It took a little over a month for all the snow to melt and for spring to blossom. It took less than two months later for May to come and with it, beautiful, warm weather. The streets were crowded with adults and children running about their daily lives, enjoying the spring after a long winter.
The bar was once again bustling with business. Tifa found herself enforcing the hours more forcefully than she had ever expected to. She had ended up, more than once, ushering disgruntled customers to the door. In her old bar, she never would have risked losing business by upsetting her customers, but the lack of competition let her get away with a lot. A smart customer never showed up before eight in the morning when Marlene and Denzel were still eating breakfast and never stayed past nine at night when the children were already in their pajamas.
Though it was proving impossible nowadays to get Marlene and Denzel in bed. Cloud was always home before dark now, and though he never provided an explanation for his shortened workday, Tifa sensed he was worried about the oncoming danger. The children were always over-enthusiastic when it came to helping Cloud and Tifa finish up their night's work. They knew that the faster the bar was cleaned up and the faster Cloud's delivery schedule was made, the sooner they'd all be able to play.
Behind the bar on a balmy evening, Tifa was mildly surprised that Cloud wasn't yet home. The cellphone Cloud had bought her was sitting on the counter next to her pile of dishes, but it had been silent all day. She flipped it open just to be sure, but there were no messages. She frowned slightly, observing the bar area. It had been an uncharacteristically quiet day. Her few customers were spread around the bar, eating and talking in soft voices.
She sighed and looked out the windows, searching for Marlene and Denzel. They were outside the bar with a few other children. When they saw her watching, they quickly smiled and waved, a wave she returned with slight suspicion. They hadn't asked her once today why Cloud was late coming home and they had been strangely obedient all day.
What are they up to? she wondered, smiling absentmindedly as she said goodbye to a customer. Clearly Cloud was in on it too, and judging by Marlene's barely contained excitement, it was something good. Tifa brow furrowed as she began working on the dishes, a tiny bit hurt at the exclusion.
She looked up from the sink as the front door opened and the children rushed in. The time read seven o'clock; exactly the time Tifa had told them to come inside. The children mimicked Tifa in looking at the clock before giving her identical angelic smiles. She didn't bother to hide the suspicion in her eyes when she returned the smile.
"Dinner's on the kitchen table." she told them. "Do you want to eat it now or wait for Cloud?"
Marlene and Denzel exchanged a secretive glance before turning to Tifa.
"We'll wait." Marlene said, bouncing on her toes.
"We'll go wrap it up and put it away for you." Denzel offered, grabbing Marlene's hand and pulling her into the kitchen.
Tifa watched them go with growing bewilderment. She glanced at the clock once more before returning to her work. If the children weren't going to give anything away, she'd just have to wait for Cloud to get home.
As Tifa locked the door behind her last customer of the day, Marlene and Denzel watched her with mounting excitement. She sighed and shook her head at them. They were still dressed and unfed.
"Don't you think it's time to eat dinner now?" she asked them, hands on her hips.
They shook their heads cheerfully, swinging their feet from the high barstools. Tifa let out another sigh.
"I give up!" she told them, unable to hold back a smile at their knowing looks. "What are you two up to?"
Marlene and Denzel both glanced at the clock again and muffled giggles behind their hands. Tifa rolled her eyes, exasperated.
"Well if you two won't tell me anything," she said, wiping her hands on her skirt. "I'm going upstairs to go get changed."
She took two steps towards the door leading to the living room, and the children's eyes widened in panic. Tifa stopped, smiling a bit triumphantly as they leaped from their seats and positioned themselves between Tifa and the door. She bent down so her eyes were on the same level as theirs.
"There's something in the living room." she stated, smiling knowingly.
As the children shook their heads desperately, a muffled bang in the living room confirmed Tifa's statement. She took a step towards the door and the children grabbed her around the waist.
"No Tifa, wait!" Marlene begged, throwing all her weight against her.
Denzel flattened himself against the door, spreading his arms out as far as they could go.
"Don't!" he said, shaking his head emphatically. "We promised Cloud that-"
His face turned bright red and Marlene glared at him.
"Denzel!" she shouted.
Denzel scowled at her.
"I didn't say anything!" he yelled back.
As the two began arguing, Tifa watched with confusion and amusement. So Cloud does know what's going on... she thought, using the children's distraction to tiptoe around them and reach the door. They cried out in distress as her hand closed on the doorknob, but to her surprise, someone was already turning it.
Tifa jumped back as the door swung open. Standing on the other side was Cloud, looking a little out of breath, his hair rustled. Tifa's mouth dropped open, eyes going between Cloud and the children, her flabbergasted expression clearly the cause of their amused smiles.
"Cloud!" she managed to stutter. "How long have you been home?"
The children giggled as Cloud shrugged, and they raced past Tifa to tug Cloud's arms.
"Did you pick it up?" Denzel whispered.
Cloud hushed him and nodded. Marlene clapped her hands with pleasure and the three of them glanced at Tifa. Her hands were on her hips, eyes pinning them in the doorway.
