…::Scars Of My Hearts:::… Written By Kellios. 2001 All Characters, places, and ideas invovled in the game Final Fantasy VII are copyrighted to Squaresoft, 1997. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ Tifa ran the cool water from the spring onto her bare back. She was at Wutai, after Meteor had fallen. The world was safe, and now Cid and the others agreed to drop people off via Highwind. Tifa had wanted to go back to Nibelheim, and she was; with Cloud. Otherwise, everyone else was going back to his or her respected homes, and Vincent to Lucrecia’s Waterfall. Barret and Cait Sith (or Reeve) was already dropped off at Corel. Next stop was Yuffie, and the crew decided to stop near Wutai to get some sleep. Tifa remembered from her travels of a spring that was in the Wutai continent, and that’s where she went to bathe herself. She threatened everyone that if they followed her to the spring, she would kick their asses back to when meteor was still falling. No one dared follow. Tifa looked around, but didn’t see Cloud. “Barret, if you see Cloud, please tell him what I said when you see him,” “Sure,” Barret replied, and off Tifa went. Tifa had her wash cloth and was running it through her silky, chestnut hair. The aura around the spring was filled with the noises of the forest that cradled the spring. The birds chirping and the soft wind through the rattling leaves were peaceful to Tifa. The water was about four feet deep, compared to Tifa’s five feet, seven figure. The water at a cool temperature, and had a little waterfall over the rocks from a river that past the area. The rocks surrounded most of the spring, except for the front, which had bushes to make up for the entrance. Tifa remembered the beauty of the place, and was glad that she came back to look at the nature of the place, and to let her debate her thoughts as well. Ever since that night under the Highwind, Tifa found herself thinking of Cloud and her future, even more than usual. “Does he care about me?” Tifa has asked herself so many times now. “It seems that night he did… but is he still thinking of her?” Tifa closed her eyes, and placed her hand on her heart, just above her bosom. Her finger then felt a scar. She opened her eyes, and traced the scar that Sephiroth had given her. It was an ugly, torturous reminder of her past enemy. From her right breast until underneath the left, crossing against her heart and her soul on it’s way. She put her hands together in a fist over her heart, lowered her head and had her eyes closed once more. A rustling sound from the bushes near the entrance made her turn her head over her shoulder, and gasp in horror. Cloud stood there, with no shirt on, a towel draped over his shoulder, with a shocked expression on his face. Quickly, he turned bright red and turned his head to the side, as not to stare. Tifa, even more embarrassed, turned her head around, and had her back face him, and sank onto her knees in the water. “Didn’t Barret tell you I was gonna be here?!” Tifa stated with irritation, and truly red. “I…I didn’t go back to the airship,” Cloud stuttered in defense and paused, “Guess I’m not the only one who knows about this place.” An awkward silence fell upon the two. Tifa still bright red had the wash cloth plastered over her chest as not to expose herself. Cloud scratched the back of his head, and looked at the woman in front of him. “Ya know, I’ve never told you how beautiful you are,” Tifa’s eyes were shocked at the statement, but didn’t turn her head around to face Cloud. “From here, the water glistering off you hair, the water makes your skin look so silky…” He finished quietly. Tifa closed her eyes. “From a distance, things do look beautiful. But, when you get up close, you see all the battle scars, and one has a wound so deep that it’ll never heal,” She stated in a calm voice. A silence fell. Cloud scratched his head once again, and looked at Tifa. “And the same could be said about me… people just pretend to be close when in fact are very, very far away. Only do those scars truly heal when someone is close that has the last antidote to heal,” Cloud remarked; Tifa turned her head to face the man she loved. “And there are times when that person is close, but will rip and pick and make those scars bleed. That someone then leaves, and there is no one else to heal you,” Tifa concluded, looking into Cloud’s blue, Mako eyes. Silence fell once more. “Tifa,” Cloud began, “is that why you stay so distant to me? Because you are afraid that someone else will make your scars bleed when they take me?” Cloud said, looking straight into Tifa’s eyes. She couldn’t answer him, and she turned her head again, to avoid his eyes. Tears were at the brink, but Tifa held them back, and took a deep breath. Cloud started to enter the water at knee depth. “Tifa,” Cloud whispered, “Please, look at me.” Tifa slowly turned her head, looking at Cloud less than three feet away. “Look at my hands,” He turned his palms up to her, “The scars of my battles, the scars of my life, the scars of my heart are here. But Tifa… these scarred hands need to grasp, or they will be too bloody, and they will slip.” Cloud looked up and met Tifa’s gaze. Cloud moved in closer, right up next to her. Tifa turned her head to him once more, and closed her eyes. Cloud reached out and caressed the chestnut hair colored hair in front of him. “Grab onto my hands, Tifa, before I slip and loose you forever,” Tifa slowly turned her body to face Cloud, the washcloth still covering her bosom, and stared into Cloud’s eyes. “Tifa, I love you. I love you with all of my heart. A love that completed my life, if I were to spend the rest of my days with you,” Cloud’s eyes began to swell, “please, tell me… how you feel about me.” Tifa had tears running down her cheeks. Her dream finally had come. “I have been waiting day and night to hear those words come from your lips,” Tifa took a breath, “Oh Cloud, I love you too. I love you so much. I have always wanted to be with you, always by your side.” Tifa finished with hot tears running down her cheeks. She felt Cloud’s hand wipe her face of tears, and placed it under her chin. Tifa looked into Cloud’s smile. Slowly, Cloud brought his mouth to hers. Their lips met with fierce passion, and both of them closed their eyes. Tifa cautiously dropped her hands and washcloth, and wrapped her arms around Cloud’s waist. Cloud ran his hands up and down Tifa’s bare back, passion sparking between the two. After the sweetest moment of their lives, Tifa broke, both of them still in the intimate embrace. “Do you know how long I’ve dreamed of this?” “Same here. Ages. But, let’s not waste time talking now,” he smiled, and kissed her again, his soul flying in his heart. Their hearts met, and took off together, never caring about the time, place, people or enemies. Only caring about each other.