It was another stormy Sunday evening, and Cloud away again. Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel had lamented over the nasty weather for most of the morning, but soon found other ways to entertain themselves. The tables in the bar were covered with various pictures the kids had drawn, and a few Tifa had drawn, just to humor them. When coloring got boring, Tifa taught them to play cards. Ten games later, the kids were growing restless. Tifa had sighed, knowing that in the end, they'd be playing princess and dragons as always.
"No, no, no, Tifa!" Marlene said, shaking her head.
Denzel nodded emphatically.
"You're doing it all wrong!" he said wisely.
Tifa threw her hands up in exasperation. Her paper tiara fell off her head.
"What am I doing wrong?" she asked, picking it back up.
Marlene gave her a stern look and straightened the tiara ontop of Tifa's dark hair.
"The princess is supposed to scream louder Tifa!" Marlene scolded. "Much louder!"
"Especially when the dragons are trying to bite her arms off!" Denzel added helpfully.
Tifa gave the two children, who were wearing tin foil over their fingers as "dragon claws", a slightly nervous look.
"Don't you want to be the princess for a change, Marlene?" Tifa asked the little girl hopefully.
Marlene gave Tifa an incredulous look.
"Princess?" she asked, wrinkling her nose disdainfully. "Being a dragon is much more fun!"
Tifa sighed, but turned to Denzel, not ready to give up.
"Do we really need two dragons?" she asked, wincing slightly.
Marlene and Denzel exchanged devious smiles and nodded simulataniously.
"Yes we do!" Denzel said sweetly.
"If there was only one dragon Tifa..." Marlene began matter-of-factly. "The princess might actually win the fight for once!"
Tifa gave them an amused look.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" she asked.
Marlene and Denzel clucked thier tongues disaprovingly.
"Tifa..." Denzel sighed. "The game's only fun when you get your arms bitten off!"
Marlene fluttered her eyelashes innocently at Tifa. Tifa sighed defeatedly and pinned the tiara firmly into her hair.
"Okay then..." Tifa said glumly. "Scream louder, right?"
The kids nodded vigorously.
"And more realistic Tifa!" Denzel urged.
"Yea!" Marlene added. "Don't use your fake scream okay?"
You need to go to acting school if you want to please these two...Tifa thought, retreating to the barstool that had been dubbed "the princess's castle." She sat, back facing towards the children, who she knew would pounce any minute. Tifa bit back a smile as she heard the low growls behind her. Here we go...she thought.
Marlene jumped on her back, roaring in a dragon-like way. Denzel grabbed her by the leg, pretending to sink three-inch long fangs into it. In the middle of the attack, they gave her expectant looks. Tifa quickly hid her smile and let out a ear-piercing, terrified, and realistic scream. She slid off the barstool and onto the floor, holding her hands up feebly to ward off their attacks. The children jumped on her, roaring and pretending to breath fire.
"Don't eat me!" Tifa screamed as Marlene poised her teeth threateningly above her arm.
Denzel and Marlene both barred their teeth and showed her their shiny, tin foil claws. Giving another convincing scream, Tifa jumped up off the floor and onto her feet. The children chased her around the bar, roaring loudly.
"Somebody help!" Tifa cried, as they succeeded in cornering her. "The dragons are after me! They're going to eat me!"
The kids laughed gleefully at Tifa's faked, yet convincing terror, and advanced menacingly. Tifa screamed again as Denzel swiped at her with his fake claws. She cowered as Marlene pretended to breath fire on her.
"Help!" Tifa screeched.
Just as Tifa gave her most convincing scream yet, and pretended to sink to the floor in a faint, Cloud came running into the bar, face pale. The children immediately noticed him, and stopped their attack on Tifa with wide smiles, but their smiles slid right off their faces when they saw Cloud, rushing forward, his face panicked.
Tifa stayed crumpled on the floor, eyes squeezed shut. They're usually arguing over who gets to eat my legs, and who gets the arms by now...Tifa thought, patiently awaiting Marlene and Denzel's attack. But she was surprised when, instead of the assault of fake claws, she felt two gloved hands brush across her shoulders. Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself looking into two bright mako eyes.
"Finally!" Tifa said, sitting up quickly. "Someone who wants to save the princess...not bite her arms and legs off!"
