"Grossness," the young woman stated simply. Turning her back on the reflection facing her, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. What was I thinking? Shaking her head, she exhaled and made her way to the bathroom. Without switching on the light, she reached for the tap and turned the knob.
Taking a face cloth in her hand, she wet it before proceeding to thoroughly scrub her face. Beginning with her forehead, she then drew circles with her fingers across her temple, cheeks and chin. Closing her eyes, she began to rub her eyelids and finally her nose. Satisfied she'd done all she could, she reached for the towel beside the bath and dried her face.
In that instant, the previous night's events suddenly flitted across her mind. Before she could stop it, a single tear stroked down her left cheek. Throwing the towel in the washing basket, she stood up and moved towards the mirror.
Despite the room being near pitch black, she was able to see the outline of her face, as she felt fresh tears join the single droplet, on the descent down her cheeks. Raising her right hand, she wiped away the tears, only for more to join them. Furiously, she began wiping her eyes in a bid to stop new tears forming. However, this only served to produce more, causing the young woman to lightly punch the wall beside the mirror, in frustration at her apparent lack of self control.
Her thoughts lingering on last night, she brought her head to rest next to her fist and slowly sank to the floor. Holding her face in her hands, she allowed the tears to fall freely, as her mind began vividly replaying the events.
She had never thought it possible to feel so many different emotions at once, yet be unable to distinguish a single one. She felt her mind move in circles; round and round, back and forth, until she thought she would pass out.
The young woman repeatedly tried to steady her breathing and focus on clearing her mind, however, this only caused the images to grow more and more distinct. She opened her eyes, hoping to disrupt the barrage of scenes, and was gripped with fear, as violent tremors seized her once again. She held onto the sink for support, but soon felt her grip weakening and she collapsed, sobbing and shaking. The images seemed to surround her and she brought her trembling arms to her chest.
The young woman felt utterly powerless as the intense feelings washed over her. She wanted to scream, shout; do anything to make it stop, but all she could do was cry. Eventually, exhaustion loomed over her and closing her eyes, she gave into the despair and cried herself to sleep.
After what felt like hours of weeping, she decided it would be better if she simply went back to bed. Rising slowly, she took one last look in the mirror, before turning and walking into her bedroom.
Standing near the doorway, she glanced around the room. The wardrobe stood in the corner opposite her, next to the dressing table littered with items. Pictures hung from the pale blue walls and her bag was still waiting patiently on the chair beside the bed. She had risen with a start and was not surprised to see half of the duvet on the floor.
However, the piece of paper placed beneath a white mug of tea, on the bedside table, did not go unnoticed by the young woman, as she immediately moved towards it and lifted the cup, fully revealing the sheet of paper.
The strong waft of green tea suddenly assaulted her nostrils, making her wonder how she hadn't smelt it sooner. As her mind began to ponder this, she picked up the paper and almost dropped the tea. Her eyes wide and alert, she looked around the room once more, studying intently each detail she took in: the wardrobe, the dressing table, the unmade bed, the photographs on the wall, her bag on the chair, the drawn curtains…that she hadn't drawn.
Looking towards the door, her suspicions were confirmed when she saw that it stood ever so slightly ajar, almost as if the person had intended to shut it, but thought better of it at the last moment. Placing the cup down gently, she looked at the paper, reading the words carefully:
'Thought you might like something to drink. I left your bed as I figured you'd just want to rest today. If you do feel like eating something, I made some miso ramen so just help yourself. Marlene wanted to go to the movies and we agreed to take her, so don't wait up – we'll grab a bite to eat someplace after. Sleep well and see you in the morning.
Love Tifa xxx'
In spite of her distress she smiled, putting down the paper and looking at the tea in front of her. Moving to the side of the bed, she lifted the covers, wrapping them around her shoulders and picked up the mug. Sipping the tea, her thoughts once again turned to the night before, but this time, she was able to push the images aside and remind herself where she was. She was wrapped up in bed, drinking the most comforting tea, safe and warm.
In the morning, she would go down to the kitchen and see Cloud setting off to make his deliveries, and Marlene chirping happily to Tifa as she ate her breakfast. Tifa would look up at her entrance with the warmest smile, she once thought only her mother could give her.
