Chapter Two – Unexpected Discovery

It was six in the morning as the rain pelted continuously onto the windows. Loud howling of wind echoed throughout the dark house, causing certain areas to creak in protest. Upstairs in the bedroom towards the right, was a dark figure that lay silently on the bed, his blue eyes averted to the ceiling as he listened to the raging weather outside. Within seconds, the rain got heavier as lightning flashed through the windows, illuminating the room for a split second. Sighing softly to himself, Cloud Strife got to his feet as he closed the slightly ajar window, stopping the rain from coming in.

With the window closed, he listened, and could hear the noisy echoes of rain from Tifa's room. He remained immobile, wishing she would realise it was raining and close the window herself, but as minutes lapsed, he figured he'd have to do it for her. Tip-toeing, he discreetly made his way down the hallway, his eyes locked onto the partly open door that was the entrance to Tifa's bedroom. Hesitating for a while, Cloud entered, making his way swiftly to the window, wanting to get his job done and be out of her room as quickly as possible. Sliding the glass window shut and locking it, Cloud shifted to leave but was halted by the sight of Tifa's sleeping form.

Unable to control himself, he made his way to her bedside, as if he were in a trance, his eyes studying her in the dark. She had her eyes closed and was breathing evenly, her blanket slipping off her shoulders, revealing her bare arms. She appeared to be at ease. Reaching out, Cloud grasped the edge of her blanket and pulled it over her shoulders before making a quiet exit.

As the click of the door was heard, a flash of lightning lit up the room as Tifa's eyes fluttered open. She had been half peeking at Cloud, but majority of the time she was only able to listen. She didn't know why she had pretended to be asleep, but yesterday's events were still fresh in her mind, and she didn't want to face Cloud yet… Not when curiosity was driving her insane, urging her to question Cloud about Barrett's words. At the thought of Barrett, Tifa realised she wouldn't be in this state if she hadn't overheard his enquiry. Blaming herself, and then blaming Barrett, she clamped her eyes shut, attempting to cease all thoughts of Cloud for a couple of moments. She had been thinking about the situation the two of them were in for the entire night, and needed a break, but it was funny how the mind worked. It seemed as hard as she tried to block things out; it merely persisted the mind even more.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cloud typed in the last two digits on the calculator as he estimated his month's profits. It appeared Strife Delivery Service was doing very well, giving him quite a large sum of money from saving every month. Although he didn't know what he was saving for, all he knew was that he'd find out when the time came. Right now, calculating was the only thing to keep him from thinking too hard. Putting his pen down, his mind started drifting off again. He hadn't been daydreaming too long when the phone rang. Breaking out of his thoughts he reached for the phone in one swift movement.

"Hello, Strife Delivery Service." Cloud greeted.

A woman's voice came through the receiver. "Oh, hello Cloud." The woman greeted in a cheery tone. "It's me Nina," She informed, continuing. "I need you to make a delivery to my antique store…"

Within minutes, Cloud was out in the rain, speeding off to make his first delivery for the day.

Tifa watched through her window as Cloud's motorbike disappeared. She was glad to see the rain had turned into a drizzle and the lightning had stopped, the grey clouds slowly clearing to reveal the warm sun. Take care… She thought in her head, finally able to close the blinds, preparing for the days work.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The soft sputtering of Fenrir faded as Cloud turned off the engine. Retrieving his keys he placed them into his pocket as he dismounted. Opening one of the hidden compartments, Cloud grabbed the box he was to deliver to Nina, who was the owner of the antique store. She was a regular customer for Strife's Delivery Service, and always commended Cloud for his punctuality. Today, Cloud had a large box for her as he carried it, stepping into the calm antique store. Winding his way to the counter, he settled the box down, his eyes wandering around the large store.

A couple of delicate looking chairs, an ancient study table to match them came in sight before his gaze fixed onto an intriguing object. Striding over to the dressing table situated in the far left corner in front of some flower vases, his hand covered a pretty jewellery box. Picking it up, he examined all the details carefully. It was made of ivory, in a rectangular shape, with pretty carvings all around. Flowers cleverly carved so it wove around other shapes.

Cloud didn't understand why he was so drawn to the box, but as he opened it up, he found another smaller sized ivory box that was in the shape of a square. It was a cream colour, with the same intricate design as the jewellery box. Putting the larger box down, Cloud enclosed the smaller one in his hand, opening it slowly to discover a pretty ring inside. He'd barely glanced at it for a few seconds before shifting his eyes away from it.

"I'll charge you the box only." Nina commented, spotting what was held inside Cloud's hand.

At her words, Cloud turned to face the counter, seeing the middle aged woman smiling warmly at him. There was a funny shine in her eyes, as if she knew something he didn't.

"The box?" Cloud queried in puzzlement.

Nina gave a nod of her head as she opened her delivery. "Yeah just the box. I'm sure the ring is fake anyway. But if it is real, you can keep it." She stated, pulling out the flower vase Cloud had just delivered. She studied the vase at arms length, appearing to be taken aback by it. "This is a masterpiece." She mumbled to herself before placing it gently back into the cardboard box. Lifting her eyes, she stared at Cloud. "So do I have a sale?"

Glancing back at the ivory box in his hand, Cloud considered the offer. "How much?" He asked.

"I'll charge you 120 000 gil." Nina stated but then reconsidered. "100 000 gil since you're my delivery man." She bargained.

The spiky blonde haired man opened the box to study the yellow gem stone within. He closed it and gave a brief nod, making his way to the counter. Within minutes, he had his first delivery made, and had an unexpected gift placed securely in his jacket pocket.

Mounting Fenrir, the engine roared to life as he sped down the street, prepared for his next delivery. He didn't understand what possessed him to buy such an item, but it was clear that his profits came in handy since a part of him wanted the ring, even if it was just going to sit in his desk draw. As the sun peered out from behind the grey clouds, it started drying up the wet roads, shining brightly, approving of Cloud's buy. Little did he know, the ring inside the ivory box was genuine, and it was a rare canary yellow diamond that was worth millions.

A/N: Hrmmm... I think I know what you're thinking... Who's the ring for? Well it's probably not for anyone at the moment... But you'll just have to wait and see what I've got in plan! Therefore, I will give you one word. And that is 'Patience' :D

So now that I've got you wondering, please do review! Thanks!

I'll be back again when I've got my next chapter ready! You guys keep safe!