The sunlight may not be as gentle as it was thought to have been; its light gave the blonde hair a golden glow and the face started to frown. Slowly, the two eyelids began to open. As the mako blue eyes exposed itself carelessly, the sunlight took advantage of this and unleashed its uncouth behavior on the defenseless blue pearls.
In response, the eyelids snapped shut and the face turned to its side, protecting its weakened organs. It was still frowning but this time, it is not only due to the sunlight, it is also a direct result of a recent event which occured in the subconscious mind as it rested during the night.
Cloud opened his eyes once again. He was enjoying a dream about him and Tifa until the sunlight rudely interrupted it, waking him up. Now it is nearly impossible to go to sleep and dream about it again. Cloud just settled down and started daydreaming about it. Oh wait a minute, what is that 'it'? Dreams have a habit of instantly fleeing from your mind when you wake up. And Cloud was now an unfortunate victim of it. All he remembered was him and Tifa and nothing else. He wished it would be that way- him and Tifa together, forever. But alas, it was but a dream- a dream that vanishes from his memory. He only wished that Tifa will never vanish as well.
By the way, who will take care of Marlene and Denzel just in case? He has absolutely no trait of a loving mother in him, much less a loving father.
His eyes observed the strange surroundings around him. Everything seemed so... Colorful and lively... It was very... Feminine. It was then that it struck him: he was in Tifa's room. He also remembered where he was laying. Sensing the obvious, he lifted the upper half of his body using his elbows as support and looked onto the bed beside him. Just as he thought, the object of his secret affection lay there. She was facing him, eyes closed and sleeping like an angel. The covers were down to the woman's hips, exposing the smooth skin of her arms.
Cloud gently ran his palm on her arm and found it cold to the touch. It seems that the cold attached itself on Tifa's arms, enjoying its smoothness. Cloud pulled the sheet and the comforter up to her neck. When he was satisfied that Tifa looked comfortable, he lay back down. He then remembered that he was laying on the pillow Tifa tossed at him the night before. He pulled the object out from under him and smelled it. It still had that sweet, feminine scent of Tifa on it. It, without doubt, was one of the reasons for his good night's sleep. 'Well, it's about time Tifa had this back.' he smelled it one last time. This time however, he noticed something different. Aside from that very attractive scent, he had defiled its sacredness through the mixture of his own scent.
For Cloud, this was totally unacceptable- especially to an unworthy person such as himself. He will, in no way, return that pillow, along with his filth, to a wonderful and beautiful woman such as Tifa. 'Mental note: Wash the pillow before returning.' He sighed and placed it beside him.
He then put his hands behind his head and toured his eyes around the room. Anything that does not fit, as a rule, would usually stand out. This was very much true, especially to a pile of newspapers he spots on a corner. Out of curiosity, he stood up and walked towards the pile of misfits.
'That's odd, Tifa never read newspapers...'
Cloud picked up the topmost newspaper and read the headlines. It was a report about the progress of the new outpost that was nearly completed. He raised an eyebrow at this.
He pulled the fourth newspaper from the pile and read the headlines. This time, it was about the new drainage that was being constructed in Kalm. Cloud began to wonder.
He looked at the other newspapers on the pile, trying to fit the pieces together. Everything was irrelevant to each other, starting from a newly formed regiment of the Avalanche military, to the new materials that were found in Fort Condor, up to a new invention for energy conservation in homes.
There was even a report about a puppy that survived in the ruins of Mideel for two months.
Cloud found it strange. The headlines just didn't seem to add up. It was then that he noticed the dates on the first three newspapers he looked at. He then looked at the dates on the rest of the newspapers and then, the jigsaw pieces locked together in place. The picture that was created brought warmth to the man's heart.
A memory a long time ago began to stir in his mind and he remembered.
-
Flashback:
The young boy watched his female companion. Her beauty was unmatched by any other girl he has ever seen. Asides from his mother, of course. She was looking straight, straight into the sunset in front of them.
'So, you're going to leave Nibelheim for good?'
'It really depends... If the job takes me here, then I'm here.'
The young girl closed her eyes. 'I love this place. The air is fresh and the breeze is gentle. The sunsets are beautiful.'
'Nibelheim will always be my home.'
'Cloud, I hope you'll come back.' That statement started with a mere wish, a wick of hope, waiting for a fire to light it.