Although this alone, wouldn't take away the pain she felt or the utter despair that filled her heart, but she knew it would ease her mind no end. There were few places where she truly felt at home and could relax long enough to let her guard down. 7th Heaven was one of those places. With that in mind, she sipped the last of her tea and settled back into bed, drew the covers around her and went into a peaceful sleep.
"I wonder how she's doing..." Tifa sighed.
"Who?"
"Yuffie," she said.
"Oh."
"Oh? Is that all you can say? 'Oh'? Cloud..."
"Tifa," he started, looking up from the papers on the desk in front of him. "Why don't you just ask her?"
"I have. She says she's fine."
"Well that's good, isn't it?" He said, returning to pour over the papers.
Tifa inwardly, groaned. She knew Yuffie was not fine; everything about her practically screamed it. It didn't matter how many times the ninja told her she was okay, or tried to reassure her that there was nothing wrong, Tifa knew that Yuffie was hiding something; she just couldn't figure out what it was.
After placing the last clean glass in the cabinet behind the bar, she joined Cloud at the table. Cloud had expected Tifa to continue talking about Yuffie, so when he only heard her sigh beside him, he looked up at her. He saw the concern etched into her features as she continued to frown. She briefly looked at him before turning to gaze out the window.
Reaching out to touch her hand, he said: "She'll tell you when she's ready, if there's something wrong."
"I know. I just hate the thought of her being alone in whatever she's dealing with. She always tries to put on a brave face. She says it's just stress at work but Cloud, I know there's more... Hm. Why won't she just tell me?"
"You worry too much. Yuffie's a strong girl." He paused, prompting Tifa to look at him. "She can take care of herself." He stopped again. "Besides, working with Vincent is stressful." Tifa smiled at this.
"When did you become a comedian?"
"I thought I'd try it out in case the business failed."
Tifa laughed then, her features brightening. Cloud watched as the warmth returned to her brown eyes. They both looked at one another for a long moment, before Tifa leaned over to give Cloud a kiss on the cheek and rose from the chair. "Thank you," she said, answering his unspoken question.
"Good night Cloud."
"Night Tifa."
Tifa ascended the stairs slowly, trying to push her worries aside. She stopped outside the room at the end of the corridor and gently eased the door open, peering inside. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light in the room, she faintly made out the form of the sleeping girl. She stood for a moment, watching the rise and fall of her chest on the bed. She briefly considered going inside before she stopped herself. Maybe Cloud's right, she thought.
"Good night Yuffie, sweet dreams," she whispered, quietly closing the door and walking to her bedroom.
Once inside, she went over to her dressing table and sat down on the stool. She looked at herself in the mirror for a minute before picking up her brush. She brushed her long ebony locks and thought about the day's events.
The morning had been quiet without Marlene to talk to and she hadn't seen Johnny. Yuffie came down after midday, mumbling about going to see a friend. Tifa didn't know who this friend was and when she asked her, Yuffie shrugged and told her it was someone from work. This surprised Tifa because she remembered Yuffie telling her how boring everyone was at work and she had never mentioned making any friends.
When she asked her what time she would return, Yuffie replied that she would be back before closing and quickly left. They must be meeting close by. Tifa didn't want to pry into Yuffie's personal life. They had become very close and she valued their friendship.
The rest of the day had passed by in a blur and she was grateful that the last customer left without a fuss. Cloud returned late and they had eaten in near silence, as per usual. At various points during the meal, Tifa had been sure he was watching her, yet she failed to catch his eye each time she looked at him. After that somewhat awkward meal, he excused himself to go and do some paperwork and she resumed cleaning the bar.
Replacing the brush on its stand, she made a mental note to call Marlene in the morning. She fingered the small portrait of the little girl in front of her and smiled. Tifa had been surprised when Barret left Marlene with them four years ago. So much had happened since then and her feelings towards the child had grown greatly. The thought that Barret would one day take his daughter back scared her and she tried hard not to think about it. She loved Marlene. She couldn't imagine life without her; she wouldn't.
She heard a floorboad creak outside her room and turned to look at the door. She wondered if Cloud had come to ask her something. "Cloud?" When she didn't get a response, she rose quickly heading to the door and as she did, she distinctly heard retreating footsteps. When she opened her door, she just glimpsed the door at the far end of the corridor closing. Yuffie. She made to follow her but was stopped by Cloud climbing the stairs. He gave her a puzzled look. Deciding to leave it until morning, she bid him good night once more and returned to her room.
