Chapter 2

A Stranger Waiting by the Door Step.

Everyone was in Cloud's room lying on his bed. Cloud had Marlene in his lap while Denzel and Tifa laid next to them. Cloud was reading a bed time story to them. Marlene was competing with Denzel to see who would go to sleep first. Marlene was yawing like crazy and had her eyes closed for a minute or two and would wake up and turn to Denzel who would smile at her or stick his tongue out. When Marlene was turned looking at the book Denzel was sleep and waking up telling Tifa he wasn't sleep when she knew in her mother like heart that he was tired from his long exciting day.

Cloud looked at Tifa and paused during the book. Tifa looked back at him and eyes shifted to Denzel who was talking in his sleep saying he wasn't sleep. And finally stopped. Tifa and Cloud exchanged expressions that said 'It's time for them to go to bed.' Tifa and Cloud carried them to their own room. Tifa went and tuck them in while Cloud went to the bathroom. He walked to the shower and stripped himself form his clothes and turned on the hot water. As the hot water dripped on his manly figure he thought of Tifa.

She should have gone to her room. He sighed. He finished taking his shower and went to his room with nothing but a towel on. He went to see that Tifa was lying in his bed sleep. He smiled and was surprised that she chose to sleep in his room with him. He went to put on a shirt and pajama pants and went to his bed and crawled in the covers.

He admired her sleeping. He brushed a lock of her hair and kissed her forehead. She stirred and woke up.

"Hey." He whispered.

"Hey. It's not morning is it?"

"No. Far from it." "Mmmm…."

"You know you didn't keep your promise."

"What? I didn't?"

"No."

"Well then I'll make sure I'll make up for it."

"How would you make up for it?" He whispered to her and raised his brow. "This." She kissed him passionately and went back to her side.

"There."

"That only took 1/3 of it."

"Well that's all you're going to get tonight."

"Awww!"

"It's better than nothing." She smiled

"Really now how about this?" he grabbed her close to him and started to kiss her neck in a trail up and down.

"Hey Cloud… that tickles." She said between tickles.

"Well you know you shouldn't have told me that. I'll keep doing it to annoy my dear Tifa." He said.

"Oh help me my handsome Cloud is attacking me with ticklish kisses!" she laughed.

"No one can save you now my dear."

"Really are you sure?"

"Yep." He said trailing up to her jaw now.

"I can beat you."

"Really now?"

"Yep."

He finally got his trail of kisses to her lips and kissed her passionately. (A French kiss if you know what I mean.) He let go of her.

"Like this." She flew on top of him and started to kiss him.

"Ok that should have made up for it."

"No."

"Cloud you're crazy."

"Crazy about you."

"Dido. I love you Mr. Strife."

"I love you too Ms. Lockheart."

They kissed on last time that night. Tifa climbed off him and back to her side. Cloud wrapped his arms around her tightly and they faced each other and smiled at each other. Cloud kissed her on her forehead and places his chin on the top of her head. The both fell asleep in their spots feeling happy as ever.

The next morning Cloud woke up to see Tifa wasn't in her place. He thought maybe she went to down stairs to fix breakfast. He got up and took another shower and out on some fresh clothes and walked downstairs to the kitchen.

"Morning Cloud!" yelled Denzel and Marlene as they hugged him.

"Morning... Something smells good." He said smiling at Tifa who was placing the last plate on the table. She smiled back.

"Well breakfast is ready."

"Yay." The kids sat down and started to eat.

"Wait… you two better your say grace before eating." Explained Tifa.

"Oh ok…" puffed Denzel.

Marlene said grace and everyone started eating. Once they were done eating Cloud and Tifa washed dishes and soon had time for themselves. Tifa had a big smile the whole morning thinking that they were a couple and that they loved each other. Cloud saw that smile and walked up to her.

He rapped his arms around her and pressed his face against hers.

"Happy?" he asked.

"You have no idea" she said. Right before he was going to kiss her the phone rang. They both sighed and Cloud let go of her. He walked towards the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Yo Cloud, wassup."

"Barret." Tifa turned to Cloud hearing the name of her best friend. She walked towards him waiting to see why he called.

"Man I need a favor."

"What kind of Favor?"

"Kinda delivery. I need you to bring Marlene back home for me. I'm stuck in town doing favors for other people and I need Marlene back home for the rest of the summer is that ok?"

"Yeah no problem I'll come today."

"Thanks Cloud oh and tell Tifa and Denzel I said hey. For me ok, see you in a couple of hours."

"Yeah, bye."

"Well. What was that about?" Cloud scratched the back of his head trying to respond to Tifa.

"Well… Barret wants Marlene back home with him and he can't come and pick her up so I have to go drop her off."

"Oh." Her face turned to sadness. She hates it when he had to leave to do deliveries or favors. She worries about him.

