THE PERFECT GIFT

Part II

Four more days until Valentine's Day.

Tifa had been talking non-stop about it. Well, more precisely, there was a cycle to her. She would get ecstatic about the trip, then apologize for not going three sentences without mentioning their mini getaway to paradise. And then she would feel guilty, because she would remember that the kids would be staying home and wouldn't be getting good home-cooked meals for four straight days. Or that Barret and Yuffie had to sacrifice their time to run the bar and household. Then when Cloud and the kids would reassure her that she had every right to look forward to Costa del Sol, her stress would disappear and she would begin the cycle anew.

It didn't bother Cloud at all. In fact, he found himself growing more proud of himself whenever she mentioned it, which was a lot. It was nice to see his girlfriend so blissful.

At the same time, he probably didn't feel bothered about it because he was also barely home. With their last-minute plans to travel to an entirely other continent, Cloud worked double over-time in the remaining few days before they sailed away for the weekend. The promising look on Tifa's face when he splurged on her over the holiday was more than enough motivation to work 10-12 hour shifts and even some overnight hauls to get the money he needed to do so. The only problem was that since he had announced that he would not be doing any deliveries on Valentine's Day weekend, a multitude of customers accosted him with delivery requests. They preferred him to just deliver gifts to their loved ones before the holiday, since Cloud always did an above and beyond job to make sure their packages were safely at its destination and on time. Cloud was quite the favorite amongst the population of Edge because of his reliability, even though he wasn't too sociable himself.

The last of his deliveries had him riding Fenrir along the trails of his homeland continent, traveling from town, to town, to town. While most places he only stayed for as long as it was necessary, there were some places he took the time or two to pay respects.

At Gongaga, Cloud visited the makeshift grave of Zack, where Zack parents' had memorialized him in remembrance for the wonderful years he gave them. Like previous visits, Cloud would stand at the edge of his grave, where he would speak a few words and pull out a few weeds that may have sprouted from the ground. When Cloud stopped by the Gold Saucer, he sometimes held small talk with Dio, wanting to be constantly updated on the Battle Square. If there were any new challenges Cloud could partake in, it was there if he ever wanted to save money and travel to the city of games, booze, and gambling. Of course, Cloud would visit Red XIII whenever he went to Cosmo Canyon, always appreciating the talks he had with his red-haired friend. Just like before, these recent sets of deliveries to Cosmo Canyon were no different. Admittedly, Cloud would also ask Red XIII the status of the planet during his stopovers, always hoping to be one step ahead of any potential threats that could harm the planet—and moreover, his family. Thankfully, there were rarely any dangers that Red XIII could detect, but that still never stopped Cloud from tossing and turning most nights.

Yes, there were many places that Cloud took time to stay in, whether it was for business or leisure.

The one exception though, was at the last delivery place he currently stopped in front of.

The water tower still stood strong in the middle of the square, the streets were silent as the residents were quietly unwinding inside their homes, the setting sun now having disappeared behind the tall, jagged mountain range that was adjacent to the small town. There were many lights illuminated inside the buildings, including his old home. Cloud wasn't surprised as he walked amongst the eerily familiar buildings of Nibelheim, seeing as nothing had changed.

Once he neared his old house, he stopped in his tracks, painfully reminiscing about his mom. He could clearly see as day, the ghost of his mom humming to herself as she busied herself around the front garden, a young Cloud sitting gloomily at the edge of the lawn as he jealously watched the popular kids laugh and joke in groups near the water tower. He could see a young Cloud eye a young Tifa wistfully, wishing that she would finally notice him instead of the bullies that constantly surrounded her. Sometimes those bullies would make crude gestures at him when they noticed the spiky-haired kid watching them, wanting to hopefully join in on the fun. Every time, Tifa would tell them to knock it off, but she would never approach him. She would just stare curiously at him, before turning her attention back to her friends.

What was worse was that his mom would inquire about his loneliness, not exactly grasping the fact that her son wasn't anti-social, he just wasn't wanted. Still, she always encouraged him to make new friends, or chuckle and tell him to find a nice girlfriend. It became more urgent as he grew older since she was perfectly ready to be a grandmother, but Cloud had many memories of her trying her best to be the mother that he needed since his own father had been absent.

