CHAPTER FIFTEEEN

Good-Bye

The rest of the night consisted of talking, a few more kisses, and ultimately ended in the two of them falling asleep in each other's arms. Lightning was the first to wake up the next morning, and made a drowsy smile when she discovered that Cloud was beside her.

Her ringing cell phone caught her attention instantly. Lightning reached across Cloud's chest to pick it up from the nightstand, only to discover that it wasn't her cell phone. It was his, and the caller I.D. had Tifa's name on it.

With a heavy breath, Cloud opened his eyes, startling Lightning by accident. He politely took the cell phone and checked the I.D. for himself. "Don't bother," he mumbled.

"Are you sure?" Lighting asked softly.

He smiled. "She's got her life, I've got mine," he said before planting a kiss on her forehead.

As they silently ate their breakfast, Cloud noted how deep in thought Lightning was. She was probably thinking about her sister's wedding and all. Not that he blamed her, of course. She was staring out the sunny window at the open sea next to the town boardwalk.

Lightning was the first to break the silence. "Cloud," she began, not looking at him. "what did Tifa do, exactly?"

He scowled. "I told you, already. And I don't care to repeat it," he insisted firmly. "All I'll say is she's been having this affair with Barret for more than a year now!"

"Hmm… Well, didn't we do the same thing?"

Cloud's lips parted, but he couldn't think of an excusable answer. Instead, he felt a wave of shame wash over him. Could he really blame Tifa so much for something he had also done himself? It's not like they were officially dating, or anything, so she hadn't cheated on him. But he was going to propose to the woman at one time!

"She's been calling you, hasn't she?" Lightning asked, still sounding absent.

"A lot," he admitted.

At last, she turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "Then follow your own advice and answer your phone. Better yet, go home and talk things out with her. In other words, don't make the same mistake I did. You'd be surprised how much you'd miss if you stay away too long…" She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at him. "Like Marlene and Denzel," she pointed out.

Cloud agreed with her, but he wasn't stupid; there was a double-meaning somewhere between the lines here. "Why are you making this sound like a good-bye?" he asked.

Lightning wasn't surprised at how quickly he'd picked up on her ulterior motive. "Because this is a good-bye."

Cloud's stomach lurched as he leapt up from his chair. "What? Why!" His blue eyes were wide with panic. "But Lightning, I-"

"That's right. That's my name: Lightning." She calmly stood up from her chair, folding her arms. "It flashes bright, then fades away-Like it was never there to begin with… I've been away from home long enough. And I miss Serah. I need to make things right with her. Just like you need to make things right with Tifa."

He frowned. "I don't even know if I can even face her after what she did."

Lightning smiled. "Oh, yes you can. Trust me."

"I understand what you're saying, but…" Ever since he was a teenager, Cloud had been a witness to many things: the destruction of his hometown, the death of Aerith, Meteor, even the fall of Shinra. He thought he had been toughened up, that he could handle anything. But when it came to loosing someone else he loved, his heart began to feel even heavier. "… but why do we have to just break it off like this? Can't we at least keep in touch?"

Lightning shook her head. "We better not. I've heard that long distance relationships don't work out that well. Besides, it would only compromise things further for you and Tifa. And as you know, I don't wanna be a home wrecker." She could see the hurt on his face and approached him with a hug, to which he returned. He also leaned his head up against the side of hers. "This isn't easy for me either, Cloud. Believe me…"

"Isn't there-" He did his best not to let his voice crack, but it wasn't working. "-anything I can do?"

She stepped back and dried his tears with her hands. "Yes," she replied with a nod. "You can give me a ride to the train station this afternoon."

oOo

While Lightning's bags were being loaded onto the train, the two stood in front of the station holding hands for what may be the very last time. They didn't talk. Instead, they just stared at each other. After all, what more could be said? For now, they were only trying to imprint this moment into their minds, so as never to forget what each other looked like.

"Well," Lightning whispered. "I guess this is it. Give my regards to Tifa, okay?" She turned and headed for the train, but Cloud wouldn't let to of her hand.

"Lightning, wait."

She looked back over her shoulder and watched him remove something from his finger. A ring with the image of a wolf's face molded onto it. She silently gasped as he delicately removed the fingerless glove from her left hand and slipped it onto her ring finger.

"Just something to remember me by." His voice, like his expression, was a sad one.

With a mere blink, Lightning's eyes were beginning to tear up again. But she refused to shed anymore tears for the sake of love; too heartbreaking. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him several times on the lips, of which he didn't resist. Then she pressed her forehead against his, whispering, "Thank you, Cloud Strife. For everything… For more than you know."

This prompted him to exhale, and another tear rolled down his cheek. "I love you, Lightning."

Those words would echo in her heart forever. "I-" Before she could finish, the train's whistle blew loudly from behind her. "I have to go." She ran towards the train, not looking back.

oOo

With a jolt, the train began to move. Lightning didn't look out the window beside her seat to see if Cloud was still there. Instead, she took her cell phone from her pocket, dialed Serah's number, and pressed it to her ear.

"Hi, Serah? It's Lightning… Yeah, it's really me. Did Hope tell you I paid him a visit?… I know, I've missed you, too… Listen, I'm calling because I wanted to apologize, and… And say, congratulations, Mrs. Villiers… Yeah, I'll be back by the time you guys get home from your honeymoon… I love you, too-and give my love to Snow, okay?… Alright, bye."

…

I have loved,

Or so I thought before.

This is so much more.

I couldn't last a day without you.

In my life,

You're the reason that I breath.

You're everything I need.

And miles in between won't change that…