"I suppose this could have gone better." Cait Sith said as he held onto Cloud's shoulder. "Shouldn't have given such a dangerous mission to them..."
The two had come from the medical bay after dropping off Merle, the doctors on board stabilizing the peacekeeper before attempting to remove the bullet lodged in his side. Ichi had stayed behind to keep watch over his friend, the warrior asking for updates into Merle's condition as they came. He had called Tifa with the news, and she agreed to tell Rosa; at the very least he was coming home alive.
Cloud shrugged. "We agreed to it." He walked down the hall of the Shera, towards the passenger room. He hungrily chewed on a piece of jerky he found in his leg pocket, keeping his hunger in check until he made it home. Despite his words, he had a twinge of regret.
The cat shook his head. "This isn't what we thought it was. The WRO is compromised by the whims of the underground..."
The warrior sighed. "Frankly, I just wanna take a break from this. Kill some more wolves in Edge, watch over the family...Tifa's been ill, I gotta take care of her."
"So I've seen. Perhaps you should take her to the doctor tomorrow?"
Cloud nodded. "Yeah. She smells kinda funny, too." He made a face, thinking back. "It's not sudden, either. I noticed it a little earlier in the week. But it's just too strong to ignore now." He entered the passenger room, which contained some of the tired faces from the facility they escaped just half an hour ago.
"...Smells funny?" The robot prodded. Reeve was obviously interested in what a werewolf can notice about a person through the sense of smell.
"It's just this different smell. It doesn't smell...bad, almost nice, but it kind of makes me feel different. Like I have to keep her safe even more than I usually do, if that's possible." He turned his head and gave a wry grin to his friend, who was giving a thoughtful, curious look. "What?"
"Maybe she's not sick."
Cloud rose a brow. "What else could she be?"
Cait Sith sighed, shaking his head. "You're not that dense, are you? Tifa might be pregnant."
Cloud scoffed. "After so many years? I'm pretty sure Hojo's seen to snuffing out any chance of that." he said sourly. 'Even then...I don't know if werewolves can reproduce outside infection. Can they have children?'
The cat shrugged. "Why else would the scent be like that?" The warrior didn't respond.
The intercom crackled on, a gruff voice demanding Cloud's presence on the bridge immediately. The werewolf sighed, quickly walking towards his new destination instead of a seat like he was hoping for. "Guess Cid wants to see me."
He reached the bridge after a few minutes, the space holding only a few pilots, a few familiar survivors, and Cid Highwind, the most familiar face on the entire ship, to Cloud at least. The chain smoking pilot glanced at his friend and walked away from the ship's wheel, his assistant taking over. "Long time no see, Cloud. You can't seem to stay outta trouble, can ya?" He pat his friend's shoulder.
Cloud chuckled. "I earned my last name, I think."
"You sure as fuck did!" Cid said with a grin. "So, Barret's already told me everything last time I visited Junon. Was that the last kick in the balls to get ya to pop the question to Tifa? 'Cause god damn have you dragged your ass!" The pilot could be subtle and coarse at the same time, an interesting combination that Cloud wouldn't protest.
The warrior cocked his head, a blush on his cheeks. "Actually, yeah. It kind of was. I should have done it sooner, but..." He looked down. Cloud still thought the act was selfishness on his part, even if Tifa was more than happy to oblige him. But he reasoned, if Tifa was so happy with the arrangement, it was a good kind of selfish.
"You dragged your ass as slow as you could." Cid was shaking his head, grinning.
"Yeah. Guess my situation gave me a new perspective." He felt a little shameful for keeping Tifa waiting like that...
Cid nodded. "When's the party?"
Cloud sighed. "I don't know. I've been so busy with all of this crap." He waved his hand about in an exasperated fashion. "Someone needs rescuing, or something needs to be killed, or a monster shows up at my home while I'm camping with the kids...I need a real vacation after this year."
"Shit, sounds like it. Say, we're dockin' in Edge and gettin' these survivors a place to stay until the morning. Mind if I spend the night?" Cid asked, pointing out the observation window as the city came into view.
The warrior nodded. "Yeah. A little full tonight, but we should be fine." He frowned, looking at the three huddled together on the bridge; he spoke to them not too long ago, before attacking that scientist. "They're from Kalm, right, Reeve?"
"Town is on lock down. Don't worry, Elmyra is safe." He added, noticing the look on Cloud's face as he turned to look at the robot. "The woman said her husband was in Edge on business. Mind escorting them?"