The boy watched the figure beside him as a gust of wind ruffled her hair. He marveled at how pretty she looked especially now that the wind was playing with it. He noticed small beads of sparkling tears fly past the strands. The boy fought to tear his eyes away from her and he found that that in itself was a battle for him. If he could not muster the courage to leave, how can he find the strength to be a first class SOLDIER? How can he even prove to her that he was worth something, that he can protect her and keep her safe if he can't even overcome this simple inner struggle?
Yet he had to be strong. He had to do it, for himself, for his mother, for his town, for Tifa. Yes, Tifa. He deeply regretted what he had done in the mountains. Or, he deeply regretted what he could not do. Because of him, he almost lost the only friend he has ever had. If only he was stronger, if only he went ahead, if only his body didn't stiffen during the fall and held Tifa close, protecting her from the rough landing, if only Tifa landed on his soft body rather than the merciless ground, if only he was the one who went into a coma and Tifa was the one who had minor injuries...
If only Cloud was not a worthless idiot, then none of this would have happened.
'Tifa, I'm so sorry, I'm weak.'
The girl shut out all of Cloud's self-pitying. She wanted only one thing, only one reassurance was what she wanted to hear. She stayed firm on her statement, her beg, her plea... 'Cloud, please come back.'
'If only I was stronger.'
'Cloud...'
'I will be stronger. I will show the world that I can protect people.'
'Then come back Cloud!'
The boy was somewhat startled at the girl's sudden outburst. He looked at her, and found her looking back at him. The crimson in her eyes seemed to glow even brighter. She desperately needed something from him. She needed reassurance. She needed comfort. She needed warmth.
A warmth that only Cloud Strife can give.
And yet, the boy never knew of this warmth he radiates.
He was just Cloud Strife.
Oh, so worthless, Cloud Strife.
And this Cloud Strife was what Tifa Lockheart ever wanted. He was all Tifa Lockheart needed.
And Tifa Lockheart never forgets a need and let it fly away. 'Ever since I was a child,' she began, 'my mother used to tell me stories about princesses in danger. A young and handsome prince would come to her aid and save her. He would fight valiantly, against all odds and against all monsters. He would rescue her, be her hero, and they would live happily ever after.'
Cloud never shifted his gaze. This time, it was a battle he had lost. He could feel his heart beating rapidly against his chest, struggling against the bars of his ribs.
'They were just fairytales,' she continued, 'and I don't believe in fairytales... Until now...' Tifa raised a lightly clenched fist on Cloud's face and raised her pinky. 'Cloud, when you make it into SOLDIER, promise me one thing...' she paused, watching her young companion's response. When she saw nothing, she took a deep breath, and continued, 'promise me that you will be my hero. When I'm in need, you will come to me and rescue me.'
Cloud's lips slightly quivered. He had nothing to say. He shifted his gaze towards the raised pinky on Tifa's hand.
'Cloud please, promise me... Tell me that fairytales can be real.'
'I-I...' he stammered, 'I'm not sure...'
'Please Cloud, you've always been there for me more than you have ever imagined. You are my guardian. You watched over me during my stupidity in the Nibel mountains, you kept watch from a distance as I played with my friends. Cloud, you guarded me, watching over me when I'm alone in my room, and when I'm sleeping. You were always there, Cloud, you were always with me... Always.'
Cloud slightly blushed. So, Tifa had known all along that he had been stalking her from her bedroom window. Now he knew why she would always open her window, whether it was sunny or stormy.
'Cloud, I believe in you. I really do.'
The boy realized that his vision had gradually blurred, courtesy of tears. He was afraid to shed them for it may show a sign of weakness. He dared not to blink.
'Promise me that you will be my hero, that you will always watch over me and save me. I believe in you, Cloud. I believe that you can do it. That's all I am asking for, Cloud.'
'Tifa...' Cloud was overjoyed. He did not know that someone actually believed in him. His world was a dark and gloomy abyss, covered in cold dew. His only sunshine and warmth was to watch over this girl and be with her. And now, this sunshine actually believes in him, shining for him. He did not feel like Cloud Strife, the worthless boy. He felt like Cloud Strife, the boy with a dream. And in his dream, in every path, in every crossroad he takes, he will always be led to Tifa.
He couldn't help but muster a small, but genuine smile. He was always there for Tifa and now, Tifa had been there for him as well. They were there for each other. Cloud raised a slightly clenched fist to meet Tifa's waiting hand. He raised his pinky as well, and let it come in contact with Tifa's waiting pinky. 'I will be your hero, Tifa Lockheart. I will come to save you, I promise.'
