I think peeps just mean his feelings as a young 'un
I buy Cloti but I don't buy into the whole they were bbf forever/knew each other inside out/were special childhood sweetheart ideals, same as I don't have all the same beliefs about Cloud/Aerith as some Cleriths do. The fact is Cloud and Tifa didn't really know each other all that well as children, Tifa even admits as much herself in the Lifestream. A faint/dim/w-e crush on someone you don't really know makes sense I think. It was as adults Cloud and Tifa started to know each other properly. Now I know some people might say but that means he doesn't really know Tifa at all! since he didn't know her on disc one! but I don't believe that, I think the real Cloud was in there and aware at some level, just as I think the real Cloud had emotions concerning Aerith
I think the real Cloud knew Tifa was there, I think there's even a quote during Sephiroth's illusion somewhere where Cloud acknowledges he knew Tifa had been there for him and that was before the lifestream events so. So yeah I think at some level Cloud was aware of Tifa and what she had done for him like looking after him when she found him at the train station and kind of got to know her some as she was going about her business at the Seventh Heaven/Avalanche
I think it was the same for Tifa as well, she didn't really know this strange kid from next door, they weren't even sure they were going to meet that night at the well, Cloud didn't think Tifa was coming, they were both kinda surprised later it had happened, she was surprised and intrigued by the ambitions he revealed at the night at the well, they were better than the future others had told her about, at first it was this ideal, she had this whole hero business in her head. Then she grew up, became more mature, started to know Cloud for who he really was, finding out about truths and flaws ... but she still stayed
Then they started to get to know each other more in depth with the lifestream and Highwind events
Thanks again for the translations Danseru, Que and Ryu