[His ears catch her voice before he knows it. Head snapping up as he reaches the very top, Cloud's bright eyes easily find her and for a moment, he wobbles and finds himself unbalanced.]

--Tifa!

[His hand slips from sweat off of the stone edging the top and Cloud finds himself tumbling down the outside of the barrier. Miraculously, he actually lands, on his feet no less, perfectly unscathed and unharmed. But that does little to quell his rapid heartbeat.

Crap. Of course she'd find him. Try as he might, Tifa knows him too well for him to actually successfully avoid her. They had grown up together after all, and she understood the prince and his moods and personality more than anyone else.

Still in a squatting position, he looks up at her from beneath the helmet, barely able to keep the pout off his face. As much as he does like her (despite the fact that he's terrible at showing it), he was hoping to go out on his own. The last thing Cloud wants is for her to get wrapped up or even blamed for his own predicament.]

...Just out. Needed some air and to out of the stuffy castle. [He gets up and dusts off the uniform, very obviously avoiding her eyes.]

You don't have to follow me out here. Don't want you to get in trouble.