*Disclaimer: All characters from FF7 (Cloud, Tifa...) and places (Nibelheim) and storyline.. DO NOT belong to me. They belong to Squaresoft. If I did own them, I would have lots of money.

*Author's Note: Hello everyone who dares to read my fanfic! I call myself Rose Angel. Anyway, this is a little story about Tifa's thoughts after the game. In the beginning, it's from her POV. But...it kinda changes. Basically, it has Tifa and Cloud as the main charaters, I guess. *shrug* I'm quite pleased with it actually. Since I rarely write Tifa fanfics. Well, hope you enjoy my work!

Here I am.... In here....All alone. So, this is where I end up? After all of the fighting, hoping...praying, I just go right back to where I started? Yes, I guess I deserve it. To be in this dull town. While he searches for....her.

Cloud, where are you? Have you found her yet? When are you coming back to me? I'm the one who stayed by your side for so long, yet you still ignore me, and you look for HER instead... By yourself.

"I think I can find her....there."

"Yeah...Let's go find her..."

I thought I could tag along, like I always did in your adventures. But no, "Not this time, Tifa. I have to do this on my own." that's what you said. Do you know? How much those words hurt me, burn me to my very heart and soul? I secretly made a promise to you. I promised myself, that I would always take care of you. Not let you out of my sight. You saved me in the Nibelheim Reactor, I wanted to repay your promise of coming to help me whenever I would be in danger, with my own. That's why I sticked by your side...for so long too. And...There's something else. Another reason...

Cloud, my best friend, and so much more, haven't you seen the way I looked at you so many times? An eternal longing within my eyes, that so desperately wants to shine through with all of its might. I want to reach out to you, hold you, comfort you as best as I can. But, you ignored that shine in my eye, and paid all of your attention on her...

"What's that?"

"Lifestream..."

You saw her right there and then, didn't you? You saw her gentle face, gleaming emerald eyes, and petite kindness that anyone could only just love. And you couldn't resist to just go out and find her...You left me behind this time. You needed to do this search...on your own? Yeah, I understand now...

You love...Aeris. Not me.

It's not fair! I knew you more than anyone! I stuck by you through thick and thin, hopeless situations, and danger beyond imagination. And she's one one who has won you over? Well...I guess it's my fault, isn't it? I should have......I should have actually reached out to you. Instead of standing by the sidelines and hoping you'll see me there. Lingering there, with a shine of love in my eye...

Yeah, it is my fault. I caused myself to walk straight into this suffering that I'm experiencing right now. My heart has been broken into two small pieces, ever since my mind figured out that I'm not the one who gets to embrace in your love. I wish I could rewind time, and then....I would start all over. I would redo all of my mistakes, talk to you more, reach out to you...And then, I would be the one.

That's not possible. I have to pay for my mistakes. And it hurts so much. Now, the only thing I can do is...end it all. With a quick click of a gun, I could end my pain. Once and for all.

Cloud Strife walked into a dull town, his shoes dragged along the ground, as if he had been through many nights of no sleep. His sun-kissed hair was dangling in front of glowing Mako blue eyes, which had many sets of bags under them. The baggy, dark blue clothes he wore were rumpled and worn out, even torn in some places. Dirt has found its place in a few areas of his face, but he hastily rubbed his glove across each spot, wiping the grim away.

'It's good to be back...I wonder how Tifa is doing...She's probably worried sick about me...'

People bustled about the place, buying items, weapons, and armor. A few drunken men stumbled across the floor, singing one of their songs merrily. Blue plates of concrete decorated the ground, giving the town a more cheerful look somewhat. Mobs of girls and guys chatted happily together, some of them leaning against a building. A few of them moved fearfully away from the blond haired man, carefully eyeing the huge blade that was positioned on his strong back. He just smirked dangerously at them, and continued on his way.

The murmur of the crowd pounded at Cloud's ears, and he quickened his pace towards a small house in the far corner of everything.

'Finally, I'm home...After such a long search...I come back with nothing...'

He yanked his jagged sword off of his back, and touched the doorknob of the tiny house. Turning in clockwise, he took a deep breath and strolled in.

"Tifa! I'm back!"

BANG!!

"What?"

Panic crept over every inch of Cloud's body when he heard the familiar sound of a gun being triggered off, "Tifa...She wouldn't...TIFA!!!!!" He throw his sword across the room carelessly, and broke into a run at neck-breaking speed up the spiraling stairs. "Dear God, Tifa...Please, don't be that foolish..." Jumping over several steps, he finally reached the top, and stormed into her bedroom.

She had been that foolish.

"No...Oh please, no..."

Her body was sprawled across her comfortable bed; blood plastered the brilliant dark brown hair on one side. She didn't move, not one bit. A lifeless corpse was all that remained of her. Her right hand gripped a metal pistol, and the gun shined from the light above, as if it was taunting Cloud that it took a friend away from him. Tifa's face was turned away from him, like it was too shameful to deserve to gaze upon his angler face.

Eyes painfully wide, Cloud ambled over to the woman. His mouth was gaped open, and little dots of waters had started to form in the corners of his eyes. He choked back the tears, as he ran a hand through his friend's tangled hair. "Tifa...Why? I...I..."

Then, he noticed a sheet of paper that laid beside her. It was folded up neatly, and had "To: Cloud, From: Tifa" written on the front of it. Slowly taking away his hand from her threads of hair, he picked up the letter and opened it with extreme care. And he started to read...

Dear Cloud,

By the time you read this, I probably have already done in myself. You're most likely mad at me for doing such a foolish thing...But, I couldn't take it anymore. I'm so sorry, Cloud. I needed to get away from this un-standable ripping at my heart. I know you love Aeris, and not me. I figured this out a long time ago, when I first saw you two together. It broke me thoroughly, so I denied that you two go together perfectly...For so long, I thought I had a chance with you, but I was mistaken. I can't have you, no matter what I do, how hard I try. You love Aeris, and that's final. Cloud, after all of this time, I haven't been able to say a word to you about how I felt, but now since I'm going to do a drastic thing...I will say it: I love you, Cloud. With all of my heart and soul. It's never-ending, the love I have for you. I stayed by your side for all of my time, as long as I could, but when Aeris came into the picture...I sort of gave up, like I had no chance whatsoever. And I didn't, I see that now. So...now, I give up on my life. Because...you WERE my life. Goodbye, Cloud Strife. You'll always be in my heart.

Love,
Tifa

He finished it with watery tears stinging at his eyes, and trickling down his pale face. His hand lost all feeling and the paper fall to the floor soundlessly. Cloud's shoulders sagged slightly, and he stared at the face of a broken angel, "Tifa..."

Lowering his sight towards the letter, he read the words: "I love you" once more. His breath was haggard and shallow now, breathing in and out slower than ever.

"Tifa...Aeris was a dear friend...The one I loved...was you all along. I....just never reached out..."

For all people, who have reached out to the one they love, they live together in joy and laughter. For those who didn't, they end up wishing that they had.