In bed, Tifa wondered what Yuffie had wanted. Was she going to tell me what's wrong? Or maybe she just wanted to talk...but at 1 am? Part of her wished she had just gone to Yuffie's room. She obviously came to see me. The other part of her was reluctant to confront the ninja. She felt Yuffie pulling away over the past few weeks and frankly, it made the martial artist unsure of how to approach her at times. This upset Tifa. She thought of how much time they had spent together the past year; the countless times they had talked long into the night.
Yuffie had shared so much with her. She opened up to her about growing up in Wutai, her tempestuous relationship with her father, and her reasons for leaving. She even told her about her mother. That had been the second time Tifa saw Yuffie cry. The tears had fallen steadily as she recounted how alone and lost she felt and how her relationship with her father had suffered as a result. Tifa had taken Yuffie into her arms and held her tightly, reassuring her that she was not alone; not anymore. Yuffie had smiled through her tears and thanked her.
Tifa had in turn shared much with Yuffie. She told her about life in Nibelheim with her parents and how she felt when her mother took ill and died. She hadn't even talked to Cloud about this and the words were caught in her throat at various points. Yuffie had attentively held her hand and stroked it softly, patiently waiting for her to continue. She recalled how she had gone on the journey over the mountain to see the spirit of her mother...
"I was so scared. When Lina turned to go back, I almost went with her. I started thinking... I don't know. I just missed my mom so much. I had to see her again, no matter what."
"When I fell, I thought..." She trailed off.
"...Tifa?"
There was a long pause before she continued. She squeezed onto Yuffie's hand.
"I saw her," she breathed out. "She was smiling at me. I reached out to touch her...but she started to fade away."
"When everything went dark, I heard my father. I felt him stroke my hair and kiss my cheek. After I woke, I told him what I saw. He said it was probably a hallucination caused by the head trauma."
Looking directly at Yuffie, she whispered softly: "I know it was her. I saw my mom again Yuffie, I know I did."
The two sat in silence for a while, neither woman needing to say any more. She then went on to explain how the town had turned against Cloud and his mother. Yuffie noticed how disappointed Tifa seemed that she was never close to Cloud as a child.
"When he asked me to meet him that night..."
"Yes..."
"It's silly."
"Dilly dally shilly shally~" Yuffie sang.
"Yuffie."
"Dilly dally shilly shally~"
"I..."
"Dilly dally shilly shally, dilly dally shilly shally, dilly dally shilly shally, di-"
"Okay! I thought he was going to confess," she said, blushing.
"Confess? Why, what did he do?" She asked, genuinely confused.
Tifa held back a giggle as she smiled at Yuffie's expression.
"His feelings. I hoped he... I hoped he felt the same way."
"Oooh. That 'confess'. Well? Did he?"
Tifa rolled her eyes. "No. He told me he was leaving to join SOLDIER."
Yuffie looked disappointed. "Well...did you tell him?"
"Hm?"
"Tifaaa."
"What Yuffie?"
"Don't play dumb. You know what I mean." When she saw the older woman look back at her and say nothing, she continued. "Did you tell him how you feel about him?"
The question caught Tifa off guard. She had expected Yuffie to drop it. She looked at her and saw the ninja looking back at her expectantly. She sighed.
"I didn't, no."
"Why?"
"It was just a crush, Yuffie."
"But you're still in love with him," she said before she could stop herself. Tifa's eyes widened in shock and she gawked at her, blushing furiously. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, but found no words to speak. Tifa couldn't deny it, especially not now. Her reaction said it all. She looked away, but not before catching Yuffie's knowing look.
An awkward silence fell upon them as they remained seated on the bed. Tifa gazed around the dimly lit room. Has Yuffie's room always been this small? She stood suddenly and moved towards the vanity. Her attention was captured by a medium sized photograph taped to the mirror; it was of the two of them laughing. Tifa smiled at the fond memory.
How do I begin when I don't even understand it myself? She frowned. She had to give the ninja credit: she was a lot more perceptive than she looked.
