Heroes they call us. jeez, if only they knew the truth. A crackpot, a
barmaid dressed like a prostitute, a kooky woman of a different species,
the man with the crudest mouth down to humankind, the man with the rudest
mouth. a little ninja thief girl, a monster and a stuffed toy. What a bunch
of heroes we made. but I guess that doesn't matter really. I mean, we did
it and all. We totalled Midgar but hey, we saved the world! Humanity is
still alive! But weren't we meant to be fighting for the planet? Is
humanity really a good thing to keep on a planet as fragile as this?
Thinking was pretty much all that he had the time for these days. He sighed, taking the brush from where it leant against the wall. Back and forth. back and forth. the feathery head of the broom glided over the floor, piling all the crap that had gathered in the bar the previous night. This was what Cloud Strife, world famous hero, the saviour of humanity, had been relegated to - sweeping the floor of his fiancé's bar. It wasn't even as if there weren't enough bins around the place! They just couldn't be bothered to use them, dropping all of their rubbish on the floor. It was starting to drive Cloud crazy but cutting loose wouldn't do him any good.
He paused, resting his arms atop the broom handle, looking up at where the Ultima sword was hung above the bar along with the Premium Heart. Two years had passed since he'd hung up his sword and he missed it. The thrill of pain, the satisfaction of rending flesh, the smell of fresh blood. As gruesome as it might sound, that was what Cloud missed. Then there was the camaraderie, the feeling of cold air slamming against his body and the wonders that he saw. And then there was Aeris. Gods, how he missed her. Those green eyes, carrying her soul for everyone to see. Her innocence and purity, shining forth in whatever it was she did, even when it was hitting people over the head with the Princess Guard. There wasn't a single imperfection in her character, no flaw in her unconditional love. and she had paid the ultimate price for it. But then again, would it really be all that bad to join with the Lifestream, to be with all of those that had already moved on in their lives? Maybe not.
Hearing footsteps heading towards the door, Cloud quickly resumed sweeping, not wanting to be caught slacking, Tifa would give him hell. As the door, opened, a petite figure was silhouetted in the mid-morning sunlight. Hair pulled back into a loose ponytail ran down to her hips, the chestnut-brown colouring becoming clear as she continued walking in.
"Working hard Cloud?"
"Meh."
"What kind of welcome back is that for your darling fiancé?"
Her face popped underneath his, her brown eyes enveloping him in love. He couldn't help but smile, his grin reflected upon her face.
"How the hell did a fruitcake like me end up with a woman like you?"
"You're not a fruitcake Cloud and you know that," she scolded him softly. "Besides, I keep asking myself the same question."
"I'm certainly not a woman, I know that much!"
With a mock punch to his arm, Tifa struggled to hold the laughter in, her pearly white teeth showing as she failed miserably. Quickly she kissed him before slipping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. "I love you Cloud."
"I know."
Two years and he still hasn't said it to me. all I want is to hear those three words. No, I'll wait as I always have. He does love me, he just needs to learn how to express himself, but she knew that wasn't exactly true.
.oOo.
11pm and Tifa was dead on her feet as usual. She didn't let it show but working in the bar always wore her down since she'd left the life on the road behind. It just wasn't as. exciting. Yes, that was it. It just didn't seem to hold her interest like it once did. Silently we walked between the tables, picking up empty glasses and putting them on the tray she was carrying with a practiced grace. Cloud was busy "helping" the last of the customers out of the door. In a dead-end town like Kalm, there wasn't a whole lot else to do but drink. Carrying her load through to the kitchen, she gently placed it down beside the sink where Misty was slaving as always. The lanky seventeen had a smile on her lightly freckled face as always, her strawberry blonde hair dangling over her eyes. Tifa knew exactly why the young girl was smiling and it left her with a wistful feeling in her heart. To be young and in love again. HAH! What am I thinking? I'm not old! But still. this isn't exactly where I saw myself all those years ago.
"Last load Misty, then you can go home."
"Ok Mrs Strife."
A smile. "We're not married yet and I've told you more than enough times to call me Tifa. Maybe I should start docking your pay each time you call me that?"
The frantic scrubbing stopped. "Uhh. sorry Tifa." Quick flash of a tongue poking out before resuming the washing-up.
Such a shame, not that I can blame her. I feel exactly the same way about him too and he doesn't love either of us. Tifa stood stock-still, not knowing where on earth that last part had come from. Shaking her head, she moved back into the main bar where Cloud came in, a huge grin plastered across his face.
"Guess who's come to visit Aunty Tifa today?"
From behind came a high-pitched squeal of excitement as a little head poked out from behind Cloud's back.
"Marlene!" Placing both hands on the bar, she vaulted it easily, her previous exhaustion forgotten in the surprise. As the little girl ran forwards, Tifa scooped Marlene up in her arms, spinning her around the room.
Besides Cloud, a second figure looked in the doorway, almost as if the night had just given birth to him. The two of them watched Tifa and Marlene as they careened around the room crazily.
"Dat's one helluva sight, no doubt 'bout it!"
Finally Tifa set the little girl down on the bar, puffing a little. "My, you've gotten so big Marlene! You're not as easy to spin round like that anymore!"
Winking slyly to Cloud, Barret carefully sneaked up behind Tifa. well, as quietly as a man the size of Barret can. Marlene tried desperately not to laugh at the strange faces her "daddy" was pulling in an effort to be stealthy.
"So, if you're here Marlene," Tifa continued, "then that big lummox of a dad you've got can't be far away can he?" As she turned around, Barret scooped her up as she had done to Marlene a few moments ago and started to spin her around.
"Aaaaaaaaaaah! Put me down you oaf!" she wailed, battering ineffectively at Barret's back, but her heart wasn't in it.
Finally finished in the kitchen, but startled by all the noises coming from the bar, Misty stuck her head through the adjoining door and her jaw hit the ground when she saw what was going on, and even more so when she saw Cloud just standing there, laughing as hard as he could.
"Uhh, Mrs Str-Tifa?"
Quickly Barret put her down, looking bashful at being caught acting so childishly.
"You know I hate it when you do that." Giving Barret a quick punch on the arm, Tifa turned her attention to the young lady. "Uhh. you all done then Misty? Well, Guess I'd better get you your pay then. Tifa moved behind the bar to the cash register, springing it open and deftly counting out Misty's wages.
