A/N: I just want to say that I am writing this without the convenience of a beta reader, so if you notice any spelling/grammar errors or even just places where you think the wording is awkward and could be done better, PLEASE don't hesitate to point it out to me! PM me or even just include it in a review, I don't care. I am not offended by being shown where I did something wrong -- quite the contrary. I'm trying to make this thing as good as it can be, so every little bit of help along the way is greatly appreciated! Thank you.
. :: Chapter 3 :: .
Seventh Heaven
It was a bar, but it smelled more like a cozy home. Tifa had a way with choosing the best candles to mask the scent of alcohol and lingering alcoholics. Cloud paused near the entrance and cast a quick glance around. There were no such alcoholics tonight. No patrons at all, in fact. Just the members of AVALANCHE, minus Barret.
His eyes returned to Tifa.
"Marlene," Tifa bent low to address the little girl hiding behind the bar. Cloud watched her long dark hair spill over one shoulder. "Aren't you going to say anything to Cloud?"
Marlene peeked out from behind the bar, slowly at first. Cloud mustered the best smile he could for the little girl's sake. She immediately smiled back and began to scuffle her way toward him. Tifa chuckled softly and followed.
"Welcome home Cloud. Did you fight with Barret?" Marlene's eyes were wide.
In a flash Cloud's halfway smile became a smirk. Tifa laughed aloud. His eyes rose to hers and narrowed slightly, as if to ask Did you tell her to say that?
Tifa's eyes were glowing with amusement. "So the answer is yes, then? I should have known." She shook her head, still smiling a bit. "He's always pushing people around, but knowing you… well, I was worried." She arched an eyebrow at him.
Cloud shrugged. "It wasn't too bad."
"What's that?" Marlene pointed at Cloud's belt.
Cloud looked downward. Somehow, miraculously, his purchased flower had survived the night's harrowing events. It was missing a few petals but still mostly intact, with the stem lodged between his belt and pants. He plucked it out and handed it down to Marlene.
"Flowers in Midgar? How nice… " Tifa watched Marlene bring the flower to her nose. "You almost never see them here in the slums. It's a shame, too; maybe I would fill the bar with them… "
An opening and slamming of the door resounded behind them.
"Papa!" Marlene's eyes lit up and she swept past Cloud. He turned to see Barret scoop her up with one big arm. Barret looked even more bear-like with the girl's tiny arms coiled around his thick neck. She grinned from ear to ear. "Welcome home!" She presented her flower proudly.
He frowned curiously. "Where'd you get that?"
"Cloud gave it to me!"
Barret arched an eyebrow at her. "Did you thank him?"
Marlene, wearing a shy smile, looked back toward Cloud. "Thank you, Cloud… " She laid her head against Barret's shoulder. "We'll take care of you!"
Barret grunted.
Tifa frowned. "Are you alright Barret?"
"Great!" The word was spoken gruffly. He looked toward the table where Wedge, Biggs and Jessie sat. "Get in here, fools! We're startin' the meetin'… " Marlene in tow, Barret lumbered over to the basement elevator and rode it down. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie followed.
Cloud watched the elevator slowly lift and return to its stationary position. The whirring noise the motor made stopped, leaving the room silent. He glanced toward Tifa. She circled around behind the bar and tapped the surface in front of one of the stools.
"Have a seat?"
***
He was slow as he approached the bar. She studied him carefully as he fell down onto the stool before her, her eyes furtively scanning for any sign of injury. He didn't seem to be injured at all, not even a scratch. Of course not; not Cloud. Was it silly of me to worry? He stared at the bar in front of him, oblivious to her gaze. She bent a little to catch his attention. His eyes hesitantly met hers. Brilliant blue. She knew them well, and still at times they caught her by surprise. His eyes could light up the whole bar.
"How about… " She tilted her head slightly, her voice soft. "Something to drink?"
"Give me something hard."
She smiled a bit at his eagerness, but the smile quickly dimmed when his eyes wandered downward again. Is something bothering him? There would be little point in asking. He would deny it if there was. She bit her lip.
"Just a minute, I'll make you something."
Grateful to have a moment with her thoughts, she stepped away from the bar and turned to face the mixing counter. A wall of shelves lined with rows and rows of various bottles stood before her. Something hard… She grabbed a bottle of vodka and a few other ingredients, then moved down the counter and selected a glass. The cocktail she prepared was a simple one as she knew Cloud would appreciate the simplicity.
"You know," She turned and placed the finished drink before him. "I'm relieved you made it back safely." Her eyes stayed on him while he picked up the drink and took a long swig of it. He swallowed quickly without any hint of a grimace. The glass hit the bar a little hard.
"What's with you lately?" He looked up at her. "That wasn't even a tough job."
She felt a pang of embarrassment. The look on his face was hard to read. He was always so hard to read. Why are you so defensive? Do you not expect me to worry? Her brows furrowed. Cloud… He stared back at her.
