AN: Happy Birthday Tifa! Dedicated to my favorite video game character of all time~

He loves her.

He loves the way she hums in contentment as he folds her in his embrace and plants sweet kisses down the back of her neck. He rests his chin on her shoulder and says, "Are you enjoying the trip so far?"

He loves the way she stares out at the moon, how it reflects in her ruby irises and makes them sparkle, how she watches the stars with all of the happiness in the world and replies, "It's wonderful Cloud." She glances back at him, and the serene curve of her lips grows wider. "Thank you so much."

They're standing on the balcony of their villa in Costa del Sol. The waves crash gently against the shore, filling the otherwise quiet evening with a soft melody. The weather is cool, a little chillier than they were expecting now that the sun has gone down. In the soft lights of the balcony, Cloud can make out the tan lines on her shoulder from her bikini. They'd spent hours in the water - Tifa loves the beach so much, there are moments where he wonders if she will leave if she doesn't have to.

"What are you thinking about?"

Her voice is light, playful, soothing as she pulls him out of his thoughts. Cloud lays a trail of kisses from her shoulder to her ear and she hunches her shoulders, giggling.

"You."

Tifa sighs, leaning back into his hug even more, and he crosses his arms over her stomach tightly, comfortingly. His t-shirt bunches in his hands as he flexes agile fingers across her torso, earning him a symphony of girlish, jubilant laughter. She shakes her head as his fingers curl more, opening her mouth wider, laughing louder, until he turns her around in his arms and lays his lips against hers. Tifa continues to giggle into his kiss, her smile making his own mouth curve, her hands snaking around his neck as she settles down and embraces him fully, deeply, passionately. When he pulls away, he can see the heat rising in her face. She titters again and he speaks.

"I have something else for you."

She tilts her head in a way he's always found cute, her eyes widening in silent question. Cloud takes her hand and leads her back inside of their room. Tifa gasps, clapping her hands together in delight once she spots the mini-cake sitting on the small round table just beyond the balcony. It's red velvet with cream cheese frosting - her favorite - and spelled out in tiny, delicate red lettering is Happy Birthday Tifa. A candle dots the "I" in her name.

Tifa kisses him again. "Cloud, this is perfect!"

He loves the joy in her eyes as he lights the candle and tells her to make a wish. He loves how peaceful she looks when she closes her eyes, and he wonders what exactly she's asking for. He loves the pleased noise she makes as she digs into her cake, and loves it even more when she feeds him.

He loves the way she sighs his name as they have dessert in bed, together, for the rest of the night. He loves the way he feels complete and whole and loved whenever he's with her. He loves that she can make anyone feel that way, but she's decided to share it most intimately with him.

He loves when she whispers her wish in his ear, and says it's come true.

He loves that he can fulfill her hopes and desires, that he can be part of her dreams.

He loves her more than his heart can take, more than he's ever known he could love anything.

And he knows he'll never stop.