"What's going on?" she demanded finally.
Her insistent tone would have normally caused them to meekly comply with whatever she asked, but they just smiled at her. Her hands dropped to her sides and laughing, Marlene and Denzel grabbed her hands and pulled her into the living room.
Tifa dug her heels in, stubbornly resisting, but then she felt Cloud's hands on her back, gently pushing her through the door. Cloud and the children playfully tugged her into the living room as she continued to resist, all three of them laughing with the knowledge of a shared secret.
"Hey!" Tifa protested as one of Cloud's hands covered her eyes.
Cloud, Marlene, and Denzel all shushed her, and she grumpily grasped the children's hands as they guided her into the living room. When they came to a stop, Tifa stumbled blindly, but Cloud's hand on her waist gently steadied her. The children's hands slipped out of her own.
"Ready?" Cloud whispered, his breath warm on her ear.
His hand slipped off her eyes, and she found herself positioned directly in front of a wooden piano, its sleek wood newly polished.
"Happy birthday!" Marlene and Denzel shouted, jumping in the air, and clapping their hands at the look of shock on Tifa's face.
Tifa's mouth dropped open wordlessly, and she stumbled backwards into Cloud. He laughed, placing his hands on her shoulders and whispering in her ear.
"Happy twenty-third Tifa..."
He kissed her jaw gently, and Tifa felt her face flare up. She took a step away, turning to face him.
"But today's..." she began weakly.
"The third of May." Cloud said, laughing as Tifa's hand jumped to her mouth in surprise.
She turned away from Cloud and the children's smiling faces for a minute and took a step towards the piano. Her fingertips swept delicately over the smooth wood surface before dropping down to touch the glassy white keys. Gently she pressed down on one note. It played clearly and in tune.
"Oh..." Tifa said softly, her hand covering her mouth again.
Marlene and Denzel crowded around her, climbing up on the piano bench.
"Do you like it Tifa?" Marlene asked eagerly.
"Me and Marlene helped pick it out!" Denzel told her, smiling widely.
Her hands gently stroked the children's faces.
"It's perfect." she told them, smiling to hide the tears in her eyes.
The children grinned widely and Tifa turned to look at Cloud. His smile was shyly pleased.
"This was your idea?" she asked softly.
Cloud shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded, grinning. His grin deepened as Tifa took a step closer and his arms opened just in time as Tifa's hug knocked the breath out of him.
"Thank you..." she whispered.
His only response was to thread his hand through her hair and tilt her head enough to brush his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, enjoying her birthday kiss before she remembered that the children were watching. She jumped back, and glared at Cloud. Marlene and Denzel giggled. Cloud smiled at Tifa innocently.
"Do you remember how to play?" he asked, guiding her to the piano bench.
With the Marlene and Denzel sitting on either side of her, and Cloud's hands gently brushing her shoulders, Tifa rested her fingertips on the piano keys. She closed her eyes remembering her piano in Nibelheim and the sheets of music that she had played over and over until they were engraved in her memory. Opening her eyes to the children's expectant faces, Tifa began to play.
Reeve leaned back in his office chair and cradled the phone to his ear with his shoulder. He ran a hand over the stubble on his chin, silently grateful that the man on the other line couldn't see his disheveled state.
"Yes, yes... I'll get the documents to you tomorrow Rufus." Reeve said assuringly.
"Why not tonight?" Rufus asked, his tone still as annoying arrogant as ever.
Reeve sighed.
"Cloud isn't working today." he told him exhaustedly. "And there is no possible way I can leave my office."
Rufus grunted in frustration but said nothing.
"I'll have them to you by tomorrow..." Reeve told him. "Until then, all we can do is continue making the preparations... I have to go."
Reeve hung up with Rufus and picked up his pen, hovering it over a pile of paperwork. The endless lists of names were exhausting him. He scanned over the list and sighed, pushing the papers away and leaning back into the chair.
The inevitable was hitting him in the face. Over two years had passed since the meteor incident and they still had no idea who was dead, who was alive, and who was living where. Their old data banks were now completely useless and it would be frightfully easy for someone to adopt another's identity.
That sort of possibility, in the midst of the approaching danger, was unacceptable. Reeve's only option was to conduct a worldwide census, and issue new papers of identification. He groaned as he thought of the huge amount of work this would require. He was already swamped...
But the decision was a necessary one. Right now the world's population was nameless and numberless. He had no idea how many people lived in the main cities, how many of them were ex-Shinra employees or ex-SOLDIERs... He would have no way of tracking someone down if they ever were discovered to be one of the Deep Ground Soldiers. Without official records, names could be changed, identities stolen.
He sighed as he glanced at his watch. It was past ten already. Time for him to go to sleep. Reeve groaned his way to his feet. Tomorrow would be a long day.
It was after eleven when Tifa finally shut the door to the children's bedroom. Denzel and Marlene had begged her to keep playing the piano for them until she had feebly protested that she didn't know any more songs. The children then brightly reminded her that they hadn't eaten dinner yet, and they had all retreated into the kitchen to eat.