Yuffie watched the martial artist standing by the mirror, seemingly lost in thought. She wondered if she hurt her feelings. She hadn't meant to be so blunt. Words just had a habit of tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. It was annoying and she remembered her teachers telling her it would only lead to trouble some day.
She felt the bed depress as Tifa rejoined her. "I don't know," she stated, answering the ninja's previous question. "I guess...I...missed my chance." She whispered the last three words faintly, Yuffie straining to hear them.
"There's still time," she responded hastily. Immediately, Yuffie realised she'd said that out loud and hesitantly turned to face Tifa. Tifa was still looking ahead with a forlorn expression. Yuffie scratched the back of her right hand, feeling uncomfortable.
"Didn't you see him again before you came to Midgar?" She pressed, unable to contain herself.
"I..." Pain flashed across her features and Yuffie moved close to her on the bed.
"Tifa?"
"..."
"I heard that Nibelheim was..." She paused, trying to find the right words. "...after...there was a fire..."
She looked at Tifa and saw that the older woman was crying.
"You don't have to tell me. If it's too painful." Yuffie inwardly cursed herself. How could I make Tifa cry? "I'm sorry. Forget I asked." Seeing Yuffie's worried expression and feeling her wet cheeks, she realised she was crying.
"It's okay Yuffie, really," she said, squeezing the younger girl's hand. Yuffie wasn't convinced, but remained quiet.
Silence filled the room once more. A weight lifted from the bed and Yuffie looked up. "I should go to bed. I don't want to keep you up late, especially with work in the morning..." She trailed off.
"Uhh, okay." Yuffie wanted to stop her, but words failed her, and she honestly wasn't sure what was going on; she just stared dumbly after Tifa as she moved towards the door.
"Good night Yuffie, see you in the morning." With that said, she left.
Yuffie shook her head. "Yuffie. You're an idiot."
Tifa stared at the ceiling. She wished she hadn't left the way she did that night. She remembered seeing Yuffie's guilty face the next morning. Why couldn't I just tell her? Sighing again, Tifa tried to push the painful memory away. After tossing and turning for a while, she looked at the clock and saw that it was already 2:30 am. Great. Glancing at her bedside table, she realised she had forgotten to bring a glass of water with her. Pushing the covers down, she stepped out of bed and headed to the door.
She paused at the top of the stairs and looked towards Yuffie's room. The barmaid thought again about going to check on the young ninja. She was brought out of her reverie when she heard the small sound of the wall clock behind her. She continued downstairs and entered the kitchen.
It was a modest size, but Tifa thought it served their needs well enough. She probably would have chosen a different style; aesthetics wasn't Cloud or Barret's forte. She laughed to herself at the memory of the two men building the room she was standing in. As with rest of the house, she had offered to help but was refused; this was man's work. She imagined Yuffie's indignant response: sexist. She absentmindedly drummed her left fingers on the sink. Taking a glass from the cupboard, she ran the tap and filled her glass.
She turned and almost dropped her glass. "Yuffie!" She calmed herself before continuing. "I didn't hear you..."
Yuffie didn't respond. She simply opened the refrigerator and reached for a bottle.
"Yuffie...?"
"Night," she responded, turning to leave. Tifa quickly placed her glass down and went after her, touching her back.
Yuffie immediatley dropped her bottle screaming. Tifa stopped dead in her tracks, removing her hand as if she'd been burnt. Looking like a deer caught in headlights, Yuffie stood before her transfixed. She visibly blanched.
"Yuf-" Tifa wasn't able to finish, as she watched Yuffie turn and run up the stairs. Dumbfounded, Tifa stared after her. She looked petrified. She hadn't meant to frighten her. She just wanted to talk. Seeing Yuffie's terrified expression unsettled her deeply. Holding her right hand to her chest, she took a sip of water to calm her nerves.
Feeling tiredness begin to creep upon her, she drank the rest of the water and returned to her room. As she settled back under the covers, she made another mental note to talk to Yuffie in the morning.
Cloud woke to the sound of his alarm at 6:30 am. He rose slowly, hitting the stop button on the small, neon green, clock Tifa had bought for him. He sat still for a moment. He was almost certain he heard screaming coming from downstairs last night. Unless, it was just dream. He shook the thought from his head, not wanting to dwell on it; he'd ask Tifa later. He smiled as his mind wandered to the buxom brunette.