Cloud felt a lump in his throat, never having fully healed from the loss of his hometown. Most of the townsfolk had casted him out, but Cloud knew better than to believe that they deserved the kind of end that life had dealt them. Certainly, his mother was one of the very last people to deserve the horrible death Sephiroth had cruelly orchestrated.

It was too much, so he shut his eyes trying to re-bury the heart-wrenching memories.

He took a few deep breaths before proceeding forward to the house where the package needed to be. It didn't take long to finish the delivery, since most of the existing residents liked to keep to themselves and abhorred making small talk to strangers. Cloud didn't mind, always itching to get out of the town before he had a mental breakdown.

Cloud was ready to take off, taking one brave last look around the town that was burned to the ground, its former inhabitants massacred by a deranged madman, and rebuilt by a corrupt corporation in order to cover up the previous residents' lives. He was about to leave before he noticed that Tifa's house was not lit up. Inching closer to it, he analyzed how the yard was very unkempt compared to its neighbors and the line of dust that rested on the window mantles. Ther was even a couple of windows that were boarded. He looked around to make sure no one thought he was a snoop, but it didn't matter once he saw what was inside the house.

Nothing.

There was no one there.

When Cloud had been here a couple of months ago, there was still a family that occupied the house. Now there were just a few furniture pieces classically covered up in white sheets.

Feeling a strange urge, Cloud jimmied the lock until he found himself inside his girlfriend's old house. He switched on the light, surprised and relieved that it was still functional although very dim. To solve the problem, he gathered the wood that was located right next to the fireplace, and set it inside to cast Fire. The bottom floor had brightened up considerably, making it easier for Cloud to check the place out. It had been very well used, still seeing outlines of pictures or frames that had hung on the wall and how worn out the wooden floor was below him that indicated constant traffic flow. Cloud also traveled upstairs to the bedrooms, aiming to see Tifa's old room. Still the same, only with the bed moved; most likely because of its last child tenants. The piano was there, and Cloud played the tune that had revealed to him the manuscript for Tifa's final break limit. It's echo around the room made Cloud shiver, the atmosphere feeling very lonely and sad. He sighed, staring at the piano for a long time.

He knew the reason why he hated Nibelheim. It wasn't because of his bullied childhood, or because of how Shinra dishonorably rebuilt the town in hopes of covering up its bloody mistake, or even because of the attack that took place all those years ago.

Nibelheim, everything about it from the bricks on the ground to the last shingle of the tallest house, was a constant reminder of everything wrong, negative, evil, and gone. It reminded him of his failure to save people that deserved to live, and the people that he loved the most. He hated that even though this town looked exactly the same as his childhood, there was not one indicator that reminded him of the very few things that made his upbringing good.

Sephiroth was a twisted human to alter his memories and make him believe that he had never had a mother, or never made a promise to Tifa at the water tower, or had some sort of childhood. That still shamed Cloud to this day, to think that he was so easily fooled in forgetting his mother from the hands of the same person that slayed her mercilessly.

And now that he was certain that everything was real… there was nothing in this town to prove it. It was all gone. This town might have well disappeared, never to be seen again.

Cloud exhaled deeply, knowing that his house was not the house he grew up in. He should know, he personally checked to see if there was anything left to salvage while the current family had been out of town.

A thought occurred to Cloud though, that made him sit up straight as if he just got struck by Ramah's lightning bolt.

While Cloud had nothing left behind in his house… did that mean that Tifa had nothing here?

Like him, Tifa had nothing to remind her of her family. Everything had been destroyed when the town went up in flames, including all the pictures and trinkets of her mother and father. Both of them relied solely on memory, having to sift through the heartbreaking revision of their parents' dead and bloodied bodies before they finally pictured the smiling faces of their mothers and father. Cloud had been dissatisfied with this and had opted to chance when going through his old place. Cloud couldn't remember Tifa re-visiting this place however. Not thoroughly any way. He remembered her solemn face as she walked through the halls of this house a time after they defeated Sephiroth, before blinking back tears and excusing herself to leave the premises.