He hesitated a moment. "...Yeah, I suppose so. Cid, I'll see you at the bar." He needed time to think, anyway. 'Tifa should be fine until I get back.'
The pilot raised his arm dismissively. "Sounds good. Been a long day for me, too. Could use a beer or two." He bent his back backwards, popping it noisily. The warrior nodded, then walked towards the three and tapped on the woman's shoulder softly; she turned around and her eyes looked up at him in recognition.
Cloud nodded at her in greeting. "Hello, again...I'm supposed to escort you to your husband."
"Oh." She studied him as her daughter slept in her arms, then her eyes widened. "You're that courier. I didn't know you worked for the WRO..." Her voice carried a slight wariness to it.
"It's a recent development." He sighed, then looked over the three. "Does your husband know what happened?"
The woman nodded. "He's going to meet us at the plaza."
Cloud nodded. "I was going to head that way, anyway. I'll be at the bay doors when you're ready to leave." He turned to leave, stopping when the woman touched his shoulder; he gave her an inquiring look.
"Ah, when my daughter said what she said...was that true...?" Her voice was meek.
Cloud looked down at the little girl a moment, then back at the woman. "Do you think she'd be alive if it was true?" he said, testing her.
She frowned. "She was in that room...I don't know."
He turned around. "Then, 'maybe' is the answer." Cloud teased, walking away. He decided he'd visit the medical bay before they landed, double checking on Ichi and Merle.
"Cloud! How did your mission go? Oh, so that was the only one... Are Ichi and Merle okay? I see...Yeah, I'll tell her. Mhm, I'll see you soon, bye." Tifa ended the call, blowing air at her bangs as she tapped her fingers on the counter; she had been stirring the stew when her husband had called with good and bad news. She looked down at Rosa, the girl looking at the woman expectantly. Tifa bent down, putting a hand on her shoulder, and she felt a shudder from the child.
"Uncle Merle and Ichi, are they...?"
Tifa nodded. "They're alive, sweetie, but your uncle was hurt. He'll probably need a few weeks to recover, from the sound of it. Maybe less, the Shera has a good medical facility on it." Rosa looked down, sniffling, and Tifa gave the girl a hug. "Your uncle will be fine, Rosa. He just needs rest."
Rosa nodded, still dewy eyed from the news. "What do I do, until he comes home?"
"You can stay here if you'd like." Tifa gave a grin. "I'll teach you how to bake a cake, so you can surprise him when he gets out of the hospital."
The girl gave a tentative smile, nodding. "When he gets back, I'll be able to cook for us both. Neither of us can cook..."
"I see. I..." Tifa winced and held onto the counter with both hands, closing her eyes and focusing.
"Tifa?"
Yuffie came over, holding the woman's shoulders; she had observed her friend's distress from her seat at the counter. "Tifa, you better get to your bed before you have an accident...I'll help you up the stairs." She looked over at Vincent and waved him over. "Hey, Vinny! Stir this stew, will ya?"
"...I do not know how to cook." he replied.
Supporting Tifa, she rolled her eyes. "Just stir it, Gawd!" The ninja helped the woman up the stairs as Vincent walked towards the stove; Rosa found his presence unsettling as he silently stirred their dinner with a heavy sigh.
"I'm fine, Yuffie...No, bathroom. Not bedroom!" They both made their way to the desired room, Tifa gagging as she stumbled into the room and shut the door. She vomited bile and water into the toilet, quivering breaths between her retches. Her nausea passed after a while, and she stared off as she lost herself to thoughts and possibilities. 'Nausea, bloating...I'm...I'm late aren't I, yes, I am. This can't be.' Picking herself up, she opened the cabinet above her and reached for a box hidden in the very back that she always kept, just in case.
Yuffie patiently waited outside the door to the bathroom, ignoring the sounds coming from her poor friend and thinking about the troubles that were quite literally barking at their doorstep. Maybe none will show up, she reasoned. The only werewolf around was Penny, and she was helping guard the house. 'I wonder where she is?'
Rosa charged up the steps after a few minutes, Yuffie looking at her with a raised brow. "Everything okay?"
"Um, your friend left, said there were noises outside the garage." Her face was worried.
Yuffie bit her lip and slowly pumped her fists. "Oooh...Stay here, I'll be right back!" The ninja leapt down the stairs, leaving Rosa to lean against the wall as she heard murmurings from the bathroom, Tifa obviously whispering to herself.