"Yeah, about that. Would it be possible for me to get an advance on next week as well? I, uhh. got something I need the money for," Misty asked, her face blushing as she took in the large man hovering a few meters away.
"Come over here Misty. He's not gonna bite your head off or anything." As she traipsed over to where Tifa stood at the till, taking the money from the proffered hand, the proprietor of the Eighth Wonder continued. "Misty Dulwich, I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine, Barret Wallace."
Misty dropped the money in shock at meeting another of the famous heroes of Avalanche. Stooping to quickly gather it all up, her face turned an even deeper shade of red.
"I. ahh. uhm." As Barret reached out his new right hand, Misty could only stare at it.
"Uhh, don't worry about it Barret. She was like that for the first few days she worked here as well. Cloud, do you want to walk Misty home?"
Snapping back to reality, Misty's face looked like it was about to explode from overheating by the shade it had now developed. "Uhm really, I'll be alright." Grabbing her coat from a hook on the wall, Misty half-walked, half-ran from the bar.
"Go after her Cloud, make sure she gets back safe and sound alright?" With a nod, Cloud left quietly through the door, shutting it behind him.
"So, Barret, take a seat. You want a drink?"
"Actually, I think it's way b'yond somebody's bedtime, don't ya Marlene?"
With a squeal of mock horror, the little girl launched herself from the bar and ran into the kitchen.
"Dis could take a while Tif', ya wanna get one poured ready for me? Same as always." With a sigh, Barret loped after Marlene, bellowing something or other about beds.
.oOo.
He caught up with her about halfway down the street. When she saw him coming, she had started to speed up but refusing to show herself up further by running. It hadn't been too difficult for him to catch up.
"You alright Misty?" Cloud said, gently taking her arm.
Turning to face him, tears were running down her face. "I made a total fool of myself in there. didn't I?"
"I couldn't really say. It's kinda odd for us as well y'know? We're just ordinary yeah right people like you. We don't deal all too well with hero- worship just like you don't with worshipping heroes. or something like that." A pause. "Uhh. it made sense to me a moment or two ago."
Misty laughed, cutting herself off quickly.
"Come on, let's get you back home shall we."
"Ok Cloud," she said, her face brightening. She quickly linked her arm through his as they walked. He was all too conscious of her pressing her breasts against his trapped limb and wondered what exactly he was supposed to do about it. Shake her off and upset her or leave it be and end up encouraging her? Both were deadly pitfalls, waiting to snatch up the unsuspecting male. What shocked him more was the fact he felt slightly aroused by it. Looking at Misty out of the corner of his eye, he could see he had a blissful smile on her face, as if she was miles away at the moment. Gods. that dress she's wearing is so similar to Aeris'. Pink and white checks only served to accent the swells and curves of the young girls body, the row of buttons running up the middle containing the slight strain against them. She carried her coat in her free arm, her lips moving as if she were talking to someone. Suddenly he realised that she was indeed talking to him, that he had been so enraptured by looking at her that he hadn't noticed. Cloud blushed, hoping the veil of the night covered it.
"Uhm, what was that Misty, I didn't quite hear it?"
"Oh, well, I was saying that Mr Wallace looked really scary, but the stories that Tifa had been telling me about him always made him seem so cute and huggable."
Cloud snorted a quick laugh, making Misty look at him with indignation flashing in her eyes. "Sorry, it's just that the words 'cute', 'huggable' and 'Barret' just don't belong together in the same sentence. I've only met one person who could be even more intimidating." As she started laughing, his thoughts drifted off. Brother of the sword and of the soul. Sephiroth.
Looking up, he realised they were standing outside of her house. "Ah well, it looks like we're here Misty. Uhm, I'll see you on Monday for work?"
"Yeah, sure Cloud." Always calls Tifa 'Mrs Strife' but I get first-name treatment?
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, Cloud trying his best not to shy away. Pulling back, she looked into his eyes as if trying to make up her mind about something. With a slight shake of her head, she ran for the gate, calling "Bye!" over the shoulder and waving with her free hand.
Cloud's heart sunk and he hated himself for it. What the hell is going on with me? This can't be right. I lo. I'm with Tifa. Nothing will change that.
Cloud walked back to the bar, hands in pockets as he kicked dejectedly at the cobblestones, his conscience preying on his thoughts.
.oOo.
"So Barret, what brings you all the way out here to Kalm?" she asked, carefully pouring Barret, and then herself a second and last shot of sangria each. Two shots, that's all for me. I'll be off with the faeries when Cloud gets back and out like a light before the hour's up. Like most devout martial artists, Tifa tended to keep her body pure but at times she liked the odd tipple or two to 'keep her spirits high'. Of course, this meant she also had no resistance to alcohol, it going straight to her head.
"Well, mostly ta give Elmyra a rest. Lookin' after Marlene day afta day can get pretty "
"Elmyra?"
"Oh. heh, yeah. She's been stayin' wit' us , helpin' look afta Marlene. I figure it's good for da lady. Wit' Aeris gone, she's been alone n' all and well. it helps me out a helluva lot to have someone who knows Marlene look afta her."
"So there's nothing going on I should know about then Barret?" Tifa asked with a sly wink.
"WHAT?!" Barret flew off into one of his assumed spluttering rages, Tifa merely shaking her head and smiling to herself. He could do a lot worse. someone who cares for Marlene and she's only what. six, seven years older than him?
"Y'know, it really wouldn't be the worst of ideas Barret."
"Bah, I oughta stop actin' like such a kid. I guess I been thinkin' da same kinda stuff as you, but I dunno if I can do that to Marlene n' all." Reaching for the bottle, Barret poured Tifa another shot and then himself.
"No, I really shouldn't. you know I can't handle my drink Barret."
"Aww go on, just cut loose fer the hell of it Tif'!"
"What the hell." She quickly downed the contents, shaking her head and sticking her tongue out as the sourness stung the back of her throat.
.oOo.
Pushing open the door, he was greeted by the raucous cries of two drunks, both having gone way past the two shots that Tifa limited herself to.
"Come and join ush Cloud. We've been dishcusshing the fut-chure and shtuff like that," slurred Tifa, struggling to keep her head up straight, the half- empty shot glass in her hand drooping. In a sudden burst of concentration, she looked up and focused on it, lifting it to her mouth and quickly swallowing the contents in one. Grabbing the bottle, she tried to pour another one but only succeeded in soaking the table in even more sangria. It looked like she'd been having this problem for quite a few minutes.
