She refused to let her thoughts wander to that dreadful day... about fourty-eight hours ago to be exact, when she'd asked Cloud whether he still loved Aeris. He'd replied that he still didn't know. Tifa had been hurt, and blindingly jealous by that admission. It had been two years after her death, and he was still pining for her!

Tifa wanted to hate Aeris, but Aeris was dead! How could she hate someone who was dead?!

She threw her tablecloth into the sink angrily, tears stinging her eyes. Aeris Gainsborough had been so perfect: she had been beautiful, kind, loving, gentle, and... open with her feelings. But that was all gone now... taken away with one stab in the back from a masamune-wielding madman. Cloud had been enraged with the loss. They all had been. But it was all over now. Why couldn't Cloud just forget Aeris?

Tifa closed her bar and headed for her apartment. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to continue staying here in Sector Seven or move to the new Avalanche Headquarters that Reeve was building for them. Part of her wanted to go; after all, her friends were there. Another part of her didn't want to go; Cloud was there... and with Cloud there, she'd have to go through heartache all over again.

What was wrong with her now?? Why was she so afraid of Cloud? He was a good person, sure, a little mucked up in the head, but that was partly her fault of not being kinder to him in their childhood years. He had a good heart.

But that heart doesn't belong to me, she thought, tears rolling down her cheeks as she closed her door and leant back against it. She, Tifa Lockheart, was also a coward. She'd been hiding her feelings from Cloud, refusing to let herself be hurt when in truth, she'd never asked him about his feelings for her.

Why not?

That thought was like a jolt through her mind. Why not, indeed? She was afraid of rejection, that's why! Her face grew hot, and the tears started burning like purgatory. She breathed in quaveringly. It had been just two years after Meteor, after all. She was only twenty-one years old... still young, people still thought her pretty.

It hurt, but she finally admitted defeat. Cloud was never going to love her the way she loved him. She'd been foolish all along, not just to herself, but to him. Making him promise to help her, thinking she would get close to him simply by working with him... it had all sounded so simple.

But it wasn't. Tifa Lockheart undressed and crawled into the covers of her bed. A tear rolled down the side of her face as she softly said goodbye to a silly dream of winning the one she loved.

Tifa kneeled in the church, one which she recognized as where Aeris hid from Reno. The flowers were blooming on the floor where the sunlight fed them. Next to her on the right, she saw Cloud, also kneeling. She tilted her head in confusion. What was she doing here? What was Cloud doing here?

She turned to her left in hopes of finding an answer. She found Aeris, also kneeling, but studying her with her quiet, gentle eyes.

"Aeris?" Tifa whispered.

"Yes, Tifa," Aeris replied, smiling. "It's me."

Wide-eyed, Tifa sucked in her breath. "What are you doing here?"

"You really love him," Aeris said softly, possibly not having heard Tifa's question.

"W-who?"

"Cloud."

Tifa sighed. "Yes," she admitted.

"Why don't you tell him?"

There was a telling silence. "I don't take to rejection very well."

"Is that all?"

"He loves you," Tifa blurted. "Don't you love him?"

Aeris let loose a sigh. "It would be kinder to him to say I do."

There was an unspoken 'but' there. Aeris continued on.

"I loved Zack, and saw him in Cloud. It was rather unfair of me to you."

Unfair? Aeris? To her? Never! Aeris was the kindest soul on the Planet, and she would never hurt anyone!

"But I can't love him," Aeris said. "There's something else for him, something that includes you."

Tifa couldn't say anything.

"Don't give up, Tifa," Aeris pleaded. "Remember that some of Zack's memories are in Cloud, and that confuses his feelings for me. Cloud at his very core cares about you. He always has."

Tifa was shaking her head trying to comprehend. "So... Zack-Cloud loves you, but Cloud- the real Cloud, that is..."

"Loves you." Aeris reached out with a hand to wipe away a tear which Tifa hadn't realized was falling down her face. "Don't give up, Tifa. Never give up. You love Cloud, and he loves you too. You two deserve more than this silent suffering. Tell him. Tell him you love him."

Tifa nodded, feeling the salty tears on her lips. "We miss you, Aeris," she finally said. She looked into the green eyes of her friend. "We all still miss you."

Aeris looked sad. "There's a lot more to do, Tifa. And you're going to have to start here."

There was a lot of physical pain which Tifa Lockheart could take, but emotionally, she had always been sheltered as the sweetheart of Nibelheim. She thought about what little shared childhood she and Cloud had. Avalanche members had always wanted them together.

Her mind drifting in uncertainty, it seemed quite a while before she found herself turning to Cloud at her right. Aeris had been kneeling next to Cloud and speaking to him softly. He seemed confused at first, then his glowing blue eyes became just as uncertain as her own. He turned to her.