And with that said, they locked their pinkies together.
Cloud inched closer to Tifa and resumed watching the sunset.
Tifa looked back at the sunset as well. 'I'm going to read the newspapers.'
'But I thought you never read newspapers. You never liked reading them.'
'Well, it's about time I learned.'
'Why?'
'I need to know about your progress. I need to know that you're okay, and that you've made it into SOLDIER. When you're gone, newspapers will be the only hopes I have of contacting you and hearing from you.'
'Okay.'
The girl inched herself closer to Cloud and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
Both of them sat there for a while, watching the sun sink over the horizon, taking with it the worries and problems of the two figures and setting them down.
For now, it was just Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart.
And their intertwined pinky fingers.
End flashback -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cloud smiled. He will never forget that event. He will never forget Tifa. He returned his mindset to the present, looking at the paper in his hands. The different dates on each newspaper reminded him very well about Tifa. Now he had adequate evidence to clearly conclude that for every day that he was gone, delivering something, Tifa would purchase these newspapers.
And that childhood memory clearly reminded him.
Cloud heard a muffled thud. He turned around and located the source: a figure sprawled on his makeshift bed, face down. He chuckled.
Apparently, Tifa was dreaming about something and she fell off her bed. Fortunately, Cloud's makeshift bed was there to catch her fall. He watched as the woman raised her head and groggily looked around the room.
Cloud raised a hand and greeted the woman a good morning as soon as her half-opened eyes set upon him.
Tifa responded with a faint smile before flopping her head back down on the pillow and falling back to sleep.
The considerate, spiky-haired gentleman silently glided towards the door, opened it, stepped out, and closed it. All of these, he performed with such silence to consider him as worthy as a thief. He did not wish to bother the sleeping woman any more. He then walked slowly back to his room and partly opened the door. Denzel's grandfather was no longer there.
"Cloud?"
The man pulled his head out of the room and set his eyes on a small boy, standing near the door. "Denzel, you're awake early."
"Yeah. Grandpa left already. He told me to say thanks to you and Tifa for him. So, thanks."
"Okay. Are you hungry? Maybe we can find something for you to eat downstairs."
The boy shook his head, "I'll just wait for Tifa. I don't feel like eating ready made food."
"Tifa's still asleep."
"I know. But I'll wait."
"Is Marlene awake? How is she?"
"She's still sleeping. The girls wake up late."
Cloud nodded.
"Um, Cloud, where did you sleep last night? I couldn't find you anywhere this morning and grandpa was in your room." Denzel asked with curiosity.
"Well..."
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The red-cloaked figure awoke from his slumber, to the brightness of a new day. Still, hunger and thirst was not of his immediate concern. He composed himself inside the cramped walls of the boulder. A desperate urge to stretch plagued his mind as well as a desperate urge to finish his task. He unwrapped the cloak around him and gently crawled out of the hole. He stood outside of the little mouse hole in which he crawled out from, surveying his surroundings- his empty surroundings. The cool, fresh morning air was instantly replaced by the arid, searing heat of the desert sun.
The bright ball of fire was high and glaring in his eyes. Vincent stretched, his hand and claw reaching out to it. His body desperately needed the space after the long hours curled up in the hole. Vincent satisfied this need before he climbed on the topmost portion of the boulder.
He saw nothing on or beyond the expanse of nothingness.
Just as he had given up hope, he saw something- something which the untrained eye can never see from that vantage point.
On the sand, roughly around thirty meters north-east from where he's facing, a disturbance left its imprint on it. A deep mark gave its position away to the sharp-eyed gunman. Moving his eyes further, Vincent spotted another deep mark, followed by another and another and another. 'Footprints. Four sets of them. Judging by the depth and size of it, they were caused by heavy duty boots.'
Vincent stepped down from the rock and hastily walked over towards his discovery. When he arrived at one of the footprints, he knelt down and studied them. 'That's odd.'
The footprints were somewhat large, and the imprint was as perfect and as fresh as a photo. Vincent leaned forward and studied the design of the soles. 'This is really perplexing...' He looked up towards where the footprints were headed. He rose and followed the tracks. Eventually, it led him to a somewhat inclined plane of sand. The footprints disappeared and turned into a large, undecipherable imprint on the sand, on the edge of the inclined plane.
Again, with his eyes, he found some glimmering gold objects, partially buried under the sand. He knelt and picked one up. He did not need to examine it anymore for the moment he felt the object in his fingers, he knew very well what it was.