He stood and went to the bathroom. His muscles relaxed as the water cascaded down his back and he gave a contented sigh. He reached for the shampoo on the ledge above him and squeezed some onto his hand. Slowly, he massaged the gel into his scalp and hair. Before he could stop himself, he imagined small, slender hands replacing his. Exhaling deeply, Cloud shook his head. Not now. The water suddenly ran cold as he turned the dial and he watched as the suds drained away.
After his cold shower, Cloud dressed quickly and went downstairs. It was still dark as the Sun had not yet risen. He looked around hoping to see Tifa, but was disappointed when he didn't spot the barmaid. Cloud moved into the kitchen and almost tripped over something. Looking down, he saw a blue bottle lying on the floor. He picked it up and placed it on the table. Opening the refrigerator, he immediately spied a familiar container perched on the middle shelf. This time, he saw there was a note attached. Pulling it free, he read:
'I thought I'd try something new. I hope you like it.
See you at home.
Tifa x'
Cloud smiled and took out the metal container. He was certain he would like it. There wasn't a dish Tifa cooked that he didn't love, though he never said as much. Maybe one day I should. He then proceeded to make himself coffee, which he drank deeply. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was almost time to leave for his first delivery. He was heading to Kalm this morning and he wanted to leave in good time. Setting his empty cup down, he reached for his lunch and turning, he saw a figure walking into the bar area.
"Tifa?" He followed and watched as Yuffie stood by the door, almost as if she was waiting.
She turned to face him, a large smile on her face. "Morning Cloud," she sang. "You're up early."
"I have work," he deadpanned.
"Right, of course you do..."
Seeing her shifting uneasily, he softened. "I'm not the only early riser."
"Yeah..."
When she didn't volunteer anymore, Cloud considered enquiring further. He was no fan of small talk. Since Yuffie had started living with them, he had grown accustomed to her sometimes incessant rambling that he often struggled to follow. Seeing her apparently lost for words was new.
"I have to get going. I'll see you later." He turned to look back at her as he reached the door to the garage. She was still standing by the door with a pained expression on her features. Maybe something is up with her.
As he pushed Fenrir outside, he felt his pocket vibrate, signalling a call. Ignoring it, he settled onto the bike and sped off.
He reached Kalm in record time and his first customer gave him a generous tip in gratitude. The rest of the morning passed at its usual pace. He stopped for lunch just outside town. He took out the container and opened it. Cloud smiled. He ate quickly, savouring each bite; thinking of the barmaid. Cloud hadn't asked Tifa to make him lunch each day, but he was grateful for her doing so. He never told her how much he appreciated what she did for him. Flipping open his phone, he pulled up the menu and selected voicemail.
"You have one new message. Message received today: at 7:25 am."
"..."
Cloud waited for the person to speak but no voice came through. After listening to the thirty second message twice more, he concluded that the person had dialled his number accidently, not realising they had left a voicemail. He deleted the message and checked the call log. Tifa's name appeared several times, followed by Yuffie and occasionally Barret. Cid never called his cell phone and he wasn't sure if Vincent even used his phone, despite Yuffie buying him one.
The top entry caught his attention. Unknown. He clicked on the entry and saw that it matched the time he received the voicemail.
Who was calling him so early in the morning? He didn't give his cell number out to anyone aside from his friends. In fact, it was Tifa who had given his number to their friends. His customers rang the bar and Tifa would call him if any of the deliveries were urgent. A loud ring disturbed his musings and he answered instinctively.
"Cloud."
"Yo Spike! You actually answer your phone?" Barret sounded genuinely surprised. He had obviously been anticipating leaving another voicemail.
"Yeah, sometimes," Cloud said, scratching his head. "Did you need something?"
"Huh? Oh yeah. You free this weekend?"
"I don't have anything planned."
"Well, I got us a job."
Cloud waited for Barret to elaborate and sighed when he didn't.
"Is it a secret?"
"What?"
"The job."
"Ah, nah. It's no secret." He laughed. "Sorry Spike, I'm just a bi-" Cloud could just make out the sound of a young girl who he assumed to be Marlene.
"Is something wrong Barret?"
There was a pause before he answered. "Marlene...she had an accident."
"An accident?"
"Yeah."
Cloud knew Barret was not an eloquent speaker, but even he could do better than this. "What happened?"