Well, could there be something here? What if there was? His heart started to thunder with hope, realizing that this—THIS was the perfect gift he could give her.

If he had found something that reminded Tifa of her family, she…

It would mean EVERYTHING to her.

And thus it began as Cloud searched through every nook and cranny for ANYTHING that could be classified as a legitimate piece of family history. Books, jewelry, pieces of clothing, perhaps even some discarded pot or pan. He moved furniture, peeked in the walls that had a large-sized hole, and removed parts of the wooden floor. Cloud even dug up a few patches in the garden just in case Tifa might've thought to hide something there as a child. At this point, Cloud got a bit more desperate as he searched through places that were most likely rebuilt after the destruction of Nibelheim: in closets, cabinets, and in between the cracks of couches. He knew this was a futile attempt, because he wasn't as fortunate to find something as well. A couple of hours have passed before Cloud rested against a wall on the bottom floor, more dismayed than he thought of not finding anything for her. He picked up a piece of chunky wood next to him, thinking that he'd fuel the fire, but what was the point?

For some reason, Cloud felt disappointment stemming from beyond his search. He didn't know if it was the effect this town usually had on him that made him feel miserable, but Cloud started to think about his life and all the regrets he had. They were surely monumental, and Cloud still felt like he should've been dead by all rights instead of the people that actually were. However, he was alive and trudging on. Now that he found a fulfilling purpose in his life—his family—things started to get better. And then Tifa accepted him as a lover… but Cloud sighed, knowing she should be with someone that would make her more happy and give her the best gifts. Cloud was and would always be a failure.

In utter frustration, he threw the wood across the room, making a good-sized hole in corner of the downstairs floor. What a waste of time, looking for something that was most likely to never come to fruition. Couldn't he do anything right?

He got up, tired of being in Tifa's house.

That was when he saw it. As the last ember of the fire illuminated something in the corner of the floor, before flicking out and leaving Cloud in darkness. Blood pounding in his ears and mind whirling with renewed hope, Cloud gathered up another stack of firewood to light the place up, wondering what it was that caught his attention last minute. Once fire cackled and spat, Cloud enlarged the hole in the floor before literally gasping out loud.

With shaky hands, he unearthed a golden picture frame of Tifa and her family. In it, her mother was smiling softly, a beautiful braid thrown neatly over her shoulder and cascading down her body. The man beside her had the biggest grin on his face, surprising Cloud because he had never seen Tifa's father smile like that before. At least, not after his wife passed away. Tifa's father had an arm around Tifa's mother, holding her close and proving to whoever was looking at this photo that he was deeply and hopelessly in love. In between them was a young Tifa, wearing the blue dress that she constantly sported and flashing her missing-tooth smile. She held on to her father's hand tightly, which was perched on top of her left shoulder. The picture was taken outside their house, the warm yellow sun just right behind them and the colorful flowers surrounding their feet. All of a sudden, Cloud saw a drop of water appearing on the top corner of the photo. It took him a minute before he realized he had been crying.

And why shouldn't he? He had just found the gift that would change Tifa's life forever. Finding the picture himself had sent his eyes watering with joy and almost sobbing with happiness and achievement, he could imagine the magnitude for his girlfriend. He desperately held on to the frame, treating it as if it was the most valuable treasure in the world. To him, it was.

He recovered after a few minutes, praying to the Heavens for blessing him with this gift. It was more than he could ever hope for.

But by the miracle of Gaia, that wasn't the end of it. Cloud excavated the hole even more and was surprised to feel a piece of paper. He brought it up to the light of the fire, seeing that some edges have been burnt away, with almost an entire corner being gone. Most of the letter remained intact though, and his eyes were wild with curiosity as to what words the parchment held.

Dearest Tifa… my precious girl… bad day… remember that we're here for you… behind the books… underneath the patch of yellow flowers… where you first opened your eyes… in the corner where you said your first word… love you… always.

He read it three times, four times, a hundred times. Each word embedding itself deeper into Cloud's memory before he could recite it by heart without looking. He steadied his breath before staring at the fireplace, sitting there for a long time. Even when the fire completely died and darkness enveloped him, moonlight struck him through the window making the letter constantly illuminate as if determined to never be shadowed again. And Cloud wouldn't let it. Never. He got up and began his plans to give his girlfriend the best gift that any person could get.

