Marlene and Denzel sat on the sofa, snuggled under layers of blankets, and watched the basement door, waiting for Tifa to emerge from it. The bar had been closed for the day, considering Seventh Heaven was too cold for customers. Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel had spent the majority of the day huddled close under a pile of blankets, trying to stay warm and cure their boredom at the same time.
After much wheedling from Marlene and Denzel, Tifa had given in to telling them stories from her and Cloud's old Avalanche days. At first Tifa had stumbled around in her mind, trying to find a story to tell them that wouldn't be painful to tell. In the end, she decided to tell them about the time Cid managed to launch his rocket into space.
It was extremely amusing to see Marlene and Denzel's eyes grow wider and wider as the story progressed. When she was done, the two children decided that "Rocket Launch into Outer Space" would be their new favorite game to play as soon as there was heat again.
Periodically during the day, Tifa would dial Barret's number into the phone with stiff, cold fingers. Time after time, he was unreachable. Luckily for Tifa, the children were so captivated by the idea of outer space, that they didn't even think to beg for another story.
It was dark by the time Tifa had managed to get a hold of Barret. The children had grinned widely when they recognized the deep, gruff voice on the other end of the phone. Reluctantly, Tifa had stood up from their warm cocoon on the sofa and entered the dark basement, cradling the phone to her ear.
Now the children were waiting for her, alone in the living room. They could hear faint clinking noises coming from the basement and every now and then, they heard Tifa talking to Barret, her frustration barely detectable through her patient tone. But finally, they heard Tifa's triumphant shout, and a minute later, she was emerging from the basement door, flushed with cold and shaking, but smiling.
"It's fixed!" she said cheerfully, coming over quickly to dive back under the blankets.
Denzel and Marlene shouted out happily, their breath clouding the cold air as they did so.
"Oh, and Marlene?" Tifa said, holding the phone out. "Your Papa wants to talk to you."
Marlene grinned widely and took the phone. A minute later she was chatting away, cradling the phone with both hands. Tifa smiled at the little girl's enthusiasm, and held the blankets closer around her, trying to get rid of the cold that had seeped into her limbs. Denzel's back was pressed against her from one side as he idly flipped some weapon catalog of Cloud's and Marlene was laying across her lap with the phone.
Best seat in the house... Tifa thought with a smile.
Cloud's day had been unbearably long. He quickly dropped off the last box of folders and files he had retrieved from the old Shinra building, at Reeve's office. He checked his watch somewhat guiltily as he rushed down the hall. He was going to be late again.
"Having a rough day dear?" the old receptionist, Mrs. Judy, asked as he burst into the lobby.
Cloud skidded to a stop and scratched his hair sheepishly.
"You could say that." he mumbled.
She smiled and tapped her pen against the clipboard on her desk. Cloud sighed as he realized he'd almost forgotten to sign out. He ran a hand over his face and came over. The receptionist watched his as he signed his name hastily and looked at his watch irritably to note the time.
"Running late again?" she asked sympathetically.
Cloud nodded distractedly.
"I hope you won't be in trouble..." Mrs. Judy said, her voice teasing and a twinkle in her eye.
He looked up from the clipboard, a smile almost detectable around the corners of his lips.
"Not too much trouble..." he told her.
Slowly, the corners of his mouth turned downwards.
"I just don't like leaving them alone..." Cloud said slowly.
"Do you have a family at home?" she asked with a smile.
Cloud started at her words. Had he really never spoken to the receptionist about Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel? A second later he berated himself for being so surprised; he wasn't a social person in the first place, and he was more content to eat Mrs. Judy's food than actually converse. Slowly he reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph.
The old receptionist took it gently with her wrinkled hand. She smiled as she unfolded it. It was the same picture of him, Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel that he had framed in his room, but much more battered and creased. It was the copy of the picture that Cloud had carried with him when he left home so long ago. It had gotten him through some hard times, and he rarely left home without it.
The receptionist gave his hand a gentle pat before she handed him the picture back.
"What a lovely family." she said. "I can see why you are reluctant to leave them alone."
He grinned and nodded, feeling proud for some reason. Cloud hadn't noticed before that he liked people knowing that they were all a family. He carefully folded the picture and put it in his pocket.
"They must be hard to disappoint." the receptionist said kindly.
Cloud felt his face harden and he nodded. He said a quick goodbye and rushed out the door. He needed to talk to Tifa before he lost his nerve.
Seventh Heaven was dark when he got home. It always gave him a bad feeling to come home when the lights were out; it meant that he was so late everyone had given up on waiting for him. And that was saying something, considering Marlene and Denzel were next to impossible to put to bed.
Cloud pushed the door open and smiled as he stepped into a warm house. Barret must have helped Tifa out... he thought, locking the door behind him. He paused briefly in the entranceway to wipe his boots off before continuing into the living room.
The living room was a mess. He smiled ruefully when he saw the scattered puzzles, toys, books, and games on the floor. Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel must have spent all day in here... Cloud thought. He walked carefully across the living room, avoiding the obstacles on the floor and stopped at the foot of the sofa.
Tifa and the kids were fast asleep on the sofa, curled up like a bunch of cats under what seemed to be every blanket in the house. Tifa was almost in a seated position, Marlene's upper half asleep on her lap, and Denzel leaning heavily against her shoulder. They looked peaceful.
So this is the hard part... Cloud thought, watching Tifa's nose unconsciously wrinkle as her hair fell across her face. Should I wake her up? Or maybe I can wait till tomorrow... He about lost his nerve, but luckily Tifa made his mind up for him.