"It's nothing serious, Spike."
Deciding to cut to the chase, Cloud offered: "You don't want Tifa to find out, but you know Marlene will tell her what happened."
"..."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Er, could you pick her up on Friday?"
Cloud shook his head. Barret wanted him to drive all the way to collect Marlene, drop her home with Tifa, and then drive out to meet him again? "Fine."
"Alright! I'll have her ready for when you get here. I'll tell you about the job when I see you. I owe you one Cloud."
"I have to go."
"Don't let me keep you. Glad I caught you at last, Spike." He laughed again. "See you on Friday." Marlene could also be heard faintly speaking.
"Bye Cloud!"
Cloud ended the call and got back on his bike. He looked at his watch. He only had three more deliveries until he was finished for the day. Looking towards the Sun, he placed his sunglasses over his eyes and started the engine. He gave a brief thought to his earlier mystery call as he rode into the city.
Tifa massaged her temple gently. Staying up until 4 am was not a good idea. She moved towards the door and opened it. In about an hour her first customers would be arriving. Reina, the new part time waitress, had called in sick; again. That girl has either got the worst immune system or she has the worst work ethic. Tifa had a suspicion that it was the latter but she didn't dwell on it; her headache was bad enough as it was.
After their encounter last night, Yuffie had gone all out to prove she was fine and honestly, it had been painful for Tifa to watch. The huge fake smile she had plastered on her face practically cracked at the seams. Though she laughed and joked with her as they went about the household chores, Tifa saw through her forced playfulness. Whenever the ninja thought she wasn't looking, her smile would vanish only to be replaced by a look of deep sadness. How long is she going to keep this up?
Yuffie had cooked lunch and explained away what happened in the kitchen last night, by telling her that she didn't even remember coming down. She suggested that she may have been sleep walking and laughed. The whole time she avoided looking Tifa in the eyes. Tifa hadn't pressed her further, she only nodded and agreed. She wasn't sure what happened herself. The way Yuffie reacted had scared her. After washing the dishes, Yuffie told her that she was going for a walk and would be back soon.
Tifa looked at the clock. It was 2:30 pm. She had only been gone for two hours, but Tifa was starting to worry. She had offered to join her, but Yuffie had politely declined. The barmaid reached for her phone. I'll just send her a message. She had only just finished writing the text when Yuffie burst in the front door looking flustered.
"Yuffie! What's wrong?"
"Huh? Nothing boobs. Why?"
She really wasn't fond of her nickname. "Was someone chasing you? You look..."
"Chasing me?" The ninja laughed, wiping her forehead. "Relax Tifa, I was just running fast to get back in time."
"For what?"
"Opening. It's in half an hour."
Tifa gave the younger woman a perplexed look, not understanding.
"I saw Johnny while I was out and he told me about Reina. Apparently she's sick, a lot. Anyway, I came home as soon as I could."
"I'm sorry Yuffie, I'm still not following you. How does Reina being sick have anything to do with you rushing ba... Oh." Yuffie was going to fill in today?
Confirming her thoughts, Yuffie moved to the stairs and called behind her. "I'll just grab a quick shower and be down in twenty."
Tifa hadn't expected this. She was grateful for the offer of help, but she knew she could manage on her own. Her head throbbed again painfully. Maybe having Yuffie around today would take the pressure off a bit. It didn't usually get busy until after 6 pm. She picked up her phone and erased the message she'd written only moments ago. She rubbed her temple again, hoping to ease the pain. Tifa looked up as a familiar face appeared at the doorway.
"What'll it be, Johnny?"
"The usual, Lockhart."
She grinned at him, as she prepared his drink. When he reached for his wallet, she shook her head.
"It's on the house," she said, looking at Yuffie as she made her way into the bar. Johnny returned her smile with a wink.
The ninja grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist. She then went into the kitchen.
"Thanks for finding me a replacement."
The bar was much busier than it usually was on a Monday night. Tifa was planning to tell Yuffie she could finish early, but looking around at the packed room, she was glad for the continued help. From what she could gather, a crew of workmen were in town and they had decided to stop by after a job well done. They had been drinking for hours and seemed nowhere near stopping any time soon. Tifa just hoped they wouldn't be difficult at closing time. Only two hours to go.
