Disclaimer: Characters are not mine; props to SquareEnix.

She knew that something had changed that day in the church.

Of course, lots of things would be different. With a cure for Geostigma, and dealing with the aftermath of the Remnants...and the near loss of someone not only she, but everyone had categorized as invincible. That last near catastrophe had transformed something within her, and upon his return at Aerith's church, more than ever she felt as though she needed to move forward. Life could not go on as it had been, as tenuously comfortable as it was.

It terrified her. So many things she was unsure of, so many ways that any attempt at change could backfire and cost her...well, everything.

More importantly, any change at this point would impact him, too; she had gotten adept at reading him, but even she didn't know how he felt about everything. Especially one subject in particular. One they'd been tiptoeing around so long it seemed they were experts at the art of evasion.

Any change also had the potential to affect two children who were her wards, and this, too, added significantly to her hesitation.

But he almost died. Well, he did die. Had it not been for Aerith, she was sure she would have never seen him again.

Suddenly, that reality, above all others, made her prior fears exponentially insignificant in comparison.

She remembered wondering, the first time she caught his gaze after he'd awoke in the pool, if events had changed something for him as well. A swell of hope seized her at the vision of his smile, so peaceful, so serene. She was reminded of a different time, following a different conflict. He'd smiled then, too. She desperately hoped he never stopped smiling again.

She would have been happy to simply gather up the kids, head to the bar, and continue the celebration there. She had stood idly by as he made his way through the crowd, an arm around Denzel, who apparently wasn't about to release him any time soon. He good-naturedly received his hero's welcome from strangers and friends alike, even hugs from Barrett and Yuffie.

When he finally stood before her, his countenance softened somehow, and for a moment they just stood there, taking each other in. It was the weight of everyone's stare that finally propelled her forward, as she engaged him in a polite hug, one that left ample room between them as she whispered, "Welcome back." It had been the politically correct thing to do, with everyone around; Cloud had never been a fan of public displays of affection, as far as she knew. For that matter, he rarely offered any private ones, either.

So she was more than pleasantly surprised when she felt him step forward into her awkward embrace, was bewildered when his free arm looped around her waist and pulled her flush against him. It wasn't so much the strength of his hold that kept her from breathing so much as the shock of it all. Briefly, amidst all the other sensations his proximity was forcing, she felt a shaky exhalation near her ear, his breath warm against her neck, almost as if he were relieved. And then he was pulling away, before she could fully react, a rush of cool air against her newly damp skin forcing her to release the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

And then, something else. His free arm, the one not draped around Denzel, the one that only moments ago had been holding her to him so fiercely, casually reached out, his gloved hand sliding into hers, his grip strong as he turned to lead them out of the church. She fought not to stumble as she fell into step beside him, palm tingling from his warmth. She felt the blood rise to her cheeks, head spinning, her smile widening, her heart soaring.

"I've always been with you."

"What I meant is...something different."