Chapter 3

The door clicked shut behind him as he leaned against it for support after what he just saw. Cloud knew Zack and Tifa were close but what was with the cuddling? Well, not cuddling really, his better judgment threw in but he ignored it. Zack would never…not Tifa…not his Tifa. It really was time to talk to him once and for all. Quickly, Cloud walked around the side of the bar, heading to the front entrance to cut Zack off before he disappeared to who knows where again.

Cloud was at Zack's back before the darker haired man even noticed, a hand on his arm alerting him.

"Hey man, I'm sorry but I gotta go."

"In a minute."

Zack looked up from the hand loosely gripping his arm to Cloud's face and decided it was worth listening to whatever his best friend had to say even if he lost a few more minutes of daylight.

"Zack, you'd tell me if you were involved in something that's really important, right? That includes both of us?" Cloud asked, pointing between him and the older man with his hand to make a point. What exactly was he getting at?

"Yes."

"Are you sure? Is there something you'd like to tell me about someone?" At the blank look on Zack's face, Cloud reiterated. "A certain female someone?"

Zack's eyes widend just the slightest bit but Cloud knew he'd hit something like he thought after watching him and Tifa in the bar. How could Zack do this to him?

"I knew it."

"Cloud, it's nothing, alright? I'm just helping a friend."

"By stabbing me in the back? How could you, Zack? You're my best friend!"

Zack was on the defensive now, not understanding exactly what was going on. Did Tifa tell Cloud something? She wasn't supposed to say anything, not yet.

"I didn't think it was any of your concern, Strife. I thought you'd moved on."

"Moved on? I can't believe you! How could I ever move on from the one woman I've ever loved?!"

Zack really was having a hard time following this conversation…what the hell was going on?

"Look, Cloud, I was going to tell you, I just needed a little more time…"

"More time? More time to what-kill me? To rip out my heart and shred it to pieces?"

"She was mine first damn it!" Zack finally burst out, his anger and confusion getting the best of him while Cloud just looked back, stunned and all anger draining away.

"What is going on out here?" Tifa said from the front door to Seventh Heaven, now open after she heard the noise from their argument.

Cloud looked at her and felt hollow, his eyes taking in all of her and yet not seeing her with his heart unsure how to feel about her. How could Zack take her away from him? And how could he have had her first when he'd loved her since living next to her as a child?

Zack looked at her as well before turning back to Cloud, questions written all over his face. The lost look in his eye was too much and Zack had to look away, facing Tifa's eyes looking at him, unsure of what was going on. You're not the only one, honey.

"Are you two alright?" Tifa finally asked quietly, pulling the boys from their thoughts but neither speaking.

"Um…Zack? Didn't you need to go and take care of something before you lost the sunlight? Should be almost finished, right?"

"Yeah, just about done."

Cloud couldn't help the incredulous look that passed his face between them and Tifa quirked an eyebrow while Zack sighed.

"Cloud, I think it's time you knew."

"Do you really think that's such a good idea?" Tifa said in a worried voice, unsure of how Cloud would take the news.

"I think I already know." Cloud said, glaring at them both.

"I'm pretty sure you don't man, since I'm not even sure anymore. Just follow me." Zack said somewhat calmer than earlier before getting on his own cycle and revving the engine taking off down the road.

Tifa looked at Cloud who wasn't looking at her and she felt much more uncomfortable all of a sudden, Zack's words of change ringing in her ears. He looked so lost and hurt…how could that change be anything good? Carefully she walked over to him and brushed her hand against his arm to which he flinched.

"Was it because of this morning?" Tifa asked, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. Cloud remained silent. "Is that why you won't even look at me?"

Cloud looked up then to see the stricken expression on her face and his heart felt for her but he fought the urge to hold her, instead walking over to Fenrir and gesturing for her to follow. Her arms around his waist only added to the building pile of questions in his mind, of how and when this had happened. How could he have lost her and not even known it?

A squeeze from her arms around him alerted him to Zack's bike parked along a building and was shocked to see where exactly it was they were. New doors had been put on the hinges and the pillars seemed mostly whole again with stained glass windows letting the last of the sun shine in among the broken wood.