Tifa held the stick in both hands, her fingers trembling. They had been together for almost five years now, a little rocky in the beginning but now smooth as can be. They both thought his mako exposure had made him sterile, or perhaps some injury during her adventures with Cloud had barred her from genetic motherhood.
The pregnancy test told her they were both wrong, and Tifa wasn't sure how to feel about it.
This is why she smelled "funny" to Cloud. Why she was sick and irritable, why she felt bloated sometimes earlier in the week. She was pregnant with Cloud's child. Her child. There was a lot of different feelings swirling about; fear, happiness, worry, uncertainty. Would it be like...him? How would Cloud take the news? She can't hide this from him, it was growing in her belly! Tomorrow, when everything is sort of back to normal. Tifa decided she needed a quiet, private time with Cloud, just them.
She wrapped up the pregnancy test and hid it in the trash before cleaning herself up as best she could; Tifa stared at her reflection in the mirror, and her emotions were written all over her face. 'I'm having a baby...I'm having a baby...' She rubbed her abdomen, her mental chant slowly giving away to silent tears. 'I wanted one for so long, but now I have no idea how I should feel. Is this normal?' Tifa gave herself a few minutes to calm down before attempting to make herself presentable again and leaving the bathroom, Rosa looking up at her in the dim hallway.
"Where did Yuffie go?" The woman asked, curious about the ninja's absence.
The girl pointed downstairs. "She went to find Vincent, he went outside to check something...Um, are you okay, Tifa?" She noticed the woman's slightly puffy eyes and higher than usual voice.
"Y-yeah, I'm feeling a little better, sweetie." She still felt a little lightheaded, and put her hand to her forehead. If she tried to go down the stairs now, she'd likely fall over, and she knew it. "I should probably lay down, though. Who's watching the stew pot?"
"Kyrie."
Tifa nodded with a small smile. "Okay. I'll be in the bedroom if you need me for anything, alright?" Rosa nodded, and the woman headed towards the master bedroom, her hand sliding over the wall she leaned it against. The girl watched her until she heard Tifa plop onto the bed, then went into the children's room to discuss the goings on downstairs with the other three.
Penny didn't like the smell she came across as she enjoyed the cooler night air of the city. She followed it with Ithey insisting on joining her in her search; they silently stalked through the alley behind the bar as Penny sniffed for the source. It wasn't the scent of wolves, but something dirty and leather bound, something she hadn't smelled in a long time. Bad people.
She peeked behind the corner of Seventh Heaven and found a small pack of men in the alley, for what reason she could not tell. Could be drugs, could be casing the place, could be anything. The teen took a few steadying breaths, not the confrontational type in the first place. 'This is a bad idea. Ithey could get hurt...We can get Yuffie, or maybe Vincent...' She looked back at Ithey, shaking her head and motioning with a hand to go back, then suddenly felt her other wrist pulled violently; she was dropped to the ground with a grunt, and wincing she looked at the men leering at her.
Ithey charged out of the alleyway, knocking over one of the attackers with a running punch. The man's friends tried to come to his rescue, the older teen readying another punch as the pack came closer to him. He just needed to give her enough time, and they'd scatter.
"Yo, you two snoopin' on us?"
Ithey narrowed his eyes, doing his best to get into a defensive position. "You're behind a friend's home. Scram."
One of the men released a switchblade. "Fuckhead, we go where we want." A grin spread across the ruffian's face. "Maybe we'll mess with this bar, if it means so much to you."
"Maybe you should leave before you get your ass kicked."
The thug laughed. "You serious? You're outnumbered." he brought up his knife, as if it were obvious Ithey were delusional.
"Maybe you should go..." squeaked Penny, the girl standing up shakily. The group turned to her, the girl keeping her head down.
One of the men laughed. "Come on, this is a waste of time, let's just beat the shit out of the kid here and keep the bitch." Ithey scowled at him, then glanced at Penny, giving her a pleading look to hurry it up as the thugs looked towards Penny's mate.
She eyed his expression, and did the slightest of nods. Her reluctant nature turned to resolve, and she looked up at the attackers with her best glower. "I said, go! Leave!" They snapped their heads at the warped voice, just in time to watch the meek girl rip out of her clothing and into a brown, furry beast that towered over them. Penny growled, still reluctant to attack. Several men ran off, the rest pausing before attempting to jump the werewolf.