Two days later… Eve of Valentine's Day

Cloud was just about finished setting up his grand scheme. The kids were currently in school, having arranged to be picked up by Barret when they got off. He had no idea where Yuffie was, but he wouldn't be surprised if the kleptomaniac didn't show up at all despite her vow to help the burly man. Tifa, who usually started work in the evening, was out right now running errands, courtesy of Cloud who needed her out of the house. It wasn't too hard, since he insisted that he needed things that should be brought for their Valentine's Day vacation. Plus, Tifa was a nurturer by heart and so was quick to oblige when asked to do a favor. It was just another reminder of why she deserved the present that she was going to get.

Two days had passed since Nibelheim and Cloud still couldn't believe the luck he had finding Tifa's present. He didn't know if it was just pure coincidence or if there was some sort of divine intervention. Nonetheless, he paid a visit to Aerith's church to do some maintenance and send a quick "thank you" to his deceased friends.

Placing Marlene's stuffed teddy bear strategically in the kids' room along with a note attached to the toy, it was only a matter of time before she came back. Cloud walked outside the room and started walking down the stairwell, staring at the picture frame in his hands. He only needed to bury this in the corner of the bar along with his own romantic note that was stuffed in his back pocket, and then his plan will be complete.

Suddenly, the front door opened and a huge commotion interrupted Cloud's actions. He looked around the corner and saw Denzel walking through the door, a goofy grin on his face. It was obvious that his Valentine's Day gift to Theresa was a success. Marlene came next skipping merrily inside. She had a huge lollipop in her mouth, and her right hand was occupied with carrying a bag full of cards and candy. Following Marlene was an exasperated Barret, who had tried in vain to tell her to walk instead of skip since his baby girl could trip and the sucker could get lodged in her throat. He was sweating from carrying both the kids' backpacks for what seemed like the entire mile from the school to home, and Cloud tried not to laugh at his lack of endurance. Finally, to Cloud's astonishment, was a babbling Yuffie who was carrying absolutely nothing and looked like the trip to the school had been a piece of cake. Once the door closed with a rude kick of Yuffie's leg, Barret had finally turned on the psycho ninja and yelled at her for being the laziest son of a bitch of all time. A screaming match ensued, with the kids ignoring the behavior since they were used to outbursts like these from Cloud and Tifa's friends.

Times like these Cloud wondered why he still even talked to them. They were embarrassing.

After a couple of minutes of ear-piercing comments that were definitely not for children's ears (Cloud would have to pull them aside before they left tonight), Yuffie got a glimpse of gold from where the stairs were. Like magic, her head snapped to the area in question, having finally noticed the spiky-headed "ex-SOLDIER" standing beside it.

"Why hello Cloud! Could you tell this smelly oaf to back off from me?" Yuffie said, getting one more hit across Barret's face.

Barret was about to say something, but then Yuffie's eyes zeroed in on something of value in Cloud's hands. "Whatcha got there?"

"Nothing," Cloud said, moving the precious gift out of Yuffie's sight.

But that was the wrong thing to do since that only fanned the flames of Yuffie's nosiness. "Doesn't look like nothing!" she responded, having already detached herself from Barret's grip.

"Girl, do you have the attention span of a goldfish or what?" Barret fumed as he still wasn't over the ninja's slap to the face.

Yuffie had lost interest in Barret and focused solely on Cloud, intent on finding out just what shiny, gold thing her friend was hiding from her. "Come on Cloud, show me!"

"Go away," Cloud tried, hoping that Yuffie actually listened to him for once. He started to casually walk up the stairs, thinking that he needed to get some space in between her and himself. Today was not the day however as Yuffie followed him and finally came face to face with Cloud on top of the stairs. She tried to grasp the present from behind him. "Jeez, why can't you mind your own business for once?" he said.

"Why can't you be cool for once? I'll mind my own business when THAT happens… which will be NEVER. Now show me what you have!"

"No."

"Why? Is it uber valuable?"

Cloud was silent, and Yuffie's imagination soared with possibilities. A gold bracelet? A solid brick of gold. Gold MATERIA?

