"Cloud. Still such a dreamer?"
"Dreamer, huh? Just keeping a watch, that's all."
She sat down.
"Aren't they beautiful, the stars?"
I murmured something in reply.
"...Hey, what have you been writing?"
She referred to my notebook.
"Umnothingreally(coughcough)," I replied hastily.
"Aw, come on," she said with a smile.
Who could resist that smile anyway? I handed my notebook over to her, and she browsed through its pages, barely gazing at my writings, until she reached the last full written page. I felt my cheeks blush, and turned my head away. Read anything but just that, I pleaded inside my mind, not saying anything aloud. She read the song.
"Oh...Cloud... I, uh, I never realised you..."
I shook my head. No, this is not what I wanna hear, I thought, 'Uh Cloud you're really nice and all but really you're just a childhood friend right?' I refused to look at her. I realised she had been silent for a while. We both just stared at the night sky.
"It's... It's all right," I finally said. "I never was serious about that anyway."
Fortunately, she did know me well.
"Cloud, don't be stupid. This song sounds pretty serious... It's beautiful. Thank you."
She leant her head against my shoulder, and I didn't dare to breathe.
"Tifa..." I finally managed.
"Yes?" she said softly, lifting her head a little.
"...I, uh, I love you."
So now it was said aloud. I blushed even more fiercely.
"I know, silly," she chuckled, but there was a gentle tone to her voice. "I know."
She grabbed my hand tightly.
"Just... Just promise me you'll never leave, OK? That you'll never hurt me."
"How could I ever hurt you?" I was surprised to hear so much warmth in my own voice. "Even the thought of someone hurting you makes me sick."
Her face was an inch away from mine.
"I love you too" she whispered, and then pressed her lips softly against mine. I would have been embarrassed to confess it was my first kiss ever.
It all was like a dream. All my memories are a little hazy. I remember her scent, her taste, her warmth. The way her tiny body moved. Her breath in my ears; "Yes, please..." Her whispering my name. My hands going through her hair. Her legs around my waist. Her lips on mine, her lips on my... Her voice whispering into my ear, "Please, Cloud, be gentle. I'm a...virgin." The stars in the sky.
I guess I'll never forget.