Cloud slipped out of his bed and stretched. Buying those custom beds was such a good idea. They didn't even put much of a dent in what we had saved up. He quietly walked out of his room and made a small stop in the bathroom. After he washed his hands he went to check up on the three kids that Tifa and he had adopted, Marlene, and Tifa. All of them were sound asleep and Marlene and Kaylee, the girl with the Moogle plush, had curled up together in bed. Cloud smiled quietly at the peacefulness that his life had gained for the first time in a long time. It felt good to not to have to worry. 

      After looking at the clock in the office and seeing how early it really was he decided to go back to his bed. So, he climbed the stairs back up to the part of the house that held his and Tifa's rooms and quietly went back into his room... Only to stop and stare in surprise at his bed. How...? I... maybe I'm hallucinating. I'll ask Tifa to come look and make sure I'm not seeing things again. That is a great idea... He turned right back around and walked out of his room while ignoring the lumps on his bed, at least for the moment. The blond entered Tifa's room and crossed over to her bed. He reached out and shook her shoulder. Blurry red-brown eyes met clear shining blue and the young woman made a curious sound. “Tifa? Can you... come look at my bed and... er... this sounds really stupid, but could you make sure I'm not hallucinating?”

      “Cloud? I... sure, I guess.” She yawned and rubbed at her eyes. “Did you check on the kids?” Tifa asked quietly as she put on her slippers.

      “Yeah, they're all sleeping soundly in they're beds. That wasn't what I was worried about.”

      “Didn't think it would be, but I could hope...”

      “If it is real... don't do anything rash? They seem okay. Just giving you a bit of warning.” He whispered this as they were in between the two rooms.

      “They...? Oh... my...” Tifa had stopped at the sight before her and Cloud quickly back-peddled to avoid knocking her over. “I don't think you're hallucinating...” The three figures were curled and wrapped around each other on the blond's large bed. He had gotten it and one of similar size for Tifa so that the kids would have room to sleep in the same bed after nightmares. The one closest to them was turned towards them, his tanned body held by a thinner, paler arm which belonged to the only woman in the bed. The silver haired man on the far side of the bed had an arm around the girl and a hand buried in the tanned man's thick and spiky black hair. The woman's other hand had curled up under the tall, silver haired man's cheek. Cloud slipped past Tifa and padded silently towards his bed. He stood there for a few minutes, just looking and memorizing how peaceful and right the three look, just in case it wasn't real and that what he was about to do made them all just fade away. Which... wouldn't actually surprise him...

      Cloud leaned over and poked the black-haired man on the shoulder. The man's arms uncurled, his hands wrapped around the blond's arm and gently, but insistently dragged the other down into a warm embrace. The arms rearranged the blond into a comfortable position for them both and then they settled around his waist. Wide blue eyes stared at the woman in the doorway as his lips mouth out the words 'I wasn't expecting that'. Her red-brown eyes twinkled merrily with suppressed laughter and she watched as the darker man's head nestled into the blond's neck. The black haired man muttered a few unintelligible words and quieted back down with a small smile and his prize. Cloud gestured for Tifa to come over and silently said, 'You may as well, I think the bed will hold us. And this'll probably be the best route so that when we all wake up we can find out what happened, right?'

      Tifa smiled as she walked over and let his arms wrap around her and her arms go around him and the dark haired man. 'I know what happened,' she whispered as she looked up at him. 'You finally got the happy ending you wished for...' and her eyes close on the most breathtaking smile she had ever seen the blond make.

      Cloud lightly kissed Tifa's forehead and fell into the calmest sleep he'd had since before Nibelheim, with his loved ones all together and, hopefully, as sane as could be.