"Cloud!" she whispered, moving carefully as to not wake up the children. "You're home late."
He nodded, and Tifa rubbed her eyes, still waking up. She fixed him with a gaze. He tried not to look away.
"Something's wrong." Tifa sighed.
Again, Cloud nodded. Tifa's face tensed as she looked up, waiting for him to elaborate. She noticed how he looked at the kids apprehensively.
"Outside?" Tifa whispered, jerking her head toward the door.
She gently peeled Marlene off her lap and Denzel off her shoulder and stood cautiously. The two children stirred slightly, but fell still after a moment, stretching out on the sofa in Tifa's absence. Tifa grabbed her coat and shoes and bundled up quickly. Cloud, who was still in his outdoor things, watched her tentatively.
The two adults went out the front door quickly, reluctant to let any more cold air into the Seventh Heaven now that it was warm again. It was a calm night; the street was empty and the air was cold and quiet. Cloud and Tifa stood on the front steps, facing one another, their arms crossed in front of their bodies to stay warm.
"Well?" Tifa asked, her breath steaming in the frigid air.
Cloud could tell by the look in her eyes that her calm tone was forced. He scuffed his boot restlessly against the cement.
"Let's sit." he said quietly.
Tifa nodded, and they sat side by side on the small cement step, shoulders barely touching. It was much easier this way, to stare at Tifa's shoes instead of her face as he told her.
And so he told her about the Deep Ground Soldiers, everything Reeve had told her. As he told her more and more, he sensed her pulling closer, the fear and cold drawing her in. By the time he finished, she was shivering. He realized, how easy it would be to end there. All she wanted at the moment was comfort, and all he really wanted was to hold her, and tell her that everything would be alright.
"How long have you known?" she whispered suddenly.
Cloud hesitated, and immediately he felt Tifa pull back.
"Cloud look at me!" she demanded, the slightest trace of anger in her voice. "How long have you known?"
He reluctantly granted her request and met her eyes.
"Ever since the first day I went to Reeve's." he told her.
Tifa stood quickly and turned her back to him, but not before he saw the hurt and betrayal in her face. Cloud scrambled to his feet quickly and put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off coldly.
"Tifa..." he pleaded softly. "I'm sorry."
She whipped around quickly, angry tears in her eyes.
"So you just been lying to me?" she asked him, hands planted on her hips. "I thought that was going to stop Cloud! I thought we were going to be honest with each other..."
She spun her back to him again. Cloud saw her hand dart up to her eyes once or twice; she was trying to wipe her eyes without him seeing. He took a step closer , but Tifa's voice stopped him from continuing forward.
"It's just like the Geostigma..." she whispered, ducking her head.
"No Tifa..." he protested gently. "It's not."
Again, she turned, this time not even hiding a tear trailing down her cheek. She roughly wiped it away, eyes sparking.
"It's not like Geostigma..." he protested. "Because I'm not leaving this time!"
"Why do you feel like you have to hide things from me?" she asked, her voice more tearful than angry now.
She stood about a foot away, fists clenched at her sides, chest heaving with passionate anger. Her hair was blowing fiercely in the cold breeze, her eyes shiny with tears.
"Because I..." Cloud whispered, eyes locked with hers. "I..."
"Because what?" she asked, her tone still hurt.
They fell into silence. Under Cloud's gaze, Tifa's angry demeanor slowly melted. Her hands unclenched and fell limply at her sides, and she let a tear roll down without swatting it away in spite. She took a small step closer.
"Because what Cloud?" she whispered, her voice so faint, it almost blended with the wind.
It had begun to snow, but neither of them took any notice. Snow flakes settled on Tifa's dark hair and caught in her thick lashes but she ignored it.
"Because..." Cloud breathed faintly.
He took a step closer, and almost unconsciously, his hand reached to her cheek, his thumb softly brushing away a soft dampness on Tifa's cheek that was either a tear or a melted flake of snow. Her eyes closed briefly as his touch.
Her eyes flew open almost immediately as his other arm snaked around her back, his hand resting against the soft, surprisingly warm, skin between her coat and the top of her pants. Cloud thought maybe he had crossed a boundary, but he found that he had been longing to touch her bare skin this way for so long, that he couldn't move away. His heart almost stopped when he felt Tifa's cold hands pleasantly snake up behind the back of his neck, which was beginning to feel uncomfortably hot.
"Because..." he repeated again, his mouth now so close, that his breath was melting snow flakes that had fallen on Tifa's lips. "Tifa I...I..."
And for what seemed to be barely a millisecond to Cloud, he could barely feel the soft fullness of Tifa's lips under his. It was so short it could barely count as a kiss, and he could already feel Tifa's arms tightening around his neck, and his fingers tensing against her back, pulling each other closer.
And then, the door was bursting open.
"Snow! Snow!" the ecstatic voices came. "It's snowing!"
They were now standing side by side, the intertwined fingers between them not nearly enough contact for either of them.
"It's snowing Tifa!" Marlene shouted cheerfully, spinning in the swirling snow.
Denzel followed Marlene's example in spinning in bouncy cirlces.
"Cloud's staying home tomorrow!" he announced with glee. "And it's snowing!"
Cloud risked a glance in Tifa's direction. He knew her heavily flushed cheeks weren't just from the cold. And somehow, he knew that the glimmer of fear in her eyes wasn't just in fear of the new danger coming their way. She was afraid of what had almost just happened. And then, noticing that he was squeezing Tifa's hand as hard as she was squeezing his, Cloud realized that he was scared too.