The wolf kicked one into some trashcans with the pad of her hind foot, then headbutting a second as he slashed a knife on her arm. Ithey choked another thug, the man struggling to get the teen off of him and somehow fight a rampaging werewolf. Penny smacked another with the back of her hand, knocking the delinquent out and into the bar's outer wall; she was holding back. She growled again, and only Ithey picked up her discomfort at fighting, making him smirk as he struggled with his opponent.
The sound of a gun cocking made everyone pause and turn towards the noise; Vincent stood beneath the only light in the alleyway, his face neutral as he observed the fight. Ithey slowly dismounted the man he was attempting to bring down while Penny merely stared in his direction, blinking from time to time with her mouth hanging open.
Vincent nodded towards the remaining thugs. "Go, and don't come back." They stared at him hard, then ran off into the darkness like skittering rats; their knocked out allies the only ones left. The gunman walked up to Penny, the werewolf shrinking down to show as little aggression as possible. Vincent took off his cape, and wrung it about the wolf. "...You should change back now, Penny."
Ithey released a breath he didn't know he was holding in, and walked to his mate's side. "Didn't know you knew." The gunman gave a curt nod as Penny shifted back, hugging the red cape about her frame; the shade of which matched her cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry. I was gonna get someone, but they grabbed me, and..."
Vincent shook his head. "You did what you had to do."
"Hey, Vincent!" Yuffie turned the corner and stopped when she saw the teenaged girl wrapped in red fabric, then looked down to confettied clothing. "Oh. What happened?"
"Thugs behind the bar." Ithey said.
The ninja came up to Penny and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "You need new clothes. Let's get you inside, okay?" Yuffie noticed her new friend was in a slight state of shock, and gave her a pat as she clicked the garage door. "It's okay, Penny. You and Ithey did good, defendin' the bar like that!" The werewolf looked towards her, as if unsure she did the right thing, and the ninja just gave her a huge smile as they passed into the garage, Vincent sighing and shaking his head as he took the rear of the group.
Cloud walked down the road, the warrior escorting the females as he was asked; Cid stayed behind for a time to make sure the Shera was properly maintained for the night. The walk towards the plaza was quiet, which was welcome after the busy early evening he had. He had checked the time earlier, it was almost 10:30 now. 'The bar should be fine, if that scientist wasn't lying.'
"So, this is the way to the plaza? I've never been to Edge." The woman said.
Cloud nodded. "It's a central feature of the city. My home is off a road from it."
"Oh, you live here?"
"Yeah, with my family."
The woman hummed as she nodded. "I guess that's why you're good with kids."
The warrior gave a shy smile. "Yeah." he paused a moment, then decided to continue. "I have three at home."
She looked towards him, brows raised. "But you're so young!"
"Well, they're adopted, but that doesn't matter in regards to family." he shrugged, casually walking with the three. He glanced at the sleeping girl, still smiling at her reaction to him. ''Doggy...''
The woman noticed, and cocked her head. "What was she doing, when you found her?"
"Huh?"
"My daughter. They stuck her in one of those holding containers, that's what they said they'd do."
Cloud blushed. "Oh. She was sleeping." he sniffed the air; no fear. 'Well, that's a relief.'
"All alone?"
The warrior pointed in front of them. "The plaza is right up ahead..." Cait Sith snickered behind him, Cloud narrowing his eyes in the cat's direction. 'I can't get a break...'
The other girl piped up. "She said Doggy was sleeping in the room, so she fell asleep, too."
"...I see."
"Aren't you Doggy?" The girl said, grinning.
He groaned. "Is your husband waiting at the monument?"
The woman pointed towards a person who was waving at them. "That's him!" she looked towards Cloud and smiled. "Thank you again for everything tonight. We just about lost hope in there..."
The warrior smiled back, relieved. "I'm glad we came in time to help. Just be cautious in the future, we don't know if they're gonna set up shop near Kalm again or not."
She nodded. "Good bye, 'Doggy'." The woman walked off before he could correct her, her older daughter waving goodbye, Cloud returning the gesture before turning towards the bar.
"Did nae have thae hart to tell'em yer name?" Cait Sith asked.
Cloud shook his head. "It doesn't matter. They're safe, and hopefully they can forget about me."
The cat chuckled. "I dinae think yer thae forgettable, laddy!"
They walked on, finally reaching the bar after another ten minutes of walking. Cloud noticed Tseng entering the establishment, giving him a nod before disappearing into Seventh Heaven. 'How the hell did he get here so quick? Whatever, he's probably here for Evan's family.'