Striding forwards, Cloud seized Tifa's hand that held the bottle, forcing her to put it down.
"Aww, wasshat fer Cloud? You not happy to shee yer old friend Barret 'gain?" cried the hefty black man.
"Not in the state you're in Barret. Think about Marlene! She's probably been kept awake by the two of you idiots down here!"
"Aww shit man. you shure now how ta crassh a party, din'tcha? I guessh I oughta go check on her."
As Barret staggered away, Cloud turned his attention back to Tifa. This was worrying him; it was the second time this week she'd got drunk, the ninth this month. Ever so gradually she had been increasing her drinking and Cloud just didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't take her away from the bar; it was all she had ever worked and hoped for. She'd got out of Midgar and made it. he couldn't just take that away from her but the temptation just seemed to be too strong for her. Unless there was another cause.
"C'mon Tifa, let's get you up and to bed alright?" She stretched out her arms, draping them loosely around his neck as he lifted her to her feet. Looking up, she gagged, throwing a hand over her mouth before turning away and heaving her guts up on the hardwood floor. Quickly Cloud moved over to her, pulling her loose hair away from her face. "Come on, get it all out of your system."
Between gasps for air she managed to break free of his grasp and ran for the kitchen in an effort to save her bar the ignominy of being absolutely covered in her vomit. Cloud quickly followed her, resuming hair-holding duties with one hand whilst gently caressing her back with his other one. When it seemed she had finally finished, a full three minutes later, he gently helped her upstairs while she muttered and giggled to herself. Taking one sniff, he decided he was going to have to clean her up properly and give her clothes a good scrub in the morning.
"Come on Tifa, we've got to get you out of these clothes if we're gonna get you clean." Gently he eased the braces from her shoulders and started to lift her top off for her. Finally catching on that he was taking her clothes off she came up with a choice line that made Cloud want to be physically sick as well.
"You wanna have shex? Yessh, let'sh have shex and make shome babiesh. hee hee hee."
"No Tifa!" he barked at her, his anger carrying through in the sheer ferocity of his voice. She shrank away from him, swinging her arms at him. Trying to rectify it, Cloud moved in to hug it, but Tifa managed to gather some of her senses back and lashed out, catching him on the chin, sending him staggering backwards into the small medicine cabinet behind him.
She. hit me. the bitch!
Cloud stepped forward, slapping her hard across the face. Tifa fell to the floor of the bathtub, clutching her face and bursting into tears. The door slammed open and Barret, still as drunk as hell staggered in. Seeing Tifa crying in the bathtub half naked, he grabbed Cloud by the throat lifting the younger man from his feet. Lashing out, Cloud caught Barret square in the stomach with his right foot, making Barret drop him heavily to the floor as the big man stumbled backwards, falling over and whacking his head on the floor.
"DADDY!" Marlene came running from the room that Barret had set her up in for the night, diving to her knees beside him, clutching at his arm, crying. Streams of tears ran from her eyes as she wailed piercingly into the night.
Cloud picked himself up from the floor, walking over to Barret. Crouching over him, he lifted his closed eyelids, but it was clear the big man was out cold, the fall combined with the alcohol in his system sticking him into shutdown for the night. Grabbing him by the opposite arm from Marlene, he struggled to get him into a manoeuvrable position and eventually settled for dragging him across the floor.
"C'mon Marlene, help Uncle Cloud get Daddy into bed alright?" but to no avail. She sullenly clung onto Barret, her piteous howling now quietened. After about ten minutes, he finally got the former leader of Avalanche into the foldaway bed but he couldn't get Marlene to sleep in hers, instead letting her sleep curled up next to Barret.
He trudged back into the bathroom where Tifa was still in the bathtub crying to herself. He sat down on the rim, gently stroking her hair. "Hush Tifa. hush."
Looking up, she threw her arms around him, her breasts squashed against his chest. "I'm sssho shorry. I ssshouldn't have hit you!"
"Don't worry 'bout it now Tifa. I shouldn't have hit you either. Let's just get you clean, alright? That's what we'll do now."
Helping her to her feet, he stood her up in the bathtub, slowly removing the rest of her clothes; taking her miniskirt and panties off while she leant on him for support. Getting in with her but leaving his clothes on, he grabbed the showerhead and turned it on, aiming it away from her at first to let it warm up first. Sticking it back into position, he slowly turned Tifa around in his arms, letting the water cover her completely. He ran his fingers through her hair, making sure it all got a good soaking and all the vomit caught on strands had been cleaned off. This is my duty. I have to stand by her but I don't know if I'm strong enough. Taking a sponge, he wet it thoroughly, running it thoroughly over her body, making sure he left no patch untouched. Finally satisfied she was clean enough he turned the shower off. Stepping out first, he then helped her, grabbing a towel as he did so. She slumped against a wall, totally exhausted. He quickly towelled off most of the excess water before taking a warm fluffy sleeping gown from where it hung on the back of the bathroom door. Easing her into it, he led her into the bedroom to sit on the edge of the king- size they had. Quickly grabbing a second towel, he sat behind her, his legs either side of hers. He tried to dry her hair as best he could without being too rough. Finally, he helped her out of the dressing gown again and slipped her into the bed, tucking all of the sheets in tightly around her, making sure to cover her with the duvet.
He left the room, quickly checking in on Marlene and Barret before heading downstairs. For the next hour he cleaned the mess the two former journey companions had created, wiping away the vomit and liquor stains, replacing the bottle back on the shelf behind the bar and righting the tables and chairs they'd knocked over. He took one of the chairs upstairs with him, setting it facing towards the bed and window. Sitting down, he held his hands in his hands, crying tears that no-one was there to see. He looked at Tifa lying there, her innocence restored from the wild-eyed thing that had attacked him in the bathroom. The moon shone through the window, casting its pale blue light through the slats creating a complex pattern of shadows. Tifa lay in the light while Cloud sat in the dark.
Finally sighing, Cloud took the chair downstairs again, checking on Barret and Marlene one last time. They looked so peaceful and happy, lying there curled up together.
Going back into his and Tifa's room, he stripped off his clothes and slid between the sheets, lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling. It seemed an age before Tifa's arm draped over him, her head nuzzling its way onto his chest. He gently stroked her hair as she mumbled in her sleep.
