", she says quickly. Cloud goes back to reading as Tifa leaves to go to her chocobo stables.
"Hey Choco.", she greets to her chocobo. "Feelin' better?"
"Wark.", goes Choco weakly.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of ya'.", she says rubbing its gold feathers. She checks over her chocobo's mate and offspring, then over to Knight, Cloud's chocobo. Choco's mate, a black-feathered female called Shadow, nuzzled its head against Choco to make him feel a bit better. Tifa saw this and felt slightly sad.
"Sigh..", she breathes out gently, "If only love were as simple as these chocobos. I guess maybe I should tell him I love him. He was so cute when we were younger. He would always look up into my window. As long as it wasn't me changing or anything, I always thought it was kind of nice. It was like he cared." Cloud then entered the stables, ready to leave for Rocket Town.
"Hey Tifa. Hmmm.Choco really doesn't look good. Here, take some tantal greens. It always makes Knight feel better."
"Err.thanks. Uh, listen Cloud."
"Yeah Tifa?"
"Uh, well.", she gets flustered. "Uh, you uh, have your saddle on wrong."
"Oh, uh, thanks." Cloud readjusts the saddle and then takes off.
"This" says Tifa, "is gonna be harder than I first thought."

Meanwhile, Cloud is thinking of how strange Tifa was acting during the short ride to Rocket Town.
"She's been acting strange lately. I wonder if it's just Choco. Probably is, she really loves that chocobo." He arrives at the new bar and finds Barret and Cid chasing Yuffie, while Reeve sits there quietly drinking some beer.
"Ya' lousy thievin' #)^$$#^%@!! Come back with our materia!" yells Cid. Yuffie jumps neatly over a table and off a wall as Barret smashes through the table, despite an unconscious bartender. Yuffie is then perched on a support beam and jumps to another as Barret guns at her.
"Yer' ninja moves won't save ya'!" warns Barret.
"Oh hey, Cloud.", greets Yuffie cheerfully.
"Er, Yuffie, you mind returning their materia?"
"Ah, fine whatever.", she says.
"Well then," says Reeve. "That's why I don't bring my materia when she comes to meetings. Hey! Where's my gil!" Cloud glares at Yuffie.
"Fine! Fine! Here!", she exclaims as she returns his 100,000 or so gil.
"Geez, why do you carry all that gil?" asks Cid.
"Comes in handy. Especially for paying back the bartender for the damages." Reeve replies with an angry insinuation directed at Yuffie and Barret.
"Okay Cloud, take a seat.", orders Barret. "Now about the problem. The latest tremor was in Mideel on a secluded little island. Might be like that because of the Lifestream. Well we're gonna check it out to get a sure grasp of what's going on. Besides, Mideel just uncovered more of their old hot springs so.Hey! Get away from there!" he yells at Yuffie trying to steal his materia again. "Never gonna sit next to you again.", Barret grumbles. "Anyway, we're leavin' in two days from now to get the rest of the team so be ready."
"So Cloud," Cid starts, "why couldn't Tifa come?"
"Her chocobo's sick from a bad sylkis green she got from the Chocobo Sage."
"Hmmm, that's too bad." Cid replies while taking down a shot of whiskey.
"She's been acting weird lately. I think it's just her chocobo but she always changes the subject when it seems like she has something important to say.", explains Cloud.
"You're oblivious aren't you?" Yuffie comments. "You know she likes you and just wants to say something."
"And how do you know that?", asks Reeve.
"At the Gold Saucer she told me.", she says. "After Aeris left on their little date, Tifa explained all of it."
"Hey Reeve," says Cloud. "you know that prediction Cait Sith made? The one with mine and Aeris' star being perfect for one another?"
"Oh boy.", mumbles Yuffie.
"Knock it off.", whispers Barret harshly. "Never shoulda' brought you.."
"Yeah what about it?", answers Reeve.
"Well, since you control him I thought you might know something about it."
"It is interesting that I got that fortune out of Cait Sith, but I don't know exactly if it's true."
"Ya' shouldn't be dwelling on the dead. Ain't healthy. I mean look at Vincent. Lucrecia ain't even dead and he's shut up in that mansion.", Barret interjects. "I mean ya' don't see me mopin' about Eleanor and Dyne."
"If you say so, Barret.", says Cloud as he begins to leave as it gets dark. "And Yuffie."
"Fine.", she says as she returns his materia.

During Cloud's departure from Rocket Town, Tifa sits alone at the well in Nibelheim as she looks up at the same starry sky as the night of the promise between her and Cloud. As she dwells on this, a warm breeze caresses her hair back and the quiet chirping of the crickets is all she can hear.
"I wonder.if I should ever tell him."
"Tell him what?"
"Huh?! Cloud?!" She at that moment saw him as the child who would look out for her. She saw him as the one who would promise her anything. She saw him as the cute little spiky haired boy that would be her constant crutch. She saw him as the everything she wanted but could never have. Again they met on the lonely well and nostalgia rose up in her mind and heart.
"Hey Tifa. Sorry if I scared you. I just got back. Choco okay?"
"Yeah he's fine. So what was the meeting about?" Cloud went through a thorough explanation of the events that were discussed, except for the Tifa and Aeris parts.
"So that's what's happening, huh?" she says.
"Well Tifa, you never answered my question." , says Cloud.
"What question?", asks Tifa.
"What were you going to tell me?", he repeats. He then moved in closer and sat next to her. "Who says I was talking about you?", she asks, blushing slightly. She turned away and he marveled at the way the wind moved her hair and at the moonlight that appeared in her warm, brown eyes. "Whom else were you talking about? Choco?" "Well no." "Then what were you going to tell me?" "Um." "Yes?"

Tifa then puts her arms around Cloud and passionately kisses him on the lips then whispers in his ear, "I love you, Cloud Strife." She pauses. "I had always thought you were cute when we were younger. That year when my mom died you would look into my window like you were watching if I was okay."
"Tifa I had always cared about you. But since you never said anything, I just assumed it was completely platonic." She kisses him again.
"Does that seem platonic to you?"
Again under that starry sky and that well did Tifa and Cloud find love. They retreated back into Tifa's room and fell into the bed still madly kissing. Cloud got up and closed the door.