The last thought made the woman charge Cloud, determined to steal the gift from him and keep it all for her greedy, lovely self. "Just give it to me!"

"No! It's for Tifa, you psycho!"

"Tifa is already… going on a four-day trip… to Costa Del Sol… She can LIVE… without it…" Yuffie managed to get out, constantly being pushed away from Cloud or being pressed against the wall so that Cloud can have an upper hand on her.

"What the hell kind of friend are you?" Cloud yelled, increasingly pissed that the person he was wrestling could be so selfish.

At this moment, Barret decided to intervene, having heard enough bad words to corrupt his little girl (though he found it incredibly amusing to see those two fight and he himself said words that were ten times worse literally 2 minutes before). Barret stormed up the stairs to break up the quarrel, but stopped as the two-part gift, which was now in plain sight and being waved up in the air out of reach from Yuffie, slipped from Cloud's fingers as she made another attempt to swipe it. Like in slow and dramatic motion, the rectangular frame spun freely in the air, its fate destined towards the wooden floor of the bar. Barret attempted to catch it, but was too hefty and rusty in his movements to really make a difference.

With a gut-wrenching shatter, the golden frame broke in three different pieces, shards of glass now surrounding the prone picture frame once it had ceased its clattering. It had slammed harshly against the floor, each bounce of the gift having its contents ripped apart. Its final resting place next to the first step of the staircase, laying helplessly and wounded. The letter that was supposed to go with the frame, flitted to the floor, stopping right next to the photo and in plain sight. There was total silence filling the room, not one person daring to speak up. The kids' mouths dropped open with shock, Barret's face was etched in guilt in not being able to save it, and Yuffie's face was utterly pale. Similarly to the rest of his surroundings, Cloud found himself unable to move, his eyes wide with horror at seeing Tifa's gift in such pathetic disarray.

Total immobility. That is, until the front door opened.

"Hey everyone!"

The kids' eyes traveled to the red-eyed brunette while the adults froze in shock. She was standing with a cheerful smile and a handful of bags on one arm, at the doorway. Completely oblivious to what had just happened, Tifa proceeded to walk in and almost stepped onto the glass from the picture frame when going up the stairs, but Cloud had enough reaction to mutter out "Watch out!" to prevent her from harm.

She looked confused, stopping in time from putting her walking foot down. She glanced down, spotting the mess on the floor. "Hm, what's this?"

"Tifa—wait—"

Using her one available hand to swoop up the frame, Tifa peered at the photo.

The bags that were once in Tifa's arm dropped to the floor, everyone wincing as they heard the items inside breaking. The smile that was on Tifa's instantly vanished and her eyes, though staring intensely at what was in front of her, looked like they began to drift away into a far off dream. Everyone was quiet, watching her with wary anticipation. Most of them didn't know what was going on, Cloud having had kept the surprise a secret from even his foster children. But Tifa's body language scared all of them, and they didn't have the courage to break the trance that she was in. Tifa didn't move or cry or smile. She just stood rigidly, not moving a single muscle in what must've felt like eternity.

Cloud finally manifested the willpower to take one step and then another, all the way until he was down to the first floor. He picked up the letter and without a word, he held up the letter in front of her. She flicked her eyes towards it before casting them back to Cloud in silent question. He only nodded once, not needing any words to answer her. Tifa took it from him, reading it silently, while Cloud took a hesitant step back to give her space when all he wanted to do was apologize and hug her tightly.

His wish was not granted as instead tears began to well in her eyes, her hand flying to her mouth to try and withhold a bubbling sob. She was unsuccessful in her attempt, and the group didn't budge as she unceremoniously ran up the stairs to be alone in her room.

Cloud was shaking. This was the worst possible thing that he could've expected to happen. It was already bad enough that the few pieces of family heirlooms she had left were partially destroyed, but he hoped that the photo of her family was enough to oversee the broken frame. He should've known better, because she had the right to feel this way just like anybody in this situation. Cloud tried to stop his trembling, but he couldn't and that scared him.

"Cloud? Are you okay?" Marlene asked.

He didn't say anything back.

"Is Tifa okay?" Denzel followed right after Marlene.