"Look Tifa I'll be back maybe sometime tonight. I promise. Really I promise." He said lifting her chin up in his hand looking in to the crimson eyes he loved. "Yeah." She smiled a half smiled. He kissed her and went to go get Marlene.

Tifa and Denzel stood out side waving to Marlene and Cloud. Denzel hugged Marlene goodbye and so did Tifa. Tifa shifted eyes to Cloud and smiled. He kissed her one more time. Centimeters away from her lips.

"I'll be back tonight. Promise... I love you."

"Love you too." She returned the kiss. Cloud got on his motorcycle with Marlene holding on to him tightly. Marlene had a helmet on while Cloud had his glasses on and started his engine and was off. Tifa and Denzel stared at the motor cycle until they were out of site over the horizon.

"Come on Denzel it's me and you now why don't we go watch a movie?" "That sounds great." He grabbed her hand and walked inside.

Cloud had finally arrived to Kalm and had Marlene who was sleeping on his back. "Hey Marlene…where here." He nudged her. She stirred and woke up she rubbed her eyes and yawed. She recognized her house and saw that her dad was standing by the door. She quickly got down and ran to her dad.

"Papa!"

"Hey how is my princess doing?"

"Great." She took off her helmet.

"Whoa Cloud be careful I beg you don't turn my daughter to a biker chick." "Don't worry Barret I won't." he chuckled.

"Yo why don't you come in for some coffee?"

"Nah I should be heading back if I want to get back before nightfall."

"Uhhh come on Cloud."

"Well. I guess."

Cloud told Barret all about him and Tifa. "So you finally confessed your love. Well I wanted to tell you she loved you since forever when I found out you loved her but I just wanted you guys to find out on your own."

"What! You knew!"

"Yeah everyone knew."

"Great man, we really need to keep our stuff to ourselves." Said Cloud he got up and hopped on his bike.

"Later." He said. They waved him good bye and he was off.

Cloud had been driving for an hour and it was sunset. He was near Midgar but it was still out of site. Soon he spotted a figure in the distance charging towards him. Soon it was clear that it was a Chocobo. What was a Chocobo doing out here away from the fields? Someone must be riding it.

Cloud had slowed down to see the Chocobo and soon vise versa. There had seemed to a guy with black hair that was cut two earrings that were hanging from his left ear and was wearing a SOILDERS outfit. Cloud frowned when he say what he was wearing thinking that he was working for Shrina.

But the strange thing is that he looked like Zack his old friend. He striked a resemblance. Except for the haircut but everything else yeah. He even had a huge sword.

"Hey you, you on the bike." He said Cloud turned towards him once again.

"Yo you don't happen to know a place I can stay before night fall do you?" "Yeah, what of it?"

"Well I've been traveling for a month now, been everywhere, battling everything that stood in my way and I haven't had a descent meal in weeks. Can you help a brother out?"

Cloud sighed and replied

"Yeah, I'm heading back to Midgar to my bar. I can give you a free meal. It's up to my roommate though."

"Fantastic! Thanks, by the way names Zeke. What yours?"

"Cloud, Cloud Strife."

"No way you're the hero. I'm really lucky. It must be my lucky day."

"Well yeah I guess it is. Well follow me." Said Cloud he started his bike while Zeke directed his Chocobo to the same direction where Cloud was headed. They raced in to the sunset.

Tifa was looking outside the window looking for any sight for Cloud it was 6:34 and he hadn't showed up yet. She was starting to worry. Denzel was the same he was outside with his ball looking towards the direction where Cloud had left. Waiting.

Soon Denzel smiled and ran to see if it was Cloud in the distance. Tifa noticed the young boy running and thought that her Cloud had finally returned and kept his promise. She stood beside Denzel as Cloud parked his bike in front of the bar along with a stranger on a Chocobo. Denzel quickly ran up to Cloud and hugged him.

"Cloud your back!"

"He can't a guy get off his bike with out being tackled!" he rubbed Denzel's head. "Hey." Denzel stepped back and went to Tifa's side. Cloud shifted eyes from Denzel to Tifa. Who was standing there only smiling at him. Trying not to cry.

Cloud felt terrible and for that he wanted to go kiss her on the spot until Denzel interrupted.

"Who are you?" he asked looking up at the solider on the Chocobo.

"Denzel that's rude." Said Tifa looking down at him.

"I apologize for his actions Mr…."

"Zeke just call me Zeke."

"Well Zeke needed a home cook meal and a place stay for a while and so I thought…"

"You thought that he could get a free meal from me and sleep in the guest bed room (Tifa's old bedroom)…"

"Well yeah."

"Sure why not." She smiled.

Zeke was thankful. He didn't know the relation ship between Cloud and Tifa but didn't care. He thought that Tifa was hott. He admired her beauty. (Like Cloud) He was already in love with her. He would rather say love at first sight.

"Well come in." said Denzel who was in front of him. "Sure."