A/N: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming :)

"Hmm…" she sang to herself as she stretched and welcomed in the rays of sunlight into her room. It wasn't usual that she'd be smiling when she woke. But the dream she had last night was so real. She could feel it all, the kiss, and the touch. It was his kiss, and his touch that made her smile. Not any kiss or touch could make her smile. Only his.

She swung her legs over to the side and froze when she saw who sat on the floor not more than a meter away. It was him. He was sleeping with his back against the wall and his arms wrapped around the child. What was he doing in her room? With the child in his arms? Was he, watching her and happened to have fallen asleep? Why would he watch her though? Could it be that he felt too?

"Tifa!" Marlene came barging into Tifa's room.

The brunette watched as the door swung open and an excited girl running in. She stared over worriedly at Cloud who was slowly stirring from the sudden loud noise.

"Oh.." the look on the little girls face was shocked. She winced slightly and apologized before exiting quickly and shutting the door behind her.

Tifa looked back to where he sat, still waking up slowly. She heard his wince as attempted to move. Sleeping like that all night wasn't really good for the back. She couldn't help but feel slightly amused at him for choosing to sleep that way. He knew better than to do that.

He looked up from his sleepless slumber and found her eyes staring back at him. Eyes widening suddenly he looked away and back down at Michi who was still soundly asleep. The sudden cold air that met his chest made him wince as he held Michi in a different way. The warmth over the night from chest to chest had really made him warm.

"I'm sorry," he was the first to speak up. Sorry for what? Sleeping there?

'Sorry? No Cloud, don't be. Feel free to sleep there whenever you want.'

"What..What for?" was she stumbling on her own words? She knew very well what, but pretended to act dumb.

His eyes glanced back up to her and he shrugged, "I.."

She continued to stare back at him blankly. But he didn't respond, instead kept staring too.

What did he so badly want to say but couldn't? It couldn't be that he felt too right? He wouldn't, he loved her didn't he?

"Tifa can we talk," his words startled her.

Talk? Weren't they already talking?

"S-sure.." she smiled wearily and nodded.

He pulled his legs together as he stood up with the child in his arms. "Could I?" he motioned to the child in his arms and then to the empty place at her bed.

"Oh yeah, sure," she nodded as she went ahead to clear the crumpled blankets and diagonally challenged pillow.

It was then that she saw the look in his eyes as he placed the child down softly. He actually cared for this child. His heart was in every move that he made and every word that he spoke. Something changed about him. Granted one day wasn't long, this child had some what opened up his eyes to the real world.

"Everything okay?" she asked. Those words were getting too familiar already. If she counted right, she had said those words far more than a basic 'Hi Cloud, how are you?'.

He sat himself down on the bed not too far from her and then looked up.

"You okay?" she asked. Judging from the nervousness in his eyes and the pale face he held, something was surely bothering him. Whatever it was, she was ready to face it. Even if it was rejection. She loved him, and she always would, even if he didn't love her. Why was he staring so blankly? Was he going to leave again? Of course he was, he always did.

'He's just saying goodbye Tifa, just say goodbye back, it's not that hard,' she felt the anger and sadness rise within her as she fought the tears. She couldn't cry, not in front of him. How could she let her wall crumble because of him? He didn't deserve her, she deserved someone better.

But, he was Cloud. The one who she had always yearned for. It was him who made her heart skip a beat and her face flush with the colour of red. The one who made her words skip letters and her lips quiver at each brush of hands. The only one who she would ever come to love so much.

"Cloud say something, you're staring to make me nervous," her nerves began to tingle from all the silence surrounding them.

She heard him mumbling something, but all she could pick up was, '..from your heart.'

He looked up and did his best to give her an assuring look and a nod. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"Sorry for what?" she tilted her head slightly.

She saw his eyes dip and she knew it, he was leaving. Her heart broke, again. Just like always.

"I'm-"

"There is no use explaining anymore Cloud," she looked up. "I understand," she nodded. If he loved her, she wasn't going to be the one holding him back anymore. She had to let go.

To let go of him.

His eyes widen, "You understand?"

She nodded but didn't smile. "You need to find her, I know Cloud. I won't be the one to hold you back."

"Tifa I-"

"I'll take care of Michi," she smiled and reached over to touch the child's small hand. "He's so much like a baby that sometimes it hurts to know that he was out there," she looked toward the window avoiding his gaze, "All alone."

Then he took her hand, his touch. It was so real, she wasn't dreaming right? Just like last night at the bar, it was all just a dream right? Startled she threw her glance at him and watched as his eyes softened.

"You don't understand," he said softly and shook his head.

"About what? Michi? He would have felt alone wouldn't he?"

Cloud sighed. "Tifa, I want to let it go now," he confessed to her and took his eyes of her. "I want to look forward, and have a life."

"A life?" she asked.

He looked at the child as if avoiding her eyes and whispered, "A happy life."

"Aren't you happy Cloud?" she asked. Was this the same Cloud that she knew? The cold, quiet man who rarely showed emotion? Was he, trying to tell her something?