Yuffie had been amazing. She really seemed to have a knack for waitressing. She was polite and courteous, could balance more glasses than she thought possible, and she even laughed at the customers' awful jokes. Ever so often, Tifa would catch her eye and see a look of genuine happiness on her face. Tifa beamed at her, feeling relieved. She had been worried that Yuffie would struggle to cope with the mass of people piling into the bar after work. The ninja appeared to take it in her stride; weaving inbetween the bodies to serve the food and drinks.
A large cheer erupted from the corner of the bar. "Another round of BOOZE~!" The leader shouted over at Tifa.
Chuckling, Yuffie joined her behind the bar to help prepare the drinks. As she moved to take them on the tray, Tifa held her arm. "I'll go."
"Boobs, it's cool. I got this," she said, winking. The barmaid watched as she deftly made her way through the crowd. An impatient grunt, returned her attention to the growing queue in front of her, and she smiled apologetically as she took orders and prepared their drinks in rapid succession.
Yuffie approached the large table in the far corner of the bar and set the tray down. Six pairs of eyes darted in her direction. She tried to shake the feeling of unease she felt under their gaze. She called out each drink and passed them to the intended recipient. When she handed the last drink, a glass of Awamori, to the bearded man nearest her, she felt a finger stroke her hand. She pulled back in surprise almost knocking over the glass.
"I haven't seen you around here before." He smirked.
Ignoring him and her growing discomfort, she said politely: "Will that be all, gentlemen?" When they answered affirmatively, Yuffie moved to return to the bar, but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. Trying not to panic, she looked up at the owner. His dark brown eyes regarded her as she noticed the large scar running down his left cheek.
"Yes, sir? Is there something else I can get you?"
"How about your number?" He replied. Yuffie nearly cringed. Was he serious? He looks older than Godo. "I have to be getting back to the bar now sir."
"Ah, come on baby. Maybe we could get to know each other," he said, staring directly at her chest. "What time do you finish?"
Yuffie started to feel sick. She had to get away, fast. She smiled and turned to leave. She heard a loud clatter and saw the tray lying on the floor. Sighing, she bent over to pick it up. Almost as soon as she touched the tray, she stiffened as she felt a hand cupping her ass. She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard him speak again.
Her chest suddenly felt tight and the room began to swim as she looked up. Please, not now. She knew she was shaking but from her perspective, it looked as if the whole room was spinning. All the bodies in the bar seemed to merge into a large swirling mass around her. Closing her eyes, she tried to regain composure and shake off the growing panic threatening to consume her.
She realised her mistake when the images she'd tried desperately to forget, flickered across her mind and a familiar buzzing sound reached her ears. Yuffie could taste the bile in her mouth. She tried reaching out to touch the table, but felt a wet sensation on her hands. Puzzled, she opened her eyes. She definitely wasn't in 7th Heaven anymore. Everything: the people, the noise, the colour, was gone. All she saw was black.
"W-where am I? T-Tifa...?" She flinched when she heard a sound in the distance. "Who's there?" The sound came again, slightly louder than before. Yuffie strained her ears over the buzzing to try and make out what it was she heard. There was still no response. When she heard the noise thrice again, growing steadily louder, she shuddered. It's getting closer. The realisation chilled the ninja to the bone.
"I-I can h-hear you! Who a-are you?!" She was unable to keep the fear from her voice. The noise stopped suddenly and a deathly silence replaced it. This only served to frighten her more. I have to get out of here.
Shakily, she got to her feet and looked around. She was in complete darkness. Where am I? She took deep breaths, trying to steady her hammering heart that seemed intent on bursting through her chest. This is probably just a dream; a nightmare or something. It's not real. A loud bang drew her attention. Though she couldn't see, Yuffie was certain whatever it was that had been making the earlier sounds, was now right in front of her.
Gingerly, she took a few steps back and jumped when she hit something solid. Before she could turn around to investigate, she heard it again, clearly this time; chains. She screamed as laughter rang in her ears. She then felt herself falling and her eyelids began to feel heavy. "N-no..." I have to stay awake. "I c-can't..."
As her eyelids fluttered closed, Yuffie was sure she saw a white light glowing in the distance.
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Awamori [a-wa-mo-li] is a whiskey from the Ryukyu Islands.