"Don't leave me Cloud, don't ever leave me. I don't know what I'd do without you."
So this is to be my fate is it? Trapped in this Purgatory? We're all looking for our own ways out. who'll be the first to go far enough to succeed?
.oOo.
Barret woke up with a hand clamped tightly over his mouth. He looked up to see Cloud holding a finger over his mouth to indicate silence before pointing to the huddled shape beside him. Seeing his nod, Cloud removed his hand and Barret, still clothed and smelling of alcohol from the previous night, slid out of the bed and followed him downstairs. Sitting in the chair Cloud pulled up for him, Barret rubbed his chest, a tender patch there he wasn't too sure of how it had been irritated in the first place. He remembered the place being absolutely trashed by him and Tifa but now it was absolutely spotless. Had Cloud been working all night to clean up after them? Man, he was gonna be so pissed off at him.
"Uhh, I guess I oughta apologise man. Sorry fer trashin' the join last night."
"You don't remember what happened?"
"Not really man, me n' Tifa were pretty outta it." Barret yawned a giant yawn for a giant of a man, his arms flailing about behind his head. "I swear, I can't have got too much sleep last night."
"No, not sleep really. You were out cold."
"Yeh right man. I din't have that much to drink."
"No, I knocked you out last night. You really don't remember do you?"
Barret looked Cloud in the eyes and he knew there was something Cloud was skirting around. "Spit it out man. Youse hidin' somethin'. Why the hell wudya knock me out?"
Cloud sighed, not sure if the next words to come out of his mouth would end up leading to another fight. "Because I hit Tifa last night."
"WHAT?!" Barret's hands smashed down on the table as he stood up, his jaw clenched tightly, his temples throbbing slightly.
"Sit your goddamned chunky ass down before I knock you out again," Cloud hissed, standing upright as well. "Tifa's still asleep upstairs so for God's sake, don't wake her!"
"What da fuck happened last night! You best have a good reason fer hittin' Tifa or I'm gonna rip yer fuckin' head off!"
Cloud sunk back into his chair, taking upon a defeated look. "I. I don't know. It's just. I came back last night and she was pissed out of her head again. She's been doing it more and more often. then, when I was trying to clean her up some, she punched me. I. just flipped. I slapped her. hard. I swear, anything you do to me Barret can't hurt as much as my heart did when I connected. Anyway, you burst in and tried to throttle me to death. I had no choice, you were totally outta it man. I kicked you right in the chest, sending you backwards. You fell over and hit your head, going out like a light. Marlene started crying like mad and. and. GODDAMMIT!"
"Yo, chill Cloud. Chill. Shit. so what? Tif's got a drinkin' problem? That it?"
Cloud could only nod, the tears pouring down. If this had been Aeris he'd been talking to, she'd have hugged him, told him it would all work out fine. but if Aeris had been there, none of this would have happened in the first place.
"I. I guess I've known for a while. I don't know what the hell to do about it though. This is her pride and joy Barret! We put well over half the money that we had into buying this place and then fixing it up. She's worked so hard for all of this, ever since leaving Nibelheim. I can't take it away but. we can't stay here. I've sat here and watched her slowly tear herself to pieces and there's not a damned thing I can do about it!"
"Look man, dis is somethin' I ain't never told no-one 'bout, not even Tif'. Back when I got thrown outta Corel, I started to drink. Heavily man. and I had Marlene in tow wit' me the whole time. If I hadn't sorted myself out, she wouldn't still be wit' me today."
"Barret. I."
"Shut it Cloud. I don't need yer stinkin' sympathy. What's done is done. the thing is, we gotta be strong fer Tifa. Since ya came back in her life, YOU'VE been her life. Wit'out ya, she's fucked. Not even I'll be able ta help her outta the hole she'll dig 'erself inta. We've gotta help her. You've gotta help her. she needs ya just like you needed her when you was in that Lifestream."
"But I can't cope much longer Barret. you've gotta stay and help me!"
"I will, but I can only be gone from Corel fer so long man. Come the end of the week, me and Marlene are gone. After that, you're gonna have to settle this yerself."
No matter how much Cloud cried, he just couldn't make Barret agree to stay any longer.
.oOo.
The sun shone so bright, she barely open her eyes for the pain it gave her. Light. burning. she grabbed a pillow and stuck it over her head, trying to stop the ringing in her ears. Slowly the previous night drifted back to her and she started to weep. Tears for what she had done and how she had hurt those she loved the most. Marlene, Barret, Cloud. Cloud. He. hit me? Voices drifted up to her from downstairs.
"But I can't cope much longer Barret. you've gotta stay and help me!"
"I will, but I can only be gone from Corel fer so long man. Come the end of the week, me and Marlene are gone. After that, you're gonna have to settle this yerself."
She vaguely remembered hearing other words from downstairs earlier but her brain was so scrambled, she just couldn't wring any sense from it.
"I'm gonna go and check on Marlene now. Sounds like we all gave her one helluva scare last night."
"Alright. I'll go talk to Tifa."
Quickly, she pretended to be asleep, not wanting to face the recriminations from last night or. worse.
"Tifa, you awake?" Gently, he lifted the pillow from her head.
Grabbing hold of the pillow, she pulled it back to covering her head. "Please. just leave me alone Cloud. I. I can't forgive you for last night. Just go."
"And you think I can forgive you either? Not just for last night, all the other nights. I'm worried about you Tifa."
She flipped herself over and sat upright in the bed, not caring about her nudity. "Is that why you hit me Cloud? You cared so much you had to beat whatever was so wrong out of me?!"
"That's not fair." Cloud looked away, not able to take the venomous stare she was giving him. "You. you've got a drinking problem and I just wa--"
He was cut off by her screams. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! GET OUT NOW YOU BASTARD!" She pushed him from the bed, standing over him completely naked. It was then she heard the startled cry from the doorway. Barret was standing there, his hands gripping tightly onto Marlene's shoulders. Quickly, he picked her up and started to make his way downstairs.
"No. Marlene." Tifa started to cry, her shoulders drooping as she seemed to sink into herself. Cloud gingerly picked himself up off the floor, wrapping her tightly in his embrace. She beat at his chest as the tears continued to come forth. "L. let go of me you bastard! Let. go! Let.. go." Slowly she dissolved into complete hysterics, weeping uncontrollably into his chest, her hands resting gently upon him. They stood there for what seemed like hours, until the sun had almost completed its golden arc through the sky. They stood there until the chaos all around them started to finally settle itself down. They stood there until the tears ran dry.
