I think the love story in final fantasy seven added deph to the story, to Cloud's purpose. This is an in-deph analysation of the love triangle between Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris.  I like both Tifa and Aeris so I'm not biased towards anyone.

Why I think Cloud and Aeris:
 

She made him laugh, excited, cry and get angry. Cloud says that when she dies:

He is remembering all the things he loved about her. That's why I think they really did get to know eachother. When he thinks Tifa is dead, he doesn't say that, becuase he never knew. He never knew what she was like, so he coudn't say much.

Is that all? How lame is that! You're whole town, family, and crush, that you have known your whole life has just been burned down in one night, by the man you thought of as your idol, the man you trusted so much, and that's all you can come out with? 'give them back!' That little line was nothing compared to his speech when Aeris died, and all for one little lady that he had just met. When she died, I was sad but it was actually Cloud's heart-breaking speech that really got to me. He was saying what he would miss about the flower lady that he cared so much about.

 When you're in so much pain you cry out and complain- he was on the floor, pulling his hair out screaming and trembleing: "my eyes are burning! my mouth is dry! my skin is tingling!"

The fact that he actually cries, a tough guy like Cloud, who has witnessed  deaths many times before says a lot.  And don't tell me he cried like a 'brother' because Cid didn't, neither did Barret, Red or whoever. Cloud displayed the most emotion. Aeris brought out Cloud's feelings. He really changed when he met her. He was cold and only cared about himself. Also, he would never do anything for free, but when she offered him a date he immediately accepted. She made him laugh, she made him cry, she made him worry, she made him excited and shocked. She also comforted him and gave him hope and courage. She made a tough guy like Cloud feel all those things.

He is also shows signs of denial, which is common when something like that happens.
 

OTHER THINGS:

If Cloud dreamt of his mother telling him he should have an older girlfriend, that means he was obviously thinking about it. So he was attracted to Aeris when he met her, and thought back to what his mother had told him. That's why he accepted the date so happily.

Cloud before he met Aeris: "I don't care about Avalanche or the planet!"
After he met Aeris: "But I'm...were here for you."

Aeris is the opposite of Cloud, from appearance to personality, and opposites attract. Cloud didn't need anyine taking care of him physically, but emotionally, and that was one of Aeris strong points. What I'm saying is Cloud was weak where Aeris was strong and vice versa. Cloud and Tifa were too much alike, so they wouldn't be able to help eachother.

The meaning of Aeris' and Cloud's names are closely related.

Many people thought they were great together:

FINALLY:

"I think I can meet her there" sums it up. At first I thought Aeris was just a fling, but then he says that line at the end, which confirms it. That line was like an answer to Aeris' line: "I want to meet you".

The promised land is a place of feelings like Aeris said. So Cloud says can meet Aeris in their promised land.
 

 Tifa is no longer a part of his future. She was Cloud's past, Aeris is his future (or was- depending on whether you think she comes back or not) . Aeris is represented in the game as the 'future'. She always talks about it, and her sacrifie is for the future for the planet. Tifa is represented as the past, as she always talks about the past, and is a thing from Clouds past. Their mutual pain will only keep reminding them. Like-poles repel.

' But he left nibelheim for tifa'

That was all in the past, even if he was in-love with her. He has moved on, with his future- Aeris.

Tifa and Cloud would keep too many secrets from eachother in a relaionship, which isn't good.

They have nothing to say to eachother:

"But now we're together like this, I don't know what to say" ~ Cloud

Cloud and Tifa are more fitted to the category of brother-sister relationship- they lived near eachother, they grew up together in the same towm etc.

An interesting argument I've heard is that when Aeris hand turn into Tifa's, that was his decision, that by not taking Aeris' hand, that he chose Tifa. That's quite good, but Cloud looked a bit disappointed when  he saw it was Tifa.
 

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Desptite what I think about Cloud and Aeris, I still think ff7 is an open game, so it's up to you. I also think Cloud and Tifa's friendship was a very important part of the game, that's why I made a shrine to them aswell.

AERIS & CLOUD SHRINE                                  CLOUD & TIFA SHRINE

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