He didn't know, and that was the motivation he needed to go after her and try to comfort his girlfriend—if she still WANTED to be his girlfriend after this. That thought made his heart sink. Nonetheless, he'd be there for her.

Some steps were taken before Barret questioned him. "What did you do? What was on that photo?"

Cloud felt that none of them deserved an answer, and so he shoved him aside and made his way up the stairs. Yuffie was quiet, Cloud having never seen the girl so forlorn before. That almost made Cloud less mad at her since he thought that she had a moral compass after all, but if he was less mad he didn't bother to show it. She stepped aside to let Cloud through, knowing that her best friend needed Cloud more than ever.

"Tifa?" He knocked on the door, hoping for an answer. He received none. He tentatively knocked again with the same result. The man sighed in defeat and opted to sit down in front of her door, resolute on staying there until she was ready to come out.

His mission lasted him almost three hours. By then, the rest of the family—who were huddled and murmuring quietly downstairs about what could possibly make Tifa react so uncharacteristically—went out to grab a bite to eat. Barret felt that the children were starting to get anxious about their guardians, and so him and their aunt treated them out to dinner to distract the kids from the uncomfortable atmosphere. They didn't bother to ask Cloud to join them, knowing he wouldn't go much less give them a response. When Cloud was determined, there was nothing that could deter him from his goal and this time was no different.

His eyes were still trained on the door, but he was getting tired. By now, Tifa and him should have been getting ready to leave Edge to go to the Junon dock. Cloud wondered if that was even happening anymore. He sighed, putting his face in his hands dejectedly.

A miraculous sound was heard as Cloud looked up to find Tifa's door open. She was standing there, her eyes red and puffy, but surprised to see her boyfriend sitting across from her. He stood up quickly, but not brave enough to approach her just yet. She had no expression on her face, which was an unnerving experience. His heart thumped loudly in his chest and his palms began to sweat reflexively in nervousness. He felt like there was in cotton in his mouth, since he found that he was unable to say anything to her.

Tifa looked at him with pursed lips, and her eyes looked like they were judging him. That was a first for her, but something she had the right to do, Cloud thought. But as soon as he began to believe that she was through with him, she threw her arms around him and he caught her effortlessly. Cloud automatically tightened his own arms around her, telling himself that he'd never let her go for another second. There was sniffling underneath him, and he soothed her by rubbing his hand across her back and hair. At first Cloud thought that she was crying because she was still upset, but when she looked up at him, he was surprised to see that she was smiling and her eyes were shining in a very light-hearted way. In fact, he heard some chuckling as if she was finally releasing some stress that she was carrying for a long time. "Oh Cloud…"

Without any more words, she led him into her room and brought him to her dresser. On top of it, he saw various pictures perched delicately. Most of them were of the kids (one on the beach, one in front of their school, etc.), with only a few of them containing the whole family. Cloud noted to himself to take more pictures with his girlfriend and kids, considering he felt a pit in his stomach that wanted to change that. There were also several pictures of their group of friends, mostly containing Yuffie who had no problem taking up attention. He spotted the others—Cid and Barret here and there—with Vincent only taking up one picture and his arm was raised as if to block the shot. There were a couple of pictures of Aerith; one was a copy of a sleeping Aerith that could also be seen on the mantle place downstairs, and another one was of her and Tifa cheesing like crazy. Cloud couldn't recall a time when the two girls took the picture, but he smiled anyways—thankful that there was still a piece of Aerith that Tifa got to cherish.

Then, in the middle of the dresser, displayed quite proudly next to a vase filled with Aerith's flowers, was the picture of her mother and father, and the letter laying gently against it. Tifa had found a way to fix the golden frame, although there was no glass as it was beyond repair. Cloud made a mental note to get one for her as soon as he could.

She touched the frame gingerly, her eyes soft as she fondly remembered her parents. They stood next to each other for a while, reminiscing over the childhood they shared together, until she broke the silence. "I never thought I'd ever see them again. I mean… I'll never forget what they looked like and everything they taught me. And I still remember every memory I have with them—the good… and the bad. They'll always hold a special place in my heart. But… to SEE them Cloud… I can't believe…" She choked up a bit as she held the letter in her hands, her eyes staring at the picture frame as if she were a parched wanderer seeing water for the first time. "And the letter… it's like… it's like hearing their voices again.