Thinking was pretty much all that he had the time for these days. He sighed, taking the brush from where it leant against the wall. Back and forth. back and forth. the feathery head of the broom glided over the floor, piling all the crap that had gathered in the bar the previous night. This was what Cloud Strife, world famous hero, the saviour of humanity, had been relegated to - sweeping the floor of his fiancé's bar. It wasn't even as if there weren't enough bins around the place! They just couldn't be bothered to use them, dropping all of their rubbish on the floor. It was starting to drive Cloud crazy but cutting loose wouldn't do him any good.
He paused, resting his arms atop the broom handle, looking up at where the Ultima sword was hung above the bar along with the Premium Heart. Two years had passed since he'd hung up his sword and he missed it. The thrill of pain, the satisfaction of rending flesh, the smell of fresh blood. As gruesome as it might sound, that was what Cloud missed. Then there was the camaraderie, the feeling of cold air slamming against his body and the wonders that he saw. And then there was Aeris. Gods, how he missed her. Those green eyes, carrying her soul for everyone to see. Her innocence and purity, shining forth in whatever it was she did, even when it was hitting people over the head with the Princess Guard. There wasn't a single imperfection in her character, no flaw in her unconditional love. and she had paid the ultimate price for it. But then again, would it really be all that bad to join with the Lifestream, to be with all of those that had already moved on in their lives? Maybe not.
Hearing footsteps heading towards the door, Cloud quickly resumed sweeping, not wanting to be caught slacking, Tifa would give him hell. As the door, opened, a petite figure was silhouetted in the mid-morning sunlight. Hair pulled back into a loose ponytail ran down to her hips, the chestnut-brown colouring becoming clear as she continued walking in.
"Working hard Cloud?"
"Meh."
"What kind of welcome back is that for your darling fiancé?"
Her face popped underneath his, her brown eyes enveloping him in love. He couldn't help but smile, his grin reflected upon her face.
"How the hell did a fruitcake like me end up with a woman like you?"
"You're not a fruitcake Cloud and you know that," she scolded him softly. "Besides, I keep asking myself the same question."
"I'm certainly not a woman, I know that much!"
With a mock punch to his arm, Tifa struggled to hold the laughter in, her pearly white teeth showing as she failed miserably. Quickly she kissed him before slipping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. "I love you Cloud."
"I know."
Two years and he still hasn't said it to me. all I want is to hear those three words. No, I'll wait as I always have. He does love me, he just needs to learn how to express himself, but she knew that wasn't exactly true.
.oOo.
11pm and Tifa was dead on her feet as usual. She didn't let it show but working in the bar always wore her down since she'd left the life on the road behind. It just wasn't as. exciting. Yes, that was it. It just didn't seem to hold her interest like it once did. Silently we walked between the tables, picking up empty glasses and putting them on the tray she was carrying with a practiced grace. Cloud was busy "helping" the last of the customers out of the door. In a dead-end town like Kalm, there wasn't a whole lot else to do but drink. Carrying her load through to the kitchen, she gently placed it down beside the sink where Misty was slaving as always. The lanky seventeen had a smile on her lightly freckled face as always, her strawberry blonde hair dangling over her eyes. Tifa knew exactly why the young girl was smiling and it left her with a wistful feeling in her heart. To be young and in love again. HAH! What am I thinking? I'm not old! But still. this isn't exactly where I saw myself all those years ago.
"Last load Misty, then you can go home."
"Ok Mrs Strife."
A smile. "We're not married yet and I've told you more than enough times to call me Tifa. Maybe I should start docking your pay each time you call me that?"
The frantic scrubbing stopped. "Uhh. sorry Tifa." Quick flash of a tongue poking out before resuming the washing-up.
Such a shame, not that I can blame her. I feel exactly the same way about him too and he doesn't love either of us. Tifa stood stock-still, not knowing where on earth that last part had come from. Shaking her head, she moved back into the main bar where Cloud came in, a huge grin plastered across his face.
"Guess who's come to visit Aunty Tifa today?"
From behind came a high-pitched squeal of excitement as a little head poked out from behind Cloud's back.
"Marlene!" Placing both hands on the bar, she vaulted it easily, her previous exhaustion forgotten in the surprise. As the little girl ran forwards, Tifa scooped Marlene up in her arms, spinning her around the room.
Besides Cloud, a second figure looked in the doorway, almost as if the night had just given birth to him. The two of them watched Tifa and Marlene as they careened around the room crazily.
"Dat's one helluva sight, no doubt 'bout it!"
Finally Tifa set the little girl down on the bar, puffing a little. "My, you've gotten so big Marlene! You're not as easy to spin round like that anymore!"
Winking slyly to Cloud, Barret carefully sneaked up behind Tifa. well, as quietly as a man the size of Barret can. Marlene tried desperately not to laugh at the strange faces her "daddy" was pulling in an effort to be stealthy.
"So, if you're here Marlene," Tifa continued, "then that big lummox of a dad you've got can't be far away can he?" As she turned around, Barret scooped her up as she had done to Marlene a few moments ago and started to spin her around.
"Aaaaaaaaaaah! Put me down you oaf!" she wailed, battering ineffectively at Barret's back, but her heart wasn't in it.
Finally finished in the kitchen, but startled by all the noises coming from the bar, Misty stuck her head through the adjoining door and her jaw hit the ground when she saw what was going on, and even more so when she saw Cloud just standing there, laughing as hard as he could.
"Uhh, Mrs Str-Tifa?"
Quickly Barret put her down, looking bashful at being caught acting so childishly.
"You know I hate it when you do that." Giving Barret a quick punch on the arm, Tifa turned her attention to the young lady. "Uhh. you all done then Misty? Well, Guess I'd better get you your pay then. Tifa moved behind the bar to the cash register, springing it open and deftly counting out Misty's wages.
"Yeah, about that. Would it be possible for me to get an advance on next week as well? I, uhh. got something I need the money for," Misty asked, her face blushing as she took in the large man hovering a few meters away.
