I haven't really written a CloTi one-shot in a while and I came up with this one.

Please don't forget to review! I would really appreciate it if you took some time to review. It would really help me as a writer.

Please no flamers though, constructive criticism is welcome though.

I really do hope that you like this, I worked hard on it!

Pairing: Mostly Cloud/Tifa and Some Cloud/Aeris

Rating: T for language

Summary: Cloud hasn't come back home in a while and Tifa goes out looking for him. Will he come back or will he just shun her out?

Let Him Go

By: Alice001

Tifa sat quietly on a bar stool, she had been waiting for him for two weeks now. It bothered her how she didn't know if he was alive or if he had died on the way over. But there was another question that bothered her just as much as the thought of dead. Was he in that place again? She drummed her finger impatiently on the counter

God, she really had to let him go.

Finally Tifa decided to get up and look for him. She dropped the kids off at Yuffie's and ran over to the one place that she dreaded to go to. She knew from the start that he wasn't able to let her go, he loved her too much. But hadn't Tifa meant something to him also? Maybe, but then maybe not.

She had to let him go.

Tifa reached her destination and stopped at the entrance. There he was, sitting with his back against the stone wall with a pink rose clutched in his hand. His eyes were unfocused and they stared blankly at the pond of water in front of him. His blonde hair was ruffled and even his spikes were dropping slightly. He had bags under his eyes that indicated that he hadn't been sleeping in a while. The pink ribbon that was tied tightly around his arm was flowing freely in the wind. His knee was pulled up against his chest and his rough fingers played with the delicate flower petals.

He had to let her go

Tifa walked slowly towards him, trying her best not to scare him. She knew if he sensed her presence, he would just run away farther this time. As soon as Tifa reached him she kneeled slowly in front of him. She put her hand to his cheek.

"Cloud?" She whispered and the flinched from her touch. He grabbed her hand and took it off of his face in a rough manner. Tifa fought her tears and Cloud gave her a deadly look.

"Go back." He ordered sharply and turned his gaze back t the pond. Tifa got up, but she had no intentions of leaving. Instead she sat next to him with her back up against the church wall.

"Cloud please come back." She pleaded the sadness on her face was reflected through her voice.

"Why should I?" He growled back and gripped the flower more tightly.

"Why can't you just let her go?" Tifa asked ignoring his previous question. Her voice was slightly angry. She was mad though, what did Aeris have that she didn't? Why had Aeris caught his attention in such a short period of time, while she had been trying for years? How was Aeris better?

Cloud didn't say anything so Tifa spoke again. "Why can't you see what you're doing to the people that care about you?"

"No one cares about me." He countered and Tifa balled her hands into fists while tears started streaming down her face.

"You're friends care about you! Marlene and Denzel care about you! And I love you!"She screamed at him and shook his shoulders as if that would make him understand. He jerked away from her and stood up, still clutching the flower in his hands.

"Get away from here. I don't want you looking for me anymore. Just leave," He spoke with his back facing her. He couldn't see Tifa's ocean of tears. Did he even care?

She had to let him go.

Tifa got up and laughed shakily. "Damn, I'm such an idiot aren't I?" She asked. "When we were little I thought that we would be together. I loved you for a long time, but if you're not going to let her go, then I'm just going to have to let you go aren't I?" Cloud turned around and for once studied her face. The tears that were falling from Tifa's face were now pooling at her feet.

"Teef?" Cloud reached out to her and grasped her arm. Tifa looked up at him through her tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry." Tifa launched herself to him and held him tightly to her. She never wanted to let him go never. Cloud put one arm around her and let her cry on him.

"Don't say sorry, because it's okay." She said and he pulled her back to look at him.

"Let's go home Teef." He said and pulled her to his side and kissed her on the top of her head. That was his way of saying, 'I love you too.' Tifa snaked arms around his waist and as the both walked out of the church Cloud dropped the flower onto the ground and held Tifa tighter.

He had let her go.

Whew! That was angsty and romantic all at the same time. I hope I did a good job!

Please review, because it's the first time I've tried this style of writing and I would love some opinions on it.

I hope you enjoyed it!