Tifa threw Marlene and Denzel a joking frown, but the kids were staring at Cloud, solemn faced. Uneasily, Tifa turned to Cloud. He was standing now, a hand to his forehead, breathing heavily. Marlene approached him cautiously.
"It's just a game, Cloud..." Marlene said, her fear-inducing dragon voice gone.
Denzel came up beside her, looking up at Cloud.
"Tifa wasn't really getting attacked by dragons..." Denzel said pleadingly. "We weren't even really biting her!"
Cloud faced the children and gave them a tense smile.
"It's alright." Cloud told them. "I know it's a game...I just...uhh."
He cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Why don't you two go play in the livingroom?" he suggested quickly.
They nodded quickly and scampered off. Tifa got to her feet warily, brushing herself off. She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. He was tense under her hand.
"Cloud?" she asked him quietly. "What's wrong?"
He turned around, again attempting a smile.
"Nothing Tifa..." he told her, removing her hand gently. "When did you become such a good actress?"
Cloud gave a hollow uncharacteristic laugh before sitting down in one of the chairs. Tifa watched him anxiously, unsure of what exactly was wrong. Cloud hasn't been himself lately...Tifa thought, sitting down next to him. I wish...I wish he'd just tell me what's wrong...
"Did that really upset you so much?" Tifa asked quietly.
Cloud's head snapped up.
"I just saw you and I thought...I thought..." Cloud's voice faltered and died.
He sighed and shook his head.
"Nevermind Tifa..." Cloud said lowly. "Let's just forget about it, okay?"
Tifa nodded, feeling slightly unsettled by Cloud's dull tone and unhappy eyes. He had his head in his hand. Why are you so sad Cloud? Tifa wondered, forehead creasing in worry. She placed a hand on his shoulder again.
"Cloud, what's wrong?" she asked, her words thick with concern.
Her stomach clenched unpleasantly as he pushed her hand away.
"I said let's just forget about it." Cloud sighed, turning away.
Tifa clutched her hands to her chest and stared at Cloud, hurt. Why are you pushing me away like this, Cloud? she wondered, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. Did I...do something wrong? She wanted to voice these questions, but the words died in her throat. It seemed as though there was an invisible wall in between them, and there was nothing she would love to do more, than rip that wall down as quickly as it had formed.
Cloud turned towards Tifa, and his insides twisted painfully when he saw the hurt in her eyes. You put that look on her face...Cloud told himself accusingly. It's because of you...For what felt like the millionth time that day, he tried to force a smile.
"I'm sorry Tifa." he told her, trying to hide the tension in his voice. "I must be more tired than I thought I was."
He stood up quickly.
"I think I'll go to bed now, okay?" Cloud voiced, before leaving the room.
Tifa watched his retreating back, before staring sadly into her lap. You usually give me a hug when you come home Cloud...she thought lowering her eyes further. She stayed at the table, somehow unable to motivate herself to get up. When did things change? she wondered. I thought we were all happy...I thought me and Cloud were...She sighed achingly, unable to finish that thought.
Up in his room, Cloud barely resisted the urge to shred his covers into pieces as he collapsed on his bed. You knew...he told himself bluntly. You knew that no matter how you decided to do this, that it would hurt Tifa...But that didn't stop the hurt in her eyes from flashing in his mind every time he closed his eyes. His arm gave a jolting burst of pain, and he was glad that he had decided to retreat to his room.
What would I have done if I had fallen unconscious right there in the bar? Cloud thought, grimacing and pressing down on his arm. I've already decided I can't tell Tifa...I'm not going back outon that now. As the pain overtook his body, he became less certain. He imagined Tifa by his beside, speaking to him softly, and reassuring him that she wouldn't leave...that she'd help him get through it. But he angrily pushed the thought aside. You're weak Cloud...he thought with disgust. Can't even deal with your own problems without dragging Tifa into them...
Slowly, the pain of Geostigma overtook all his thoughts. Before he had been infected, he never would have imagined that he would ever forget to hug Tifa hello. Because before Geostigma, his world had revolved around that hug, had revovled around Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel's happy faces as he returned home from a job. But as he was robbed of consciousness, he fell into a dark and frightening world, where the pain and his weakness were his all that occupied his thoughts.