She's beautiful when she sleeps; when her hair falls down her face, when her hands are tightly clasped together under the pillow. She's like an endless sky of beauty that doesn't stop shining. The beauty that lights everything in its path, lighting the night, and lighting the day.

He pulled up a chair to the side of her bed, so he could watch over her, make sure that when she wakes up he's the first thing she sees. He wants her to know that although their conversation was unfinished, he wanted her to know that he wasn't ashamed of his words. That he wasn't afraid of her, that he was ready to move on now, to do what he has always wanted to do. He wants to make sure that she knows that he's here for her and that he'll always be here for her.

His arms are curled around the back of the chair as he leaned back and closed his eyes. He listens to her even breathing, the sound that tells him that she's okay. The sound that sooths his soul and brightens his day. The sound that says she's alive and she's breathing.

He hears the sheets shuffle quietly, and he doesn't bother to open his eyes because she's probably just shifting around. The sound came to a stop and he figured she was going back to the world of dreams. Then he awoke at a start when a small hand touched his cheek. His eyes opened, and he saw her leaning over the bed, one hand on his knee and the other on his face.

He smiled lightly at her, taking her hands in his and laying her back down. He pulled the covers to her neck, and he made sure the blankets were tucked in.

"I'll be okay, Cloud," she says to him, "Just a couple days of rest and I'll be back to being my old self."

He gives her a small nod and he settles back down on the chair. He stares out the window, not wanting to look at her in the eyes right now. The silence is too awkward, and looking in the eyes would only make it worse.

"Tifa," he says softly as he turns his eyes to her, "I want you to know, that I never meant to runaway."

She doesn't say anything at first, and the silence eats him up, cause he knows he deserves it.

"I know, Cloud," she says softly, "I know."

"I'm sorry, Tifa," he says finally.

"Clo-"

"I just didn't want you to miss me," he said, his tears barely breaking through the gates of his eyes.

"Wha-"

"Geostigma," he answered her unasked question.

It took her a moment to structure her sentences, to say something to him that would let him know that he was forgiven, and it made him smile a little, made his burden lighter because he knows that all he's wanted, all he's ever wanted was her forgiveness.

"I didn't want you to watch me die," he said finally, almost as if he were uncovering a deep dark secret about his thoughts.

She shook her head, little tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she leaned forward and took his hand in hers.

"I didn't want you to die alone, Cloud," she replied, her eyes slightly teary.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, looking down at the floor, refusing to look into her eyes.

The silence invited him as he found the floor rather exotic and rather well polished. But he drifted slightly, his thoughts shifting as she came to his view quite suddenly. He found himself staring directly into her eyes.

He saw her leaning over the bed, one arm on his knee and the other touching his cheek.

"It's okay, Cloud," she told him.

He stares at her, his soul completely grasped in her hand as she looked at him. His eyes fell to her lips, those rosy coloured lips he so wanted to kiss. It was surreal as he felt his body being taken on by an unknown form. He saw himself nearing her lips and his soul crumbled when he felt his lips touching hers for the first time.

She tasted so sweet, like the taste of rain and flowers mixed. His eyes closed in an instant, his body melting into their kiss. He slides his arm around her waist, pulling himself onto the bed beside her and engulfing her in a possessive sort of hug. He feels his arms tightening around her, his body closer to hers, holding her as if he was clinging for dear life. Her arms slid around his body, around his neck and around his back, she too was clinging onto him.

He pulls back slightly, breathing deep gallons of air into his depraved lungs. She's staring at him intently now with a small smile planted on her lips.

"I do love you, Cloud," she said softly, "With all my heart...

And all my soul, my entire being and all of me.

Her words touched his soul, burned holes through the strong walls of his armoured heart.

To the depths of the everlasting nothings, to the endless roads of our many futures.

It made his knees, his eyes water..

There was never a time, never a moment in my life when I didn't spend my time

..his heart flutter, his soul warm.

Thinking of you

It made him want to claim her, want to make her his, because he knew..

Missing you

...that beyond everything, beyond her, beyond him, beyond them, his soul never belonged to him.

And loving you, Cloud."

It belonged to her.

To the woman who now had her arm securely tucked around his waist, who smelt of rain and flowers. The woman that made his world and the woman who knew him better than anyone, because that was all she ever was to him, just like he was to her. A smile broke out on his face as he held her close, realizing that all along all he ever wanted was her love.

"I love you too, Tifa," he says it finally as he realizes that...

..he was her Cloud,

Just like she was His Tifa.

a/n: finally, it has come to an end. thank you to all who reviewed. also, a little side note, the whole idea of speaking/thoughts done by cloud and tifa in this chapter and i think chapter 10, i got from ellumina. anyway, thanks again to everyone who reviewed to this story. im sorry if the ending is kind of quick, its not as easy to keep updating with stories in fanfiction now a days.