"His Angel No More"
The high pitched squeal of his name was truthfully heart warming. The tight but pleasant pressure around his waist gave him a temporary comfort, he had indeed been missed. The feeling of the small child's face burring itself deep into his stomach brought back the essence of home. "Did you forget about your family back home, Delivery boy?" The familiar feminine voice caused tingling sensations to shoot up his spine.
"Not when I have a constant reminder of them" His stomach knotted with unease but he smiled mildly, thinking back to several messages that he had received, one in particular.
"Your well over due for a good scolding!" Tifa's voice project from the phone.
"That's right" Marlene chirped in the back round.
"Denzel?. . " A small complaint as the phone shift from person to person could be herd.
"Holding down the fort like you asked, Cloud" The presence of a male was made amongst the females.
"Thinking again?" Tifa placed a palm on his shoulder. "You seemed to do a lot of that" She added allowing her palm to slip from his shoulder proceeding to turn her back.
She froze suddenly, the feeling of heated leather brushing against her palm. "I-I" He stammered ridiculously his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "How long?" The sudden tension on his stomach loosened. He sighed in defeat. "I leave tomorrow morning"
The sudden movement of arms leaving his stomach caused his head to lower. He was greeted with the tears of a sobbing face. "Family first!" Marlene demanded, face angered despite the running tears.
"Tifa. . ." He glanced at her.
How many times would she play his savior, how many time was she left giving a explanation of his absence. His angel no more. "No!" Her voice was stern and rattled the house's foundation.
"Tell them Cloud, why you can't be here, tell them why every time you walk out that door you family slowly shatters right before you. . ." Her voice lowered softening to a timid whisper.
Strengthened fist clenched, the sound of her knuckles cracking cut though the air.
"Ti-" His words were cut.
"Save the world when you can't even save your own family. . ."
A small force impacted with him, shaking his balance. "I hate you!" Marlened snapped.
The sudden outburst pierced him deeper than any external wound. The world place on his shoulder toppled. "Marlene!" He called. His plead was met with the sound of footsteps followed by the slamming of a door.
A shadow like figure came forth from the stairway, child like features came into view.
"Denzel?" Cloud mustered
Ignoring his exsistance, he parted the door.
An akward tension divided the house as everyone resumed their places, a unease presence. Tifa minding the bar, Marlene assisting and Denzel watching at the peak of the stair case. The outcasted feeling was not what Cloud had been expecting upon his arrival.
The twisted silence of cluttered thoughts was ruptured by the phone ringing. Motion continued as if the ringing itself had never been herd. The pitched beap of the answering machine registering drew attention.
"Hey, Cloud we need you to deliver that package sooner than we though, Right Rude?" A sly voice echoed thoughout the bar.
"Yes" The dull voice of Rude replied.
Glances were exchanged. "Go, they need you more than we do" Tifa sighed.
Cloud lifted the phone hesitantly. "I can't make it"
"Hey there ya are, Cloud. . .What do mean you can't make it!?"
"Your assistance is needed" Rude added breifly.
"Sorry boys. . .this delivery boy his retired"
"Wha-" were the cut forming word.
"Tifa I'm, sor-"
The feeling of embracement over took his body. Warmth surrounded him. He flinched at the sudden clingage of his leg.
"Family first, Promise?" Innocence pierced him to the core.
"Hold down the fort down, remember?" Denzel crossed his arms firmly.
"Yeah fort. . .Family first, Promise"
The embrace faded, but the warmth remained. A new thought settled with him the thought of his neglected family, the fort that he had to up hold, and the promise that he intended to keep.