Author's note: Here's another oneshot in the FF7 world. This is the sequel to "Thank You, Cloud." In this one Cloud's the main star. Hope you like it.

~xXx~

Italics: this means the story is in taking place in a dream.

Bold italics: this means that Aeris is talking.

Underlined italics: this means that Cloud is talking.

~xXx~

"Cloud, you're worried. What's wrong?"

"I just don't want to go on without you."

"But you're gonna have to. If you don't, life isn't going to get easier. You just need to move on."

"How can you say that? How can you really expect me to forget you and move on with my life?"

"I don't expect you to forget about me. But Cloud, you need to learn to love again. This alone won't be easy, but it'll be far easier than going through life's turmoils alone."

"It's just…I really miss you."

Aeris placed her hand on Cloud's cheek. He could feel her loving warmth seeping from her hand to my cold, frightened face. A feeling that he had not felt in eons. "There's a woman that needs love about as much as you need the love of a good woman. Honestly, you wouldn't have gotten a better woman for that task. Your heart is on the brink of fissuring to the point of never being mended again. I don't want to see that happening to you."

"What do you mean 'another woman?' Who is she?"

"You will know soon enough." She put her hands on her hips. "Now, wakey-wakey." With that she pinched my nose…hard.

"Ow!" Cloud abruptly woke up. The chocobo-head rubbed his nose, but he felt something really squishy pressing against his back. Now that he thought about it, there was something wrapped around his waist. He looked down to find a set of arms. Puzzled by this, he looked over his shoulder and saw a familiar head of brunette hair. He sat up and shook her gently.

Tifa opened her eyes a bit. "Cloud, what are you doing in my room?" she asked groggily.

"Your room?" he inquired. "Why are you in my bed?"

Only at the summon of that question did the brunette realize the gravity of the situation. She jolted straight up faster than a chocobo race with her face painted in a deep crimson color with a cockeyed expression on her otherwise dainty face. "I, er, um…" was all that she could muster. I thought me visiting him at night was all a dream! Now I'm in his bed!

"I have to go to work." Before Cloud could leave, Tifa grabbed his hand.

"You don't have to go." She pleaded. "Can't you be a little late?"

Cloud just stared at her blankly. Why is she being to obstinate about this? Why does she require my company so much? He somehow managed to get off the bed and was headed toward the door.

"WHY DON'T YOU FORGET HER ALREADY?!?"

Cloud abruptly stopped. His countenance took upon a face mixed with confusion and insult. "Why should you care about me? I've brought nothing but pain and sorrow into your life."

"Cloud," The bargirl said, getting off the bed. She walked right behind him and grabbed his hand. "I've cared more about you than most people in this world would ever be willing to. I've cared since before you left for SOLDIER, since before I found you at that train station years ago, since before our humble beginnings in Nibelheim."

Cloud drank this in as carefully as if he was drinking his last water ration. Why is she being so insistent to know my well-being? Could she be the one Aeris was referring to? "I just…I just can't bring myself to the same level that you are in. I'm just not ready to—"

"Aeris would've wanted you to move on," Tifa interrupted. Cloud eyes went big. "You can't be going through your shit alone any more. We've both saved the world more than a few times. We've both been through events that just raped our very sanity to shreds over and over again. I just…I just want to stitch the fabrics of your world together. Please," she begged, squeezing tighter on his hand, "let me do this one thing for you."

Cloud could feel the frustration ebbing from Tifa's hand. He could feel the pain, the sorrow, the loss. But he could also feel love, a love that he had always dreamed and longed for since he was a child. That very love was what was pulling him in. This is the man who went through countless monsters to the ultimate fights with Sephiroth—the points in his life where he rose above all expectations—who is at his wit's end emotionally. He stared death in the face too many times and never once did his knees buckle under the weight of his emotions. However, now was different. The weight of Tifa's love pressed him to his point like never before. Maybe Aeris was talking about—no. There are no more maybes now. Tifa was the one she was referring to.

Turning around to looked at Tifa's now wet eyes, he put his lips to hers. This, needless to say, shocked Tifa, but she immediately relented to the caress. Breaking it, Cloud hugged her close to his soul. "Tifa," he whispered oh so gently into her ear, "you know that this won't be easy."

"I know," Tifa said. "But I'm ready to make the sacrifice. You are worth it in my world." With that she gave him a very deep, passionate kiss.

"Now you will make it, Cloud. Now your heart will become whole once again."

~xXx~

Author's note: Well, that's it. Hope it met up to your expectations. I know it probably sound sappy and all that, but I thought it emotional enough to get the point across. Please review ;)