"I guess not." She submitted, looking away from him. "You were in SOLDIER, after all… "
He finished the drink, and the glass hit the bar hard again. Her eyes went back to him quickly. The stool scooted loudly against the floor as he stood. Wordlessly he turned and started to move toward the elevator at the side of the room.
She flushed, wanting to call him back but knowing that it would only annoy him further.
"Make sure you get your pay from Barret."
It was something.
He glanced over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I will. Once I get that money I'm out of here." At those words Tifa felt a sinking sensation in her chest. Cloud stepped onto the elevator and gripped the lever that would power the motor.
And against better judgment, she spoke again.
"Cloud, are you feeling alright?"
He looked back toward her. "Yeah… why?"
"No reason... " Her eyes stayed on him, serene and concerned. "You just look a little tired, I guess. … You'd better go down below."
Rather than continue to stare after him, she forced herself to grab a rag and at least put on the pretense of being busy. The bar could use a good wipe down anyway… She snatched the glass he'd left and forced herself not to look toward the elevator again when the motor powered on. As her body began the familiar motions of work, her emotions began working themselves back into their familiar knot.
***
The bar smelled rather good. The basement was a different story. Cloud emerged from the elevator only to be hit with a pungent mixture of sweat, dirt and motor oil. Jessie busied herself with some computer setup against the far wall. Biggs and Wedge sat at a card table going over some type of blueprints. Barret abused a punching bag in the corner and beside him, on a huge crate, perched Marlene.
"Yo!" Barret stopped hitting the bag and turned toward Cloud. "There's somethin' I been meanin' to ask ya. Do ya think we ran into anyone from SOLDIER today?" He wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel around his neck.
"None. I'm positive."
Barret raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"
Cloud frowned slightly. "If anyone from SOLDIER would have encountered us today, we wouldn't be standing here."
Barret let out a hard sardonic laugh. "Don't go thinkin' you bad jus' cause you was in SOLDIER."
Cloud crossed his arms and stared mutely.
"Yeah, you're strong." Barret shrugged. "Probably all them guys in SOLDIER are. But don't forget, your skinny ass's workin' for AVALANCHE right now. Don't get no ideas 'bout hanging with Shinra."
"With Shinra?" Cloud's voice became cold enough now to turn a few heads. "You asked a question and I answered it. I'm going back upstairs. Meet me out front. I want to talk about my money." He turned on his heel and went right back to the elevator, ignoring the scoff Barret shot at his back.
He rode the elevator back up into the bar. Tifa stood at the sink with the water running. Her head turned at the sight of him; he stepped out of the elevator and turned for the door, pretending not to notice. The water shut off. He kept walking and pretended not to notice.
"Cloud?"
He could hear the sound of her boots circling around the bar.
"Cloud, wait – "
"Just let him go, Tifa." Barret stepped off of the elevator platform and let out a hacked laugh. "Looks like he's still got feelin's for Shinra."
Holy mother, please just shut up.
Cloud turned sharply on his heel. "I don't care about Shinra or SOLDIER." He faced Barret and Tifa from across the room. "But don't get me wrong – I don't care about AVALANCHE or the Planet either, for that matter."
Barret wore a smug scowl. Tifa stared at him with wounded eyes that pushed him to regret his words. The only sound in the room was the sound of the news airing on the television set Tifa had set up behind the bar… "It is expected that AVALANCE will continue its reign of terror…"
Tifa's eyes stayed on him.
He turned away, not wanting to give her too much more of a chance. He needed to just get away for a minute, but it was futile; her boots were behind him through the door and out onto the porch. He frowned in frustration, knowing that if he couldn't be annoyed then he had to be remorseful…
She came up beside him. He angled his gaze away from her.
"Listen, Cloud,"
He felt her hand against his arm; so gentle. Tifa…
"Tifa, I'm sorry."
A silence crept between them, but her hand stayed with him. It brought him a measure of peace, and yet still somehow he felt cornered. Anxious. But hadn't he come for this? Hadn't he come to Midgar so that he could prove himself? To whom? And Tifa, she'd been kind enough to take him in…
The smallest of sighs left her lips. "The Planet is dying, Cloud. Slowly, but surely." He could feel her hopeful eyes on him, even though he wasn't looking. "Someone has to do something."
Cloud stiffened.
"So let Barret and his cronies do something about it." He forced himself not to succumb, not look at her. "I'm just looking for work right now. I don't want a real part in it."
Her hand slipped away from his arm. He dared not look at her. No, he couldn't look at her. He needed to get away from this for a little bit. He turned his body and started for the patio steps. He'd made it almost three steps before she opened her mouth to stop him.
"So you're – you're really leaving?"
