Real strife
He pulled up in front of the bar the normal odd stares of the people around him were ignored as he parked Fenrir. I could see him get off but instead of his usual action of coming in with his head down to keep from her eye contact he lifted something the view blocked by the edge of the window.
"hey can I get another round here HELLO!" she jumped and looked at the customer yelling to her, she poured the alcohol into a mug then slid it to him atop the counter then heard the door open and everyone looked at Cloud, Tifa looked at him and to her surprise he was holding a boy in his arms.
"Cloud? Who's that is that the boy who took your phone?" He didn't reply he just walked to her at the counter.
"I thought you were going to..." her words fell when she saw the boy's condition, he shivered in clouds arms and was filthy beyond belief.
"He has the stigma" cloud's raspy and quiet voice seemed to have travelled throughout the bar because it cleared out almost instantly, then there were tiny footsteps coming down the stairs. Marlene poked her head around the counters corner first her face was bright then she noticed the boy in clouds arms.
I could tell he didn't know what to do next he just stood there starring at the boy, "come on let's get him washed up he looks really weak" Tifa smiled when cloud looked up with a bit of surprise.
I heard the water start to pour and the door opened cloud held the clothing he was wearing, a look of complexity on his face, "do you want me to do this?" I was already going forward knowing his answer but to Tifa's surprise he shook his head and looked at her with his blue eyes.
She could see it then looking at him, she held back a smile as she gave him a towel. "Thank you..." then she smiled when he twitched just ever so slightly. He did something that almost never happened he smiled, it may have been briefly but it happened. Then the door shut.
"That's the Cloud I know" she looked at the dirty clothing and became sad. "Tifa who was that?"
Marlene pulled on her cape lightly, Tifa bent down to her level and smiled. "Come on Marlene lets set him up a place to lay down when he comes out"
Marlene smiled and followed Tifa to her room
Cloud wiped the boy's forehead he lay against the edge of the bathtub held up by one of clouds arms, he moved his bangs out of the way to see the black bruise like mark on his head. He suddenly felt his own stigma react and he cringed and shook it off, he lightly dabbed a cloth on the mark and the boy's face contorted in pain. Cloud stopped when the tiny hand grabbed at his holding his pinkie trying to stop the pain.
"I know...it hurts" he whispered whipping the boy's face, blue eyes revealed themselves in tiny slit's as he struggled to open them. "Wh-where..." he coughed weakly, cloud helped him out of the water and covered his shivering body with the towel now cradling him. "It's ok your safe, what's your name?"
He asked as he came out of the bathroom, Marlene was there to greet the two. "D-Denz-Denz..." Cloud kept his gaze then looked to Marlene who grabbed at his sleeve.
"Tifa's on my room come on!" she said happily tugging him to her room, when he entered Tifa was the sitting on the bed waiting. "These clothes will fit him hopefully, there clean do you want me to..."
"Thank you Tifa" Cloud cut her off, she smiled and left the room pulling Marlene with her.
She came back when Cloud dressed him, both were sitting on the edge of the bed. Cloud held one arm over the boy's shoulder he leaned on cloud breathing in coughs.
"Cloud?" Tifa didn't get a response he just searched the ground with his eyes, she sighed and pulled a chair closer to the bed she put her hand on the boys quivering leg he looked at her with lazy eyes.
"Where do you live? Why were you at the church?" Tifa questioned softly and mother like. "s-sec...tor sev-en" both Cloud and Tifa looked at each other in surprise, Cloud closed his eyes hard.
"And your..Your parents?" The boy's face told the story as a tear rolled down his cheek, Cloud looked at Tifa again and got up slowly still helping the boy, Tifa helped him lay his child under the covers and he was already asleep.
"Marlene" Tifa spoke softly looking at the young girl sitting on the chair now. "Tell us if ..." she sighed sadly. "If something bad happens" she looked at Cloud who had finished the sentence for her.
The adults left the room.
"Cloud, we have to help him" she stated bluntly, Cloud walked past her to his office and went in. "Cloud" she mused following after him angrily.
"Cloud Why Aren't you..." she stopped short when she entered the office Cloud was pulling books out of his shelf above his bed throwing some to the ground.
"Cloud? What are you—"he seemed to have found the book he was looking for and walked to her with it. "I want to..." he looked at her then to his desk he jumped to it almost urgently then grabbed a pen from the drawer, Tifa came closer. "Cloud what are you doing?"
He opened the book scribbled something down on a piece of loose paper on his desk then shut it and moved past her just as quickly as he had got to the desk. "Cloud!"
"Stop Cloud!" she grabbed his sleeved shoulder and to her surprise he cried out surprised, she let go and he gripped his arm breathing quickly and heavily.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize how hard I grabbed you" she whispered, he swallowed hard then looked at her. "I..." he huffed then cleared his throat as he hid the paper from her.
"Tifa, can he stay with you?"
"What?"
"the boy, can he stay here?"
She searched his face then his eyes the one place that told her anything about him, she could tell he was worried for the boy and wanted to help him. She smiled warmly and nodded, "yes but what are you going to do? What was that paper?"
He looked away then at the floor as if he was in trouble, "I'm going out...I'll be back" he turned around and was out the door already she could hear Fenrir's revving growing more distant till she couldn't hear it anymore.
"oh Cloud...." she went back to his office and noticed the book still open to the page Cloud was looking at she got closer.
She read the page, it was the author's description and on it Cloud had the author's whereabouts circled.
She closed the book the cover reading: The stigma wrath
"Cloud, I know it was you in there...and he can stay...with us"