"Come over here Misty. He's not gonna bite your head off or anything." As she traipsed over to where Tifa stood at the till, taking the money from the proffered hand, the proprietor of the Eighth Wonder continued. "Misty Dulwich, I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine, Barret Wallace."
Misty dropped the money in shock at meeting another of the famous heroes of Avalanche. Stooping to quickly gather it all up, her face turned an even deeper shade of red.
"I. ahh. uhm." As Barret reached out his new right hand, Misty could only stare at it.
"Uhh, don't worry about it Barret. She was like that for the first few days she worked here as well. Cloud, do you want to walk Misty home?"
Snapping back to reality, Misty's face looked like it was about to explode from overheating by the shade it had now developed. "Uhm really, I'll be alright." Grabbing her coat from a hook on the wall, Misty half-walked, half-ran from the bar.
"Go after her Cloud, make sure she gets back safe and sound alright?" With a nod, Cloud left quietly through the door, shutting it behind him.
"So, Barret, take a seat. You want a drink?"
"Actually, I think it's way b'yond somebody's bedtime, don't ya Marlene?"
With a squeal of mock horror, the little girl launched herself from the bar and ran into the kitchen.
"Dis could take a while Tif', ya wanna get one poured ready for me? Same as always." With a sigh, Barret loped after Marlene, bellowing something or other about beds.
.oOo.
He caught up with her about halfway down the street. When she saw him coming, she had started to speed up but refusing to show herself up further by running. It hadn't been too difficult for him to catch up.
"You alright Misty?" Cloud said, gently taking her arm.
Turning to face him, tears were running down her face. "I made a total fool of myself in there. didn't I?"
"I couldn't really say. It's kinda odd for us as well y'know? We're just ordinary yeah right people like you. We don't deal all too well with hero- worship just like you don't with worshipping heroes. or something like that." A pause. "Uhh. it made sense to me a moment or two ago."
Misty laughed, cutting herself off quickly.
"Come on, let's get you back home shall we."
"Ok Cloud," she said, her face brightening. She quickly linked her arm through his as they walked. He was all too conscious of her pressing her breasts against his trapped limb and wondered what exactly he was supposed to do about it. Shake her off and upset her or leave it be and end up encouraging her? Both were deadly pitfalls, waiting to snatch up the unsuspecting male. What shocked him more was the fact he felt slightly aroused by it. Looking at Misty out of the corner of his eye, he could see he had a blissful smile on her face, as if she was miles away at the moment. Gods. that dress she's wearing is so similar to Aeris'. Pink and white checks only served to accent the swells and curves of the young girls body, the row of buttons running up the middle containing the slight strain against them. She carried her coat in her free arm, her lips moving as if she were talking to someone. Suddenly he realised that she was indeed talking to him, that he had been so enraptured by looking at her that he hadn't noticed. Cloud blushed, hoping the veil of the night covered it.
"Uhm, what was that Misty, I didn't quite hear it?"
"Oh, well, I was saying that Mr Wallace looked really scary, but the stories that Tifa had been telling me about him always made him seem so cute and huggable."
Cloud snorted a quick laugh, making Misty look at him with indignation flashing in her eyes. "Sorry, it's just that the words 'cute', 'huggable' and 'Barret' just don't belong together in the same sentence. I've only met one person who could be even more intimidating." As she started laughing, his thoughts drifted off. Brother of the sword and of the soul. Sephiroth.
Looking up, he realised they were standing outside of her house. "Ah well, it looks like we're here Misty. Uhm, I'll see you on Monday for work?"
"Yeah, sure Cloud." Always calls Tifa 'Mrs Strife' but I get first-name treatment?
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, Cloud trying his best not to shy away. Pulling back, she looked into his eyes as if trying to make up her mind about something. With a slight shake of her head, she ran for the gate, calling "Bye!" over the shoulder and waving with her free hand.
Cloud's heart sunk and he hated himself for it. What the hell is going on with me? This can't be right. I lo. I'm with Tifa. Nothing will change that.
Cloud walked back to the bar, hands in pockets as he kicked dejectedly at the cobblestones, his conscience preying on his thoughts.
.oOo.
"So Barret, what brings you all the way out here to Kalm?" she asked, carefully pouring Barret, and then herself a second and last shot of sangria each. Two shots, that's all for me. I'll be off with the faeries when Cloud gets back and out like a light before the hour's up. Like most devout martial artists, Tifa tended to keep her body pure but at times she liked the odd tipple or two to 'keep her spirits high'. Of course, this meant she also had no resistance to alcohol, it going straight to her head.
"Well, mostly ta give Elmyra a rest. Lookin' after Marlene day afta day can get pretty "
"Elmyra?"
"Oh. heh, yeah. She's been stayin' wit' us , helpin' look afta Marlene. I figure it's good for da lady. Wit' Aeris gone, she's been alone n' all and well. it helps me out a helluva lot to have someone who knows Marlene look afta her."
"So there's nothing going on I should know about then Barret?" Tifa asked with a sly wink.
"WHAT?!" Barret flew off into one of his assumed spluttering rages, Tifa merely shaking her head and smiling to herself. He could do a lot worse. someone who cares for Marlene and she's only what. six, seven years older than him?
"Y'know, it really wouldn't be the worst of ideas Barret."
"Bah, I oughta stop actin' like such a kid. I guess I been thinkin' da same kinda stuff as you, but I dunno if I can do that to Marlene n' all." Reaching for the bottle, Barret poured Tifa another shot and then himself.
"No, I really shouldn't. you know I can't handle my drink Barret."
"Aww go on, just cut loose fer the hell of it Tif'!"
"What the hell." She quickly downed the contents, shaking her head and sticking her tongue out as the sourness stung the back of her throat.
.oOo.
Pushing open the door, he was greeted by the raucous cries of two drunks, both having gone way past the two shots that Tifa limited herself to.
"Come and join ush Cloud. We've been dishcusshing the fut-chure and shtuff like that," slurred Tifa, struggling to keep her head up straight, the half- empty shot glass in her hand drooping. In a sudden burst of concentration, she looked up and focused on it, lifting it to her mouth and quickly swallowing the contents in one. Grabbing the bottle, she tried to pour another one but only succeeded in soaking the table in even more sangria. It looked like she'd been having this problem for quite a few minutes.
Striding forwards, Cloud seized Tifa's hand that held the bottle, forcing her to put it down.
