(A/N): So it's been a while since I've been back here but after reading several stories and also watching Advent Children Complete on Crackle, I got a massive burst of inspiration! So here's a game I haven't written a story on in years (as some of you will know because you read Cloud's Light which to this day is the story still with the most views I've ever written). It's been a long time and hopefully now that my writing is better, you guys will enjoy this one!

Let me know if you think this should remain a one shot or if you'd like to see another chapter with...the lemon! (yes, I ask if you guys want a lemon now because not all of you like those :P)

Hope you all enjoy it and please, leave a review and feel free to send me a PM for any requests (or just to say hi cause I love you all).

Through Better Or Worse

"Cloud?"

A pair of ocean blue eyes turned to the voice who called his name.

"Would you like some of the cake that Marlene and I made?"

He smiled slightly before ruffling the boy's head.

"I'd love a piece," he replied.

Denzel smiled brightly and left to fetch him some of the cake. Cloud turned his mind back to the massive amount of paperwork he had left to finish for the day. Usually, he didn't mind doing it all but today was a day in which he really wished he wasn't a delivery boy; he would've loved nothing more than to spend the day with his family. It was two months after the defeat of Sephiroth and the purge of the Geostigma disease from the population of Midgar and Cloud Strife still could not find the time he wished to spend with the people he lived with. With an exasperated sigh, the chocobo headed warrior continued his hard work, not even realizing that several minutes passed before a knock on his door once again broke him from his concentration.

"Still hard at work I see,"

Cloud turned to see the woman of his thoughts, Tifa Lockhart.

"Sixteen deliveries this week doesn't give me a lot of time to take it easy..." he sighed.
"Eat your cake and let me do some of it," she said.

It was more of an order than a request and Cloud silently complied, taking the small plate from her before moving over to his bed.

"Denzel said he would be right back," he said.
"That was before Marlene splashed him with flour and I sent him to take a shower," she replied with a soft chuckle in between.

Cloud rolled his eyes but smiled slightly.

"How does it take you so long to do this stuff?" she asked.

Cloud looked at her in disbelief as she quickly wrote each invoice as if it were nothing more than a menial task. In no less than 20 minutes, she had finished half of the work he wanted to do today in order to spend more time with them. Though he would never let her know with words, Cloud was thoroughly impressed with the raven haired bartender; there wasn't a thing that she tried that she didn't succeed at.

"Tifa...can I ask you something?" he asked.

She turned to face him after putting the pen down.

"What's up?" she asked.

Cloud gathered his words and thoughts before letting out a silent breath through his nose.

"I was trying to do all of the paperwork for the week because I wanted to spend more time with you and the kids; I haven't been able to give much time considering how much I've had to travel these past few months," he explained.

Tifa seemed surprised at his words.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked.
"The kids seem to have taken up baking as a hobby so how about we all go in the kitchen and make something? The four of us?" he suggested.

Tifa had to admit that she really liked the sound of that.

"One condition," she said.

His eyes broadcast his curiosity.

"You're washing up," she said sticking her tongue out at him.

To her surprise, Cloud chuckled audibly.

"That's no problem," he said.

Tifa smiled brightly at him before turning back to finish the paperwork. She had no idea how he got right behind her so quickly considering he was on the other side of the room.

"No more paperwork for you; you've done a lot," he said.

Though his tone was gentle, Tifa knew that it was his way of telling her to take a break from her usual workaholic schedule.

"I take it you've done everything in the bar already?" he asked.

She nodded and let out a yawn.

"You went to sleep late again last night didn't you?" he asked.

Tifa bit her lip but nodded. Cloud however would never know the reason she stayed up until 3 AM. To her surprise, he picked her up into his arms and carried her into her room before placing her on the bed.

"I'll wake you up when the kids and I have made dinner," he said.

Once again, his gentle tone was assertive and she surrendered to it. He waited for her to settle into the bed before leaving, flicking the light off on his way out and closing the door almost silently. It was times like this that Tifa really thought about the way he was.

She couldn't deny that he was the closest friend she ever had, even more so that all her girl friends and there was little that she could his from his mako blue eyes but ever since the purge of the stigma, she found herself viewing him in a different light. She found herself asking the question "What would Cloud think?" whenever she did something that he could see on a day to day basis or whenever she cooked dinner when usually, she did it regardless. Tifa then began to think about the way he looked.