Entering his home he noticed the Turk speaking to Evan and Kyrie as the children sat at a table eating a late dinner. The smell of Tifa's stew made his stomach grumble loudly, remembering that he had only had a few pieces of jerky to hold him over while flying into Edge. He walked over to the children, their faces looking towards him as he took a chair to sit by them.
"Hey. Did everything go smoothly while I was gone?"
Denzel nodded. "Yeah. Um, Penny and Ithey fought some bad guys behind the bar, but Uncle Vincent and Aunt Yuffie came by and helped them out."
Cloud sighed. "Guess I'll have to ask them about that..." He looked towards Rosa, the girl's expression conveying worry. "Rosa, your uncle should be fine after some bed rest. He and Ichi were covering me and the survivors, he helped save a lot of lives tonight."
She gave a small smile. "He did?"
"Yeah. We'll take you to the hospital tomorrow to see him, okay?"
"Thank you." She looked down into her bowl a moment, then back at him. "Um, tomorrow...could I talk to you alone?"
The warrior nodded. "If you want."
Vits sighed, obviously a little irritated as he watched his guardians. "I bet Tseng's staying at our place tonight."
Cloud frowned. "I'm no fan of Shinra either, but he was a big help during our mission. I'll let them try to atone for what they've done in the past."
The boy shook his head. "It's personal."
The spiky haired man raised a brow. "You don't think it isn't for me, too? People I knew and cared about died because of them. I'll still let them try to make amends, despite personal feelings." the warrior said, looking towards Tseng momentarily. "Anyway, I'm gonna check on Tifa. You know where to find me if you need me." He lifted himself from the chair and walked towards the galley, giving Yuffie and Vincent a greeting and telling them to expect Cid soon before filling a bowl with stew. They kept him a few minutes as the ninja explained what happened, the two resting in his office. Cloud nodded, then headed upstairs to take care of Tifa.
'I'm pregnant...After all this time I'm finally pregnant. Did the mako not sterilize him? What about his lycanthropy, werewolves aren't supposed to reproduce, are they? Maybe it'll just be a normal baby.' Tifa's eyes were closed, her torso propped up by several pillows as she rubbed her abdomen. She sniffled, tears staining her cheeks in the darkness of the room.
The woman gasped as she heard someone clear their throat; she opened her eyes to Cloud's silhouette in the doorway, glowing eyes studying her with concern. He slowly traveled to her side of the bed and sat on its side, holding a bowl of stew. Tifa could tell he was sniffing the air around her, his face revealing his concern and curiosity.
"...Are you hungry, Teef?" he asked softly.
Tifa looked down, biting her lip. Her stomach was calm for now, but she was unsure for how long. Still, she needed to feed what was growing in her now. "A...a little bit. I don't know if I can keep it down, though." she rasped.
Cloud nodded, getting a spoonful of the thick broth ready as he gently blew on it. "Maybe just some broth for now, Teef." He brought the spoon to her mouth, the woman sipping from it gingerly; it was soothing as it trickled down her sore throat. The warrior cocked his head as he lowered the empty spoon, examining her wet cheeks. She looked at him shyly, then looked down. Tifa sniffled, then frowned.
"Cloud...why do you smell like mako?" She looked into his eyes, the warrior's face warping from anger; he told his wife what happened during the mission as he slowly fed her more broth. Tifa felt like crying again at the end of his story, but bit her lip instead.
"...I guess it was useful. But..." Cloud looked down into the bowl, his eyes stormy. Tifa understood intimately, and weakly brought her hand to his cheek, and he looked back at her with a softer expression.
She rubbed his cheek, then raised her hand to run through his hair. "I'm just glad you're home safe, Cloud. Please, just...stay here, with me. I know you might do something with the Shinra, but...for now, just stay. I need you." Her eyes searched his, and he nodded.
"I need to take care of you until you feel better, anyway." He prepared another spoonful of broth.
Tifa smiled. "I'll go to the doctor tomorrow..." she sipped from the spoon again. 'I'll get it confirmed, the tests aren't always accurate, right? Maybe some medicine for these symptoms...'
Cloud nodded approvingly. "That smell is getting stronger." He looked away a moment, then brought his eyes back to hers. "...I've been ignoring it for a while now, too."
She frowned, looking this way and that. "What does it smell like?"
He sighed, giving her another sip of broth. "I can't really describe the smell very well. It's kind of warm, and it makes me feel...different."
"Different?"
