Disclaimer: All characters and Final Fantasy belong to Square Enix.

Summary: In which Marlene explains it all.

Warnings: Please note that some of the stories will contain spoilers or reference to the original game, Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core and Remake.

~Love~

Tifa had once reminded him that there were more than just words that told others his thoughts and feelings.

Yet he still found it hard to articulate any of it.

It was near damn impossible. It was like he was sixteen again, trying to impress the girl of his dreams and then failing again.

Cloud could not for the life of him, tell her those three damn words.

"Do you love me Cloud?"

It was so long ago when Tifa had asked him that very question before quickly changing it to reference Marlene.

In truth, he had heard her that night and feigned waking up in a daze.

It was just easier to tell her he loved Marlene. She was an innocent child that deserved all the affection in the world. But with Tifa, he could never find the right time...or the courage.

Tifa had given Cloud so much for so little in return. Even when he left her and the children during his troubling time when he was infected with Geostigma, she still wanted to stand by him.

He felt utterly pathetic. At this rate, someone will probably come and sweep Tifa off her feet and take her out on a date with destiny.

With a groan, Cloud stared blankly at the jukebox in the corner of Seventh Heaven. Marlene, who sat next to him with a table full of crayon art, took notice of Cloud's miserableness.

"Cloud, are you sad?"

Cloud snapped out of his forlorn gaze and jumped in his seat, "Nope, I am not sad at all." He said quickly, hoping she would take it and move on.

But of course, Marlene was sharper than that and puffed her cheeks in displeasure. She knew exactly when someone was lying to her, "It's because of Tifa, right?"

Cloud let out a heavy sigh and patted her head, "It is...but it's nothing you need to worry about, kiddo. You probably won't understand." He slumped back down on his seat.

Marlene poked at Cloud chest, right upon his beating heart, "Nah ah, I totally understand! I know what you need to do! All you have to do is show her!"

Cloud scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, "Show her what?"

"Geez Cloud, do I have to spell it out for you?"

Marlene rummaged through her piles of artwork, which featured adorable crayon portraits of her friends and family.

Cloud took notice of their late comrade Aerith, drawn with a halo and angel wings, in her signature pink dress holding a basket of yellow flowers at the very top pile.

After several pages flew into the air, Marlene finally found the one that she wanted to show Cloud.

It was a doodle of two people that resembled Cloud and Tifa standing next to each other, and something that seemed to be a long red string, one end wrapped around his finger, and the other end on Tifa's finger.

"Daddy always told me that when two people are meant to be together forever and ever, that they are tied by the red string of fate. See, me and Daddy share one too!"

She then showed him the drawing of her and Barret.

Elated by Marlene's words of encouragement, Cloud pulled Marlene into a tight hug, "You're the best, you know that?"

"Marlene, at your service!" With that, she went back to doodling with her crayons, humming to the tunes of the catchy Stamp theme song.

Cloud pondered ways to approach Tifa with his new found courage and understanding of Marlene's words, to "show her" his thoughts and feelings.

He chuckled softly to himself as he realized in his mind that he just took love advice from a six year old.

Cloud pulled Tifa to the side randomly one day in the midst of an extremely busy time at Seventh Heaven, away from the gazes of the horny drunkards who lusted after her.

He had spent all morning preparing for this moment and was now nervously digging around his pockets.

Tifa waited patiently as long as she could, as she watched Cloud fumble with something in his hands.

She slowly made her way out of his room, "I'm sorry Cloud, is this something we can talk about later? I really should get back to the bar soon to prep—"

The moment Cloud seized her wrist to slide a silver Fenrir ring onto her finger, and quickly brush his lips clumsily across Tifa's, she immediately knew how much she had meant to him.

He pulled away after several minutes of awkward lip locking, and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Tifa was truly at a loss for words for the first time, "Cloud...I..."

Before Cloud began to step away as he muttered further apologies for his inadequate kiss, Tifa grabbed a fistful of his turtleneck shirt, stood at the tip of her toes and pulled him down toward hers.

This time, he was able to taste the sweetness of her lips, and the flick of her tongue sliding across his teeth.

Tifa couldn't help but admire her new ring, shimmering brightly on her finger. It wasn't a sentimental promise or a diamond ring, but something more special than that.

Cloud wore a matching ring as well.

She promised never to take it off.

~owari