I remember that day, you know, when Mom wrote that letter. It was a few days before she passed away. I had a hard time because she was really sick at that point… and everyone wouldn't leave me alone even when I wanted them to. I ended up throwing a fit and just… Well… Heh, it's funny because I remember freaking out that I didn't know where some of my stuff was to help calm me down. Dad couldn't help me find them either because he was too busy looking after her. After Mom died… I didn't care about them anymore. I didn't care about a lot of things. I just wanted to see her again. To talk to her and hug her. And all along, she had this… this little scavenger hunt for me. She always knew I liked adventure, and she thought of all of this even when she was dying. I never really had a chance to thank her…"

Tifa put the letter down, her attention still downcast at the picture. "But… I can thank you, Cloud…" she murmured.

Seeing his chance, Cloud took her hands and placed his own letter in hers. She almost laughed at all the eraser marks and crossed out words. Nonetheless, she read it with an open heart.

Dear Tifa,

Hi. Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you liked the present. I wanted to give you the best gift because you mean the whole world to me. …Tifa, I know I'm not good with words, and I honestly don't know if I'm doing this right. But I should tell you how I feel, so here it goes. You… You did more for me than I deserved. You're kind, beautiful, loyal, and an overall wonderful person. You saved me in more ways than one, and I can't… there's no way to really explain how much I need you.

To tell you the truth, I needed help from the kids to even think of something to get you at first. But I still thought that there was a present out there that would prove to you how much I care about you. And then I went to Nibelheim and saw that your house was vacant and so I searched for hours to find this. I almost gave up, and I was so angry with myself because… Sorry, I shouldn't have crossed that out. I think I should tell you how I felt, even if it's embarrassing. You told me you want to be someone that I can talk to no matter what, and I want you to know that you are and always will be. In Nibelheim, I was angry because I thought that you deserved better. That you shouldn't be with a failure like me. When I found this, I was so happy because I thought you'd be happy too. I felt like I did something right. Now, I think I realize that I am worthy of you and… everything will be okay. I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you you're treated that way as long as you have me.

I'm sorry that most of the stuff in your mom's letter is gone, like your favorite stuffed rabbit and locket. If I could go back in time to get it, I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm hoping that just seeing what she wrote is enough to make you smile and remember how much your parents love you. So I tried to recreate this scavenger hunt almost like your mom's. It's not much but… Please know that I'm always here for you and I would do anything for you. Happy Valentine's Day Tifa.

Always and forever, Cloud

"Cloud…" Tifa breathed, tears anew in her wine-tinted eyes. She was very touched by everything he did for her. She was about to embrace when he spoke up.

"Tifa, there's… there's something on the back."

She tilted her head in curiosity, and flipped the page over.

PS. I'm sorry. But I don't want to hide it anymore. I love you Tifa Lockhart. I've always loved you. Always have and always will.

She gasped but didn't say a word. A minute passed and Cloud started to get anxious. Did he make a mistake by telling her? Was it too much to say or too soon? He started to think of a hurried apology in his head, but Tifa turned her eyes to him. They were the warmest he had ever seen them and they were completely filled with… "Cloud, I love you too."

Any worry that Cloud had in his mind from the past few hours, days (hell, LIFE) suddenly disappeared as her words soaked in and rested itself lovingly in his heart. He cupped her cheek, never getting tired of how she leaned into it and sighed blissfully from his touch. Cloud could stay like this forever, in love and enraptured. He planned on doing so, knowing that as long as he had Tifa, life would be okay regardless of what troubles were thrown at him. He hoped for the longest time that she felt the same way he did, and her declaration made him feel… finally complete. "Tifa…" he whispered. With one move, he kissed her tenderly, feeling the love pour from her as well and almost searing him. "Happy Valentine's Day," Cloud said as he pulled away. "I hope… I know there's still Costa del Sol, but I hope… I hope this was the perfect gift."

Tifa laughed, her smile lighting up the room and brightening up his life. "Cloud. Don't you know? YOU'RE my perfect gift."

THE END