A/N: I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read, review, favorite and follow Connected Hearts since the beginning. You are all amazing! I apologize for all the OOC depiction of each character, but I'm trying to challenge myself to write something once a day, something I have not done in a long time. Nevertheless, you are all still awesome. Please enjoy the next one-shot!

Summary: In which everyone is off celebrating and enjoying the Chocobo-Moogle festival except for one special person.

~Waiting~

Tifa zipped by three times, completely ignoring Cloud as she carried a hefty tray of food and mixed drinks to her customers.

Cloud had wanted just one minute with her to ask a question, but discovered it was near impossible. Perhaps it wasn't a good time to ask now since Seventh Heaven was busier than normal.

This was the week everyone was celebrating the Chocobo-Moogle Festival. Reeve thought putting something new, fun and exciting together for the citizens of Edge would take their mind off the recent events from the Deepground Conflict.

It was just a poor excuse to operate his mechanical Cait Sith robot again to be honest.

Nevertheless, the festival was a big hit.

So Cloud left the bar, not wanting to bother Tifa. He decided to make a few rounds with the kids.

Denzel and Marlene were thankful that Tifa allowed them to take the rest of the week off from chores and helping around the bar to enjoy the festival. Barret even returned back from his trip early for a short bit to spend time with Marlene.

Yuffie tagged along as well, hoping to get her hands on all the Chocobo-Moogle merchandise. She flaunted around in full cosplay gear, donning the snapback cap, graphic t-shirt, knee-length boots that matched the color and accessories of the cap, white shorts with an obnoxious belt that had the mascots in front and a Chocobo-Moogle backpack. She was the ultimate Chocobo-Moogle Queen.

This was also Shelke's first time ever doing anything normal such as attending a family festival. She had wanted to stay back to help Tifa, but the barmaid forced her out, telling her that this would only come once a year. She would regret not going.

Shelke could not be any happier, cracking a tiny smile and chuckling at the silly mascots bouncing around the street as children (and Yuffie) all surrounded them for autographs, pictures and requests for them to do the Chocobo-Moogle dance. She actually took interest in something for once.

Marlene and Denzel were eager to have Cloud come along for the day, pulling him left and right. Marlene wanted him to win her a pink stuffed Chocobo while Denzel requested for blue and green cotton candy. Barret snickered as he saw the two kids drag him everywhere through the festival.

Who knew how exhausting it would be to keep up the pace of two overexcited kids, a loudmouth Wutai princess and a soft-spoken girl who never knew the word fun. Cloud loved every moment spent with his friends and family, but deep down, he lamented on the fact that Tifa was still stuck back at the bar, all by herself.

She had been so focused on getting extra supplies for the bar, plenty of food stocked up and ensuring that everything was set in place to make her job easier. This made it harder for Cloud and not give him the chance to ask her the one darn question that had been weighing him down all week.

Cloud would have asked earlier, but he had just decided to take the last weekend off in hopes of spending some time with the special people in his life.

It was almost sunset and he couldn't stand it any longer. He finally made up his mind. He was going to do it. He waited long enough and this was going to be his last chance. He'd have to wait a full year for this opportunity if he didn't do it now.

He could not stand to see Tifa NOT enjoy ANY of this.

Cloud broke away from the group and let Barret know he was returning back to the bar to 'rest up.'

With only a few more hours of the festival left, he pushed through the crowds toward Seventh Heaven.

When he finally made it to the bar, he immediately went straight to her, pulled her aside and told her to close down the bar for the night.

"But what about the customers? Who will serve them a nice cold refreshing drink or delicious food?"

"I don't care about them." Cloud straight up answered without hesitation. It was true, he didn't care about half the men and women that came in and out of the bar. He cared only about Tifa and she deserved the night off just like everyone else.

Tifa playfully hit him across the arm, "That's no way to speak about my customers."

"One date. That's all I ask for." The bold question that he had been holding back all week finally came out. He just wanted one damn night with Tifa. He wanted to win her a stuffed Moogle and share strawberry flavored cotton candy with her.

"W-what?" Tifa gasped, taken back by the sudden request.

"No one is going to get mad at you for closing the bar early. They all can go to Johnny's Heaven and give him more business. Let's go." Cloud was adamant on getting Tifa to stop being such a work-a-holic and give herself a damn break.

He helped Tifa close up shop and held her hand tightly in his, making sure she didn't try to run back to re-open the bar.

She eventually gave up and loosened her tense shoulders. She finally interlaced her fingers with Cloud's and allowed him to show her around the best parts of the festival.

"Hey...Want to go for a ride?" Cloud pointed at the bright colorful ferris wheel.

Pulling his arm closer to her body, Tifa rested her head on his shoulder and nodded with a smile, "Yeah, I'd love to."

It was reminiscent of their date in Golden Saucer, with the beautiful display of fireworks in the starry night, but this time, Tifa sat next to Cloud and was able to convey her feelings to him without worry.

Cloud responded by wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head, "Me too."

~owari