"Tifa..." he said, then stopped.

Her heart beating wildly, she too tried to begin. "Cloud..." but she found she had nothing to say. Her mind was a total blank. Just as she had the chance and the courage to tell Cloud how she felt, her mind simply couldn't send the command to her mouth and open it up!! "Cloud, I..."

Utterly disgusted with herself, she got up and began washing up. In the middle of the bath, the phone began to ring. Annoyed, she wrapped a towel about herself and dripping wet, went out to answer the phone.

"Hello?" she probably sounded as crabby as she felt.

"Yo, Tif!" It was Barret, her friend. "Guess what? Avalanche HQ is finally finished! Ol' Reeve is gonna open it up today. Ya wantin' to pack ya bags and move in immediately?"

"Errmmm..."

"Yo, what's wrong?"

"I was in the middle of a bath, Barret."

"Oh." Barret laughed sheepishly. "Sorry then. Well, ya just gmime a call and tell me!"

"Okay, Barret. See you!"

Tifa hurriedly finished her bath and began packing. There was no thinking, only action. She dialled Barret's number. "Barret? Can you get someone to pick me up? Oh, Cid's Highwind can? Thanks! Yeah, be seeing you in an hour then!"

When she put down the phone, she took a deep breath. Then, she managed a small smile for herself.

"Barret... Is Cloud here?"

"Ah... well..."

"Well?"

"As a matter o' fact, he is. And um... he's next door to you."

Tifa's eyes flew wider.

Barret grinned. "Ya won't believe it, but Spike wanted to be next to ya. I think you two would finally get together after all, eh?"

Tifa blushed, then smiled and embraced her friend. "Thank you, Barret."

"Ah... thank Reeve. And Yuffie. And Cid. They were the ones co-conspiring to get you two together."

"Why, those little..."

"Oh, and guess what."

"What?"

Barret's grin showed quite a bit of bewilderment. "Ya won't believe it."

"What is it, Barret?" Tifa wanted to know.

"Reeve's getting married."

"Oh. To whom?"

"Scarlet."

Tifa's jaw dropped. "Scarlet? SCARLET??" she exclaimed. "You've got to be kidding me!! She... why, she's a total... oh, I can't believe this!!"

"Believe it or not, it's gonna happen."

"When??"

Barret shrugged carelessly, although he'd been absolutely shocked when he first heard. "Next month or so."

Tifa still couldn't get over it. Barret decided to leave her to her own self, and left, saying that she could come down to the cafeteria for dinner if she liked. Shera, Cid's wife, was cooking dinner. Tifa declined. Her larder was full, and she wanted some time to herself, as Barret had correctly assumed.

Tifa was drinking orange juice when her doorbell rang. "Coming!" she called, walking to the door with her glass in hand. "Who is it?"

"Tifa, it's me," came a muffled voice. A voice Tifa only knew too well.

"Cloud-?" she gasped, hurriedly opening the door.

There he stood, with his glowing MAKO blue eyes, his blond hair still messily spiked up. They both stood there, looking at each other. Cloud looked out of breath. Tifa raised a questioning brow.

"You didn't come downstairs, so I ran upstairs," he explained, anything to ease the silence between them.

Another silence. It was getting intolerable... this tension building up between them. Tifa was gritting her teeth, trying to work out the same courage she had in the dream. Say it! she shouted at herself mentally. Say it, you idiot! Say it say it say it!! but the words simply didn't come out.

Then -

"Tifa/Cloud, I love you."

There. It was out. Tifa felt a blush creeping into her cheeks. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards a bit. Cloud, too, smiled shyly. There! It was out! And... she felt wonderful about it!

"Cloud..." she wanted to say something else, but couldn't find the words. She looked at him then, expecting him to do the same.

He didn't. He simply leant down and kissed her on the lips, boyish, deep in love... His hands gently resting on her arms, holding her close. She threw her arms about his neck and returned the kiss, so many wonderful feelings racing through her: exhilaration, elation, giddiness... happiness. The glass of orange juice fell to the floor, shattering like the wall between them had. Their eyes closed, they finally embraced totally, like their bodies were melting into each other's.

Gone was the uncertainty. Gone was the rage and sadness, and the fear of rejection. Gone was all the bad feelings. It was as if they all simply melted away in the love they had openly admitted for each other.

A bit regretfully, after what seemed like hours for the two of them, they parted lips, each of them opening their eyes slowly to stare into the other's at the secret which was a secret no longer. Cloud was grinning in happiness. Tifa was blinking at what had transpired.

Finally, Tifa smiled at Cloud and moved aside. "You wanna come in for a drink?"

"Sure," Cloud replied.

When she closed the door, she thought she heard a burst of applause. But it didn't matter to her now. Nor did it matter to Cloud. They weren't aware of anything else.

Only of their love.