Zack stood at the front of the church, staring at something Cloud and Tifa couldn't see with his body blocking their view. He took a few steps back and the last of the sun's rays hit something that sparkled and shone brightly. Water streamed out of and fell back into the pure white alabaster fountain, filling the church with light and a comforting splash.

The flowers bloomed around where he was, looking up at the part of the roof he had fallen through the first time he'd ever met Aerith. It was a miscalculation and he was actually supposed to land near the train station but Zack hadn't minded when he looked up dazed to see her worried emerald eyes framed by light brown hair and a small smile on her lips.

"You surprised me, falling from the sky like that." She had said and he laughed recalling it all like a waking dream from his past.

The sound echoed throughout the more or less empty structure and made Tifa smile as she saw the fountain finally complete since he'd been working on it for a few weeks now in secret, unsure if it would be ready in time. He also didn't want Cloud to know for he wouldn't understand…would he? How he needed to remember his past love that was once a chance for his best friend? It would be too odd to ask Cloud for help in it and he felt better doing it on his own, having something of her to hold onto.

Zack felt footsteps and saw Cloud's boots at his side from where he was kneeling before the fountain, reading the plaque placed at its base. There was her name and date that she died, pure and simple, with a note of beloved on there specifically from Zack, her first love. Things were complicated when he and Cloud went to SOLDIER but he knew she always felt something for him, and it hurt everyday to know that he could not be there with her to the end but having Cloud at her side helped a little.

He grabbed Cloud's hand on his shoulder in comfort before getting up and wiping off the dust from his pants and then turned to his best friend.

"This is what I was talking about."

"I get that now."

The blond haired man said quietly, looking at his shoes. How could he have been so stupid to think that Zack would ever try to take Tifa away from him? If anything, Cloud was the worst friend ever for everything that had happened with him and Aerith. He never felt anything beyond friendship for the flower maiden and yet he still took her out on that stupid date, and now… what an idiot he'd been lately.

"Don't worry Strife, I'd never take her away from you." Zack said with a smile as if reading his friend's mind.

Tifa was on the other side of the fountain, placing it between her and the boys to give them some sort of privacy but she could see something taking place and was relieved to see that things had been settled out more or less after that fight she walked in on earlier.

She was a little stunned to see Cloud's cheeks turn red in a blush at something that Zack had told him and their eyes locked across the bubbling water before he motioned him over to her. Her eyes went wide at what Zack did and Cloud was coming over, his smile faltering as every step made him more and more nervous and she had the sudden urge to hit Zack who was luckily out of range…he would pay later.

"Tifa, I'm sorry."

Well that's not what she was expecting. Tifa blinked a few times before Cloud continued, scratching the back of his head in that adorable way he always did when he was nervous.

"For this morning and for this afternoon. I kind of walked in on something that I took to mean something else and I just didn't want to lose you and I…" he drifted off, a hero who didn't work too well with words and so she took over, moving one step closer to close her hand around his.

"You'll never lose me, Cloud."

Cloud walked with her hand a few steps away from the fountain towards the church, feeling that he wanted more than to just hold her hand, he'd wanted more than that for a very long time. Stopping on the threshold, he let her hand go and it rest at her side.

"Cloud?"

A ghost of a kiss graced her lips before she had time to respond and Cloud pulled back, looking at her but not wanting to look at her while her eyes went wide one him. Before he could doubt himself any longer, she closed the distance again and placed her lips over his in a softer, longer lasting kiss. This time neither pulled back, instead wrapping their arms around each other in a loving embrace as they experienced this new sensation together. Love is a powerful thing.

Zack leaned against the door frame of the church, the sun finally set and he looked back at the fountain now bathed in moonlight through a hole still open in the roof where the two stood but looked beyond to something much more beautiful.

"That's my girl." He said, waving his goodbye to Aerith before turning to walk out into the night, a sense of completion lingering in the air.

As it was meant to be…

The End

A/N: so what did u think? it's always good to hear feedback so go ahead and review...u know u want to *jedi mindtrick/hypnotic voice* hehe