Tifa smiled as she saw Cloud leaning against the wall.
"I thought we'd be up all night..." Cloud said quietly, eyes flashing in amusement.
Tifa laughed softly.
"Luckily," she said, "my memories not all that great... My fingers were going to fall off if I had to play one more song."
Cloud laughed, watching her eyes glow softly with happiness. The past few months with Tifa had been the most amazing and terrifying of his life. On one hand, there were Tifa's sweet kisses and the feeling of her body against his... and on the other hand there were the temptations.
Watching Tifa slowly approach him, Cloud swallowed hard. He tried hard to remember that there were two small children asleep in the room behind Tifa and that they could wake any minute. He took a shuddering breath as Tifa's arm snaked up to his shoulder. She gave a him a curious look.
"My room?" she asked, nudging her head in direction of her door.
To hell with temptation... Cloud thought helplessly as he nodded and followed Tifa into her room, shutting the door behind him. He leaned against the door and watched her as she moved over to her dresser and removed her pearl earrings, placing them in a wooden jewelery box. She noticed him watching and smiled, sitting down on the bed and patting the spot next to her.
He sat down slowly, their legs brushing.
"You liked the piano?" Cloud asked, reaching for her hand.
Tifa nodded and squeezed his hand tightly.
"I can't believe you remembered..." she whispered.
Cloud laughed quietly.
"I can't believe you forgot." he replied.
Tifa leaned in and buried her face into his shoulder. He felt the subtle shift of her mood and cautiously circled her back with his arms.
"I've had other things on my mind..." she whispered.
Cloud's arms tightened around her.
"I know..." he said, tangling a hand through her hair.
He knew she was thinking of the four bags they had hidden in the small attic above Marlene and Denzel's room. He had shown Tifa and the kids exactly where to go if something were to happen and made Tifa promise to call him as soon as possible. It was a feeble precaution, but it was all they had.
"I feel like we're always just waiting for something to happen..." Tifa mumbled.
"Yea..." Cloud whispered.
Tifa pulled back a little so she could look up at Cloud. He smiled and gently brushed her cheeks with the tips of his fingers.
"It's your birthday..." he whispered to her. "Don't even think about anything else."
She leaned forward and kissed him, fingertips barely brushing his collarbone . Cloud shifted so they were facing each other and cupped her cheek gently. It was a soft lingering kiss. Tifa pulled back slowly with a sleepy, heavy-lidded look in her eyes that messed horribly with Cloud's self-control.
Suddenly Tifa perked up and looked around the room, eyes playfully suspicious.
"Barret's not going to pop out of the closet?" she asked in a whisper. "Yuffie's not going to start pounding on the door? The kids aren't going to run in?"
Cloud joined in Tifa's quiet laughter.
"I don't know..." he said, giving the door a sideways glance. "Maybe we should get all our doors dead-bolted just in case..."
They laughed softly together; an amused yet slightly frustrated admittance of their lack of privacy. Tifa's arms were stilled loosely looped around Cloud's neck. Cloud let his hands settle around her waist as she leaned forward, resting her head under his chin.
"Well we're alone now aren't we?" she whispered.
Delightful chills ran down Cloud's spine.
"Yea..." he replied in a hushed voice.
Tifa's cheek brushed his as she lifted her head up. It was too hard to resist the way her eyelashes brushed his skin when they kissed, too hard to resist the way her fingers dug into his back when he deepened the kiss... too hard to resist laying down on Tifa's soft bed, her body fitting enticingly against his.
Why exactly am I trying to resist? he asked himself, mind feeling fuzzy. His lips trailed off hers, exploring the soft skin of her jaw before trailing down to the bottom of her neck. His mind dimly registered the strap of fabric in his way before his hands pushed it away, freeing one lovely rounded shoulder.
Cloud swallowed hard and looked up at Tifa. Her eyes mirrored the same desire he felt and yet behind that... he could see that she knew what he did. They were going to stop before anything happened... like they always did. Cloud sighed and shifted so that when he collapsed on the bed, he wouldn't be collapsing on top of Tifa. He could feel Tifa's disappointment as sharply as he could feel his own.
Is it because the children are asleep in the room next to us? he wondered as Tifa settled against his chest, resigning to sleep. His hands ran through her hair, gently smoothing it out of its tousled state. No... he decided as he felt Tifa's body relax against him, her breathing deepening. It's something else... something else is stopping us.
Was it their worry about the oncoming danger? No... he answered himself, hands still caressing the soft silk of her hair. There's something missing... he decided. His stomach twisted with nerves. He felt his mouth go dry as Tifa's word's come back to him.
"Can't do it because we're not a real family?"
He felt suddenly light-headed. He worried that the loud pounding of his heart would wake Tifa up.
"What have I gotten myself into?" he whispered.
The room was silent, except for the soft sounds Tifa made in her sleep. He took a deep breath and wondered when, and how he would ask. And how he would scrape up the nerve.