"Aww, wasshat fer Cloud? You not happy to shee yer old friend Barret 'gain?" cried the hefty black man.
"Not in the state you're in Barret. Think about Marlene! She's probably been kept awake by the two of you idiots down here!"
"Aww shit man. you shure now how ta crassh a party, din'tcha? I guessh I oughta go check on her."
As Barret staggered away, Cloud turned his attention back to Tifa. This was worrying him; it was the second time this week she'd got drunk, the ninth this month. Ever so gradually she had been increasing her drinking and Cloud just didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't take her away from the bar; it was all she had ever worked and hoped for. She'd got out of Midgar and made it. he couldn't just take that away from her but the temptation just seemed to be too strong for her. Unless there was another cause.
"C'mon Tifa, let's get you up and to bed alright?" She stretched out her arms, draping them loosely around his neck as he lifted her to her feet. Looking up, she gagged, throwing a hand over her mouth before turning away and heaving her guts up on the hardwood floor. Quickly Cloud moved over to her, pulling her loose hair away from her face. "Come on, get it all out of your system."
Between gasps for air she managed to break free of his grasp and ran for the kitchen in an effort to save her bar the ignominy of being absolutely covered in her vomit. Cloud quickly followed her, resuming hair-holding duties with one hand whilst gently caressing her back with his other one. When it seemed she had finally finished, a full three minutes later, he gently helped her upstairs while she muttered and giggled to herself. Taking one sniff, he decided he was going to have to clean her up properly and give her clothes a good scrub in the morning.
"Come on Tifa, we've got to get you out of these clothes if we're gonna get you clean." Gently he eased the braces from her shoulders and started to lift her top off for her. Finally catching on that he was taking her clothes off she came up with a choice line that made Cloud want to be physically sick as well.
"You wanna have shex? Yessh, let'sh have shex and make shome babiesh. hee hee hee."
"No Tifa!" he barked at her, his anger carrying through in the sheer ferocity of his voice. She shrank away from him, swinging her arms at him. Trying to rectify it, Cloud moved in to hug it, but Tifa managed to gather some of her senses back and lashed out, catching him on the chin, sending him staggering backwards into the small medicine cabinet behind him.
She. hit me. the bitch!
Cloud stepped forward, slapping her hard across the face. Tifa fell to the floor of the bathtub, clutching her face and bursting into tears. The door slammed open and Barret, still as drunk as hell staggered in. Seeing Tifa crying in the bathtub half naked, he grabbed Cloud by the throat lifting the younger man from his feet. Lashing out, Cloud caught Barret square in the stomach with his right foot, making Barret drop him heavily to the floor as the big man stumbled backwards, falling over and whacking his head on the floor.
"DADDY!" Marlene came running from the room that Barret had set her up in for the night, diving to her knees beside him, clutching at his arm, crying. Streams of tears ran from her eyes as she wailed piercingly into the night.
Cloud picked himself up from the floor, walking over to Barret. Crouching over him, he lifted his closed eyelids, but it was clear the big man was out cold, the fall combined with the alcohol in his system sticking him into shutdown for the night. Grabbing him by the opposite arm from Marlene, he struggled to get him into a manoeuvrable position and eventually settled for dragging him across the floor.
"C'mon Marlene, help Uncle Cloud get Daddy into bed alright?" but to no avail. She sullenly clung onto Barret, her piteous howling now quietened. After about ten minutes, he finally got the former leader of Avalanche into the foldaway bed but he couldn't get Marlene to sleep in hers, instead letting her sleep curled up next to Barret.
He trudged back into the bathroom where Tifa was still in the bathtub crying to herself. He sat down on the rim, gently stroking her hair. "Hush Tifa. hush."
Looking up, she threw her arms around him, her breasts squashed against his chest. "I'm sssho shorry. I ssshouldn't have hit you!"
"Don't worry 'bout it now Tifa. I shouldn't have hit you either. Let's just get you clean, alright? That's what we'll do now."
Helping her to her feet, he stood her up in the bathtub, slowly removing the rest of her clothes; taking her miniskirt and panties off while she leant on him for support. Getting in with her but leaving his clothes on, he grabbed the showerhead and turned it on, aiming it away from her at first to let it warm up first. Sticking it back into position, he slowly turned Tifa around in his arms, letting the water cover her completely. He ran his fingers through her hair, making sure it all got a good soaking and all the vomit caught on strands had been cleaned off. This is my duty. I have to stand by her but I don't know if I'm strong enough. Taking a sponge, he wet it thoroughly, running it thoroughly over her body, making sure he left no patch untouched. Finally satisfied she was clean enough he turned the shower off. Stepping out first, he then helped her, grabbing a towel as he did so. She slumped against a wall, totally exhausted. He quickly towelled off most of the excess water before taking a warm fluffy sleeping gown from where it hung on the back of the bathroom door. Easing her into it, he led her into the bedroom to sit on the edge of the king- size they had. Quickly grabbing a second towel, he sat behind her, his legs either side of hers. He tried to dry her hair as best he could without being too rough. Finally, he helped her out of the dressing gown again and slipped her into the bed, tucking all of the sheets in tightly around her, making sure to cover her with the duvet.
He left the room, quickly checking in on Marlene and Barret before heading downstairs. For the next hour he cleaned the mess the two former journey companions had created, wiping away the vomit and liquor stains, replacing the bottle back on the shelf behind the bar and righting the tables and chairs they'd knocked over. He took one of the chairs upstairs with him, setting it facing towards the bed and window. Sitting down, he held his hands in his hands, crying tears that no-one was there to see. He looked at Tifa lying there, her innocence restored from the wild-eyed thing that had attacked him in the bathroom. The moon shone through the window, casting its pale blue light through the slats creating a complex pattern of shadows. Tifa lay in the light while Cloud sat in the dark.
Finally sighing, Cloud took the chair downstairs again, checking on Barret and Marlene one last time. They looked so peaceful and happy, lying there curled up together.
Going back into his and Tifa's room, he stripped off his clothes and slid between the sheets, lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling. It seemed an age before Tifa's arm draped over him, her head nuzzling its way onto his chest. He gently stroked her hair as she mumbled in her sleep.
"Don't leave me Cloud, don't ever leave me. I don't know what I'd do without you."
So this is to be my fate is it? Trapped in this Purgatory? We're all looking for our own ways out. who'll be the first to go far enough to succeed?