"It's sending my protective instincts into overdrive, slowly. It was kind of hard leaving this evening, and it's going to be hard when I have to take Penny and Ithey back to their forest." He was frowning, obviously thinking as he jabbed some morsel in the bowl.
Tifa grunted softly, getting his attention. "I-I think I'd like a few solids, please."
He obliged, making do with a few small pieces of meat and vegetables. Cloud gently placed the spoonful in her mouth, watching her eat. His stomach grumbled, and Tifa looked towards his protesting belly.
"You didn't eat yet?"
The warrior shrugged. "I can eat later."
"Cloud..." She reached for the bowl, taking it from him gently. "Go eat and get cleaned up. I won't be able to get to sleep until you're next to me..."
He fidgeted, then reluctantly got up. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her cheek, Tifa giving him a tired smile back. She watched him leave the room as she slowly ate the stew, and suddenly felt a little bit better about the future.
"Damn, Cloud. On bowl three already?" Cid gulped his third beer as he sat next to the spiky haired warrior, who was happily chowing down on his late dinner; they had been talking about everything Barret may have left out or didn't have the details to.
Cloud looked up from his bowl, swallowing a mouthful. "I didn't really eat much today, I was starving..." he swirled the stew in his bowl, then brought his eyes back to Cid. "Thanks for agreeing to help Rosa with spears."
The pilot raised his glass. "Yeah, no problem. Kid's gotta learn proper like how to use them." The warrior had inquired after introducing Zeph and Rosa to Cid before sending the children to bed, Cid vocally approving of the girl's choice of weapon. "You said she's stayin' with your ass til her uncle heals up?"
Cloud nodded, chewing on a spoonful of stew. He looked back at the now empty bar; Evan and Kyrie had asked him to thank Tifa for dinner before Tseng escorted them back home, and Yuffie was in the office as Penny and Ithey used the last unused bedroom next to Zeph's; they insisted that they were used to not having a bed, but Cloud had seen to acquiring a few blankets regardless. Vincent was relaxing in the larger guest room downstairs, softly speaking to Cait Sith here and there, and Zeph insisted Rosa use his bed as he slept on some blankets on the floor. "They'll be in school, soon."
Cid sighed after a long swig of his beer. "Reeve better be payin' your ass enough gil for the hell you're going through. You got three kids you gotta pay tuition for, dote over, all that father shit." Cloud almost shot stew out of his nose, still uncomfortable with the title "father" even if he did see himself as the father figure of the house. It simply felt awkward, considering its non-use by the children in the house. Even Tifa was called "Mama" on occasion by Marlene; he was only ever Cloud.
The warrior composed himself. "The pay is better than the delivery service. I miss it sometimes, going all over the place was a lot of fun. But...I'm home a lot more now, it's nice." He drank from his glass of water, looking over at Cid.
The pilot gave a strong nod. "Good, so long as your shit's in order. Guess the whole wolf thing's been decent for your family life." Cid gave a chuckle, obviously buzzed. "Who the hell would have thought that'd happen? Man, only you of all the god damn people on the Planet could turn shit into gold."
Cloud snorted. "It's not like it's been easy..."
"Like I wouldn't fuckin' know. I traveled with your spiky ass almost five years ago now, and you were as fucking crazy as a three gil bill. But you got over that bullshit, and you're a hell of a lot stronger for it." He sipped his beer, thinking. "Life likes to throw your ass some curve-balls, bud. You always seem to make do, so I figure this should be nothing compared to that bullshit with Sephiroth."
The warrior had to chuckle at that. "I make do because of my friends and family. And if I didn't have Tifa, I'd have died drooling into my own lap in Mideel." He left his seat to pour the leftover stew in the pot into a container, then tossed it into the fridge. He looked back at Cid. "I'm gonna clean up and head off to bed. I can still smell the mako on my skin..."
His friend gave him a two fingered, casual salute. "Yep."
Cloud walked up stairs, ready for a shower and his bed. He still wasn't sure what to think of Tifa's illness or that strange smell that now followed his lover around, or if Reeve was correct in his assumptions. How many years have they been active? How many times had he been doused in mako? What about the fact he was now a shape shifting monster that was known to reproduce only through bodily fluids and scratches? 'What if the infection is the werewolf reproduction, what if it's not the same when it comes to normal reproduction...?' He wanted to say something to Tifa, but as usual, couldn't say the words. As he hopped into the steaming shower he blanked his mind, just wanting the cleansing water to wash away the evil that occurred that night.