'Bullet jackets. Rifle type.'
And then it hit him. The undecipherable imprint was actually a memory of a human being who once lay prone there, firing a rifle at something or someone. He looked around and found three more imprints of almost the same kind, bullet casings around them and footprints behind the imprints. But what were these mysterious men firing at?
Suddenly, everything became silent. The noises of the desert stopped, hushing like a person mourning the death of his friend. Vincent felt a slight dread creep over him as he walked over to the top of the inclined plane.
What he saw below him was a sight he wished he never saw.
He picked up his PHS and checked if it still had enough battery to work. He dialled a number and waited for the line on the other side to respond. After a few seconds, a man's voice greeted him from the other line.
"Reeve, we have a problem..."
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Tifa walked out of her room. She has finished taking her shower already and it was about time she went downstairs to serve breakfast for the three hungry people living with her. She was glad that Cloud was back, and glad that Denzel's grandpa stayed over for the night.
Because of him, Cloud was able to stay with her for the night. What transpired during Cloud's stay replayed itself over and over her mind. She remembered his relaxing massage, his mako blue lamps that lit her dark room, the kiss...
Her body tensed a bit when she remembered the kiss.
She tried to remember the massage again, hoping to ease the tension. She never knew that Cloud had a special talent for massaging. She felt so revitalized and reborn after all these years of hardwork and pain. And Cloud removed it all in a few minutes of bliss, his hands creating a magnificent artwork on her back.
Tifa's daydreaming kept her absent-minded on where she was walking. She felt the floor give way as her foot reached the edge of the staircase. Tifa let out a small yelp before losing her balance.
Instantly, two strong yet gentle arms guided her fall onto the soft cushion of a man's chest. In an equally soft voice, the man spoke, "Hey, watch where you're going."
Tifa's eyes met those same blue lamps she saw last night and for her, her day is complete. "Morning Cloud."
"Morning to you too, Tifa."
Tifa did not want to let go. He was so warm, she felt like melting in his arms.
"Um, I think Denzel is hungry. Marlene may wake up any moment and she'll be hungry as well."
"Oh, yeah. Um, wait. Let me think.." Clearly, she was buying some time, hoping to stay like this for a while longer.
Cloud loosened his hold, not wanting to take up more of Tifa's time. She had things to do- a lot of things to do.
Tifa slowly pulled back, "I'm... Gonna make breakfast already."
"Alright. Denzel's waiting downstairs. I'm just going to wash up."
The woman nodded and flashed Cloud a smile before walking past him.
The blonde continued his trek up the staircase. Before he reached the door of his room, a faint and familiar beeping sound is forcing its way in his ears. 'The PHS...'
He hastily entered his room and located the handheld object on his desk. It beeped, flashed, and vibrated, demanding attention. If not by its owner, then by anyone who happens to pass by it.
Without a second thought, Cloud flipped it open and held it to his ear, "Strife Delivery Service, this is Cloud Strife. How may I help you?"
"Cloud, it's me."
"Reeve?"
"Lucky guess."
"How are you?"
"I'm fine Cloud, but lets skip the formalities and other stuff."
"Alright, what do you want?"
"Well, we have a problem and I was wondering if you can deliver something for me."
"Sure. What's the cargo and destination?"
"I have dispatched some men to send the cargo to you in Tifa's bar. It may arrive shortly. All the details about the job is written on a small, red envelope that I taped on the cargo."
"Okay, consider it done."
"Thanks a lot Cloud, this is a matter of dire need and every second counts."
"Don't worry about me or your package, worry about the bill."
Reeve chuckled, "Ah, I knew I can count on you. I've always counted on you, and you never failed. Have a good day Cloud, goodbye."
"Same to you, Reeve. It was nice to hear from you again. Bye." Cloud listened as the line on the other side was cut before he shut the PHS. 'Just when I'm back here with Tifa and the kids...' he sighed. But that's okay, it's his job. Everything will be fine again after this delivery.
But he still can't shake the feeling that there is something terrible brewing up. And Reeve is telling me that something has happened...
Something bad...
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A/N
There you go! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far.
Thanks to marinawings for the reviews. You're gonna get what you're hoping for. It's pretty soon. Good thing it's part of the plot, hehe.
Thanks to luvin-it for the reviews as well. Kababayan ko! haha!
And thanks for the dude who said that the characters are so OOC. I think I improved on that... a bit...
Please R and R!