The waver in her voice almost hurt. He stopped and turned, finally looking her in the face. "You're just going to walk right out, ignoring even your childhood friend?" The porch light above her fully illuminated her. Her eyes were shining with the beginnings of tears. He stared at her, unable to be numb to his guilt, not knowing what he should say…
"You forgot the promise, too." Her voice became bitter; accusatory.
He stood rigid, peering up at her from the first patio step. "Promise?"
"Of course you forgot… " She looked away, shaking her head. He couldn't read her expression beyond the fact that she looked sad. She pushed away from the wooden patio rail and came toward him. To his mild surprise she sat down right next to where he stood.
Feeling prompted, he sat down as well.
"It was seven years ago."
She leaned forward and slid her hands along her legs. Her silky dark chocolate hair slipped forward over her shoulder just enough to shield her face. Tifa had such a soft voice when she spoke quietly. Cloud leaned forward a little too, folding his hands together over his knees.
"Do you remember that well in Nibelheim? The wooden one… "
She tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced over at him. He nodded. "Yeah. That's where we met before I left town, right?" She nodded in return. Her eyes were no longer brimming with tears, but still wide and vulnerable. "Heh," He looked away, staving off the guilty feeling again. "It was pretty cold that night. I remember wondering whether or not you'd show… "
"Sorry I'm late. You said you wanted to talk to me about something… ?"
"Come this spring, I'm leaving for Midgar."
"I was so disappointed." Tifa's spoke wearing a small, embarrassed sort of smirk. "All the boys were leaving town around that time."
"It was different for me, though. I wasn't just looking to get out of Nibelheim. I was leaving to join SOLDIER."
"I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth."
"Sephiroth… the Great Sephiroth. Hmm… Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER?"
"I probably won't be able to come back to town for a while."
Tifa chuckled. "And even though I was disappointed, I was so impressed, too." She glanced at Cloud again. "But more than anything I was scared to see you go, to lose contact completely. I hoped that I might read about you in the newspaper or something… "
Cloud shrugged. "Not easy to make it into the papers."
"Hey, why don't we make a promise? Umm… if you get really famous, and I'm ever in a bind, you come save me. Alright?"
"What?"
Tifa smiled hesitantly. "And then I made you promise me that if I needed you, you would come back." She glanced up at Cloud again but then looked away quickly, as if embarrassed. Cloud's eyes stayed on her. Her mind seemed to be just turning and turning, but all of her words came out halted and unsure. He was not used to seeing this much vulnerability in her. His memories of Nibelheim didn't recall such a self-conscious girl. Had the city changed her so much? Or should he blame his absence… ?
"Whenever you're in trouble, your hero comes and rescues you, right?" Tifa leaned forward even further and let her hair slip away from her ear. "I think every girl probably wants to experience that at least once."
"Come on! Promise!"
"Alright… I promise."
Tifa stayed bent forward with her arms wrapped around her knees. He felt helpless. He was just an Ex-SOLDIER. She wanted to take down Shinra. She wanted to change the world. How much could she expect from him? What could he do?
"I'm not a hero, and I'm not famous, Tifa." Defeat laced his words.
"But you can still keep your promise." She sat up straight again and turned her head to face him. "You were good enough for SOLDIER – "
The front door swung open loudly and stopped her mid-sentence. Cloud stood from the step and turned to face Barret. The old wooden porch groaned underneath the big man's feet as he crossed it in a few steps.
"Here, big time SOLDIER, before you take off – a promise is a promise, your pay." He shoved a bundled wad of gil notes into Cloud's hand.
Cloud looked down at the bundle. "What, this is my pay for helping you blow up a Mako Reactor?"
Tifa stood. "Cloud – "
"You got the next mission lined up?" Cloud's eyes returned to Barret. "I'll do it for 3000."
"What?! That's twice what I just gave you!" Barret looked like he was ready to punch him.
"Barret!" Tifa bounded up to the porch from her step. "We're really hurting for the help, right?"
Barret scowled at her. He turned to Cloud. "2000!"
Without allowing any more time for negotiations Barret wheeled around and stomped back into the bar, muttering under his breath. Cloud couldn't make out what he was saying, but that didn't really matter. He was probably just swearing to himself.
"Thank you, Cloud." His attention moved to Tifa. Her eyes sparkled like rubies beneath the bright yellow porch light, and she wore the most radiant grin.
If you've got time to review, I'd love to hear some feedback on a few things in particular. Namely a) how I handled the flashback scene in this chapter and b) how you feel about the POV switches (did a little bit of Aerith in the last chapter, did a little bit of Tifa in this one... I plan to keep doing it with all sorts of characters, but how much I do it really depends on how much you (the readers) like it. I intend to have this story roughly 75% Cloud's POV and 25% Other, just 'cause some scenes are a lot more relevant to certain characters. But if nobody likes that plan then of course plans may change. Let me know what you think! Thank you. ^_^