Cloud was a living testament that one didn't have to be as large as Barrett to have immense strength and didn't have to be as small as Yuffie to be as fast as the wind. Despite his small build, Cloud was the embodiment of what many a woman who came into Seventh Heaven sought after visually in a man. He was toned more than anyone Tifa could think of and his unparalleled agility was even more of a testament. Many women would stare at him on the days he decided to help with the bar and even more would drunkenly ask him out to which he would always politely decline or ignore if the women were...inappropriately attired. Then came his signature blonde spikes which was something she had come to love seeing because she always knew that even if his face wasn't there, it was him because no other soul had that hairstyle. Then there was his eyes.

"Those eyes..."

When one knew Cloud Strife, one had to be able to read his eyes because it was how he communicated most of his emotions. Though he was usually happy around her and the kids, it was incredibly difficult to tell how Cloud was feeling whenever he wasn't due to his usually blank expression but over the years she's known him, she learned how to read his eyes which is also a skill Marlene and Denzel picked up. Tifa could tell whenever something was on his mind by looking into his eyes and even though it was rare for him to be distraught about something, she was always there for him.

Cloud was always a handsome man in her eyes...but what was he to her? Tifa always pondered on her true feelings toward the blonde warrior and now, she wondered if things could work now that he forgave himself for all the mistakes he made in the past. Unlike before, his absences weren't due to him being distant but due to the work he took upon himself to do in order to keep an income flowing. He contributed most of the funds for groceries and such and he really didn't seem to have a problem in doing so. Now of all times...Tifa pondered if her feelings were real.

"Do I...do I really like him?"

She found herself drifting asleep after several minutes of pondering.

Later That Night

"You guys did a good job!" said Tifa.

Denzel and Marlene smiled happily at her.

"They did most of the work, I just reached down whatever they couldn't," said Cloud.
"That's not true! You helped because you made the cookies!" said Marlene.

Tifa turned to him in astonishment and she could've sworn she saw a shade of pink in his cheeks for even a split second.

"You baked cookies?" asked Tifa in astonishment.

Cloud kept silent as Marlene brought the jar they filled up with chocolate chip cookies made by none other that the ex-SOLDIER himself. Denzel took one of them before greedily taking a bite. Denzel's eyes widened as he looked at the cookie in his hand and then at Cloud who watched him with interest.

"I would've never known you could bake so well," said Denzel.

Marlene was the next to try a cookie and she too looked at him in awe.

"When did you learn to bake like this!" she asked.
"My mother taught me when I was younger...I guess what she taught me stuck with me," he replied.

Tifa looked at the jar before selecting one with more chocolate that the rest; she had a really bad sweet tooth especially for chocolate and she took a bite. Immediately, she felt as if there was nothing he couldn't do as she had never seen him cook anything in all her time living with him and she admitted to herself that this was probably better than anything she could've done herself.

"You're not kidding...he's better than any bakery I've been to," she said.

Cloud chuckled softly.

"I'm glad you like them," he said with a smile.

That was the other thing Tifa loved about him.

"That smile,"

He didn't do it very often but whenever he did, she had a very warm feeling on the inside and she couldn't think of anything else that she enjoyed seeing more.

"It's getting late you two so get to bed," said Cloud.

Tifa didn't even realize it was already 9 PM. They nodded.

"We wanna help wash up!" said Denzel.

He moved to try but Cloud cut him off, once again with a smile and a ruffle of his hair.

"I'll do it this time; you two have school in the morning," he said.

Denzel sighed softly as he and Marlene left the kitchen.

"I'll be up in a few minutes to tuck you in," said Tifa.

By the time she turned around, Cloud had already cleared the table and was washing the plates.

"Thanks for dinner," she said.
"No problem," he replied.

She walked up beside him and after watching him slightly struggle to get the caked on sauce off of the plates, she flicked him in the forehead.

"You dry," she said.

Cloud opened his mouth to contest but the look in her face said that there was no way he'd smooth talk her out of this one. He switched places with her and began to dry the dishes as she made them sparkle. The years of experience cleaning glasses and small plates whenever customers asked for pastries and drinks taught her exactly how to make a plate shine. Cloud found himself sneaking a look at her every now and again and for some reason, he couldn't stop.

Tifa Lockhart was the raven haired bombshell that every single man who came into the bar sought after, earning her the nickname "The Bartending Angel" by many of them. Her athletic build that never looked muscular was a figure shaped by the gods themselves; curves and contours which stretched on for days, light creamy skin and her reddish brown eyes were a combination that any man took pleasure in seeing, even Cloud who never usually examined women. Her long raven hair was pinned up in a ponytail whenever she was doing work and for some reason, Cloud loved her hair. She always had it at a very long length but despite that being an issue for most women, she maintained it so well that it became one of her trademarks. The last thing that he looked at (as much as he hated to admit it) was her modest bust. Tifa was always known for her bust size and though it wasn't her most defining feature, Cloud would once in a blue moon pause there whenever he was giving Tifa a look through.

