A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory.
A scattered memory that's like a far-off dream.
I want to line the pieces up...yours and mine.

It was the castle library that was more or less something like a sanctuary to her. Maybe it was all the books or the fact that the others rarely ever came in there, but there was just something so comforting and peaceful about it.

But that peace was wrecked when the door flew open and slammed shut, leaving a horrified blond boy about the age of eight pushing a heavy chair in front of it and then scurrying from it. His scurrying caused him to trip of a book and fall, his bare knee rubbing the floor with a loud sound; a hiss of pain slipped past his lips at the contact.

Rolling to his back and sitting up the boy flinched as his hand rose and his fingers brushed the smooth over skin, thumb and fingertips just barely touching the little cuts and slight blood welling up.

"…what're were ya running from?"

The blond's body tensed for a moment and brought his attention up from his hurting knee to a girl a year younger than him, her short brown hair cut and some framing her face. She was looking down at him with curious and worried brown-red eyes and her brows were furrowed in mixed emotions.

…he had almost forgotten this was where she always hid herself.

Kneeling in front of him she raised her hand and gently cupped the side of his knee and leaned forward, squinting at the wound before sighing and standing. "It's not bad or nothin', I think there's a first aid kid around the library somewhere…" So turning on her heels she started about the task of actually looking for the kit, all while trying to keep a conversation with him.

"So, you going to answer my question or am I gonna have to try and keep asking you over and over again?"

"…"

Pushing past a pile of books she looked over her shoulder and frowned a little at him, biting her tongue while grabbing a box with a red sign on it and walked back over to the sitting boy, flopping down onto her butt. Setting the box to her lap she flipped open the top and sifted through it, pulling out a sanitary wipe and pulled it from the pack it was in and started to gently dab at his knee.

This wasn't the first time she had to tend to someone.

"Why were you running, Cloud?" Again with the question, only this time vaguer as if to give him a way to answer it without having to actually tell her the truth. Except for the fact she was smiling to herself and keeping all eye contact on his knee, he probably would have been able to lie his way out of this. But he couldn't.

Why?

Because Cid would probably hit him for telling a girl a lie and, really, the last thing he wanted was to be hit by Cid. That man could have one heck of a temper and it was always best not to anger the old man.

"…Aerith was trying to put me in a dress."

There was a long silence after that as he watched her set the wipe down and reached for some bandages, her hands gentle on his leg as she shifted it enough so the angle would mess up her helpfulness.

When she touched him a light red tone rose to his cheeks and he cleared his throat, keeping watch on her and the ever growing smile on her lips. She had a cute smile…

AGH.

That thought jolted him a little and she slapped his leg, telling him not to move. He had to mutter an apology to her because he was trying his best not to actually sound like an idiot and tell her she should smile more because it fit her. And that she looked really good with a smile.

"So," she said, finishing up on bandaging and taking care of his leg, "why was she trying to put you in the dress?"

"I don't know!" He sounded outright embarrassed now and he looked away when she raised her head and gaze to stare at his face. She was still smiling, albeit out of amusement now. "She's just…she just comes up behind me and grabs the collar of my shirt to drag me to where Yuffie is waiting…"

And he shuddered a little.

"Tifa… It was horrible…"

She smiled and laughed a little, closing the box and set it aside while just sitting there with him. It was actually nice to be able to spend a little time with him, without having Aerith and Yuffie tagging along, Leon always following just shy of them and keeping to himself for the most part.

Sometimes… she felt like she just didn't belong with them, but Cloud's words most of those times always cheered her up, made her smile bright and stay with them.

"She and Yuffie already had Leon dressed like a pretty lil' girl, huh?"

Cloud only nodded his head, blond locks bouncing slightly and he finally returned his gaze to her, eyes studying her face as she sat there in content and shy amusement.

"Heehee, Leon is a dress would be a funny thing to see. Betcha if Cid wasn't always so busy the two of them would get him to play too." But Cid was an adult and he was busy doing…whatever it was adults did best.

"Hey… Cloud?"

He blinked and let his head fall to a slight tilt. "What is – OUCH! HEY!"

She had stopped him from speaking by poking his knee and standing, hands flying to her hips as she glared down at him. "Don't you ever worry me like that again, you stupid chocobo head!"

---

When the darkness had taken over Hallow Bastion he hadn't know what to do. So he fled. But last he heard the place that he had once turned home had turned into a place called 'Radiant Garden', whatever that was suppose to mean…maybe the darkness wouldn't get to it again. That would be good, Yuffie and the others would be safe without worry about darkness.

But…

"Hey, chocobo head."

Turning slowly Cloud stared at the slim but slight-muscular figure of a dark haired woman; her lips curved into that sweet smile of hers and those gentle eyes always shining with their compassion and complete adoration.

He chuckled a little at that and shook his head as she walked over and dropped to a stooping position, her head tilting as she poking at his knee. "You haven't hurt it again, have you?"

"Of course not," he replied, kneeling in front of her and grinned a bit. "If I did, you would tell me not to worry you again… I don't want to worry you anymore than I probably have been."

"…silly…" She whispered, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. "I only worry because I care…"

Grin turning into a smile Cloud set his hands to her back and let her hug him, giving her a slight squeeze in return. "I know, Tifa." And he only ran because he kept trying to tell himself that he was chasing Sephiroth…when in truth he knew what he was running from. Something he was afraid of having, memories of light and a gentle warmth; of a woman and the warmth she dared to give him.