.oOo.
Barret woke up with a hand clamped tightly over his mouth. He looked up to see Cloud holding a finger over his mouth to indicate silence before pointing to the huddled shape beside him. Seeing his nod, Cloud removed his hand and Barret, still clothed and smelling of alcohol from the previous night, slid out of the bed and followed him downstairs. Sitting in the chair Cloud pulled up for him, Barret rubbed his chest, a tender patch there he wasn't too sure of how it had been irritated in the first place. He remembered the place being absolutely trashed by him and Tifa but now it was absolutely spotless. Had Cloud been working all night to clean up after them? Man, he was gonna be so pissed off at him.
"Uhh, I guess I oughta apologise man. Sorry fer trashin' the join last night."
"You don't remember what happened?"
"Not really man, me n' Tifa were pretty outta it." Barret yawned a giant yawn for a giant of a man, his arms flailing about behind his head. "I swear, I can't have got too much sleep last night."
"No, not sleep really. You were out cold."
"Yeh right man. I din't have that much to drink."
"No, I knocked you out last night. You really don't remember do you?"
Barret looked Cloud in the eyes and he knew there was something Cloud was skirting around. "Spit it out man. Youse hidin' somethin'. Why the hell wudya knock me out?"
Cloud sighed, not sure if the next words to come out of his mouth would end up leading to another fight. "Because I hit Tifa last night."
"WHAT?!" Barret's hands smashed down on the table as he stood up, his jaw clenched tightly, his temples throbbing slightly.
"Sit your goddamned chunky ass down before I knock you out again," Cloud hissed, standing upright as well. "Tifa's still asleep upstairs so for God's sake, don't wake her!"
"What da fuck happened last night! You best have a good reason fer hittin' Tifa or I'm gonna rip yer fuckin' head off!"
Cloud sunk back into his chair, taking upon a defeated look. "I. I don't know. It's just. I came back last night and she was pissed out of her head again. She's been doing it more and more often. then, when I was trying to clean her up some, she punched me. I. just flipped. I slapped her. hard. I swear, anything you do to me Barret can't hurt as much as my heart did when I connected. Anyway, you burst in and tried to throttle me to death. I had no choice, you were totally outta it man. I kicked you right in the chest, sending you backwards. You fell over and hit your head, going out like a light. Marlene started crying like mad and. and. GODDAMMIT!"
"Yo, chill Cloud. Chill. Shit. so what? Tif's got a drinkin' problem? That it?"
Cloud could only nod, the tears pouring down. If this had been Aeris he'd been talking to, she'd have hugged him, told him it would all work out fine. but if Aeris had been there, none of this would have happened in the first place.
"I. I guess I've known for a while. I don't know what the hell to do about it though. This is her pride and joy Barret! We put well over half the money that we had into buying this place and then fixing it up. She's worked so hard for all of this, ever since leaving Nibelheim. I can't take it away but. we can't stay here. I've sat here and watched her slowly tear herself to pieces and there's not a damned thing I can do about it!"
"Look man, dis is somethin' I ain't never told no-one 'bout, not even Tif'. Back when I got thrown outta Corel, I started to drink. Heavily man. and I had Marlene in tow wit' me the whole time. If I hadn't sorted myself out, she wouldn't still be wit' me today."
"Barret. I."
"Shut it Cloud. I don't need yer stinkin' sympathy. What's done is done. the thing is, we gotta be strong fer Tifa. Since ya came back in her life, YOU'VE been her life. Wit'out ya, she's fucked. Not even I'll be able ta help her outta the hole she'll dig 'erself inta. We've gotta help her. You've gotta help her. she needs ya just like you needed her when you was in that Lifestream."
"But I can't cope much longer Barret. you've gotta stay and help me!"
"I will, but I can only be gone from Corel fer so long man. Come the end of the week, me and Marlene are gone. After that, you're gonna have to settle this yerself."
No matter how much Cloud cried, he just couldn't make Barret agree to stay any longer.
.oOo.
The sun shone so bright, she barely open her eyes for the pain it gave her. Light. burning. she grabbed a pillow and stuck it over her head, trying to stop the ringing in her ears. Slowly the previous night drifted back to her and she started to weep. Tears for what she had done and how she had hurt those she loved the most. Marlene, Barret, Cloud. Cloud. He. hit me? Voices drifted up to her from downstairs.
"But I can't cope much longer Barret. you've gotta stay and help me!"
"I will, but I can only be gone from Corel fer so long man. Come the end of the week, me and Marlene are gone. After that, you're gonna have to settle this yerself."
She vaguely remembered hearing other words from downstairs earlier but her brain was so scrambled, she just couldn't wring any sense from it.
"I'm gonna go and check on Marlene now. Sounds like we all gave her one helluva scare last night."
"Alright. I'll go talk to Tifa."
Quickly, she pretended to be asleep, not wanting to face the recriminations from last night or. worse.
"Tifa, you awake?" Gently, he lifted the pillow from her head.
Grabbing hold of the pillow, she pulled it back to covering her head. "Please. just leave me alone Cloud. I. I can't forgive you for last night. Just go."
"And you think I can forgive you either? Not just for last night, all the other nights. I'm worried about you Tifa."
She flipped herself over and sat upright in the bed, not caring about her nudity. "Is that why you hit me Cloud? You cared so much you had to beat whatever was so wrong out of me?!"
"That's not fair." Cloud looked away, not able to take the venomous stare she was giving him. "You. you've got a drinking problem and I just wa--"
He was cut off by her screams. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! GET OUT NOW YOU BASTARD!" She pushed him from the bed, standing over him completely naked. It was then she heard the startled cry from the doorway. Barret was standing there, his hands gripping tightly onto Marlene's shoulders. Quickly, he picked her up and started to make his way downstairs.
"No. Marlene." Tifa started to cry, her shoulders drooping as she seemed to sink into herself. Cloud gingerly picked himself up off the floor, wrapping her tightly in his embrace. She beat at his chest as the tears continued to come forth. "L. let go of me you bastard! Let. go! Let.. go." Slowly she dissolved into complete hysterics, weeping uncontrollably into his chest, her hands resting gently upon him. They stood there for what seemed like hours, until the sun had almost completed its golden arc through the sky. They stood there until the chaos all around them started to finally settle itself down. They stood there until the tears ran dry.