"She's beautiful...and I'm now sure that I like her,"

The pair finished cleaning the plates and pots quickly and they moved upstairs into Cloud's room with Tifa immediately sorting all of his paperwork, living up to her workaholic nature. Cloud sighed in slight annoyance and pulled her away from the desk and sat her down; she did enough work for the day. A short pause followed.

"...I want to tell you something..."

Both were shocked that they said the same words simultaneously.

"You first," said Tifa.

She didn't realize how quickly and defensively she said that but he didn't seem to notice. She noticed him closing his eyes and she knew that whenever he did that, it was usually bad news.

"I've...been doing a lot of thinking and...I..." he began.

"Was that...anxiety in his voice? Is Cloud Strife actually nervous?"

Cloud seemed to be struggling with his words.

"I have no clue how to say this..." he said softly.

Tifa swallowed some air and attempted to calm her suddenly rapid heart rate.

"Then let me speak first," she said.

Cloud's eyes clearly depicted how against the idea he was but she knew that whenever he was tongue tied, he remained that way for while and by that time, she would've lost the courage to tell him.

"We've been friends since we were kids...and lately...I've been..." she began.

She soon found herself getting tongue tied but she refused to not tell him.

"For a while now...I've been...well..." she continued.

She had the words on the tip of her tongue but it was as if an invisible barrier was preventing any sort of meaningful words from escaping. She had to tell him; she wouldn't get another chance like this again.

"I've...been looking at you in a different light..."

She didn't realize how silently she said that and she cursed herself for not being brave enough.

"Tifa?"

She looked up only to see a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry...I got tongue tied...I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you but I'm not sure if I'll be able to say this again..." he said.

He held one of her hands in both of his and leaned his forehead against hers.

"I'm sure you think it's bad news...but I don't know if I would call it good or bad...regardless...I've been trying to say this to you for a long time and I...can't let it wait," he whispered.

His eyes narrowed.

"I li-...no...there's no way it's simply that..." he said.

She detected no form of anxiety in his words, showing that he had absolutely no shame in what he was saying.

"I love you Tifa," he said.

His words were plain and simple and Tifa restrained herself no longer. She moved her forehead away from his and pulled his lips to hers, wrapping her arms around his neck and melding their bodies as if they were meant to be together. Cloud froze for several seconds before he wrapped his arms around her and kissed back. She felt tears come from her eyes but they weren't any of sadness but of joy; she was beyond relieved that he felt the same way about her and that she was now allowed to show what she bottled up for most of their lives.

The kiss became even more passionate when Cloud ran his tongue across her lips. She caught on and allowed it to enter her mouth and she relished in the whole new nirvana the feeling sent her to. His hands were gentle on her waist and she had no clue when they fell back and she got on top of him but she wasn't complaining; she liked being held the way she was. After several seconds which felt like years, they separated.

"I've loved you for a years...I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you...I was...afraid," he said.

Tifa silenced him with another kiss, understanding fully how he was with emotions and that it took everything he had to even muster the courage to say anything to her, let alone kiss her.

"I love you too Cloud...I always have..." she whispered.

He looked astonished for a moment; he was positive that she was only kissing him back out of courtesy but now his hunch of her having something real inside for him were confirmed.

"Every day you spend with me is something that I treasure...because I want to spend the rest of my life with you...," she whispered.

He smiled at her.

"I'm not going anywhere...I promise..." he whispered.

He ran a finger across her cheek and kissed her forehead.

"I'll always be here...I'm not running away anymore," he whispered again.

She allowed him to sit up, cradling her in his arms as he looked into her eyes.

"Those hints...they've never been unnoticed...I just had no idea if I was crazy or not," he said.

Tifa giggled softly.

"You think I haven't noticed you giving me a look through every now and again?" she said raising an eyebrow.

Cloud for the first time blushed furiously.

"I know you're no pervert...so don't get all flustered," she said with wink.

Cloud sighed in relief that he hadn't tarnished his reputation with her.

"Cloud...just know that no matter what...I'm here for you," she said.
"Like you always have?" he asked.

She smiled.

"Through better or worse," she replied.