Hey, so this is Teni.
Been playing around with this idea for awhile:
What if Cloud wasn't so willing to take in Denzel, especially knowing the orphan has Geostigma? How long could he try to keep his distance form the boy?
Don't know how long it's going to be, but I think there's a lot to pull from and go off on. Hope you enjoy!
Cloud sighed as he put his phone in his back pocket. "Tifa said to take you home, kid." He lifted the boy onto the back of Fenrir and got on himself, putting his goggles in place. "Grab on." He ordered as he readied to hit the throttle. At first Cloud didn't feel the boy move, but then, too weak and in too much pain to do much else, the boy just collapsed forward onto Cloud's back. Cloud turned, seeing the kid's face contorted with a silent pain. Turning back, he grabbed the boy's hand and brought it forward. He noticed the small hand shaking and heard pained whimpers coming from the boy. Cloud squeezed the boy's hand to steady the shaking and hit the throttle.
When Cloud stopped in front of 7th Heaven, Tifa was waiting on the steps with concern on her face. Cloud got off Fenrir and took the boy into his arms. "He's not doing too well. Severely dehydrated." He informed her as he walked into the bar, Tifa following close behind.
"Has he said anything?" she asked as Cloud brought the boy up the stairs and into Marlene's room.
"No." Cloud shook his head as he gently lowered the boy into the spare bed. "Not a word."
Tifa looked down at the boy. "He's skin and bones." Cloud took a good look at the boy also, seeing his clammy skin, his sandy hair matted with sweat. "What was he doing in Sector Seven?" the boy coughed painfully. "I'm going to get him some water." And Tifa left the room. As he waited for her return, Cloud stared at the boy. What was he doing in Old Shinrah? It wasn't a place for civilians, especially children. The way in was blocked. Only Cloud knew the secret passages to get in and out. To go to the place where it all happened. Where she…
The boy flinched and moaned in pain. Instinctively, Cloud brushed the hair out of the boy's face to soothe him, but then retracted his hand quickly. Black puss oozed out of scabs on the boy's forehead. Cloud froze. The Stigma. The boy was infected.
Tifa entered the room again, a glass of water in one hand and a bread roll in the other. She set the glass on the nightstand and started to cut the bread. "I have some bread too in case he's hungry, which he probably is considering-"
"Tifa."
"What?" Tifa looked up from what she was doing only to see Cloud staring down at the boy, his face pale. Cloud knew the moment she saw it, because her whole body went rigid. Cloud looked up at her to see her mouth hanging open slightly. Cloud sighed, then turned to leave the room. "Cloud." Tifa said quietly, but Cloud ignored her and entered his office, which had also been serving as his bedroom since they took in Marlene for Barrett. Cloud's bedroom was now occupied by Tifa, using her room for Marlene. "Cloud, wait." Tifa called and he heard her footfalls close behind him.
"He can't stay, Tifa." Cloud declared the moment she entered the room. Cloud tossed his keys onto his desk and busied himself with sorting through delivery orders.
"And why the hell not?" she asked as she closed the door until a small sliver of light shown through.
"You saw it. He has the Stigma. We can't take care of him."
"Sure we can."
"Tifa." Abandoning his efforts, Cloud finally turned to see her standing with her arms crossed over her chest in defiance. "He's infected. He could give us all the Stigma."
"The Stigma isn't contagious like that, Cloud."
"You know what's going to happen. There isn't a cure. You'll just get attached to him, Marlene will get attached to him, and then he'll die. Do you really want to put yourself through that? Do you really want to put Marlene through that?"
"He isn't some stray dog we found on the street, Cloud! He's a child-"
"He's going to die." Cloud deadpanned.
Tifa opened her mouth to make some retort, but she shut it, realizing the truth of the situation. Cloud could see the tears starting to form in her eyes, and Cloud looked down, regretting the blunt way he had put it. He hated hurting Tifa because he knew it was so hard to do, yet he was the only one who managed to do it.
No. She needs to understand the kid can't be nursed back to health. He told himself.
Tifa sighed, looking up at the ceiling to gather herself, and then looked back at Cloud. "So what's your solution, Cloud?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion. "Just turn him out onto the street so he can die in some gutter alone?" Cloud turned away from her before she could see him flinch at the image his mind conjured of the boy laying on the ground, motionless, in some alley of Midgar.
"He's not our responsibility." He said quietly.
Tifa shook her head automatically. "No. I know you. You're not that cruel."
"Tifa-" he turned back to her to argue.
"No, Cloud! We're not going to do that to him, so just forget it!" Tifa declared angrily.
Cloud sighed, his jaw flexing and releasing. "Well then leave me out of it." He ordered, and snatching his keys, he brushed past her.
"Where are you going?" Tifa asked annoyed.
"To make a delivery." And Cloud flung the door open and left her there. Tifa looked up at the ceiling and sighed. One battle at a time. She told herself. She heard him make his way down the stairs and in a few seconds she could hear him speed away on Fenrir.
When Tifa entered Marlene's room, she saw the boy looking at her, fear on his face. "Hey." Tifa said soothingly. "How are you feeling?" The boy didn't answer. Tifa grabbed the glass of water on the nightstand and held it out to him. "Here." The boy snatched it out of her hands and started guzzling the glass of water. He downed it in only a few seconds. Tifa took the empty glass from him and moved to brush the hair out of the boy's face, but he quickly moved away from her. "It's okay. We talked on the phone, remember?" Confusion entered the boy's face, and then his eyes widened slightly in realization. "You called me using Cloud's phone." Tifa added. "I'm Tifa."
The boy looked down, almost in disappointment, but didn't say anything. "What's your name?" No reply. "Well you have to have a name." she continued, but the boy looked at her with apprehension still apparent on his face.
"Well where are you from?" Tifa pressed on. "You have half the city's dirt on you, so I know you've been places." She smiled as she looked at the boy's dirty clothes. The boy still didn't say anything. "I'm sure a nice bath would remedy that, huh?" Tifa smiled wider. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." And Tifa slowly moved to lift the boy. He moved away from her, and Tifa stopped. "It's alright. You're safe, I promise. I'm going to take care of you." The boy hesitated, then stilled. Tifa slowly reached out to him again and he let her lift him into her arms.
So that's it so far. Kind of a short chapter, but I'll add quite a bit more. Let me know what you though of it or what you would really like to see from this. Suggestions are welcome if you want to add any. Hope you enjoyed.
-Teni