Hello XD this is my first (and probably unique, though I can't promise it) FF7 (and thus CloTi) fic. I usually write Bleach fics, but I do love the CloTi pairing so (yeah, I played the game, and saw FF7, and also read the novels ).

This fic is somewhere after AC (6 months to 1 year, maybe), and I just did as if the new game with Vincent didn't exist (can't recall its name ATM). It will be in two parts, this one is Tifa POV, the next will be Cloud POV. Hope you will like it :p I'm infamous for my cute fics, you're warned XD Forget to say that I'm french, which could explain some mistakes here and there. And I don't own FF7 nor its characters.

The day has been a long day, as the weather was awful, and not many patrons showed up. So, she had closed earlier than usual on that particular day. She stretched her muscles, gazing worriedly at the sky. It was pouring outside, and she hoped that Cloud was alright. Since he defeated Sephiroth once again, he changed… a lot.

Silently, while cooking, she remembered the first time, just after the Meteor incident. He was so shy, yet so gentle back then. He was there for her, helping her, even… cheering her up! That was unexpected, and she smiled fondly at the memory. It was also because of him that she opened a Seventh Heaven in the Edge. But the name came from Marlene… her wise words touched her right on the heart, and while she first thought that it was a name with too many sad memories, Marlene recalled her that it was also a name which carried a lot of good memories, and those were the ones she wanted to think about. And then, he slowly began to drift away, before finally leaving, and hurt her. She felt as if they weren’t good enough for him, until she realised that this idiot did that only to not hurt them, because he had Geostigma. And because he was feeling guilty towards Aerith.

Aerith… her thoughts roamed towards her dear friend, now dead, and how she helped them to cure everyone on the Planet. She missed her cheerful attitude, and her smile too. But somehow, she felt as if she was always there, protecting her old friends.

“Hey, Tifa, will Cloud be back in time?” asked anxiously Denzel.

Since Geostigma, Cloud rarely failed to be back in time for dinner, and he always had a good reason when he was late. That was one of the most spectacular changes so far.

“I don’t know, Denzel. The weather is really bad today, and I’d rather have him late and safe than having an accident because he was trying to be here right in time, honey,” she replied cautiously.

“But,” pouted Marlene, “he had to tell us a story tonight!”

“Well, why don’t you make some drawings for him while we wait?” she proposed. “I’ll finish the dinner, and we’ll see if he makes it in time, okay?”

The two kids nodded, and ran to their room, coming back soon with markers and sheets in their hands. Tifa smiled, and somehow returned to her tasks and her thoughts.

Now, all of their friends, and even the kids, were expecting them to hook up. But truly, she didn’t mind, and she thought that they couldn’t understand. She loved him so much, that the only thing that mattered was to know that he was safe and happy. Whether they were a couple or not didn’t matter at all. And, to her contentment, he was happier than he ever had been.

Before Geostigma, he was still plagued by his guilt. Now that he was free, he was more open, he smiled more, and he even joked! She recalled that they nearly all fell off their seat, that night, when all the AVALANCHE team had their party, and that he actually told them a funny joke. Even in the photos, she could tell the difference. Before, he was standing next to them, while now he was at the centre of their family. Not only they looked like a true family, but he also acted like a father figure for both Denzel and Marlene. The two children were really closed to him now. She was pleased, especially for Marlene, because before, he was always a little bit weird with her, visibly not knowing how to answer her, or play with her. With Denzel, it was another story, but Marlene had suffered a bit to be left apart. But nowadays, it was okay, she thought, eyeing the petit girl who was colouring her drawing.

Add to that the fact that he took days off to spend more time with them and occasionally with their friends… yes, it was all she begged for. This time, it was really different, she could feel it. He had accepted himself as he was, with his flaws and his qualities. And while before he rediscovered his old self, now he was evolving in someone more mature. Maybe, she decided, that was because of Denzel and Marlene, as he clearly felt something like parenthood feelings for them.

“Dinner will be ready in five minutes,” she announced to the kids.

Marlene jumped on her feet, and proudly put the plate on the table, while Denzel was putting away the drawings and the markers. She couldn’t help but smile at their sight.

She was just serving the salad when Cloud opened the door. He seemed tired, and was completely soaked. Without saying a word, Denzel took the dish, and began to serve Marlene. She stood up, and hurriedly gave Cloud a towel.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Just in time for dinner. You’d better change your clothes, though, if you don’t want to mop the floor right after,” she replied, smiling.

“How come you’re so mean? You’d force me to mop the floor, after all the rain I’ve been through today?” he exclaimed, concealing a laugh.

“That’s because I’ve got three kids at the house, so I’ve got to be mean sometimes,” she retorted, amused.

“I’m not a kid!” he protested, outraged.

“That’s what I thought too, until you attacked me with snowballs last winter,” she said. “More than that, you were waiting especially for me, with Marlene and Denzel,” she added thoughtfully.

“Damn, I’m caught! Alright, I’m going to change my clothes before you force me to clean all Seventh Heaven!” he finally laughed, while hurrying upstairs.

A moment later, and they were all eating, and talking happily at the table. They promised to show him their drawings –Cloud mounting Fenrir from Denzel, and all of them playing some random game from Marlene– which won them a smile from the delivery man, and a promise that he would take them and hang them on the wall of his bedroom. And before she even realised it, she was washing the dishes, while he was upstairs, telling the children a story, probably one with big monsters, princes and princesses.

“You want a cup of hot chocolate?” she asked when he came back in the kitchen.

He nodded. “I’d love to. I wanted to phone earlier, because I wasn’t certain I would make it in time… but my phone ran out of battery…”

She looked at him quite surprised. “Why? I know that now you come back, you know.”

He shrugged. “I know. But I also know that when I come back late, you wait for me.”

She fought the blush that seemed to stick her cheeks just as he said those words. He noticed, she wondered? “I don’t wait for you,” she denied.

“Why is it that you’re always up then?” he asked, smirking.

She put his hot chocolate on the table, right in front of him. “I always had something to do, like verifying that everything was okay, reading a book…” she began hopelessly.

He was looking at her right in the eyes, a small smile on his lips. “Teef, don’t even try to lie to me,” he stated on a doctoral tone.

“Alright, alright,” she muttered, taking the newspaper. As she read it, her thoughts once again wandered…