CHAPTER TWELVE

"I Love You"

Cloud took a seat on the bed beside Lightning's. Her forehead was bandaged up, and she was wearing a medical gown instead of her Guardian Corps uniform. Other than that, she looked just fine. "Hey," he greeted her with a smile.

"Hey," she repeated, her arms crossed. "You know what they did with my clothes? This gown is driving me crazy!"

Cloud tilted his head toward a nearby closet. "They're in there."

She pulled the covers off and carefully stood up. "I'll get changed. Then we can leave." After she had retrieved her clothes and locked herself in the bathroom, Cloud leaned up against the wall beside the door.

"You should've been driving at night," he said sternly.

"I know," she replied from inside. "My mistake."

"Yeah-Big mistake, Lightning. You were probably blind as a bat out there!"

"Actually, no," she confessed. "I work night shifts with the Guardian Corps all the time. I can see in the dark without a problem."

Cloud scowled, and his lips parted. "Then what was the reason for this accident?" When he didn't get a reply right away, he knocked on the door. What if she had passed out, or something? "Lightning? Are you okay in there?" he asked with urgency in his voice.

"I'm fine," she said at last. "It's just that… Serah was calling me at that time, and I was gonna to answer the phone for once. I figured that enough time had gone by for us to-"

"YOU WHAT!" He heard her gasp, but she was quick to compose herself, as always.

"Yes, I know. It was stupid," she said.

"Very stupid!" he yelled. "You should never, ever, mess with a cell phone while you're driving! I can't tell you how many times I've lectured Marlene and Denzel on that very issue. Do I have to lecture you, a grown woman, too!"

"No… I've learned my lesson, okay? Now calm down, or else I won't come out of this bathroom."

"Ah-" Cloud stopped himself before yelling again. Instead, he crossed his arms and slammed his back up against the wall.

oOo

The ride was bumpy, but Cloud didn't expect anything else, given the fact that he was riding a motorcycle down a flight of stairs.

Once he reached the next floor down, he made a swift left turn and rode into the Shinra building's display room. He put the breaks on and watched the women climb into the baby-blue truck: Lightning took the driver's seat, Aerith the passenger's side, and his mother climbed onto the back.

Lightning drove the truck off its platform and through the glass display case, then followed Cloud up another flight of stairs to a glass window. The view was that of the open highway below.

Cloud briefly glanced over his shoulder at them, then revved the bike's engine. He was the first to crash through the window, and the truck followed. Both vehicles landed safely on the highway and took off at top speed.

They rode side by side, and every once in a while, Cloud would glance over to make sure the women were alright. His mother looked frightened, Aerith's expression was unreadable, and Lightning was intently focused on the road ahead.

That is, until her cell phone flashed on the dash board.

Lightning grabbed the phone, pressed the talk button and put it to her ear. "Serah?"

Cloud's eyes widened with horror. "Lightning! What are you-"

But it was too late.

Lightning was so distracted by her phone call that she didn't even see the next turn. The truck crashed head first into a cement wall, bursting into flames upon impact.

oOo

"Wake up, already!"

Cloud sprang upright, finding himself in the midst of a cold sweat. He had been prone to having nightmares for the last three years, but this one was a first. Not surprising, though, given the circumstances that had recently transpired. Thank goodness Lightning was there to shake him awake.

"Are you okay?" She had moved from the bed to kneel beside the hotel room couch, looking worried.

Cloud met her beautiful blue-eyes gaze. The emotional impact the dream had left him with was fresh in his mind. Having permanently lost both his mother and Aerith was bad enough. But the idea of loosing Lightning-or anyone else he cared about, for that matter… Before he could stop himself, he was sobbing so much that tears was streaming down his face.

Lightning took a seat next to him and put an arm around his shoulder, hoping to comfort him. That's when he surprised her by immediately linking his arms around her waist, crying in a way that she had never seen any man cry before.

This is unreal, she thought. After all, he was Cloud Strife. The man who stopped Meteor. A hero! Heroes didn't cry like this… At least, that's what Lightning always thought until now. "Hey, it's alright," she whispered as she patted him on the back. "It was just a nightmare. Everything's okay now."

At last, Cloud looked up at her, his face pale and ashen with tears. "Lightning," he pleaded. "please don't ever be so stupid as to use your cell phone on the road again."

The instant pang of guilt caused her expression to fall into sadness. "I won't."

"Promise me!"

"I promise, Cloud."

He relaxed a little. "Good… And promise me that you'll call Serah and Snow."

With a sigh, her shoulders drooped. "Cloud, can we not talk about-"

"You don't have to call them now. Just call them… Whenever!"

She gave him an odd look. "Why are you so eager for me to call them? It's not like it's your problem." This probably wasn't the greatest time to ask such a question, given the state of mind he was currently in. But Lightning was never one to mince words, whether the timing was right or not.

"Because they love you," he told her. "Probably way more than I do."

Lightning froze, silently catching her breath. "Wait… What did you just say?"

"You heard me… And I do." He sat up and squared his shoulders before looking her straight in the eyes and saying, "I love you, Lightning."